University-wide program continues to score big operations wins

The Ohio State University has announced a second round of results for the University Continuous Improvement (UCI) program, designed by the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) to address “pain points” and make it easier for faculty and staff across all campuses to eliminate operational barriers limiting their efficiency and effectiveness.

“We want to make it easier to work and learn at Ohio State,” Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Trevor Brown said. “The latest round of improvements will give faculty, staff and students more time and resources to focus on teaching, research and essential support services.”

Recently completed UCI projects, based on input and feedback originally provided by Ohio State faculty and staff, include the following:

• The Office of Business and Finance reduced the travel pre-approval process to two steps from five and the expense process to three steps from six, resulting in approximately 6,700 hours saved, primarily at the employee certification and department leader levels.
• Sprint Studios, launched by OAA, introduced a new, agile approach to remedying barriers for students. The first sprint conducted this summer centered on the major-change process to assist students in more efficiently changing majors. An implementation plan is being led by OAA and the Office of Undergraduate Education to improve this process. Future studios will focus on various ways to advance student success, reducing friction and proactively guiding students to degree completion.
• The Office of Faculty Affairs has implemented a Voluntary Phased Retirement Program, which enhances unit succession planning and is intended to meet the needs of a full-time faculty member who would like to transition into full-time retirement. Faculty affairs has also begun a pilot for Interfolio Faculty Search, which ensures clarity and consistency in attracting and retaining world-class faculty at Ohio State.  This comprehensive, user-friendly applicant tracking platform guides and supports units in managing materials and documentation throughout each stage of the search process. The implementation of this platform ensures alignment with university policies and faculty-recruitment best practices while providing search committee members and support stakeholders ease of use and efficiency.

Previous UCI “wins” since the initiative launched in spring 2026 include:

• The Office of Human Resources’ implementation of the new Quick Hire process designed for the efficient hiring and rehiring of select populations such as graduate associates and semester lecturers. Early results with a group of 2,600 individuals significantly reduced the time to hire.
• Improving and simplifying the Strategic Hiring Initiative for Faculty Talent (SHIFT) while enhancing the user experience for hiring units and faculty search committees.
• Increased visibility for advising staff through a new tool supporting retention efforts and aiding students and families in college planning.
• Implementing closer drop-offs at the new University Hospital via a Med Center Express bus system expansion, improving reliability and safety.

More information, as well as a project intake form for submissions from Ohio State faculty and staff, is available on the UCI webpage.

The idea for UCI emerged from faculty and staff input around administrative and operational challenges that affect their work. Additionally, in the 2025 Ohio State Listening Survey, employees shared that they value having a greater role in decision making and elevating good ideas from anywhere at the university. Based on subsequent listening sessions with President Ravi V. Bellamkonda, then in his role as provost, and an operations survey administered by Faculty Council, UCI aligned administrative units and colleges to make a large and complex public university more effective though operational efficiencies.

Along with being the direct result of feedback from the Ohio State Listening Survey, UCI addresses the importance of operations to all aspects of the university’s strategic plan.