Frances Elizabeth O'Brien

Project Management and Organizational Development

• Assess organizational needs and make recommendations for solutions based on research, budget analysis, and institutional culture
• Present findings and solutions to a wide audience of stakeholders across the organizational spectrum
• Develop teams to efficiently and effectively implement solutions
• Manage development and implementation of projects

Policy and Procedure Development

• Ensure that policies and procedures are compliant with federal regulations, and contribute to the mission outlined in the organization's strategic plan
• Develop policies and procedures based upon federal guidelines; interpret grey-areas of federal regulation to develop policies and procedures that suit the needs of the organization and constituency
• Train and advise team members, including an organization of over 4,000 faculty and staff, regarding:
• Policy and program development
• Assessment
• Intercultural communication

Assessment of Organizational Effectiveness and Client Services

• Assist team members in identifying personal strengths, and understanding the strengths of others
• Assess effectiveness of advising sessions, programming as it contributes to student and scholar (client) satisfaction and success
• Mediate team member disputes and assess effectiveness of communication across the institution, within the office, and with our constituency

Points of Pride

• Took over the development and implementation of the PeopleSoft SEVIS module and converted our office’s processing from manual keyed entry to batch processing in under six months. The module also provides for better tracking and data collection of our student and scholar population.
• As the project manager for our paperless transition to NOLIJ, my responsibility was to create, implement, and sustain a logical system in which we can maintain compliance by being organized and efficient. With the support of our fantastic team, this conversion project, including training users on the new system and procedures, was completed in just 6 months
• Collaborated with the Center for Teaching and Assessment of Learning on a First-Friday Roundtable dedicated to training faculty on working with culturally diverse international students in an effort to promote student success in the classroom

Points of Pride

• Helped develop the University of the Arts-bound Student Program, which integrates English language study with preparation for study in visual art and music majors
• Counseled student-clients with regard to immigration matters, cultural insecurities, and communication, and used this information to educate staff, faculty and future educators about the complexities of managing International students in the classroom
• Developed The Language Company Newsletter and maintained its contents monthly, publishing to over 500 agents in 46 countries in order to encourage student (client) recruitment and retention
• Developed a handbook of policies and procedures as they relate to immigration regulations

Points of Pride

• Trained bank employees in simple Chinese greetings, celebrations, and culture, and implemented these cultural celebrations and courtesies in the branch
• Edited the PNC Bank Chinese newsletter
• Generated over 200 new Chinese business and personal accounts in a six month period
• Integrated elements of Chinese culture into the marketing of PNC bank products and services, such as pamphlets, brochures and customer service
• Represented PNC bank at the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation and the Philadelphia Chinatown Chamber of Commerce

Majors: Political Science, with Concentration in Globalization and Spanish Language and Literature

Minor: Mandarin Chinese Language and Literature