Release of SET Transition Plan & FAQs

As the winter break approaches, the SET team has been working diligently on plans to transition the university to the new operating model, which will begin in January. This new model will significantly reduce redundancies, simplify procedures and workflows, and create more rewarding and specialized work opportunities for staff. Ultimately, the goal of SET is to support the university’s teaching, research, and community engagement mission in a strategic and sustainable way, rather than continuing to distribute cuts across campus in a way that results in an additional burden on remaining staff.

There have understandably been many questions from the university community about how this transition will unfold, so we’ve initiated a number of projects to help provide answers and further clarity.

On December 3, we hosted our first “Ask SET Anything” event, specifically for support staff to raise questions, suggestions, and concerns related to administrative restructuring. There was an impressive turnout with 138 support staff joining us for the live Zoom and another 786 people watching the livestream. We plan to do more of these events in the future for different groups on campus, so please watch the UAT Consultation page as we will be adding new dates in January.

We heard many great comments and questions at the event last week, many of which related to details surrounding the staff transition and implementation process. To provide answers to some of these questions, we have prepared a SET Transition plan, which outlines the planning, approach, and timeline for moving to the new administrative operating model. 

To complement the transition plan, we have also developed a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions that we’ve received from events, roundtable discussions, and emails. Responses to these questions — as well as updates to earlier questions — have been provided on the UAT website as part of a new SET FAQ page. We will commit to updating this page weekly with responses to frequently asked questions as we receive them. If you have a question that has not already been answered on the SET FAQ page, please connect with us through the SET feedback form.

Given the challenges and changes facing the university, we recognize that many staff are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed right now. Please know that it’s okay to ask for help. Reach out to a friend or a colleague, talk to your supervisor, or take advantage of the wonderful support and resources available through the university. We also encourage you to read and share this article about building resilience written by SET’s change management specialist, Megan McDougald; it provides some context to the feelings we experience during change and also includes a list of health and wellness resources. 

Our thanks go out to each of you for the work that you are doing to carry the university forward and support each other. We wish you a safe, healthy, and successful remainder of the year.

Todd Gilchrist
Vice President University Services and Finance, SESC Chair

Rob Munro
Executive Lead, Service Excellence Transformation