Business Communications Services Office

Program Director or Chairperson:  Alba Orr

Program Description: The Grossmont College Business Communications Services/Mail Center provide an extensive variety of services to the campus faculty, staff, and students by processing and monitoring reimbursements, expenditure requests, quick dollar requests, check requests, facility use rental requests, campus-wide travel arrangements and associated forms, distribution of payroll checks, issuance and monitoring of campus keys and staff parking permits. This office also provides assistance to users of the college/district financial computer system (IFAS), purchase request processing, and budget transfer processing. Other items/forms that are processed include maintenance repair requests, expenditure transfers, and miscellaneous forms. The College Business Communication Office staff coordinate and support campus communications including the telephone system, voice message system, internal (College and District) mail, and external postal services. A copy machine is available for limited (1-5) copies use. Also, faxing services is available and postage stamps may also be purchased.

The Business Communications Office currently houses the Business Communications Services Supervisor, four (4) Business Services Specialists, and (1) part-time Mail Processor. Each of the Business Services Specialists rotate to cover the evening shift.

Activity #1: Hire a replacement 1.0 FTE Classified contract position for vacation Mail Processor/Business Services Specialist.

Expected Benefit: To improve mail and business process service to the campus and provide full coverage within the Business Communications Services Office.

Activity #2: Many business forms have not been updated for years. Work with Deans and appropriate campus committees to update forms and business processes and procedures. Submit recommendations to revise forms and update the procedures of the forms used and issued by the BCS Office.

Expected Benefit: To better inform college constituent and public for faster turn-around. Make doing business simpler and easier. Decrease turn around time for business processes. Make directions clear and easy to understand to all end users. Decrease bureaucracy of paperwork.

Activity #3: Work on checkout procedures for keys and parking permits on staff/instructors not returning for employment.

Expected Benefit: Improve accountability on keys. Decrease number of missing and keys that have not been return, therefore; decreasing risk of personal safety, security violations, and theft of equipment.

Activity #4: Improve security in the mailroom to ensure unauthorized personnel do not enter the mailroom or have access to the mail center. Make existing lobby space more efficient to better serve faculty, staff and students by relocating outgoing mailboxes and equipment.

Expected Benefit: To elevate both personal safety hazards to business office and other campus employees and thefts.

Activity #5: Work with the Dean of Administrative Services and others on reviewing the facility use process and forms. Continue to improve business processes and productivity.

Expected Benefit: Improve business processes for the campus community.

Additional Planning Activities

• Utilize Resource 25 to its full advantage.
  
• Purchase shredder for Mail Center for confidential materials and social security numbers.
  
• Continue to assist the Dean of Administrative Services, in determining and implementing methods to streamline simplify, and improve business processes with the goal of making these processes user friendly and decrease processing time.
  
• Develop a college information directory similar to Cuyamaca's.
  
• Develop / update procedures on key issuance.
  
• Develop procedures for inter-office mail distribution of flyers, memos, etc produced by staff, faculty and outside sources.
  
• Continue to develop, review and implement processes to improve customer service.
  

• Installation of emergency security system. An emergency alert button was installed under the main switchboard desk. The button is a silent alarm that alerts the Public Safety Office of an emergency.
  
• Warning signs posted at doorways in the mailcenter to prevent security breach of unauthorized student entry.
  
• Hired a part-time hourly Mail Processor using salary savings.
  
• Business Communications Services lobby was reconfigured for safety and aesthetically functional, ADA accessible, and ecologically sound. An automatic door was installed and a cabinet was removed from the lobby to make it ADA accessible.
  
• Business procedure manuals were produced for each desk resulting in cross-training and the ability to continue business processing.
  
• Utilizing the upgraded version of the facilities program, Resource 25 v3.2. This allows for easier planning and book facilities. More user-friendly, more information for campus to view and produces better reports.
  
• Researched current technology for recommendation of updating mail processing to improve efficiency within the mail center. A new Paragon DM100 mailing machine was installed. This machine equipped with updated technology.
  
• Implemented a method to reduce the volume of returned mail from student mailing lists. Departments are closely monitoring address listings. Also by removing the “Returned Service Requested" endorsement on most departments’ large mailouts have reduced the volume of returned mail.