MnSCU Campus Service Cooperative Reducing Costs, Increasing Efficiency

System-wide initiative will help meet commitment to achieve $44 million in administrative efficiencies in FY2014-FY2015

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees examined details of the Campus Service Cooperative at its January meeting. Launched in January 2011, the Cooperative is MnSCU’s aggressive, methodical and system-wide approach to controlling costs and increasing the efficiency and productivity of its 31 colleges and universities. The multi-year effort will deliver millions of dollars in savings and will help the system meet its commitment to achieve $44 million in administrative efficiencies over the FY2014-FY2015 biennium.

“The Campus Service Cooperative is an outstanding example of our continuing efforts to drive operational efficiency on all of our campuses,” said Clarence Hightower, chair, MnSCU board of trustees. “The purposeful actions being implemented support our ability to provide access to an extraordinary education for students from all backgrounds, and help us to remain the state’s highest value, most affordable higher education option.”

The initial focus of the comprehensive plan is on driving savings in four areas: Strategic Sourcing, Finance/Business Offices, Human Resources, and Financial Aid. Strategic Sourcing savings are achieved through more favorable pricing generated by leveraging the purchasing power of MnSCU campuses across the state and implementation of strengthened vendor management practices. Finance/Business Offices, Human Resources, and Financial Aid savings are achieved through improvement and standardization of work processes to the most effective, lowest cost practices.

The study session was led by Robert Musgrove, president of Pine Technical College, and Earl Potter, president of St. Cloud State University. “The savings generated from the Campus Service Cooperative stay on our college and university campuses,” said Musgrove. “We are reinvesting these savings in the academic programs required to keep Minnesota competitive while at the same time holding down tuition.”

Other college and university presidents serving on the Campus Service Cooperative leadership team include: Ron Anderson, Century College; Sue Collins, Northeast Higher Education District; Richard Davenport, Minnesota State University, Mankato; John O'Brien, North Hennepin Community College; Edna Szymanski, Minnesota State University Moorhead; Ronald Wood, Southwest Minnesota State University; and Tim Wynes, Inver Hills Community College.