FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas (U of A) has announced it will maintain its current workforce after considering outsourcing its custodial and grounds services last month.
U of A administrators told employees in January that SCC Services for Education would be conducting an assessment to evaluate the possibility of outsourcing.
"As we said in January, a primary objective of this evaluation was to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of current processes and service levels," Ann Bordelon, executive vice chancellor for Finance and Administration, said in an email sent to employees on March 28.
Although cost-saving measures were recommended, John Thomas with the U of A told 5NEWS that maintaining staff was the best option for the university.
"While full external management may have provided the potential for some level of cost savings, we decided that we are better served to look internally at our own structure and operational processes, maintain our current workforce, and help position them to deliver consistent quality service across campus," Thomas said.
The initial announcement sparked concern among some employees, but the U of A maintains assessments like this one are a frequent occurrence.
"The U of A frequently performs assessments of various services throughout campus to ensure it continues to provide the best service possible to the growing university population and adequately stewards its financial and physical resources," according to the U of A.
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