How a large state university improved efficiency and coordination of its records requests.

Background

As the state’s flagship university, The University of New Mexico is also the largest, with a student population of over 34,000. As a leading public institution, it creates generations of knowledgeable and engaged citizens within the region and beyond. Given this mission, the University felt it was critical to simplify and enhance access to public information about its organization.

Productivity & Tracking

John Rodriguez was brought on as Custodian of Public Records to oversee management of the school’s public records request process. As a leader in educational administration, he knew that technology would be an important component of responding to requests quickly while minimizing staff time required. “After implementing NextRequest we’ve increased productivity by at least 60%,” says Rodriguez.

He also wanted more effective tools to track a request through its entire life cycle. According to Rodriguez, “The software has created a much more organized tracking system. It gives us a nice, clean timeline from the minute a request is opened to the minute it is closed. I don’t have to do a lot of sleuthing through electronic files.”

Accessible Information

University leadership also saw value in creating a more transparent and user-friendly system. “This new portal is another example of how the University is working to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of what we do,” said UNM Interim President Chaouki Abdallah “We already have the sunshine portal for information on salaries and contracts, and our police department offers online access to its reports. This is one more step toward increased openness and transparency at UNM.”