Missouri State University

My Ideas Faculty/Staff Suggestion Program

Op7.04 My Ideas Faculty/Staff Suggestion Program

Article I: Name

The full name of this program is the Missouri State University My Ideas Faculty/Staff Suggestion Program, hereinafter referred to as My Ideas. An Evaluation Committee shall oversee the program.

Article II: Purpose

The My Ideas Evaluation Committee serves to encourage faculty and staff at Missouri State University to suggest improvements to the campus community, evaluate and research submitted ideas for feasibility of implementation, and present findings and recommendations to the Administrative Council. Members shall serve staggered two-year terms, so that one-half of the membership shall be replaced each year.

Article III: Submission Eligibility

A “good idea” shall do one or more of the following:

  • Improve procedures, accountability, service quality, or morale
  • Increase safety
  • Reduce waste or maintenance costs
  • Reduce costs of materials or services
  • Eliminate duplication, breakage, and bottlenecks
  • Increase University revenue
  • Combine operations, methods, procedures, or official forms
  • Conserve time, materials, equipment, and natural resources
  • Invest in new equipment, new methods of operation, or new products

Ideas that will not be considered include those that:

  • Do not include a solution or plan for improvement
  • Constitute a personal grievance or complaint
  • Request a change in salary or position
  • Are the result of assigned or contracted audits, studies, surveys, reviews, or research
  • Concern proposals that are already under active consideration

Article IV: Administration

Section 1: Evaluation Committee

The My Ideas program will be administered by an Evaluation Committee comprised of the following individuals:

  • Representative from the Office of the President
  • Representative from the Office of the Provost
  • Representative from Faculty Senate
  • Representative from Staff Senate
  • Representative from the Office of Financial Services
  • Representative from the Office of Human Resources
  • At-large representative, named by the President, who is currently an active full-time or part-time faculty or staff member
Section 2: Terms

Each representative serves a two year term and must apply for the position.

Evaluation committee members will not be eligible to participate during their term of office.

Section 3: Program Coordinator

One committee member will be elected by the committee to serve as Program Coordinator for the duration of the term. Duties include:

  • Collect and review all submitted ideas
  • Personally acknowledge each idea
  • Present all submitted ideas to the My Ideas Evaluation Committee
  • Post recommendation status for each idea on the My Ideas website – recommended/not and why
  • Update Twitter account and other social media, if applicable
  • Review applications for next year’s My Ideas Evaluation Committee

Article V: Suggestion Process

Section 1: Idea Submission Process
  1. An idea is submitted via an online form at http://www.missouristate.edu/myideas.
  2. The Program Coordinator collects online and mailed suggestions and presents them to the committee.
  3. The Program Coordinator personally acknowledges the suggestion by emailing or mailing a letter to the person suggesting the idea.
  4. The Evaluation Committee reads and evaluates all suggestions.
  5. The Evaluation Committee recommends or declines submissions based on the decision criteria below.
  6. The Program Coordinator posts the status of each recommendation online, including whether it will be implemented or not, and why.
  7. The Program Coordinator contacts cost center administrator and/or members of the Administrative Council for whom suggestions will be recommended that affect their respective areas.
  8. Recommended suggestions are submitted to the Administrative Council for final approval, along with a number of non-recommended (e.g., the committee reviewed 16 suggestions and recommend implementing 3).
Section 2: Recommendation Criteria

The Evaluation committee shall make a recommendation for each suggestion based upon the following criteria:

  • Has this been suggested before? If so, was it implemented or rejected, and why?
  • How does implementing this suggestion affect students and improve learning and teaching environments?
  • What is the initial cost of implementing this suggestion?
  • What is the Return on Investment (ROI) for implementing this suggestion?
  • Where will money come from to cover opportunity costs to implement the suggestion?
  • What are the impacts of implementing the suggestion?
  • Would implementing this suggestion violate, infringe upon, or require change to any existing Missouri State University policy?
  • Who would be responsible for implementing the suggestion?          

Once these questions have been answered, the Evaluation Committee will talk to the affected department to determine feasibility. If the committee wants to recommend, but the department does not, the suggestion goes to the Administrative Council as “Recommended with Departmental Concerns”.

Article VI: Recognition and Rewards

For each idea that is implemented, the submitter will receive $150 paid as supplemental pay. Additionally, University Communications may recognize implemented ideas on the Missouri State University homepage, Twitter, and Facebook.

The submitters of the top two non-anonymous ideas (as determined by Administrative Council) implemented by late fall of a given year will receive:

  • $1,000 paid as supplemental pay
  • Parking paid for one year (up to a $150 value)
  • One free block of meal plans for eating in the dining hall ($30 value)
  • Recognition at the appropriate Recognition Banquets the following January.

Article VII: Funding

Funding for the My Ideas program will come from voluntary donations from cost centers on campus. These donations will be made to a central fund administered by the Office of the President. In the event of a funding shortfall, The Office of Administrative and Information Services will fund the difference.

Article VIII: Amending the Operating Policy

Amendment of this Operating Policy shall be submitted in writing to the Vice President of Administrative & Information Services. The Vice President of Administrative & Information Services will present the proposed amendment to the Office of the President and Administrative Council for final approval.