Sept. 19, 2006 issue
Before I came to EMU more than six years
ago, the thing I knew the most about Eastern was WEMU.
It had been my favorite radio station for years. It's a "best in class."
After 21 years in commercial and non-profit information technology (IT),
I was excited to be able to work in the world of higher education. Right
away, I enjoyed working here because EMU was increasing its focus on the
value of IT to its mission. Managing the administrative financial applications
was very rewarding because of the great team of programmer analysts. It's
satisfying to know that the ICT staff strives to provide the best service
possible. Also, I've appreciated the improved collaboration between University
departments, especially since the inception of the Banner implementation
project.
My professional passion is project management (PM). With eight years
of PM experience, I was excited when ICT decided to establish
the Project Management Office. A PM methodology, founded upon best practices,
is being developed. This will enable ICT to standardize and reduce basic
tasks, so projects are completed in the most effective and efficient manner.
Serving on the Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee has been a high
point for me. The concepts and methods of continuous improvement and PM
dovetail well. And most importantly, I've seen the committee members demonstrate
great enthusiasm and dedication in striving to achieve EMU's goals by
means of improvement initiatives.
Similar to many University departments, in ICT, we encourage innovation.
But, that means change and, with change, comes a measure
of risk. In order to implement change, we need the latitude
to take calculated risk which, in turn, requires allowance
for failure without fear of undue penalty. In ICT, I've
seen progress in this key facet of continuous improvement.
Of course, we are experiencing lean times due to the budget crunch in
Michigan. But there is a silver lining in this, because it impels us to
assess the way we do things and to improve our processes. That's a great
part of why I enjoy working at EMU!
