Shared Services

As part of transformation, in concert with the creation of the unified Vermont State University and the establishment of a new Workforce Development division, the Vermont State Colleges system will also be restructuring how administrative services are provided. The shared service model being implemented for IT, HR, and Compliance & Finance is a key part of the transformation. Many of the people who are in these functions at the colleges today will begin working together in new ways under consolidated leadership to provide high-quality and consistent service to the Community College of Vermont, Vermont State University, and the Chancellor’s office. Most of the current employees will remain on the campuses where they work today but will support students, faculty, and staff across the system.

A shared service organization is a way of providing administrative and technical services across multiple institutions or units in a way that optimizes quality, consistency, and efficiency. It allows the institutions to focus on their primary mission while still receiving the administrative help they need.

Shared services units gain economies of scale and allow for both more specialized knowledge and capacity in specific technical functions. This leads to better service. The focus is on the processes, systems, and data needed to ensure the intended outcomes are consistent where possible, but unique as required. A strong customer-oriented service culture is also essential. In this case the “customers” are students, faculty, and staff. 

graphic that is a bird's eye view of shared services. at the top of the reporting chain is vermont state colleges board of trustees. an arrow connects this to the chancellor's office. the chancellor's office then connects to vermont state university, workforce development, and community college of vermont. then at the bottom is a long box which is connected back to all the other boxes besides the board of trustees. this final box is labeled shared service: I.T., H.R., Finance and Compliance, and Libraries.
Bird’s Eye View of Shared Services

Shared services will be overseen by a Shared Services Leadership Council and key decisions will be made by the Council of Presidents to assure that the needs of the institutions are being met.

A graphic showing the VSCS Leadership structure. It includes some text in a bullet let beside the graphic. the list says: 1 leadership of shared services are the executives in chare of each department. 2 council of presidents provides direction and guidance, establishes service levels, etc. 3) The shared service leaders report to the chancellor not the the council of presidents as a whole. The graphic depicts the council of presidents, which is made up by the chancellor of the V.S.C., the president of C.C.V., and the president of V.T.S.U. Below them is a box containing the shared service areas, which are 1 finance, F.P. and A., operations. leader: chief financial officer. 2 information technology. leader: chief information officer. 3 human resources and employee services. leader: chief human resource officer. 4. transformation projects. leader: director of transformation projects. 5 CCV and VTSU shared libraries. leader: library director.
Conceptual Organization for VSC Shared Services

Defining Shared Services for the VSC

The following definition was approved by the Board of Trustees on May 16, 2022.

A way of providing administrative and technical services across multiple units in a way that optimizes quality, consistency, and efficiency and allows the units to focus on their primary mission.

  • Accountable to the organizations it serves (Council of Presidents, Advisory Board, other shared service units)
  • Distinct from the “central office” –services and support provided by employees distributed across the state.
  • Able to gain economies of scale and more specialized knowledge and capacity in specific technical functions.
  • Focuses on the processes, systems, and data needed to ensure the intended outcomes –consistent where possible, but unique as required.
  • Shared accountability and measures between the functional leaders and the shared service organization (Service Level Agreements –SLAs).
  • Customers include students, faculty, and staff and are addressed with a service mentality.

Below, Director of Transformation Wilson Garland gives additional detail:

What shared service doesn’t mean:

A shared service is not the same as consolidating all these functions in a central office with central control.  Shared service organizations are distinct and are organized to deliver services individually and collectively to the institutions and operating units. 

It also doesn’t mean is that all services will be virtual or remote. There will still be IT support and HR personnel on campuses. It means that these staff members will have better support and resources, as well as being able to improve their specialized skills, instead of wearing many hats. Not only will this improve service, but it is intended to improve work satisfaction and limit burnout.

Latest Shared Services Updates