Administration and Finance

The area of administration and finance covers auxiliary enterprises (dining services, the bookstore, Wee Care Daycare, and Housing), facilities (including grounds), network and administrative technology (computers, networks and telecommunications), financial planning and budgeting, and human resources (staff and administration).

Goal 15.1

Manage the auxiliary enterprises in order to enhance the quality of life on campus by providing excellent customer service and value, and to provide an overall 5-10% return on direct cost.

Strategies

  • Improve marketing of dining services in order to expand the customer base and revenues.

  • Renovate the serving area in the dining hall to make it more efficient and flexible.

  • Support the needs of a growing evening and possibly weekend program with appropriate dining options.

  • Modify the structure and guidelines of the board plan to meet changing student needs.

  • Make decisions about the future of the bookstore’s partnership with Augsburg Fortress.

  • Redesign the staff configuration in the bookstore as a result of the planned retirement of the manager.

  • Develop an appropriate response (in both mail order and in-store sales) from the bookstore to on-line competition.

  • Connect the operation of Wee Care more closely with the educational programs at Luther Seminary.

Goal 15.2

Maintain the beauty of the grounds and the condition of the seminary’s facilities so that the ratio of the renewal and replacement costs is less than 5% of plant replacement value. Operate plant facilities efficiently and effectively as measured by cost per square foot.

Strategies

  • Renovate the academic administrative and seminary relations areas to meet new organizational structures and requirements.

  • Continue to add electronic classrooms at a rate of one per year.

  • Air-condition the Olson Campus Center chapel and commons.

  • Repair the Northwestern Hall roof.

  • Add acoustical treatments to walls of Olson Campus Center chapel.

  • Consider renovation of the library.

  • Consider renovation of the Dining Services service area.

  • Implement new five-year schedule of specific renovation projects for the housing units to begin in 2002.

  • Consider expanding the parking lot.

  • Provide leased space for the Fisher’s Net staff.

Goal 15.3

Maintain and enhance the on-campus network, including terminals, the Internet and dial-up access arrangement, and support the administrative hardware and software system.

Strategies

  • Upgrade the Quodata system to a client-server Windows-based system over the next two years.

  • Maintain the state and reliability of the network and Internet connection through planned server and network upgrades and replacements.

Goal 15.4

Lead in developing and maintaining systems which properly steward the financial resources of the seminary.

Strategies

  • Continue to improve the operations of the Business Office and related reporting functions.

  • Meet the assumptions of the current financial model, including 10% overall rate of return on the endowment together with a 5.5% spending rate. This model projects a balanced budget based on inflationary increases in spending and revenues.

  • Maintain a debt load between $2-2.5 million.

  • Effectively manage the budget process to allocate and invest resources in high priority activities that reflect the new strategic plan.

Goal 15.5

Recruit and develop high quality administrative staff to support the work in each of the four educational processes.

Strategies

  • Find qualified, committed replacements for the 10-15 staff members who leave each year.

  • Increase the knowledge and skills of staff members, especially in the use of technology and in providing customer service.