Initiatives

Organizational Benchmarking

The University of South Florida is undertaking a series of organizational benchmarking studies across its administrative operations units — Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Physical Facilities, and Public Safety and Emergency Management. Each study examines how the unit's structure and staffing are organized today and benchmarks that structure against peer institutions and recognized industry standards. The goal is to ensure USF's administrative units are positioned to scale with the university's growth and strategic priorities, rather than waiting for strain to force a reactive fix.

Why This Initiative is Important

This initiative lets USF make a proactive, evidence-based assessment of its organizational structures rather than waiting for service demand to force the issue after the fact. Right-sized organizations protect USF's investments in its people, systems, and infrastructure, and steer the university away from a false choice between over-investing in structures it doesn't need and under-investing in the specialization it will eventually require as the university grows toward its strategic priorities, including its $1 billion research goal. The result is staffing and structure plans sized for where USF is headed, plus a reusable benchmarking framework the university can apply again in future reviews.

Scope

Each study assesses its unit's current organizational structure, reporting lines, and staffing levels, and benchmarks that structure against relevant peer institutions and external data from recognized industry sources such as Gartner, EDUCAUSE, and APPA. The studies analyze unit size, volume of service demand, capacity, and resource allocation. Each study concludes with organizational and staffing recommendations, and a decision-making framework USF can reapply in future reviews.

Timeline

Timeline with three phases. Phases are described in the text below

  • Phase 1: (We are here) Define criteria and methodology
  • Phase 2: Conduct benchmarking analysis
  • Phase 3: Identify and report findings


Project Governance

The initiative is guided by executive sponsorship from the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer and leadership from each participating unit. Stakeholder input gathered throughout the process will directly inform each study's final recommendations.

What to Expect

Over the course of this initiative, staff and campus stakeholders can expect the project teams to:

  • Assess each unit's current organizational structure and staffing levels
  • Benchmark against peer institutions and industry standards
  • Analyze unit size, capacity, and resource allocation
  • Leverage external data sources (Gartner, EDUCAUSE, APPA, and other relevant sources)
  • Identify gaps and opportunities for alignment
  • Develop recommendations for organizational structure
  • Support a data-driven decision-making framework
  • Align staffing and resources with strategic priorities

Questions

For more information about this initiative, please contact the respective area owner listed below:

  • Human Resources – Michel Ferrell, Interim VP and Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Physical Facilities – Everet Simmons, AVP of Construction, Facilities and Real Estate
  • IT – Sidney Fernandes, CIO and Vice President, Digital Experiences
  • Public Safety – Chris Daniel, Assistant Vice President, USF Division of Public Safety
  • Emergency Management – Jen Fleischman, AVP of Administrative Operations