SIO Council Report 2005

The SIO Council met March 4-5, 2005. As agreed last year, the first day was dedicated to management issues, followed by a "science showcase" day to which the SIO Director's Cabinet was also invited.

The meeting began with a "State of the Institution" presentation by Charlie, which started with a recap of last year and previous years' advice and results. The challenges identified last year were addressed in an SIO Strategic Plan that was presented first to Acting Chancellor Marsha Chandler, and then to Chancellor Marye Anne Fox. Charlie outlined this plan for the Council, saying that it has been approved in principle by the Chancellor, with final details to be worked out so that a formal commitment can be secured from all the other Vice Chancellors and then Chancellor Fox.

The outline of this plan, as provided by Charlie, is attached. The plan was intended to address research, education, and management. Charlie also dealt with the needs to improve strategic and financial communication, derive more revenue from intellectual property and service provision, and review SIO's infrastructure, particularly buildings.

The "State of the Institution" presentation was followed by a discussion of the current financial situation and the financial aspects of the strategic plan by Tom Collins. The Federal and State budget outlook by John Orcutt was followed by a review of the work being done to improve the communication of SIO's financial information by Tom Collins and Cecilia Lynch.

After lunch the following presentations were made:
Education Strategy and Status - Lisa Tauxe and Mike Landry
Aquarium Strategic Plan Update - Nigella Hillgarth
Research Strategy and Status -John Orcutt
Development Strategy and Status - John Evey
The day of business meetings concluded with a general discussion which included the Director. Below is a summary of comments, conclusions, and recommendations from the meetings.

Strategic Plan: The Council strongly endorses the strategic plan and its implementation. This plan was substantially developed in response to the recommendations of the Strategic Review Committee, which were embraced by the Council at its last meeting. SIO has made progress in strategic planning and analysis in the past year, leading to a new direction. It is evident that Scripps is well positioned to contribute to dealing with central problems facing society and science. SIO must embrace big science, take a more active role, and grow its way into the future.

Financial Management: For the second year in a row, the Council commends SIO for the progress made in financial analysis and reporting. Development of a "financial language" and annual statements of income and expense has begun. The Council strongly urges SIO to focus and move forward with urgency in this area. Successful implementation of the strategic plan and proactive management and decision-making at SIO will require new and more sophisticated information, analytical tools, and models, plus administrative support. For Scripps to grow its way out of its difficult financial situation, all of these will be needed and the ability to communicate SIO's financial information will be essential. It must create a management structure to make and implement strategic decisions.

Development: The Council was greatly encouraged by the substantial progress made by the Development program, focusing on generating private resources for funding priority projects, programs, and personnel. SIO Development has begun exploiting SIO's unique institutional reputation and capability in its fundraising activities. The support of the UCSD Administration in this effort and the allocation of additional resources are greatly appreciated. The Development office is to be commended for its achievements to date.

Birch Aquarium: The report on the Birch Aquarium strategic plan is excellent and the recent operating results are very good.

Strategic Communication - Marketing and Branding: The Council recommends that SIO take the initiative in communicating within SIO and with the "outside world" that may not know what a unique institution Scripps is in the world.

Education: The Council is pleased by the progress and the attention placed on the educational mission, and encourages the SIO faculty to move forward with the development of a marine science major. This is viewed as meeting important needs for society, Scripps, and the SIO-UCSD relationship.

Staffing: There were several questions raised regarding non-academic staff. We encourage Scripps to analyze its staffing to understand roles, responsibilities, and staffing levels, including a comparison with comparable institutions.

Government Relations: The Council recognizes the outstanding work done in government relations and in ensuring continued financial support for the research mission of the institution. The Council encourages Scripps to think bolder and to identify ways to meet higher-level national needs, and then work at appropriate levels of government to create such opportunities. One such idea is for Scripps to serve as the independent technology integrator for the Global Earth Observing System of Systems.

Capital Planning: The Council encourages Charlie to keep focused on the strategic plan and its implementation, including new financial/management leadership. At the appropriate time, the Council also recognizes the need to start looking at long-term infrastructure issues, to ensure that proper planning begins for maintenance, replacement and expansion of current facilities.

Council Input to Charlie's Performance Review: The Council is being asked for input to the Vice Chancellor review now being conducted by a committee established by the Chancellor. The Council asked that Clyde and Stuart write something on the Council's behalf in response to this request. The Council felt strongly that Charlie has done an exceptional job in running SIO. He is open to suggestions from all sources, has championed appropriate changes, and made remarkable progress in getting this venerable institution to operate at a much higher level on several fronts--to the benefit of everyone. The Council is pleased to offer a more detailed appraisal and will make a written submission to the review panel along these lines.

The 2006 SIO Council meeting will be held on Thursday and Friday, March 9 and 10. Going forward, we will schedule the meetings to be in the second week of March.

The Council meeting concluded on Friday, March 4, and on the next day, the Council joined with the SIO Director's Cabinet for an impressive set of science presentations and discussion. The presentations from the meeting will be posted on the SIO webpage and Council members will be notified when the website is ready.

Attachments:
1. Agenda
2. Attendees
3. Strategic plan summary


Attachment 1: AGENDA

Friday, March 4, 2005
SIO Council-only Business Meeting
4500 Hubbs Hall
                                              Opening Session, Overview
9:00 - 9:15        Welcome & Introductions - Clyde, Charlie
9:15 - 9:30        Review meeting agenda and approach - Lisa S.
9:30 - 10:15     State of the Institution - Charlie  
10:15 - 10:45   Break

                                               Finance & Management
10:45 - 11:15     Summary of current financial situation and strategy - Tom
11:15 - 11:30     Federal and State budget outlook - John Orcutt
11:30 - 12:00     Communicating SIO's financial information - Stuart
12:00 - 12:30     Discussion
12:30 - 1:30        Lunch and informal discussions

1:30 - 2:15           Education Strategy & Status - Lisa T. & Mike Landry

2:15 - 2:30           Aquarium Strategic Plan update - Nigella

2:30 - 3:00          Break
                             Display of new ocean observing technologies

3:00 - 3:45           Research Strategy & Status - John Orcutt

3:45 - 4:15           Development Strategy & Status - John Evey

4:30 - 6:00            SIO Council discussion, executive sessionas needed

6:00 - 7:30           RECEPTION, STUDENTS and POSTERS
                              (Munk Lab at IGPP)


Saturday, March 5: SIO Science Showcase
Members, Spouses, and Families of SIO Council, Director's Cabinet, Invited Guests
Vaughan Hall Room 100 & Atrium

8:00 - 8:30         Informal breakfast buffet, Scripps in the News

8:30 - 8:45         Introduction, overview - Charlie
8:45 - 10:30       Center for Earth Observations and Applications (CEOA) - John Orcutt
                                -- Jon Berger, Tsunamis
                                -- Lynn Russell, Atmospheric Chemistry
                                -- Peter Franks, Long-Term Ecological Reserve
10:30 - 11:00       Break
11:00 - 12:30       Scientific and Educational Innovations
                                -- William Fenical & Wendy Strangman, Marine Biomedicine
                                -- Dimitri Deheyn & Elisa Volpato, Venice project
                                -- Cheryl Peach, Educational Outreach
12:30 - 1:00         Travel time to Estancia
1:00 - 3:00           Lunch and Get Aquainted Time
                                -- Lunch talk by Larry Smarr
                                -- SIO Council, Cabinet, and SIO Leadership only

Sunday, March 6 - Optional
SIO Council, Director's Cabinet, Invited Guests
AND their spouses and families
9:15  For those who have signed up in advance:
                    whale watching cruise with SIO's John Hildebrand and a naturalist.
                 

Attachment 2: ATTENDEES

• Marty Africa
• Bernie Bulkin
• Jim Cimino
• Dennis DeConcini
• Sandy Faber
• Ed Frieman
• Dan Goldin
• Stuart Goode
• Dick Hertzberg
• Sam Iacobellis
• Wayne Kennedy
• Mac McQuown
• Clyde Ostler
• Bill Scripps
• Dick Snell
• Craig Venter

 

Attachment 3: STRATEGIC PLAN SUMMARY AND IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE
Approved by Chancellor: Implementation beginning
"... there is an enormous contrast between the opportunities available to the Institution and its financial, organizational, and cultural capacity to take advantage of them." -- Kennedy Committee Report, November 2003

2004 Strategic Plan Objectives

- Provide value to UCSD in exchange for increased University support

• Increase undergraduate teaching
• Create more joint appointments with other campus units
• Establish UCSD-wide, SIO-led Center for Earth Observations and Applications (CEOA) to incubate and support large, complex, multidisciplinary proposals and provide relief for business offices

- Align incentives and rewards with institutional objectives

• Restore partial salary support to Research Series and provide flexible start-up funds for new hires
  
• Increase administrative support for research
  

• SIO is not required to repay these funds
  

• Allow annual operating deficit to continue through FY 05-06
  
• Allow cumulative debt to reach a maximum of $7.2M
  
• Extend full repayment of cumulative debt to FY 09-10
  

• Provide partial institutional support for up to 27 researchers hired over 8 years
• Replace turnover of 19 professors and 13 researchers over 8 years
• Implement financially transparent management systems
• Restructure SIO organization and augment administrative support
• Build a new building

• Increase SIO's financial resilience and increase revenues to UCSD
• Enable cultural changes required to capture opportunities available to SIO
• Enable UCSD to capture major new global research initiatives occurring in the next few years
• Create new undergraduate teaching programs
• Increase UCSD interdisciplinary collaboration
• Rejuvenate SIO's academic ranks
• Expand donor base and increase annual private giving to $35M/year

• Private fund raising
  
• Federal sponsored research
  
• Non-government revenues
  
• ICR return to SIO