The Arkansas State University Board of Trustees issued a Request for Proposals in April 2017 to seek qualified and experienced advisors to perform a comprehensive, systemwide operational and programmatic review of its public universities. Six proposals were submitted, five finalists were interviewed by the Steering Committee, and Huron was selected.
The review is being conducted across administrative and academic programs at an institutional level and as a system. Accelerate ASU will be an important step toward ensuring that the ASU System is appropriately positioned to address the goals set forth in the State of Arkansas’ Master Plan regarding higher education attainment. This initiative is also expected to help in the continued development of the strategic plans that are necessary to carry out the mission of each institution and the Board.
Huron will work with the ASU System Office and campuses to:
- Identify where best practice areas exist and those with room for improvement;
- Build a business case for cost savings and revenue enhancement through an assessment of organizational structure, core processes, performance levels and cost structure;
- Develop detailed recommendations, both short-term and long-term, based on findings;
- Develop strategies to create a more efficient environment, as well as address any impact to faculty, staff, and student workload;
- Explain how opportunities can be realized through changes in the delivery model, business processes, policies, and/or through implementation of enabling technologies (i.e., documentation management); and
- Utilize experience in past projects and knowledge of cross-industry best practices to develop an implementation roadmap to achieve the desired results.
