Adminet: One-stop resource for administrators

It may be as close to on-the-job nirvana as a University administrator can get. Gone will be the dusty manuals and stacks of paper announcements -- instead there's AdmiNET (http://admin-www.uchicago.edu/adminet.html), a continually updated on-line resource for University policies, procedures and actions.

"We've always wanted to write the definitive guide for administrators, but how could it be done? It would be too big, plus it would be outdated as soon as it was printed," said Therese Nelson, Manager of Special Projects for Administrative Information Systems. "With a Web site, we can supply administrators with the information they need and make that information both easier to find and easier to understand."

The searchable site should make wading through policies and procedures manuals obsolete. For administrators who need to know whether the university will reimburse first-class air fare, for example, finding the correct procedure is as simple as typing the search words "air fare" into the AdmiNET search faculty, which would take the administrator to the "Reimbursements to Individuals Quick Reference Guide," with further references to other documents.

Administrators can also use AdmiNET to download a growing number of forms, such as benefit forms. In addition, AdmiNET is a vehicle for obtaining administrative announcements, which means that department administrators need to start keeping track of what's new on the pages, Nelson said.

"Basically, if an administrator is not looking at AdmiNET, he or she is missing important administrative information, because much of the information on AdmiNET -- including announcements and late-breaking information -- is no longer being distributed outside of the Web," she said.

The site is growing rapidly. "Administrators can expect big changes over the coming months, all of which will be noted on the 'What's New' page on AdmiNET," Nelson said. "We're besieged with information to put on this site. It's still a fledgling in a way, but it's beginning to take shape."