Agency Name
The Texas State University System
Services Offered
Established in 1911 to consolidate the support and management of the state’s teacher colleges, the Texas State University System (TSUS) Administrative Office coordinates contractual, personnel, financial, construction and architectural, academic and curricular, property, legal, audit, and general administrative matters among the System’s seven component institutions.
The primary constituents of the System Administrative Office are the Board of Regents and the System’s component institutions and their administrations. In carrying out its responsibilities, the agency also interacts with numerous state and federal entities, including, but not limited to, the Office of the Governor, the Texas Legislature, state and federal courts, the Legislative Budget Board, Legislative Council, Office of the Attorney General, State Auditor’s Office, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Comptroller of Public Accounts, and members of the general public. The head of the agency is Chancellor Brian McCall.
Customer Service Principles
The agency’s guiding principle is to provide high-quality, accessible service delivered in a timely and efficient manner. By supporting its component institutions in contractual, personnel, financial, construction and architectural, academic and curricular, property, legal, audit, and general administrative areas, the System Administrative Office assists those institutions in delivering a wide range of high-quality academic programs to the people of Texas.
The following principles reflect the agency’s goals, objectives, and standards in fulfilling its public service mission:
- Staff: A minimal staff administer a seven-institution higher education system. Workloads are managed centrally and delegated across the service areas described above. Staff members are responsive to component institutions and other constituencies.
- Timeliness and Accessibility of Service Delivery: Telephone calls are answered on the day they are received whenever possible. In emergencies, executive staff members may be reached by cell phone when away from the office. The agency maintains and distributes an internal directory containing office, cell, and home telephone numbers for use by component institutions. Necessary after-hours communications are encouraged.
- Internet Technology and Effective Communication: The agency maintains a website (www.tsus.edu) that provides essential information about the System, including contact information for key personnel and the governing Rules and Regulations. Agency staff may be contacted in person; by telephone; by facsimile; by U.S. mail or private delivery service; or by email.
- Printed Information: The agency publishes and distributes its Rules and Regulations, financial statements, and other key documents to component institutions for access by administrators, faculty, staff, students, and the general public. The Rules and Regulations are also available online.
- Teamwork, Respect, Trust, and Innovation: The agency supports focus-area committees—such as academic affairs, student services, construction, and finance—comprised of representatives from each component institution. These collaborative efforts have resulted in initiatives such as enhanced teacher education programs, intellectual property and distance education policies, and debt service and investment strategies that leverage the System’s scale for the benefit of its institutions and students.
- Accountability and Improvement: The Board of Regents meets at least once annually on the campus of each component institution, with meetings scheduled when students are present whenever possible. Board rules permit members of the public to address the Board on matters of concern. For fiscal accountability, the System employs an internal auditor who reports directly to the Board of Regents. Each component institution maintains its own auditor, who also reports through the System auditor to the Board.
- Openness and Mending Mistakes: The Board has established a Student Liaison Committee composed of representatives from each component institution. The committee has a standing place on the Board’s quarterly meeting agenda to raise student concerns. The Chancellor regularly hosts open roundtable discussions with faculty from the component institutions and meets at least quarterly with institution presidents. System Office executives also meet regularly with institutional representatives in their respective areas. The Rules and Regulations are reviewed and amended at least annually through a process that allows input from administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
Complaint Handling Process
Complaints regarding component institutions or their personnel are initially addressed through the respective institution, which maintains published grievance and complaint procedures. Individuals dissatisfied with an institution’s resolution or with the actions of a System Office employee may appeal directly to the Chancellor and, pursuant to Board rules, may appear before the Board of Regents to present their complaint and seek relief.
Complainants are informed of these rights and provided, at no cost, copies of applicable rules and policies. As a general practice, the Chancellor is made aware of all complaints received by the agency, and the Vice Chancellor and General Counsel is notified to ensure that all parties receive appropriate due process.
Customer Service Representative
The agency’s Customer Service Representative is:
Sandra Poel
Executive Legal Assistant
System Administration Building
601 Colorado Street
Austin, Texas 78701-2904
Phone: (512) 463-1812
Fax: (512) 463-1816