UNC’s Carolina Counts faculty initiative tells Board of Visitors it’s on target to meet 5-year goals

After two years of striving to streamline the University’s administration, members of Carolina Counts initiative told the Board of Visitors Thursday that they are on target to achieving their five-year goal.

Carolina Counts — a group of UNC faculty formed in July 2009 at the recommendation of a consulting group — reported on the new strategies it is implementing to make the University more efficient.

Mike Patil, director of Carolina Counts, said 79 of the 139 projects identified by consulting group Bain & Co. have been completed.

These projects include streamlining UNC’s Information Technology Services and restructuring the procurement of office supplies.

Patil said the $48.4 million UNC has saved is just short of Bain & Co.’s three-year target of $50 million, with further savings of $30 million forecasted for the next two years.

Patil said the group plans to unify human resources and finances from departments across the University, saving a projected$3.8 million.

Joe Templeton, special assistant to the chancellor and member of the Carolina Counts program office, said all of these consolidations involve some compromises.

He said faculty members have been reluctant to put extra grant money into a larger budget that spans all departments.

“All of these schools want to be productive at the highest level,” Templeton said. “They don’t like putting chips into the communal pot.”

Patil said one strategy for saving money has also been to place one large office supplies order through one company.

“The University receives a 34 percent discount by getting all stationary from Staples,” Patil said.

Templeton said although Carolina Counts is not taking responsibility if national rankings for specific schools’ within the University change, it is concerned about maintaining excellence in academics and research.

“The student experience is just as good as at was last year, and just as good as it was five years ago,” Templeton said. “It’s still wonderful and we’ve done a good job of protecting that.”

Ralph Grogan, an active member of the Board of Visitors, said the board — which is composed of UNC alumni — advises the University on various issues with their outside perspectives.

“We are ambassadors for the University,” Grogan said. “We go back to our towns and spread the word.”

The Board of Visitors will meet in full today to discuss topics ranging from recent research achievements to a presentation by UNC-system President Thomas Ross.

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