What is the purpose of the central office?

Occasionally I am asked why we have an IPS central office and what all those people do! During the strategic planning process this year the IPS leadership team worked very hard to clarify roles and responsibilities. The UT president's staff developed a mission (purpose) statement for the UT system administration and we thought that was a great way to address these questions posed by our staff.

Below is the first-ever Purpose Statement for the IPS Central Office followed by the Mission Statement for the UT System Administration.

Central Office Purpose Statement 

The purpose of the Institute for Public Service Central Office is to support and advance the agencies of the institute through leadership that:

·         removes obstacles,

·         understands needs,

·         provides advocacy,

·         secures resources,

·         promotes accountability,

·         fosters diversity,

·         promotes innovation,

·         coordinates agency efforts, and

·         delivers efficient and effective central services.

UT System Administration Mission Statement:

The mission of the UT system administration is to advance the educational, discovery, creative and outreach programs of the campuses and institutes through leadership that:

·         removes obstacles,

·         understands needs,

·         provides advocacy,

·         secures resources,

·         promotes accountability,

·         fosters diversity,

·         promotes innovation,

·         coordinates campus efforts, and

·         delivers efficient and effective central services

See any similarities? It's not by accident. We are trying to clearly align our work with the UT system. Are we accomplishing that purpose?