Faculty, staff ideas win cash awards

Mary Schlichte with the escalator she would like to shut down

The University wants your ideas for saving money, reducing unnecessary work, streamlining processes, and coordinating or combining programs. "What's in it for me?" you ask.

Well, besides having a more efficiently, effectively running work environment and more money in campus budgets to breathe a little easier, the University will give you one big reason. Or make that one hundred reasons.

During the past year, 14 of your thrifty colleagues earned $100 each for their penny-pinching ideas submitted as part of the program UI SMART, or Unique Ideas Save Money and Reward Thriftiness.

One of those was a suggestion from Mary Schlichte, staff nurse at University of Iowa Health Care, who thought that shutting off a pair of seemingly underused escalators near the main entrance skyway between Carver Pavilion and the parking ramp could cut costs and conserve energy.

After some number crunching, the hospital's maintenance and engineering folks determined that the hospital could save more than $1,300 annually by taking Schlichte's advice.

"It might not sound like a lot of money when you look at the big picture, but if I saved a thousand dollars and others also saved a thousand dollars, we could save a substantial amount of money," Schlichte says, "maybe even enough to save somebody's job."

The idea got bogged down a bit by some unexpected security and safety issues, and Dale Flannery, manager of plant operations and maintenance for UIHC, says it may take some time to determine whether codes and regulations will allow the escalators to be turned off.

But the University still welcomes any suggestions that aim to ease the pocketbook pain of the past months.

UI WorkLife, a unit in the human resources office, runs the program. UI SMART began last June and originally was scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2001, but it has been extended indefinitely in light of the state's financial woes.

"Because the budget situation around here is so dire, we're extending the program to use the reward money already set aside and designated for this use," says Pat Kenner, quality consultant in finance and university services. "It's worthwhile to get these suggestions. We want to do all we can."

About $10,000 in Coca-Cola funds was set aside to fund the program; Kenner says the program probably will continue until those funds are used.

Kenner and her crew collected more than 275 suggestions in the program's first year. They fell into a number of categories, from academic issues to parking and transportation concerns to recycling.

The program received the greatest number of suggestions for ways to increase energy savings and distribute information more efficiently.

Organizers carefully examined each idea, weighing potential savings and looking out for any concerns an idea might raise.

Sometimes an idea that initially seems sound may turn out to be impossible to implement for reasons that aren't obvious to the average person.

According to the program rules, suggestions should do at least one of the following: improve the efficiency of a department program or procedure; improve services that support the University; eliminate unnecessary procedures or duplication of effort; or save time, money, or materials.

Among the unacceptable suggestions screened out are those that would increase fees to students or employees, those that do not include a solution or plan for improvement, or those that propose following established procedures that are not being followed.

Also, Kenner emphasizes, the program is not seeking suggestions that would eliminate any jobs.

The UI SMART program is the campus version of the State of Iowa's Partners for Progress program that encourages all state employees to make savings suggestions.

The latest development in this effort is a push to recruit volunteers from all University departments.

This group, known as Partners for Progress Resources, would attend training sessions to learn more about savings incentive programs like UI SMART and take the information back to share with their departmental coworkers.

"We want to spread the word to the people out there in the trenches, day in and day out, who can make a difference," Kenner says. "The people who are closest to the situations are generally the ones who have the best ideas about change. We encourage you all to make suggestions.

"We'll take a serious look at them and see what can be done to implement them. But we want you to know that we appreciate the time and effort you take to do this."

Laurent Jay, assistant professor of mathematics, was another UI SMART award winner for his brainstorm to change the timing system on the lights at Klotz Tennis Courts.

An avid player who spends a couple nights each week during the summer at the courts, Jay noticed that sometimes the lights came on long before the sun went down.

Being a mathematician, he theorized that a timer could be set up to gradually increase and decrease the time that the lights were on, depending on the time of year.

Recreational services hasn't come up with such a calculated system as of yet, but the staff is taking an active role in making sure that the lights are not on an excessive amount of time.

Michelle Harder, senior associate director of recreational services, goes to the courts occasionally to manually adjust the timer according to the time of sunset. Currently they're going on at about 8:15 p.m. and shutting off at 10 p.m., Harder notes.

Jay, like other winners, did not seek praise for his suggestion.

"My idea wasn't anything really sophisticated. I just saw something that I thought could be changed to save some energy. It just seemed obvious to me," Jay says, so humble that he didn't even keep the $100 award. He gave it to the math department graduate students.

"You save energy and everyone wins," Jay says.

More winning ideas submitted to UI SMART by University employees

UI SMART first-year winners and their ideas are:

Joseph S. Loria, account clerk in physics and astronomy: Sort bills for gas cylinders by department and place in reusable envelopes.

Caroline Dieterle, academic adviser in the Undergraduate Advising Center: Stop printing advising registration forms.

Twila Meder, secretary in the Iowa Institute of Hydraulics Research: Create a web site checklist that would help organize all tasks necessary for departmental moves.

Mary Schlichte, staff nurse at University Hospitals and Clinics: Turn off an underused escalator.

Laurent Jay, assistant professor of mathematics: Use a sophisticated timer to control lights on the tennis courts.

Gail Takahashi, senior audiologist in otolaryngology: Improve deliveries to the hospital mail room by creating pickup sites for overnight deliveries.

Lori Giannini, secretary in Facilities Services Group: Turn off machines in the Field House computer lab when not in use.

Jessica Van Rooyen, secretary in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences administration: Eliminate the separator sheets between print jobs on Main Library's public printers.

Kristen Weber, program associate, Center for Conferences and Institutes: Change method of sorting mail at Iowa House.

Ellie Herman, assistant professor (clinical) in the College of Education: Start a campus clean-up day implemented by WorkLife Ambassadors.

Carolyn Norton, secretary in the Office of Management and Business Development: Fix improperly working doors in Pappajohn Business Building that caused heat and cold to escape.

Jenni Stacy-Adams, academic adviser in the Undergraduate Advising Center: Stop printing the four-year graduation contract multiple times by putting information on the web site.

Clara Oleson, program consultant in the Labor Center: Organize an in-state car pooling/travel system on the web.

David F. Weber, laborer in facility operations/housekeeping: Revise distribution of Christmas trees in UIHC.

Faculty, staff, and student employees can read more about the program and submit their ideas electronically at the UI SMART web site, www.uiowa.edu/hr/worklife/SMART/l, or pick up suggestion forms from departmental human resources representatives or directly from WorkLife, 121 USB.

To volunteer as a Partners for Progress Resource person, contact Pat Kenner, CQI, 121 USB, Suite 50, (33)5-0505, pat-kenner@uiowa.edu, or Linda Hagen, AFSCME, 338-1212, HagenLL@uihc.uiowa.edu.

By Amy Schoon