Historically, administrators have but one purpose in a university-to provide and manage the resources required to support the creation and dissemination of knowledge and the education of students. Most vice presidents and directors who moved from the faculty ranks, still maintain an identification with their disciplines and a desire to continue research and publications. The press of administrative duties often makes this wish unrealistic. Even though a great majority of top administrators at CSU spent many years as teaching faculty and, in general, there are no differences in the degrees held by administrators and faculty, just as at many other universities, faculty report a lack of trust and an alienation from administrators. Although any form of racial or cultural stereotyping and any "serious" gender biases is not condoned or tolerated by individuals at CSU, stereotyping and negative biases according to professional classifications or job categories are freely communicated. As stated in the CSU mission statement, the university seeks to foster ". . . a collaborative and intellectually stimulating community that promotes academic freedom, mutual respect and integrity for its graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and staff." Faculty, staff and students are the university and, in order, to make mutual respect and integrity a reality, each member of this community must individually make that commitment. Adherence to the CSU Code of Excellence will contribute to this improved environment.

Surveys of other groups on-campus: students, staff and faculty, conducted by several of the task forces indicate that some administrators have not been held appropriately accountable for job performance in the past. It is the commitment of this administration that administrators at CSU will set the example for dedication, hard work, efficiency, effectiveness, and conformance with the CSU Code of Excellence. As part of strategic planning in each unit, an audit of personnel needs will be conducted to determine the level of staffing required to accomplish the current work load. A study of staffing patterns across all offices and departments will reveal if some areas are overstaffed and others understaffed. CSU must become a flexible and agile organization, if it is to accomplish its strategic goals and reach its potential as a leading urban university.

The charge to the Task Force on Administrative Efficiency and Effectiveness was to describe and assess the executive and managerial operations in all areas, such as administrative services, the business office and purchasing procedures, payment of fees, grants and contracts and processes for decision making; determine levels of customer satisfaction with administrative offices and staff development needs; and develop criteria and recommendations for updating and changing procedures and mechanisms required for administrative efficiency to permeate the university.

The task force submitted a much shorten version of the Administrative Review and Reinvestment Task Force Report (May 1998) chaired by Dr. Murry DePillars with the statement that upper level administrators had indicated that none of the findings of that task force had been acted upon. The NMC found that that was not the case and that many of the recommendations made in that report had been implemented by the new administration during Fall 1998. The task force was asked to reconsider its charge and to fulfill all aspects of it. In mid-May, the NMC received a final report from the task force.