Update on Administrative Modernization

Academic Recruitment and Career System: The Provost’s Office, academic unit administrators, and faculty members from the Faculty Working Group on Administrative Service Improvements are working together to implement Interfolio’s software module for academic job searches. This month, training and a pilot will begin, and later in the spring we’ll conduct broader training and roll it out campus-wide. In the summer and fall, we will introduce Interfolio modules to support review and promotion processes. You can find more information on this project, including a form for contacting the project team, on the project website.

Faculty Working Group on Administrative Service Improvements: The group continues to move forward on several fronts. In response to input from faculty, a new subgroup is developing recommendations to make it easier and more efficient to find and access University resources such as policies and support services. More information about the working group is available here [expired link removed]. To provide suggestions on additional topics for the working group or input on the ongoing projects, please use this form.

Job Architecture: We want to follow up on our last Administrative Modernization email and update you on the first phase of Job Architecture, which the University will launch in mid-March. Job Architecture is a framework for categorizing jobs that will create more consistency, transparency, and understanding about how staff positions are organized relative to the scope of their responsibilities and their positions’ requirements. It will enhance how the University leverages and recruits talent. Changes in this phase include: categorizing roles into job families, clarifying potential career tracks for a position, and improving descriptions of each position’s role, responsibilities, requirements, and job level. The framework applies to non-union staff members up to the Assistant Vice President level, and it will not impact base pay. Starting March 18, staff who are part of this new framework will receive a notification in Workday about their assigned job family and job profile. If you have questions or want more information, please contact your local HR Partner. You can also email jobarchitecture@uchicago.edu or visit the Job Architecture Workday page.

Canvas and Instructional Technology: Adoption of the University’s learning management system, Canvas, continues to grow quarterly. With built-in quizzes, modules, and media integration, Canvas provides the “hub” of an emerging academic technology ecosystem for campus, enabling instructors to further leverage technology to support their teaching methods. Faculty can learn more about how to integrate this and other technology tools into their classroom at the “Symposium for Teaching with Technology” on April 23. Details are available at academictech.uchicago.edu. If you are transitioning to Canvas and need help, or have questions or comments about the new system, please email canvas@uchicago.edu.

University Research Administration: To modernize the grant management experience, University Research Administration will launch an updated grant proposal management system for AURA Grants on April 15. It will improve reporting capabilities for sponsored proposals and awards. Faculty interaction with the updated system will be very similar to the current one, and grant administrators will receive training and more information on how to prepare proposals as we get closer to the launch. More information, including details about training sessions and materials, will be available on the AURA website (expired link removed) in March. In the meantime, please submit questions or feedback to researchadmininput@uchicago.edu.