Robin Yager - Cornell University

Bio

Robin Yager is the Director of the University Business Service Center [UBSC] at Cornell University and has oversight responsibility for the planning and execution of operational administrative activities for executive offices served by the University Business Service Center. 

Robin is also responsible for leading and/or participating in initiatives to re-design current administrative processes for increased efficiency, to incorporate new University policies, or to assure existing policies and processes achieve desired affect.  The position also identifies, analyzes, designs, oversees and/or implements new initiatives that ensure efficiency and appropriate support for institution wide initiatives; and also leads beta-testing of procedures and systems as the "model BSC" for Cornell University.

In her role, Robin serves as an interface between UBSC, customer departments and central administration and acts as the Senior Financial Officer of those units for which UBSC provides Financial Management support.  She is the Director of Budget for the Division of Financial Affairs and is authorized to act as a back-up to the Deputy Controller and/or VP for Finance and University Controller, as necessary.

She has served on a number of committees including the Cornell/NACUBO Higher Education Awards Program (Program Coordinator), the award-winning Student Communications & Mailing Project, the Finance Workforce Planning Team, HR Workforce Planning Team, BSC Metrics Design Team, WFP-Procurement Initiative Roles & Responsibilities Subcommittee, WFP e-Procurement Analysis Project, and has lectured at the EACUBO Administrative Managers Institute held annually at Cornell University.  She also serves as an integral member of the Cornell University United Way Campaign Cabinet.

Platform Statement

Technology has such great potential to increase efficiencies - if done right.  It is important to balance and blend technology with the business, functional needs of end-users.  (One simply cannot be done in isolation of the other.)  I believe this basic principle is the key to successful technology implementations. 

The majority of my time is spent providing campus-wide BSC and re-engineering support and leadership - representing the needs of the end user and the institution in initiatives intended to re-design current administrative processes.

My involvement with uPortal began in Spring, 2005 when I was charged with creating and implementing an "Admin Tab" for use by Cornell University's administrative (mainly Business Service Center [BSC]) staff.  A Special Interest Group was formed, and the initial tab was created and made available in August 2005. 

Our implementation plan was phased - giving access to select BSCs in a staged roll-out, incorporating their feedback and re-publishing - with the goal of a full-campus roll-out completed by August, 2006.  The Admin Tab became better with each BSC's input; staff starting talking about it, and it took on a life of its own.  The need, response and requests for access were so significant, we decided to fast-track the remainder of the project - completing the full roll-out nearly eight months ahead of schedule in January, 2006.  We continue to regularly solicit feedback and make changes based on the needs of the end users.  We are currently preparing to implement an upgraded version of the uPortal, with increased functionality, in the near future.

Open source software development and open system architectures allow shared experience and can do nothing less than produce superior products for the higher education community.  I would appreciate the opportunity to be involved in this important project.