I'm just a curmudgeon now.

Lorrie Anthony <xxxxxx@ESC.EDU> wrote:

>I used to be grouchy.  As one who works at a small campus and who used to
>chase after 8 administrative signatures, I got tired of being an overpaid
>gofer.  Even with electronic signatures I was spending way too much time
>going after folks who really didn't care.  I have now gotten the
>signatures whittled down to the dean (we have no department chairs), the
>President, the Provost, and the VP for Administration.  All of the folks
>have a reason to care and are very good with a timely response.
>
>
>
>From:   "K.Monae Consulting" <xxxxxx@GMAIL.COM>
>To:     xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
>Date:   03/09/2012 11:32 AM
>Subject:        Re: [RESADM-L] Grant Approvals
>Sent by:        Research Administration List
><xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org>
>
>
>
>I'm not particularly grouchy about this either...but I could hug you for
>this post right now! LOL
>
>Sent from my iPhone
>
>
>On Mar 9, 2012, at 5:46 AM, Mike McCallister
><xxxxxx@GRANTSTREETSERVICES.COM> wrote:
>
>> I've found over the years that the smaller the school, the more
>signatures you have to get.  My personal best is a school with 12
>signatures.  No kidding, 12.  Great big schools?  Maybe 3-- Chair, Dean
>and Designated Signatory.  All those extra signatures are silly in our
>opinion, but those who sign want desperately to be seen as part of the
>CONTROL function, even though when something goes wrong all that poop
>slides downhill onto the research administrators head.  "You should have
>known."  Right, that's why a secret is called a "secret."  Trying to
>reduce the institution's standing plan for signatures is just like poking
>a bunch of bears with a stick.  Everyone wants to appear to be involved,
>even when it is screamingly obvious their participation is just window
>dressing.  It just makes me nuts, but then this is also the nature of
>organizations that is replete with amateur administrators-- none were
>trained to manage anything and they meet the clueless standard far too of!
> te!
>> n.
>>
>> Not that I am particularly grouchy about this.
>>
>> Really.
>>
>> Spanky
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Research Administration List [
>mailto:xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org] On Behalf Of Gregory K. Schmidt
>> Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2012 8:39 PM
>> To: xxxxxx@lists.healthresearch.org
>> Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Grant Approvals
>>
>> In my humble opinion, there are several on your list I'd drop.
>>
>> 1.  President
>> 2.  VP of IA
>> 3.  VP Student affairs
>> 4.  VP Enrollment
>> 5.  VP Admin
>>
>> I would add
>> 1. School dean/Dept chair
>>
>> That's 3 approvals, maybe 4.  Why so few?  Do you really think the
>President reads all grant apps?  Why would Student affairs need to approve
> a grant about Wombats?
>>
>> Give those I took off the list a monthly report (PI, Title, Sponsor, $,
>etc.).
>>
>> The more signers on a document, the less reviewn there actually is.  If
>the Pres signs off, who will say no?  I'm an overworked VP of Student
>Affairs.  I don't have time for this!  Surely the VP Admin will catch
>anything wrong.  I'll sign and pass it on.
>>
>> Don't think it happens?  Every single org I've either worked for, or
>consulted has had these issues.  Every one of them with errors.
>>
>> "xxxxxx@mcdaniel.edu" <xxxxxx@MCDANIEL.EDU> wrote:
>>
>>> Quite a while ago (perhaps almost a year) I sent an email out asking
>what sort of lead time your office/school requires for the grant approval
>process. I am revisiting that topic, as I am trying to prepare a policy
>change for my institution.
>>>
>>> Who at your institution has to sign off on a grant for it to be
>submitted? Oddly enough, our institutional policy does not include the PI
>or the Department Chair. Right now we require:
>>>
>>> *   Director of Grants (myself)
>>> *   President
>>> *   Provost
>>> *   VP for Administration and Finance
>>> *   VP for Institutional Advancement
>>> *   VP for Student Affairs
>>> *   VP for Enrollment Management/Dean of Admission
>>>
>>> As you can imagine this takes a lot of work and coordination, and
>policy has always been a 30 day lead time on all grants submitted. If any
>one of these people objects, changes have to be made to the proposal or it
>simply does not get submitted.
>>>
>>> I figure as we are trying to transition to electronic approvals, it is
>a good time to make other changes as well. Any data I can have from other
>institutions, especially small PUI's/Liberal Arts institutions, would be
>extremely helpful.
>>>
>>> Thank you for all your input!
>>>
>>> Robin
>>>
>>> **********************************************
>>> Robin N Dewey, MS, CRA
>>> Director, Office of Academic and Government Grants McDaniel College
>>> 2 College Hill
>>> Westminster, MD 21157-4390
>>> Voice: 410-386-4699
>>> Cell: 585-797-8536
>>>
>>>
>>>
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