This two-day meeting at Columbia consisted chiefly of brainstorming sessions to review the work completed thus far by the TSI functional working groups and come up with a strategy for approaching TSI "Phase 2." One of the outcomes of these sessions was the following --
Proposal for TSI Phase 2 (August 23, 2013)
As a result of our discussion and distillation of the information provided in the "Phase 1 Reports" from the TSI functional working groups, the Steering Committee agreed that it might be time to begin a "soft" integration. The complexities of prioritizing and coordinating the myriad recommendations, ideas, and suggestions proposed by the functional working groups -- coupled with the potentially overwhelming distractions of a joint system implementation in 2014-2015 -- suggest that we should bring together the current 2CUL technical services directors to help with planning sooner rather later. Specifically, we propose the following:
I. The appointment of a 2CUL TSI Joint Senior Managers Integration Network (JSMIN). Establishing this team would serve to bring the 2CUL technical services senior managers together to address staffing and resource issues related to the gradual integration of workflows, practices, and projects. The group would be primarily responsible for prioritizing the various steps in the integrative process, based on “integration readiness” over time and the availability of staff to balance current commitments with the demands of TSI. JSMIN (pronounced "Jasmine") would also be responsible for addressing or recommending staffing requirements for the technical services aspects of 2CUL Alma implementation, if it is necessary to conduct this initiative simultaneously with TSI. The work of this group would begin immediately after its appointment and would constitute the “soft implementation” of TSI. Membership in the group would include:
Columbia Cornell
Sarah Elman Adam Chandler
Kate Harcourt (TSI Manager) Bill Kara
Colleen Major Jim LeBlanc (TSI Manager)
Joyce McDonough Boaz Nadav-Manes
Robert Rendall Chew Chiat Naun
Mark Wilson
Formal development and implementation of the administrative structure for 2CUL starting in June 2015 would remain the responsibility of the TSI Administrative Team, hence the term "soft integration" for what we are proposing for TSI Phase 2.
2. Modification of the roles of the 2CUL Steering Committee and Functional Working Groups. The Steering Committee would continue to support and guide the functional working groups through the second phase of their charges. This work will include the examination, testing, and cost/benefit analysis of proposed integrated workflows; the coordination of effort to define best practices, share documentation, and develop a shared web presence; the identification of competencies needed for success in the new environment; the requisite training and development opportunities for staff at both institutions; due diligence in investigating similar technical services integration efforts at other institutions; and communicating developments and progress in TSI to 2CUL technical services staff.
We anticipate that the TSI Steering Committee would continue to meet frequently, but that schedule would include occasional meetings with the JSMIN group.