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Office of the President Service Charter September 2008 SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) continues to make great strides in meeting its mission and fulfilling the strategic goals articulated in VISION 2012, the University’s Strategic Plan. The development and implementation of Service Charters within the University supports Institutional Improvement, one of the Strategic Focus Areas included in VISION 2012. The Service Charters developed by the various Components and Departments at UVI represent the University’s response and commitment to improving service, accountability and cross-functionality across the institution. Each Service Charter describes the service experience a client can expect from a Department or Component; outlines our service commitment to our clients; documents how clients needs and requests will be addressed; and shares a mechanism through which clients can provide feedback on the service received as well as suggested areas for improvement. We acknowledge that there are standards we need to meet and the introduction of Service Charters demonstrates our commitment to meeting them. However, we are still learning and growing in this implementation process, and, as such will necessarily make periodic adjustments to ensure that attainment of the established service standards becomes sustainable. I congratulate all Components and Departments on meeting the first step of this challenge and I look forward to even greater success as we continue to fulfill our mission. LaVerne E. Ragster, Ph.D. President   OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT PERSONNEL Title Telephone E-mail Address LaVerne E. Ragster, PhD President 340-693-1000/1 lragste@uvi.edu Noreen Michael, PhD Chief of Staff 340-693-1000/3 nmichae@uvi.edu Haldane Davies, PhD Special Assistant to the President 340-693-1000/4 hdavies@uvi.edu Velma Abramsen, MPA Executive Assistant to the President 340-693-1000/2 vabrams2@uvi.edu Gail Steele, BA Administrative Specialist III 340-693-1008 gsteele@uvi.edu Sheena Powell, MBA Administrator I 340-693-1000/6 spowell@uvi.edu Alina Matthew, BSN Administrative Assistant 340-693-1000 amatthe@uvi.edu SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You OUR SERVICE CHARTER The Service Charter of the Office of the President tells you about: • WHO WE ARE • OUR VALUES • WHAT WE DO • OUR CLIENTS • OUR SERVICES • OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU • OUR SERVICE GUARANTEE • OUR SERVICE STANDARDS • HOW WE WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE • HOW YOU CAN HELP US • INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY • HOW TO CONTACT US WHO WE ARE Vision: The Office of the President provides dynamic leadership and courteous professional services to University stakeholders through the effective use of documented policies and procedures, state-of-the-art technology, and the accurate and timely dissemination of information. Mission: The Office of the President is committed to ensuring that the strategic goals and objectives of the University are met by: • Promoting the University through effective, efficient and timely communication; • Leading and supporting the implementation of VISION 2012; • Championing the enhancement of the University’s image; • Leading efforts associated with academic and financial sustainability; and, • Providing leadership, support, and guidance for effective University operations. We believe that: • The Office of the President must take the lead in coordinating components in a collaborative and integrated manner to ensure excellence in service, cross-functionality, and accountability. • Our customers must be provided with prompt, efficient, impartial, and courteous service with openness and appropriate confidentiality in a pleasant environment. • Our employees must be evaluated fairly and provided with equal opportunities for advancement and appropriate remuneration (or equitable reward systems). • Our personnel are receptive to change and inspire confidence in the effectiveness of the University. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You • Our personnel practice collegiality, shared governance, and principled leadership while maintaining a culture of excellence, professionalism, and teamwork. • Our suppliers are entitled to prompt payment for provision of quality services and products. OUR VALUES We embrace UVI's value system that embodies the principles, ideals and beliefs of its students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees, and forms the foundation for UVI's actions. Our values are: • Students First • Learning and Scholarship • Excellence • Teamwork • Collegiality and Shared Governance • Inclusiveness of Ideas • Principled Leadership • Supporting Our Community • Effective Use of Technology • Equitable Reward System WHAT WE DO The Office of the President is the focal point for coordinating all Components and promoting the sustainable development of the University in support of a well-informed, prosperous, cohesive and stable UVI. We facilitate the Components by: • Placing their requests on agendas for discussion and action at cabinet meetings. • Settling issues of miscommunication and misjudgment. • Providing leadership and governance to all. • Advising on all major initiatives undertaken by the Components. OUR CLIENTS Our clients and stakeholders are internal and external. They include all University personnel, components, and student. Specifically our clients and stakeholders include: • Office of the Provost (inclusive of Vice Provost for Research and Public Service (RPS), and Vice Provost for Access and Enrolment Services (ACES)) • Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs • Administration and Finance • Information and Technology Services • Campus Executive Administrators • Board of Trustees SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You • Research and Technology Park Board • Foundation for the University of the Virgin Islands • Foundation for the Reichhold Center for the Arts • Government of the United States Virgin Islands • Local and federal agencies • General public OUR SERVICES We are dedicated to providing and delivering professional services to the University and the public in a manner that is consistent with our service commitment to our clients. We do this through research, office visits, correspondence, telephone, facsimile, E-mail and other electronic media. We will make available as many avenues as possible to meet your needs while remaining mindful of the principles of good governance, collegiality, ethical behavior, and respect for all. Specifically, our services include: • Providing management services to the President’s Cabinet • Providing leadership and governance • Leading and monitoring strategic planning • Providing institutional effectiveness and accountability services • Facilitating Title III programs • Spearheading emergency management coordination/relief • Leading capacity building initiatives • Providing policy development services including communications protocols • Providing liaison services for Board of Trustees • Processing payments to suppliers for services rendered to the office. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU We are committed to respecting the rights of our Clients, including: • The right to review and appeal; • The right to lodge a complaint; • The right to privacy and confidentiality; • The right to see information (i.e. Freedom of Information Act [FOIA]); • The right to access services, facilities and information in a manner which meets client needs. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You OUR SERVICE GUARANTEE To fulfill our service guarantee to you we are committed to having well trained and supportive staff and to developing and maintaining an open and accountable culture that is fair and reasonable in dealing with our clients. We will provide you with quality service by: • Identifying ourselves when we speak. • Seeking to understand your requirements and what is important to you. We will listen actively and act responsively to your needs. • Recognizing that clients have different needs and personalizing our services and advice in ways that fit those needs. • Treating you with respect and courtesy, maintaining confidentiality where required. • Giving clear, accurate, timely and relevant information. • Being clear on reasons for our decisions. • Respecting the confidentiality of and using personal information only in accordance with the law. • Acting with care and diligence as we prepare a response, conducting ourselves honestly and with integrity in accordance with a strict Code of Conduct. • Referring inquiries to other sources as appropriate. • Presenting responses to your letters clearly and concisely, using plain English, understandable graphics, or other means relevant to your needs. Generally, we will respond within seven (7) business days of getting your letter. If this is not possible, we will indicate why we cannot and when you can expect a response. Our correspondence will include the name and telephone number of the person dealing with your letter. • Ensuring that our recorded telephone, facsimile and Web services are kept current with the latest information, programs, services and products. • Ensuring that our recorded telephone and facsimile services use concise wording and compact graphics. • Ensuring that our Web site is easy to use and well set out. • Ensuring that all our services meet a well-defined client need. In delivering our services, we promise to honor the University’s “Top Seven” Service Promises: To smile To greet everyone we meet To know our jobs…and the University To treat your concern as our concern To follow up on everything To treat our co-workers as we would a customer To remember that communication courtesy matters OUR SERVICE STANDARDS SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You This charter describes our main services and how we measure their effectiveness. The following table describes how we will measure how effective we are in delivering our core services to our Clients. Our Services Measures of Effectiveness Providing management services to the President’s Cabinet. • Maintaining official records and minutes of each meeting and make same available to the University community within 14 business days of the meeting. • Communicating of outcome to the appropriate executing component or agency within 10 days of action. • Following-up to ensure that actions voted upon are carried out. • Assessing the impact of various actions on the University by means of accountability outputs and assessment plans. Providing leadership and governance. • Establishing broad guidelines for University-wide quality assurance and service standards. • Overseeing the implementation of the strategic plan and other University-wide initiatives and make quarterly reports to the University community and Board of Trustees. • Spearheading capacity building initiatives through the UVI Leadership Institute. • Leading the development, promulgation, and monitoring of policies, standards, regulations, protocols, and guidelines to assure compliance and regulatory responsibility. • Monitoring the effective flow of accurate information across the University. • Serving as liaison between the University and the Board of Trustees. • Facilitating the functions of the University Senate. Leading and monitoring strategic planning. • Chairing the Strategic Planning Committee and issue quarterly monitoring reports. • Ensuring that the Strategic Plan is linked to the University’s budget and that the Plan becomes the basis for cost containment, cost avoidance, and strategic and technical allocation of resources. • Preparing progress reports for the Planning Committee, Board of Trustees, and other University stakeholders as required by law. Providing institutional effectiveness and • Overseeing and managing institutional assessment plans in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You Our Services Measures of Effectiveness accountability services. • Ensuring that all departments maintain current assessment plans and issues reports of same within 60 days of the end of the fiscal year. • Analyzing baseline and active data to investigate and address any gaps that may exist in the institutional effectiveness model. • Establishing accountability guidelines and productivity formulas to enable all components to adhere to quality assurance standards. Facilitating Title III programs. • Overseeing the administration of the Title III program for the University in keeping with all required federal guidelines. • Approving projects to be funded on recommendation of the Title III Projects Review Committee. • Signing off on all Title III requests and draw-downs for approved University projects. • Maintaining records and authorization of reviews of the Title III program in collaboration with the Office of Sponsored Programs. Spearheading emergency management coordination/relief. • Coordination of the University’s response to a hurricane or other natural or man-made hazards in the Territory. • Processing all claims to FEMA and other local and federal agencies for assistance during times of emergency/disaster. All claims must be submitted to the Office of the President through each Campus Executive Administrator and should be accompanied by estimates of the damage (pictures are useful). • Facilitating responses to urgent needs, such as roofing or other physical plant emergencies, through the Administration and Finance Component. • Processing of monetary relief may take three to six months. Leading capacity building initiatives. • Ensuring that the requisite human resources development capacity exists within the University to sustain the institution’s growth and development. • Requiring all University personnel to participate in meaningful professional development activities, which are tied to performance review, and measurable improvement in service, cross-functionality, and accountability. • Establishing guidelines for succession planning and manage the Leadership Institute in collaboration with the Administration and Finance Component and the Human Resources Department. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You Our Services Measures of Effectiveness Providing policy development services including communications protocols. • Establishing requisite protocols and standards for information flow within and outside the University. • Determining who speaks on which issues and the content of news releases that have the potential to significantly impact the image of the University. • Liaising with external stakeholders in collaboration with the Institutional Advancement Component and the Office of Public Relations within Institutional Advancement. Providing liaison services for the Board of Trustees. • Providing monthly updates to the Board of Trustees on policy items related to the foregoing. • Facilitating the preparation of all requisite documents from all Components for presentation to the Standing Committees of the Board and the full Board. • Appointing liaisons to the various Standing Committees of the Board. • Conducting and/or facilitating research as requested by the Chairman of the Board to facilitate Board decision- making. • Providing logistical, administrative and research support to enable Trustees to fulfill their responsibilities as successfully and effectively as possible. Processing payments to suppliers for services rendered to the office. • Suppliers should ensure that requests for goods and services are supported by an official document - purchase order, interdepartmental requisition, professional services agreement, etc. • Invoices for payments may be submitted by mail or directly to the office via hand delivery or E-mail. • Invoices are checked by the administrative assistant for accuracy. • Invoices are forwarded to the Administration and Finance Component for processing of payment vouchers. • Once vouchers have been processed and signed, they are forwarded to the Accounting Department, which issues a check to the vendor. • This process takes approximately 10 business days. The tables below show processing time service standards for our interaction with our clients. We aim to process 75% of cases within these service standards. However, the service standards are indicative only. Individual cases may be decided in longer or shorter periods than the service standard, depending on a range of factors, individual circumstances and the complexity of each case. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You Telephone Service Principles Service Standards Our telephones will be answered promptly. We will respond to your calls within four (4) rings. We will answer queued calls to our Call Centers within two (2) minutes. We will be courteous, professional and helpful. When answering the telephone, we will provide you with our name and work area. When we call you, we will provide you with our name, work area and the reason why we are calling. We will be accessible by telephone during business hours. All departmental business areas will have telephone service options during business hours. We will respond to your telephone messages within one (1) business day. Our recorded messages will be current and give appropriate contact details during absences. In person Service Principles Service Standards We will assist you promptly. We will serve you within ten (10) minutes of your arrival, if you have an appointment. We will serve you within twenty (20) minutes if you do not have an appointment. We will advise you, in advance, about any unexpected delays in attending to you. We will be courteous, professional and helpful. We will wear our name badges and identify ourselves. We will be neatly dressed and well presented. We will be accessible. All departmental business areas will have in-person service options. Our offices will be clean and comfortable, have clear signage and current, relevant information on display. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You Interview Service Principles Service Standards We will give reasonable notice of interviews. We will advise you about interview arrangements in a timely manner. Where legislative timeframes apply, we will meet them. We will inform you of any changes in arrangements before your scheduled interview. We will see you within ten (10) minutes of your appointment time and advise you, in advance, of any unexpected delays. We will conduct interviews in a fair and reasonable manner. We will consider the appropriateness of any interview and whether the required information could be obtained in another way. We will actively address your diverse needs. We will conduct interviews in locations that are as private and secure as possible and reflect the nature of the interview. Written communication Service Principles Service Standards We will respond to your correspondence promptly. We will reply to all correspondence timely, using the most appropriate contact method – via telephone, in- person or in writing. We will acknowledge E-mail requests within one (1) business day of receipt, and provide you with a likely timeframe for our response. We will be courteous, professional and helpful. We will provide accurate, helpful and timely responses that are relevant to your needs. We will identify ourselves and provide contact details in our written correspondence. We will record your correspondence on departmental databases and filing systems. We will be accessible in writing. All departmental business areas will have mail contact options. We will use out-of-office E-mail messages when away SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You Service Principles Service Standards from the office, and provide you with alternative contact details. Applications and decisions Service Principles Service Standards We will acknowledge applications promptly and inform you about the assessment process. We will acknowledge all applications within seven (7) business days – unless we make a decision within that time. We will provide you with the details of any outstanding requirements, next steps and likely processing times in a timely manner. We will be courteous, professional and helpful. We will identify ourselves and provide you with options for contacting us. We will let you know how and when you need to provide information to us. Where you have a designated representative, we will communicate with your representative. We will be open and accountable and tell you the reasons for our decisions. We will provide you with clear and timely reasons for our decisions and advise you of any review rights. Our information Service Principles Service Standards We will provide clear, accurate, helpful and consistent information. We will regularly review and update information to ensure it is current and meets your needs and expectations. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You Your feedback Service Principles Service Standards We value your compliments, complaints and suggestions. We will invite feedback and provide appropriate contact details in our client information. We will acknowledge client feedback within one (1) business day of receipt. We will resolve client feedback received via the web, E- mail or telephone within ten (10) business days. We will resolve written client feedback received via the U.S. Postal Service, facsimile or courier within twenty (20) business days. We will use your feedback to improve our services. We will monitor and report on all feedback, and consider this in reviewing and improving our services. HOW WE WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE We undertake to: • Monitor our performances against the standards set out in this Charter, and publish the results in our Annual Report and other publications, which will be available upon request from our Public Relations Office. Performance information will also be provided on our web site. • Be open to feedback on our performance, and suggestions for improvement from our clients and the public and make adjustments to our programs and services based on the information we received. • Publish information showing levels of satisfaction with our programs and services including complaints received and the resolution of those complaints. • Provide explanations when our services do not meet acceptable standards of quality, timeliness or accuracy. • Formally review the standards set out in this Charter once a year and make modifications where appropriate in light of your comments and in response to ongoing changes. • Independently review our Charter at least every three years by inviting comments from clients, stakeholders and staff as part of the monitoring and review process. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You HOW YOU CAN HELP US In the Office of the President: • We welcome your views and comments as vital in helping us to monitor and improve the relevance and quality of our service to the community. • We will consider all suggestions fully and promptly in our planning for service improvement and, wherever possible, we will respond immediately. • We may occasionally seek your input to random surveys of how the community perceives our services and what services are needed, including assessments of our performance. To help us help you we ask you to: • Tell us if you have special needs so we can accommodate them. • Let us know if you need an interpreter to use our services. • Treat our staff with courtesy and respect. • Attend scheduled meetings punctually. • Respond to requests for information by the department accurately, thoroughly and in a timely manner. • Provide us with changes in your circumstances promptly. • Abide by any and all legal requirements and other obligations that clients are to meet in order to be eligible for services sought. To help us serve you better: • Let us know as soon as possible when we do not meet your expectations. We will investigate your complaint and tell you what we have done about it. • To help us give you the best possible service, we welcome suggestions for improvement to address any difficulties you are experiencing. • We will try to resolve complaints satisfactorily and promptly. You can help us do this by providing clear details of relevant facts, persons and dates when you make a complaint. • Complaints should be made to the person you have been dealing with (or that person's supervisor) or sent to our mailing address. • Our Complaints Handling Policy, which outlines the processes involved, including your review and appeal rights can be obtained from the Director of Public Information at 340- 693-1057. INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPONENT You can get information about the Office of the President, including its programs and services, from the University’s Internet home page, www.uvi.edu. The University’s Strategic Plan, VISION 2012, and the most recent annual reports are available through the University’s home page. SERVICE CHARTER: OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT    Our Commitment to You HOW TO CONTACT US For all reference inquiries: Contact: Velma Abramsen, MPA, Executive Assistant to the President Postal Address: #2 John Brewer’s Bay, St. Thomas, VI 00802 Telephone Number 340-693-1000/2 Facsimile Number 340-693-1005 E-mail: vabrams2@uvi.edu Website: www.uvi.edu To register a comment or a complaint: Mail To: Noreen Michael, Ph.D., Chief of Staff Postal Address #2 John Brewer’s Bay, St. Thomas, VI 00802 Telephone Number 340-693-1000/3 Facsimile Number 340-693-1005 E-mail: nmichae@uvi.edu Website: www.uvi.edu