Overarching Goal: Create an inclusive workplace that inspires excellence and innovation resulting in a thriving faculty and staff community.

STRATEGY

POTENTIAL INITIATIVES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Strategy 1

Address consistency around salary compensation, compression and cost of living.

Potential Initiatives for Implementation

  1. Conduct compensation study and compare to local institutions and peer universities.
  2. Engage compensation consultants to evaluate and restructure compensation decisions.
  3. Review and institute new policies for pay raises.

Strategy 2

Recruit, retain and promote more women and underrepresented minorities into faculty, staff and senior administrative positions.

Potential Initiatives for Implementation

  1. Establish mentoring program for URM professionals on campus.
  2. Require faculty and staff to attend DEI training.
  3. Establish a more holistic approach to evaluations by modifying tenure and promotion processes to acknowledge both instructional and non-instructional contributions.
  4. Establish cohorts for URM populations.
  5. Institute mandatory training and support for hiring managers to prevent unconscious bias in recruitment, hiring, tenure and promotion decisions.

Strategy 3

Invest in faculty and staff learning and development to foster professional growth, leadership and lifelong learning.

Potential Initiatives for Implementation

  1. Consider a staff training program that allows for courses outside the College.
  2. Expand staff training to the state allowed two courses/semester.
  3. Establish a faculty and staff lunch and learn series.
  4. Establish a Center for Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence (see Academic Distinction, strategy 4).
  5. Create and facilitate mandatory management training for all new supervisors, managers and department chairs.

Strategy 4

Recognize and encourage efficiencies and innovations in programs, processes and procedures.

Potential Initiatives for Implementation

  1. Assess and align faculty incentives/rewards with innovative and experiential teaching methods.
  2. Institute recognition and rewards system to encourage faculty and staff innovation.
  3. Institute process audit to streamline, clarify and improve campus-wide processes.
  4. Institute a more transparent budget development process and a budget model that incentivizes excellence.

Strategy 5

Create a welcoming and inclusive environment where all faculty and staff feel a sense of purpose and belonging.

Potential Initiatives for Implementation

  1. Establish more common spaces for community-building and connection.
  2. Institute mandatory DEI training for faculty and staff.
  3. Better advertise and/or improve faculty and staff rewards program.
  4. Provide regular and meaningful opportunities for employee recognition.
  5. Assess communication channels and implement practices for more effective, regular and transparent community among faculty, staff and administrators.
  6. Establish a weekly “common hour” across campus for culturally and academically enriching events and dialogue.
  7. Institute holistic health and wellness policies to support faculty and staff well-being.