Sarah, your problem is not unusual.  Please summarize and share what
responses you get, for the 90% of us who also have it!

Chuck

At 11:33 AM 3/1/00 -0500, you wrote:
>NCSU is a state-supported land-grant university with over $133 million in
>new awards in 1999-2000.  Through the use of a new model for examining
>workflow and customer satisfaction, NCSU has launched an effort to
>establish professional definitions of the various roles and
>responsibilities associated with research administration support across
>the pre- and post-award functions, from the department to the university
>level.
>
>NCSU operates in a highly decentralized environment, which makes
>coordinated efforts at organizational development a challenge at best.
>Right now we have over 100 position involved to some extent in the
>research support function, but they are classified in many different
>ways, everything from accountants and program assistants, to information
>processors and business officers.  The current classification system does
>not adequately capture the complexity and variety of activities, which
>comprise the research administration support function.  Further, as
>positions have been added or updated, campus units have used the
>classification, which provides the most competitive salary range, and
>they tweak the description to fit the classification.  The end result is
>a loose group of positions with no clear path for advancement through the
>system and no uniform way to define the training and professional
>development expectation for research administrators on campus.
>
>We are very much interested in learning more about what other
>organizations with similar operations are doing in terms of
>organizational development and/or position management.   We'd be
>particularly interested in similar efforts at comprehensive position
>classification (successful or not).
>
>If you have any information or ideas of this subject please respond to
>either:
>
>Sarah Smith at xxxxxx@ncsu.edu
>or
>Patty Davis at xxxxxx@ncsu.edu
>
>
>Thanks in advance for considering this issue.
>
>
>Sarah Smith
>North Carolina State University
>Research Administration
>Box 7514, Rm 22 Leazar Hall
>Raleigh, NC 27695-7514
>(919) 515-7511 - phone
>(919) 515-7721 - fax
>xxxxxx@ncsu.edu - email
>
>
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Herbert B. Chermside, CRA
Director, Sponsored Programs Administration
Virginia Commonwealth University
PO BOX 980568
Richmond, VA  23298-0568
Express Delivery Only:
 Sanger Hall, Rm. 1-073
 11th & Marshall Streets
 Richmond, VA  23219
Voice:  804-828-6772
Fax     804-828-2521
OFFICE e-mail   xxxxxx@VCU.EDU
Personal e-mail xxxxxx@vcu.edu
http://views.vcu.edu/ospa/

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