Executive Summary
Auxiliary Services is a diverse group of units offering goods and services to the University community that are convenient, user-friendly, customer-driven, cost-effective, and essential to the campus’ academic, administrative, and operational success. Several units provides support to all five system campuses, while others serve only the in Cities campus (see Organizational Structure/Design).
Auxiliary Services supports the University’s education, research, and outreach missions by enhancing the student experience, minimizing the cost of attendance, and providing competitive, customer-focused businesses and services to the University community.
Auxiliary Services staff include retail merchandisers, parking attendants, printing specialists, graphic designers, food service workers, contract specialists, fleet mechanics, student development staff, delivery drivers, operations managers and procurement specialists. Auxiliary Services also provides employment opportunities for approximately 1,200 students.
Headcounts: Fall 2023
Unit-Specific Measures and Data
- 32,448 U Cards produced for students, staff, faculty
- $6.9 million total savings through the U Market tool
- Digital course materials accounted for 72% of the overall spend on course materials
- 9 Residence Halls, 4 Apartment Buildings (7,558 beds)
- 813 family/partnered housing units
- 7 residential and 25 retail dining locations
- Approximately 20,500 total parking spaces
Organizational Structure/Design
The following are the primary departments comprising Auxiliary Services:
- Contract Administration (systemwide food, beverage, vending)
- Housing and Residential Life (Twin Cities)
- Parking and Transportation Services (Twin Cities) — this includes transit and Fleet Services (systemwide)
- Printing Services and Addressing & Mailing (Twin Cities)
- U Card Office (systemwide)
- U Market Services (systemwide) — this includes eProcurement, materials management, and logistics
- University Bookstores (systemwide except Duluth)
Key Areas of Strength and Strategic Opportunities
Strength: Providing Exemplary Customer Service
All Auxiliary units take pride in providing exemplary customer service to the University community. Each business has financially responsible leadership and well-defined business plans capable of quickly adjusting to changing business levels and customer needs. Several units conduct a student and customer satisfaction survey to review opportunities for improvement and implement new strategies based on feedback if resources are available. Security and safety initiatives are an important part of providing great customer service and each unit is continually improving these areas.
Strength: Innovation
Auxiliary units look for opportunities to add new revenue streams while creating helpful services for students, faculty, and staff.
Parking and Transportation, with the U Card Office and other departments, implemented the Universal Transit Pass for students and employees enabling U Card access to public transportation.
U Market Services continues to add vendors, including Amazon, to their Last Mile Delivery program. This reduces the amount of vehicles on campus, shrinks the carbon footprint, and increases safety as only University employees are entering buildings to deliver packages.
Bookstores is partnering with brands that are on trend with student shopping patterns and offers several items that are sustainably and locally sourced. Bookstores provides the internal business-to-business Dell technology procurement for the University that was previously done by OIT.
Chartwells implemented mobile ordering technology in retail spaces and some residential dining locations providing faster service and convenience saving students, faculty, and staff time.
M Food Co. offers an unlimited meal plan so students can visit the dining halls as many times as they want in a day/week and eat as much as they wish during the hours residential dining is open.
Housing & Residential Life implemented several Living Learning Communities where students can opt to live on a floor with people who share similar interests, backgrounds and experiences. Several units utilize shared services to save money and create efficiencies.
Strategic Opportunity: Universal Access Program for Course Materials (FY25
Bookstores is developing a plan to implement a Universal Access program for course materials. This is a systemwide initiative in collaboration between Bookstores and Libraries. This new program includes a fee that will be charged to all students to cover all course materials for each semester. Students will have the option to opt out. This initiative will enable students to have all of their course materials available and delivered on day one at a predictable cost. The goal is to have this new program approved and implemented for fall semester 2024.
Strategic Opportunity: Mobile Credentialing Program (FY25)
We are developing plans to implement a systemwide mobile credentialing program to replace the U Card with a mobile (smartphone, smartwatch) technology, transitioning the University from plastic ID cards to mobile credentials. The goal is to implement a new credentialing program that allows University community members to utilize their mobile devices to access all the services currently available on the physical U Card. These systems include but are not limited to: door access, meal plans, parking, rec center access, libraries, and the Universal Transit Pass. Completing this transformative project will enhance the student/staff experience, improve security, and reduce the environmental impact of plastic cards. This project requires collaboration with several partners across the University. This will be a systemwide initiative as the U Card is utilized at all University locations.