Campuses trying to cut expensesThe State University of New York has noticed major savings after a shared services agreement cut costs for multiple campuses. Multiple campuses have worked together and the service sharing initiative has saved millions of dollars. As university funding has been cut nationwide, higher education spending has become a serious concern for administrators. By having campuses work together to save money, SUNY has noticed significant benefits.

Sharing services to scale back on expenses
The shared services initiative aimed to increase collaboration between campuses and cut down on unnecessary spending. The money saved will be put back into the school's various campuses. Since the program was implemented last August, the campuses have worked together to determine where they could cut some overlapping services and merge others to save limited funds.

According to the source, Zimpher estimated savings of more than $2.5 million in the first year of the program. The saved money was funneled back into academics and more than 30 new faculty members.

"The SUNY campuses have made remarkable progress in this inaugural year of our shared services initiative - truly realizing the capacity of SUNY's systemness by sharing the costs associated with administrative salaries, IT functions, procurement and more - and freeing up funds for what matters most, our students," said Nancy Zimpher, SUNY's chancellor, according to local NBC affiliate WKTV.

New programs in the works
It's not just a select few campuses getting onboard with this agenda to save money. Twenty-seven different campuses are involved in a new plan to implement a comprehensive elevator and escalator maintenance service. Prior to the agreement, each campus was responsible for its own services, potentially costing the schools more money. By cutting the number of contracts from 27 to four regional agreements, the schools expect to enjoy significant savings.

Several different campuses are leading an initiative to save money on printing, according to the source. With the amount of mailing colleges do, obtaining letterhead and envelopes at a low cost is extremely important. SUNY Fredonia and SUNY Geneseo will begin receiving their printed goods from Alfred State College, as SUNY looks to expand the agreement to other campuses.

Procurement and services are not the only way SUNY campuses are enjoying enormous savings. SUNY Delhi and Cobleskill have created joint cabinets with shared presidents, vice presidents and several shared faculty members. Cutting back on administrative costs is helping these schools to scale back on their expenses even more, and the campuses plan to continue their initiative to cut costs even further.
Share To:

Strategic Sourceror

Post A Comment:

0 comments so far,add yours