MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT

Message from the Vice President

I want to take this opportunity to share my thoughts about the University’s Redefine the Possible initiative and my ideas about how we in ABA can contribute to its success.

Severe funding cuts and rapidly changing technology have presented Sacramento State with momentous challenges, particularly given the expectation of today’s student population for cutting edge products and services. Through Redefine the Possible, President Gonzalez has called upon us all to overcome these challenges through innovative ways of working and conducting business.

This is a courageous course of action. It means that we will not back down in the face of obstacles. We will instead explore new avenues to help us address challenges and continue our progress toward a better future for Sac State’s students and the campus community.

With your input, we have developed a set of foundational goals and identified areas of focus that are ripe with possibilities for transformation. To achieve our goals and continue to thrive, we must approach our tasks with questioning minds, reconsidering the value of every step. This may mean abandoning old and dependable ways of doing business. For those of us who thrive on creativity, this is a very exciting time. To be on the forefront of change and have the opportunity to influence and participate in crafting new directions is exhilarating. For those who favor the familiar and the comfortable, I encourage you to look beyond time-honored traditions to discover new and innovative ways of doing things. This is an opportunity to streamline processes that cause frustration, to eliminate redundancies that waste time and diminish quality, and to strengthen communications that improve timeliness.  We can all derive a sense of satisfaction by deepening our level of analysis to find improvements in the way we work.

We are currently in the process of developing a website that will host all of ABA’s Redefine the Possible materials. And, I continue to work with ABA Administrative Council members to shape ABA’s plans for the next few years. We will remain flexible, adapting to change as it occurs.

I hope that you will consider ABA’s role in Redefine the Possible activities and consider how you can apply service and process improvements in your job. I continue to take pride in the work being done by staff professionals across the ABA division, and I welcome your ideas and feedback.

Ming Tung “Mike” Lee
Vice President for Administration