University of Oregon

Liam McClary,

Through this article, McClary emphasizes on people-centered financial leadership in higher education, where simplifying complexity, driving continuous improvement and staying rooted in student value are key to unlocking institutional growth and lasting impact.

The dynamic world of higher education is an industry that holds unlimited potential while being shackled by policy red tape and data chokepoints. Within the education framework, the financial view of higher education is centered on service and maintenance. In order for an institution to move into its next stage of productivity and service to its students, it must continue to hone its ability handle change while holding onto its current successes.

Reduction of complexity is a goal that I strive for in all aspects of my work. In my role within the library system, I am tasked with handling large amounts of data and being able to deliver that in a digestible way to the entire staff, from my Dean, but also the librarian in charge of ancient languages and cultures. Each has their priorities, pain points and needs the data presented to them in various distinct ways. One practical aspect of my efforts to address this duality of data presentation is in simplifying our chart of accounts on a line-by-line review. “What is still active? Has anything been renamed? Do we still want this to be a part of our organization? How do we build into the future with this? Are all questions each line gets. The goal of this effort is to update our financial frame so that a solid foundation can be used to build a financial dashboard that caters to everyone in the library system.

Customer service and kaizen theology play a huge part of my daily motivation and cost saving efforts within our fiscal processes and policies. Not only is the university library system a haven for students, but it also caters to the public and the rest of the university staff and employees. This gives us a unique opportunity to build others up and foster positive growth and development. Being responsive to data requests, looking for redundancies and redirecting those funds to productive areas, and being amicable to every person are ways to accomplish these goals. The reason I paired these efforts together is without one the other loses its value. With these two goals aligned, they enhance the end results of whatever the task is in front of you. So far in my time in the higher education realm, using these two in conjunction with each other has not only allowed for departmental growth, but also repair of and new relationships to grow. So, having this thinking as a core theology is vital in the overall picture of higher education finance.

Finally, value to students should be the ultimate goal. Within the fabric of what makes up higher education, students are what drive everything forward. As I am sure my academic counterparts know well, you never know what interaction with a student can launch them towards success. Make every student interaction such that it opens that door of opportunity. College is a time unlike any other in one’s life, learning should always be a lifelong practice and financial policy while boring is a building block to everything.

“Each has their priorities, pain points and needs the data presented to them in various distinct ways. One practical aspect of my efforts to address this duality of data presentation is in simplifying our chart of accounts on a line-by-line review. ”

One of the biggest takeaways so far in my role here in the libraries is how important the person in this kind of role is, and the impact it has. Policy stagnation is to be avoided as much as possible and a constant review of how things are done should push incremental improvements over time. I am thankful for the latitude I have to push constant improvement where I see possible, and hope to grow that mentality throughout the libraries.

A favorite quote of mine by Alex Hormozi goes like this, “We don’t rise to the standards we have when others are watching; we fall to the standards we have when no one is.” As a public university employee, this carries a lot of weight and drives my focus week over week. Operate in such a strong manner that it pulls others along with you and together build something noteworthy.