By Mat Labranche
The college ancillary services sector overlooks food services, parking and locker services and the print shop, among others, that benefit the entire Algonquin community.
Just recently they announced a new strategic plan that carries through to 2019, where they intend to better these services and deliver a more vibrant college experience for students and staff.
The CAS strategic plan will be measured by use of a balanced scorecard, incorporating four different aspects: student experience, employee growth and learning, innovation, and financial success.
“The balanced scorecard is going to really help us understand what it is we need to be doing and focusing on,” said Brent Brownlee, acting director of college ancillary services. “The balanced scorecard has already brought some fun back into the job. The idea of doing things for students first has really reshaped our thinking whenever we meet.”
Although the majority of the plan is going smoothly, there is one ongoing issue: Connections, the campus store. Students and staff have been having repeated trouble with browsing and purchasing, and this has made it something ancillary services not only want to fix, but something they want to improve upon.
“It is our burning issue right now,” said Brownlee. “But the great thing is it’s a huge opportunity. We’re looking at a user-pay model, so that students can pay for e-texts through a system devised through our (initial) platform.”
With the initial success, and despite any current or future problems that ancillary services encounters, Brownlee is feeling confident with the new direction of the strategic plan.
“This has been, without a doubt, the most thorough research we’ve ever conducted.”