Service Matters Improvement Team wins staff award

The work of the Service Matters Improvement Team (SMIT) has been recognised by the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Service Excellence for its best-practice approach to service delivery.

The strategy adopted by Australian Catholic University (ACU) to deliver the highest quality professional services to support teaching and research through service excellence – the Service Matters Framework – was launched in 2014. The award recognises the contribution made by SMIT – Mr Bill McKendry (National Manager), Ms Nicole Van de Gard (Business Analyst) and Ms Betty Trezzi (now at another institution)  – to support Service Leads in the implementation of the framework and to facilitate service improvement initiatives across the University.

A whole-of-university resource, SMIT has developed and delivered a training program across the University that aims to build staff capabilities in service excellence and process improvement methodology. The team has also been instrumental in leading and facilitating service improvement projects such as; the enhancement of the space booking process and Web Room Booker; the design and implementation of the ACU Project Management Model; and the improvement of email distribution list processes.

The award includes $2,500 prize money and the team has generously offered these funds towards the creation of a 2017 student scholarship. In addition, Dr Stephen Weller, Chief Operating Officer, has agreed to match the funds with an allocation from the Corporate Services Portfolio budget to create a $5,000 scholarship. The team is working with Enrolments, Fees and Scholarships to introduce five $1,000 residential scholarships for students with high academic ability living in student accommodation.

In all its work, SMIT has demonstrated a commitment to quality and collaboration, as well as a willingness to support all areas of the University in its pursuit of service excellence.