AIT GAZETTE
Issue # 1, 30 May 2000
The AIT Gazette is being presented to the AIT community as a mean to maintain and enhance communication between us. Its main purpose is to allow all AIT constituencies to share full and accurate information regarding the conduct of affairs, and particularly the on-going reform process. It is intended to compliment, not supersede the current Bulletin on-line. It is available on the AIT website, forwarded by email and distributed in printed form to all Academic and Administrative Unit Heads for further dissemination to employees currently without access to email accounts. Its periodicity is not yet fixed but we expect each issue to report on significant milestones in the reform process. This first issue of the AIT Gazette features the English and Thai version of the 'Immediate Measures and Action Plan' and report of the first meeting of the Reform Process Committee.
A meeting will be held on Thursday, 1 June at 11:30 a.m. in the AIT Center auditorium to explain and discuss the meaning and impact of the ongoing reform process and its implementation. All faculty and staff are invited to attend.
Jean-Louis Armand
President
REFORM PROCESS COMMITTEE
The first meeting of the Reform Process Committee (RPC) was held on Tuesday, 23 May 2000. The RPC comprises of the President (Chair); Provost; Deans of the Schools; Dean of Student and Community Affairs; Faculty Representative; Chair and Vice-Chair of the Academic Senate; School Fora Chairs; President and Vice President, AIT Labour Union and AIT Employee Committee; Representatives of the staff serving on the Staff Relations Committee appointed by the Board; Treasurer; Coordinator, HRO; Director, Physical Plant; President, Student Union.
The purpose of the RPC is to ensure collective understanding of the measures rendered necessary to meet the challenges AIT is currently facing. This Committee provides a platform for initiating and encouraging continuous dialogue amongst all constituents; sharing accurate information and facts in a transparent manner; removing potential misunderstandings; and sustaining the morale of all.
REPORT OF THE FIRST RPC MEETING
1. The Executive Committee of the Board at its 17 May 2000 meeting endorsed the proposed Plan of Action aimed at addressing the current financial crisis faced by AIT and asked the management to proceed with its immediate implementation, taking into consideration the comments made by the Policy Planning Committee held on 15 May 2000 and by the Executive Committee, and in dialogue with the AIT community. The management was requested to make the necessary changes as seen appropriate in the process of implementation and report back to the Executive Committee at its September 2000 meeting on what has been done, what remains to be done, and what changes in the plan have been decided along the way.
2. Three Implementation Committees will be set up to address the restructuring of Academic Centers (CEC, CLAIR, CLET, RCC) Administrative Units (Finance Dept, Admissions, Registry, DSCA, OMIS, Development Office, Purchasing Office, Strategic Planning &. Op. Analysis Unit) and Services (AIT Center, Physical Plant, Golf Course, Bus Service). The implementation will be carried out in a completely transparent manner so as to avoid any misunderstanding. Each Implementation Committee will be headed by the Provost and will include the Treasurer, one Dean, and concerned Unit Heads. Effective dialogue with the units affected will be initiated and encouraged.
3. Reform measures with long-term effect are really necessary to ensure the sustainability of AIT. They are not an exercise in futility. There is expressed pressure from donors and other stakeholders to drastically improve the overall functioning of AIT. We need to address the challenges faced by AIT as a result of visible external changes. The proposed reform measures are proof that the Institute is committed. They serve as a positive and important step towards reassuring donors and stakeholders in general and in ensuring their confidence. The proposed reform measures are also important in view of the ongoing discussions with the Royal Thai Government (RTG) regarding its support to AIT. The RTG has set up three specific working groups to work out ways in which AIT could improve and strengthen its role and activities in the following areas: AIT management reform, future status of AIT as an international organization, and academic cooperation between Thai higher education institutions and AIT.
4. The measures in the Action Plan will lead to changes at all levels in the Institute. The whole AIT community will be affected by the measures proposed, which aim at cutting down central management expenses, devolving increased responsibilities to the Schools, ensuring efficiency across all operations and improving the current working climate.
5. The principles of truth, respect, transparency, accountability and fairness will be adhered to in the entire reform process along with completeness of communication. No lay-offs are to be expected as a direct consequence of the reform process. There will not be non-renewals of contracts based on economic reasons alone. Contract renewals will be solely on the basis of performance. Relocation to matching positions within AIT without cut in salaries and without changes in employment status will be a necessary part of the reorganization process. Supervisors at all levels will be expected to closely monitor the performance and progress of their employees, and give them the opportunity to improve on the job. In-house training will be offered and strongly encouraged, in order to allow employees to strengthen their capabilities or to develop new ones.
6. A voluntary early retirement scheme will be implemented with the assistance of external experts. Some salaries will be shifted from central to project funds. The positions freed by retiring employees or their leaving voluntarily will be replaced from within AIT to the extent possible. The setting-up by employees of self-sustainable entrepreneurial projects will be encouraged, on a partial or full basis. Among the reform measures proposed, policy level changes in cross subsidization, differentiated tuition fee, sustainability (endowment), cost expansion etc. will have far more outreaching consequences and greater benefits in the long run.
7. In conformity with the Institute's Enabling Act of 1967, AIT is only allowed to operate in Thailand as a non-profit making organization in the fields of technical higher education and research. The recent questioning by the RTG of the utilization of its financial support of AIT prompted the management to implement long-awaited corrective measures and to reaffirm the position of AIT as a non-profit institution. The AIT Center, Golf Course and Play School / Child Center must not be seen as commercial ventures. The outsourcing of the management and of some operations of the AIT Center and other units will not affect the current AIT Center staff, who will be maintained on AIT payroll unless they are rehired with similar benefits and privileges.
8. Further to the deliberations of the recently constituted Staff Relations Committee of the Board of Trustees, the administration has made a provision for all regular staff to have e-mail accounts, along with that of a common facility for e-mail access in all units. Training sessions will be offered to interested staff on computer and Internet use after office-hours, as will English proficiency language classes.
9. While measures to reduce costs are being implemented, efforts towards increasing income and revenue generation are also being addressed. The January and May intakes have shown a notable increase in the number of fee-paying student, mainly due to an augmentation of the number of students under external support. Efforts must be maintained to uphold this encouraging trend.
10. The administration is relying on the cooperation of all to jointly embark on this reform. Only a collective understanding of the Action Plan will pave the way for successful implementation of the measures. One of the important tasks of the administration is to convince the AIT community of the need of the reform and of its expected benefits and to receive comments and feedback from all constituencies through their representation on the RPC. The establishment of the RPC and the launching of the gazette are proofs of this quest for openness and transparency.
11. The President will address the AIT Faculty and Staff members on the subject of the ongoing reform of AIT on 1 June 2000, between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. at the AIT Center Auditorium.
12. Regular meetings of the Reform Process Committee will maintain the momentum of the dialogue process among all constituents. The schedule of the next RPC meetings are as follows: 30 May, at 11:00 a.m. and 6 June at 9:00 a.m. in the Board Room, Administration Building.