Service Level Agreements at the University of Rhode Island articulate the expectations of performance between certain offices across the University and academic colleges. These agreements establish a consistent process for the delivery of services to academic colleges while establishing parameters for accountability for both the service providers and the units requesting services.
Service Level Agreements establish descriptions of services, levels of service (including enumeration of Standard and Specialized Services), service resolution and/or cycle times, and rates for additional, non-standard Specialized Services; and define the management, evaluation, escalation procedures, and feedback processes for all involved parties to facilitate continuous process and service improvement.
Guiding Principles
The development of Service Level Agreements is aligned with the University’s current strategic plan, Focus URI, Priority 4: Power the University of the Future, with particular attention to:
- Goal 2: “Maximize the University’s physical assets and strategically utilize campuses in a manner that promotes a ‘One University’ philosophy”; and
- Goal 5: “Improve the efficiency of administrative processes and foster a commitment to service excellence.”
The guiding principles of this SLA include the development of transparency and accountability for transactions between University units to ensure a predictable experience for all parties. These SLAs are also designed to provide equitable service across the University and be developed to minimize exceptions to those services.
Service Level Agreements:
- Clarify roles and responsibilities of all parties;
- Delineate services provided, guidelines for service initiation, and escalation procedures, and establish performance standards;
- Leverage resources for the good of the entire institution, striving for efficiency and effectiveness while limiting redundancies and ineffective solutions and/or services;
- Reflect services able to be offered at current funding and staffing levels;
- Are designed to support continuous improvement for all parties and provide a vehicle for resolving conflicts.
Service Level Agreements
The University currently has Service Agreements in place between all academic colleges and the following offices:
- External Relations and Communications
- Human Resources
- Facilities Operations
- Information Technology Services
- Strategic Procurement
- Research and Economic Development