Overview

Project website updated as of 4/21/2026.

Goals & Objectives

Colorado State University (CSU) is assessing the Finance and Human Resources work across the university to explore a new model with the goals to strengthen service delivery, improve efficiency, and better support the university’s mission. The HR and Finance Alignment initiative is focused on modernizing how we work today and into the future.

This initiative aims to: protect and advance the academic mission, support career growth and mobility, improve efficiency and streamline operations, deliver reliable, consistent, high-quality services, scale effective practices for greater impact, shift from reactive to strategic.

Latest Updates

SOURCE article, 4/21/26: VPs offer April update on HR/Finance Alignment Project | Colorado State University

SOURCE article, 3/27/26: Applications sought for new fellowships in HR/Finance Alignment Initiative

SOURCE article, 3/23/2026: VPs offer March update on HR/Finance Alignment Project | Colorado State University

SOURCE article, 2/19/2026: Update on HR-Finance Alignment project from VPs Hanlon, Ray | Colorado State University

SOURCE article, 1/27/2026: Update on HR-Finance Alignment project from VPs Ray, Hanlon

Project Leadership & Committees

The Steering Committee sets direction, guides major decisions, and ensures alignment with CSU’s academic mission and institutional goals.

  • Executive Sponsor: Brendan Hanlon, Vice President for University Operations / Chief Financial Officer
  • Executive Sponsor: Eric Ray, Vice President for Human Resources
  • Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, Dean of College of Agricultural Sciences
  • Julie Weber, HR Consultant

The Advisory Committee offers input, perspective, and feedback to inform decisions and reflect campus needs and experiences.

  • Dave Carpenter
  • Katherine Castaneda
  • Christy Conrad
  • Allison Dineen
  • Kristen Felten
  • Jennifer Fisher
  • Stephanie Laurent Tracy
  • Angie Nielsen
  • Mark Ritschard
  • Dave Ryan
  • Naomi Ward

The Change Management Team develops and manages communication, engagement, and other change management activities to help people understand and prepare for changes.

  • Claire Clemens
  • Liesel Hans
  • Blair Lee
  • Sydney Varshawsky
  • Evan Welch

The Change Council is a group of Change Navigators that serve as a two-way connection between the project and the university community, bringing questions and feedback in and helping share information out. For more information, please visit the “Change Council” section of the project website. 

Phase 1: Foundation. Jan – Sept 2025

This phase focused on listening and learning. We built awareness across campus, collected organizational data, and held conversations large and small to begin co-developing high-level “blueprints”—draft playbooks for how HR and Finance work could flow in the future, starting with documenting the range of HR and Finance-related functions and work across campus. Importantly, no reporting line or budget changes were made during this phase, based on campus feedback.

Phase 2: Explore & Design. Fall 2025

In the next phase, we’ll take what we learned in Phase 1 and begin shaping the details of how services might work in practice. This includes developing a complete current state assessment, conducting work analysis surveys and design workshops, diving deeper into organizational data, continuing stakeholder engagement and communications, mapping out core processes and functions, and outlining organizational structure options for the future.

Phase 3: Decisions & Planning. Winter – Spring 2026

Next, we will finalize the future operating and service model, making sure it is practical and aligned with campus needs today and looking into the future. This phase will also include mapping processes, preparing training and technology to support new roles, and developing an implementation and transition roadmap. We’ll focus on resource allocation, governance, and workforce support so the university is ready to move forward with confidence. 

*Phase 4 will be the implementation phase and will be informed by work in Phases 1-3.

For the purposes of this initiative, “Finance” and “HR” job functions are defined as: Finance: Includes accounts payable and receivable, budget and financial planning, capital budgeting, general accounting and financial reporting, cash management, and related functions. HR: Includes talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, talent development, benefits administration, leave management, compensation and classification, personnel file maintenance, and payroll.