South SFV Today

Stanford University is taking steps to simplify its processes and decision-making as part of a broader initiative aimed at reducing bureaucratic friction on campus. The effort, led by former President Richard Saller, former Provost John Etchemendy, and Vice President for University Affairs Megan Pierson, seeks to make the university more agile in its operations.

Stanford President Jonathan Levin emphasized the importance of this initiative: “Stanford works best when our faculty and students have the ability to get things done, and our outstanding staff are positioned to enable this.” He noted that both he and Provost Jenny Martinez had heard numerous accounts of bureaucratic challenges hindering progress.

The simplification initiative builds on previous efforts initiated during Saller’s presidency. According to Saller, “Meeting that aspiration requires not only recruiting the best faculty, students, and staff but also facilitating their work as efficiently as possible.” He highlighted issues such as lengthy faculty appointment files and slow data use agreements as areas needing improvement.

Etchemendy shared insights from his consultations with Stanford's community: “The main thing we’ve heard this year is a uniform recognition of the problem and a sincere desire to fix it.” Some quick wins have already been achieved, such as changes in reimbursement policies for meal expenditures and travel bookings.

Efforts are focused on central processes identified as challenging by faculty and staff. Etchemendy mentioned cooperation from Financial Management Services (FMS), the Office of Research Administration, and University Human Resources. Each unit has been asked to outline their simplification efforts in annual budget submissions.

Saller reported measurable progress in some areas: “Financial Management Services has significantly reduced the average cycle-times for contracts from 30 to 20 days,” among other improvements. Changes in process have also expedited approvals by the Institutional Review Board for social sciences research.

To ensure accountability, administrative units are required to provide metrics in their submissions. Saller explained that these metrics will help evaluate efficacy: “By measuring how well they’re working, we can make informed decisions about what to keep in place.”

Looking ahead, Etchemendy stated that while significant progress has been made, much work remains: “We will be continuing our work through this year and next... If we can make ourselves the most efficient as well, just think how much more we can contribute to the world!”