Idea Transcript
UNC Tomorrow Commission Phase II Responses: Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention
Appalachian State University This document is a summary of Appalachian State University’s responses to the UNC Tomorrow Commission’s Report regarding SPA, EPA, and faculty employment. With regard to attraction and retention efforts for our university, we believe that more attention needs to be given to the compensation and benefits portion of our Employer Value Proposition, as well as myriad other facets of systemic issues. However, we also believe that Appalachian is well on its way to understanding the underlying issues to these problems. 1) Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus workforce needs now and for the future? • Yes. In conjunction with Appalachian’s Strategic Plan, Human Resource Services has developed a working document to serve as the guiding workforce plan for solution strategies and progress initiatives. • This workforce plan is geared to the accomplishment of five goals: 1) Create a strategy for the allocation of human resources in a manner that will allow the organization to meet its goals. 2) Prepare for contingencies that could prevent the organization from attaining its goals. 3) Prepare a framework for the organization’s orderly growth and progress. 4) Be proactive versus reactive in anticipating workforce needs. 5) Maximize organizational effectiveness by integrating the organization’s mission, strategic plan, budget, technology, and human resource needs. • In relation to faculty, we have two major ways of assessing availability of candidates and university needs. 1) We monitor national data on availability of person with terminal degrees in academic disciplines. 2) We use a position metric for basic allocation of faculty positions across the university. In brief, the metric employs several types of data, including FTEs, SCHs, department goals, and Delaware Study national norms, to calculate where areas of need exist in the university based on teaching demands. We base decisions on three‐year moving averages to even out fluctuations, and over time the metric allows us to shift resources to areas of greatest need. We have, for example, evened out workload for faculty across the university over the last few years by careful application of the position metric. 1
Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? • Yes. Though the majority of our workforce is of the Baby Boomer generation, the retirement eligibility of this group does not appear to be as dire as those of some of our sister institutions due to relative age and length of service. • Further, through trend analysis of Exit interviews and Quality of Life surveys, we feel confident in our ability to pinpoint the reasons why turnover is occurring; thereby creating strategies to retain and develop our current workforce. Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? • Yes. While certain areas within the university have taken a proactive approach to this forecasting component, as an integral part of our workforce planning process, Human Resource Services has begun the task of departmental consulting to: o Project staffing levels by department for short‐term goals (one to two years) and long‐term goals (three to five years) o Project future funding opportunities and/or restrictions by both organization and department o Develop inventory of retention activities by organization and department including employee training and/or employee development with regard to: i. Competency‐based performance criteria ii. Technology iii. Departmental role in university strategic direction • The Career Banding system has allowed for the development of job‐specific competencies through consultations with supervisors and hiring managers. • The faculty position metric, as described above, allows us to re‐assess annually the direction of student enrollment and faculty workload across the university. • We have a Strategic Plan that outlines areas of faculty skills and competencies that are of particular interest to the university, and we are undertaking strategic hiring initiatives to fill positions in those areas. In addition, we are encouraging departments to look, for example, for faculty with greater potential for public engagement, and we are re‐working reward structures to encourage faculty in those areas. • We also plan a more active faculty development program based on current scholarship in the field, which assesses both skills sets required of future faculty and ways to develop those skill sets. The primary arm of this development will 2
be through the Hubbard Center, but the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs will also work with other campus units on initiatives. Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? • The Office of State Personnel in conjunction with SAS is creating a meta‐analysis database with which to pull real‐time and trend data. Once this project is complete, Appalachian should have all the analytical tools it needs. Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? • Yes. We believe that the inclusion of several key points within Appalachian’s Strategic Plan point specifically to the areas of Human Resources. 2) With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? • Yes. As we close the loop on the analysis portion of our workforce plan, the goal is to then conduct a Markov analysis after consultation with department heads. To the extent to which employees are currently fully engaged, surpluses do not seem readily apparent. However, given the changing nature of technology and legislation, control and evaluation are being tended to. Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? • Yes. We are in the process of developing a Recruitment Task Force with which to identify the key posting arenas for the new “banded” titles. • The task force will be responsible for identifying the appropriate metrics with which to track and identify the yield ratios from each source, along with cost‐ per‐hire, cost over time, and quality of applicants. • The implementation of the People Admin software suite has allowed us to begin this process by creating hiring matrices for the banded titles. • People Admin has also allowed for the introduction of weighted application blanks to the application process, potentially cutting screening time by up to 50%. • We are developing a broad‐based Target of Opportunity Program (TOP) to address key elements of our Strategic Plan through careful emphasis on certain areas of faculty hiring. We already have in place a Faculty Fellows program to 3
help diversify faculty (essentially it solicits applications for faculty positions from scholars with expertise in underrepresented populations). We also have already allocated some positions in recent years to high‐priority areas, such as General Education reform and research in energy and environment. The TOP will allow us to continue these efforts in a still more systematic way as we attempt to enhance or develop strengths to meet 21st‐century needs.
Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? • Appalachian’s policy for R.I.F. remains unchanged given the relative engagement level of the current workforce. However, as consulting is done at the departmental level, additional solution strategies may be employed to counter any displacement which might occur due to future cutbacks or changes. • The faculty position metric is our basic tool for removing faculty positions from areas of declining need and moving them to expanding areas, along with allocating new positions to high‐interest programs. This has worked extremely well for us. 3) With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5, 10, 15, 20 year period and the impact this will have on your campus workforce? • Yes. Our aggregate level analysis (Figure 3.1) of the retiring population of our workforce is complete, and we are currently finishing our analysis of department level statistics. The trend we are seeing (as are likely most other campuses) however, is that those who are eligible to retire are opting to defer retirement until a later time when the economy is “better”.
Figure 3.1
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Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? • Yes. Appalachian has regularly sought to improve recruitment and retention. • We continue to provide training and development opportunities to provide staff with the tools and skills to be successful in their work. • Many divisions provide extra coordination beyond the central HR role. For example, in Student Affairs, they have centralized recruitment of their positions, defined a division check list, and have ensured that they are very inclusive in interview process. However, centralization could create a more streamlined process. • Managers should identify future business needs and incorporate training plans to develop current staff. Employees engaged in a career development plan where they can reach defined milestones and be compensated for advancing their competency level will have the opportunity to set personal goals and become vested in their career development; this may increase retention rates. This process requires funding for training and compensation. • Identify and plan for specific funding to address staff salary compression as supervisors note demonstrated and documented competencies. • The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Compliance invites all departing faculty to provide written exit interviews. The results of these interviews are examined by that office and the Provost. • Appalachian participates in the COACHE survey. We use the data to compare ourselves to our peers and to highlight areas for improvement. We are mostly at or above our peers across the spectrum of measures. A summary can be found at http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/irp/IR/REPSTUD/UNC‐ AppalachianState_ExecutiveSummary.pdf 5
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We undertook in 2006 a set of surveys as part of the Faculty Evaluation and Development Task Force effort. We have used the results of these surveys as a guide to changes in policy and practice. The surveys were especially useful in highlight work/life policy issues, such as housing costs, that affect our recruitment and retention. • Analysis performed by our Institutional Research and Planning Office indicates that approximately 1/3 of Appalachian faculty will retire within the next ten years. This is based on age profile (such as http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/irp/IR/REPSTUD/facultybyage.pdf) and is obviously not a perfect predictor of actual faculty retirements, especially given the recent economic downturn and collapse of the stock market, which may affect retirement planning significantly. Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus recruitment and retention efforts? • Pay‐for‐performance • Performance Evaluation Scale • UNC G.A. should continue to focus on improving the available benefits with which to attract multiple generations rather than just those benefits which attract the Baby Boomer and Traditionalist populations. For example: o Tuition reimbursement for children of employees o Floating leave days o 24‐hour emergency care for children and elders o Paid Time Off (PTO) program o Mid‐career professional‐private sector leave credit o UNC Task Force Recommendations http://forum.unc.edu/documents/FinalHRTaskForceRepor tv9.pdf Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty? • While certainly important to tenure track faculty, characterizing phased retirement as helpful in recruitment is somewhat of a stretch. That being said, the benefits for retirement age professors are many, but the recent economic downturn that has hit the nation is likely to stymie any potential gain seen by the program. • Eligible professors are not taking full advantage of the program at this time. • GA should consider combining non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty with SPA and EPA‐non teaching employees under a DROP (Deferred Retirement 6
Option Plan) program. A program to look to for guidance would be from Florida, explained further here: https://www.rol.frs.state.fl.us/forms/drop‐brochure.pdf 4) With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? • Boone is a vibrant community and expected to see continued growth; however, the growth itself will be quite small compared to our larger city counterparts. Further, the growth Boone will experience will likely be driven by the sizeable population of second‐home buyers from outside of the immediate economy, and likely from outside of the state economy. While these economic drivers do position Boone for positive economic increases, they also create great disparities in housing and the overall cost‐of‐living indices (118 and 101.44 respectively). These disparities in turn pose difficulties in attracting candidates due to low salary compression and high cost of living. • The relatively high housing index for the area coupled with the relative seclusion of the town, poses a growing problem for students, staff, and faculty alike with finding affordable housing within an economically viable distance. • The attrition rate for younger employees greatly surpasses that of older employees. This presents the problem of building the theoretical “leadership pipeline” with which to fill key leadership positions. (Figure 4.1) • Retirement plans do not address the needs of a younger, more mobile workforce. There needs to be more tax deferred savings incentives or portable options for all employees and not just EPA. • The Hispanic population within the Boone area is expected to surpass the African‐American population within the next decade. While an increase in the Spanish‐speaking population will not likely exceed 5%, it is essential to our position in the community that bilingual employees in community outreach positions be added. 5) What are some of the barriers that your university is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resource/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc? • SPA workforce salaries are still approximately $2.5 million below market • The benefits package available to employees currently does not accurately reflect the shift in generational differences we are experiencing in the workforce. In order for Appalachian to increase its attractiveness to top‐tier candidates more must be done to add value to our benefits portfolio, especially with regards to the offerings of work/life balance. • Salary compression and internal equity 7
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The cost‐of‐living index referenced earlier is aggravated by the necessity for Appalachian to charge its employees a fee for parking privileges. If we are to expect high‐quality applicants to remain interested in our institution amidst the mounting financial barriers of the region, we must do what we can to alleviate unnecessary charges for employment. Should the policy of the state remain that pay‐for‐performance is not permitted, incentive programs must be established so as to induce employees to perform to the best of their ability. This absence of personal rewards exacerbates the problems associated with the lack of performance culture. A key issue for faculty is moving costs. The university currently provides limited support for these costs for routine faculty hires. The university as a whole is approaching the 80th percentile of peers in faculty salaries. We thus have a competitive advantage over many institutions, although the cost‐of‐living in Boone reduces the advantage somewhat. As we seek to improve our faculty, however, we are more and more competing with aspirational peers or even doctoral/research institutions for faculty. It is therefore important to maintain or improve salary levels relative to competitors. It is hard to generalize about our benefit levels for faculty relative to peers. We have, for example, a model parental leave policy, but we have limited childcare available on campus or in the area. Our health insurance costs and coverage for faculty members individually is excellent, but family premiums continue to rise. In some cases, the teaching responsibilities at Appalachian, combined with higher expectations for scholarly achievement outside the classroom, cause us to lose promising potential faculty. Our standard teaching assignment of 6 courses per academic year is in line with our peers in the UNC system (as General Administration data shows), but again, we are increasingly competing for faculty with institutions whose standard teaching assignments are lower. We are attempting to insure competitiveness on one level by carefully monitoring Delaware Study norms on SCH/FTE to insure that faculty are not overworked in terms of class sizes or student grading responsibilities relative to peers.
6) With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? • Appalachian’s new five‐year Strategic Plan, adopted in September 2008, contains the following as one our institutional core values: “We support a culture that promotes diversity, shared responsibility, and mutual respect.” Priority 1, Initiative 1 in the plan provides a goal of increasing underrepresented and international student enrollment to 15 percent. Priority 3 focuses on recruitment of “an outstanding and diverse faculty.” Diversity is interwoven with all of our major plans and initiatives. • In late 2007, the Board of Trustees called for the creation of an institutional diversity plan. After much work, a draft has been completed and is under 8
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review. It is a 60‐page document that covers nearly every aspect of the university, including workforce issues. These plans define diversity very broadly to include nearly all aspects of human difference and human interaction, while at the same time they pay particular attention to recognizing and remedying historical inequities.
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The value of campus diversity shows that students who attend universities with a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff report greater learning, increases in various measures of interpersonal competencies, develop greater self‐confidence, are less likely to hold irrational prejudices, make greater gains in critical thinking, and have greater involvement in civic and community service behaviors.
Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? • Yes. The specific goal included in Priority 3, Initiative 1 of the Strategic Plan is to “Increase the percentage of underrepresented and international faculty and staff to appropriate availability and utilization benchmarks.” As mentioned in several other areas of this report, we are measuring availability of faculty and staff through monitoring national professional and census data. Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? • Yes. The diversity initiatives that have been established have been spearheaded by the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Compliance and can be found at: http://edc.appstate.edu/diversity/strategicplan.html#1 As mentioned immediately above, many of these initiatives are updated and expanded in our soon‐to‐be‐completed institutional diversity plan. • We measure effectiveness in numerous ways. An example is the National Survey of Student Engagement, which includes questions related to diverse perspectives in the classroom. Appalachian ranks at or above peers in terms of affirmative student responses about their exposure to diversity in class sessions and content. We also keep track of basic statistics. For example, a majority of assistant professors at Appalachian are female—a recent and welcome change for the institution. Another example is that the number of African American, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian faculty increased nearly 40 percent, from 56 to 78 faculty, from 2003‐2007. The comparable figure for SPA employees is roughly a 45 percent increase over the same period. To be sure, the total 9
percentage of non‐Caucasian faculty and staff at Appalachian remains relatively small—the figure for faculty is just under 9 percent. 7) With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. • Appalachian has not focused on succession planning as a systematic solution strategy to date. However, the consultant role which Human Resource Services has undertaken with each department is geared towards providing the university with pertinent succession management information. It is the belief that through the identification of key competencies and mission‐critical positions with each department, HRS will be able to successfully determine which employees should be selected for development. However, we believe that a continued commitment to diversity is imperative, and will therefore continue open recruitment. • The Supervisor Development Series is a campus‐wide program geared to equip potential and new supervisors with the foundational knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively direct staff employees. Supervisor Development Series (SDS) is a semester‐long professional development program for up to twenty‐ four potential and new supervisors at Appalachian State University. • The Leadership Development Series is a campus‐wide program geared toward preparing leaders to meet the mission and goals of Appalachian with confidence and success by enhancing their leadership skills, knowledge and abilities. It is a twelve month professional development program for up to twenty‐four mid‐ level leaders at Appalachian State University. The Leadership Development Series (LDS) has been recognized both nationally and internationally as “Best in Class” by: A) North Carolina Office of State Personnel B) National Association of Training and Development C) Development Dimensions International • In regard to faculty, the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs has broad‐ranging plans for faculty development activities over the next five years. Among other things, we will be intensifying efforts to prepare current and future faculty for our new General Education curriculum, which is far more learner‐centered and outcome‐ based than our previous model. The Hubbard Center has for than three decades provided key instructional development support for faculty, and we plan to continue and augment those efforts. In particular, we intend to institute Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs), a nationally recognized model for faculty development that was pioneered at Miami University of Ohio. We also will work closely with faculty development colleagues at other UNC institutions, such as 10
Greensboro and Chapel Hill, to develop cooperative programs as appropriate. As a final example (and these are only examples of many ideas underway), we have started and will continue to expand academic leadership training on campus. We have had numerous workshops for department chairs, and we are considering training programs for upper‐level administrators. We hope to create one or more FLCs for department chairs, and these internal groups will help define additional programming required for optimal professional training. 8) Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. • We believe that continued professional development of faculty and staff is an important component of both retention and skill development. • The challenge for Appalachian is the reduction of employees through attrition alongside the increase in enrollment, both equaling nearly 30%. • Though the UNC Tomorrow plan suggests that fully competitive compensation should exist, at a dollar for dollar amount, a $50,000 salary does not mean the same in Boone as it does in Raleigh. Thus, in order to retain the appropriate level of “high‐quality” faculty, efforts must be made to determine how to bridge the monetary difference. • Appalachian’s turnover is increasing with each passing year. At our current rates of turnover, the university can expect to have difficulty with operational activities should the projected rates of enrollment and retirement remain static.
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Appalachian is losing some of its best employees theoretically by way of performance. Therefore efforts must be made to stop this loss and revamp the performance appraisal system.
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Determine empirically reasons for our current “state” of performance ratings (In progress) Communicate performance expectations to individual employees through competency profiles Train supervisors to adjust performance expectations as the unit's needs change Develop exemplary and sub‐standard performance principles including how to: 1) Conduct evaluations based on competencies 2) Effectively deal with substandard performance 3) Recognize and reward exemplary performance 4) Provide a singular basis for salary decisions
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With regard to faculty, we have an overall strategy that can briefly be described as promoting transparency, equity, and consistency in all employment matters, which will create an environment in which people understand what is expected of them, in which they strive to achieve, and in which they are rewarded for those efforts. A best‐practices approach to faculty evaluation and development, coupled with competitive compensation and benefits, will promote an excited, engaged faculty. The overall intellectual climate of a campus is the most important factor in recruiting and retaining top faculty. A combination of academic innovation, such as General Education reform, and forward‐looking faculty development measures will make Appalachian an even richer environment for faculty and students.
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East Carolina University IV. Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention
Introduction East Carolina University is experiencing a period of accelerated student enrollment growth couple with a downturn in the national and state economies. The end results are challenges related to staffing of faculty and academic support personnel. The opportunity is available for the institution to create strategies that help minimize significant issues presented by this confluence of circumstances as we continue to conduct the academic enterprise based on our historic and evolving mission. University Leadership It is critical that the ECU leadership be clear and consistent regarding the issues involved in faculty and staff recruitment. Attention must be focused on an open, transparent, and inclusive style of communication and decision‐making. Attention must also be placed on development of internal policies and procedures that maximize the attractiveness of the institution as a place in which to work. The institution must provide ongoing professional development opportunities to help build and sustain a campus spirit of collaboration, collegiality and civility. Diversity and Supportive Community The institution needs to develop an internal campus environment that actively promotes respect for people and what they do, encourages a culture of high performance, and engages in effective diversity practices that open the campus to all cultures and points of view. Externally, the institution needs to find ways to support high quality faculty and staff through community orientation activities, identification of local resources that make new arrivals feel welcome and the development of family support strategies, such as offering a child‐care facility. Policy Improvements Policy improvements in the area of faculty and staff recruitment and retention begin with streamlined hiring processes that feature fast track options for hiring critical need individuals and areas personnel in critical needs areas, expedited contract offers and provide relocation assistance information. Also, the institution must create policies to make it easier to hire dual career couples through a spousal hire program. This enhances the attractiveness of the institution to the new employee and reaches a greater goal when the institution fills a vacancy in an area of specialty at the same time. that takes advantage of the important resource the spouse represents and the incentive it provides for faculty hiring. 13
Financial Improvements Recruitment and retention of faculty and staff is already a staple of ECU’s mission, goals, and priorities, as well as being tied to the institutional budget. Therefore, it must be included in the institution’s strategic plan. The budget priorities in the strategic plan become the guidelines by which individual departments obtain their resources with fairness and effectiveness. Also, the institution has set aside funds specifically earmarks to address recruitment and interviewing of prospective faculty and staff. Pay and Benefits Successful recruitment of faculty and staff depends on a sustained and competitive pay levels compatible to their peers. Retention strategies must focus on addressing the financial inequities that may occur once they arrive on campus. The additional fiscal issues that ECU needs to address include, but are not limited to: salary compression and inversion within and across disciplines, incentives for professional achievement and expanded benefits such as tuition waivers for dependents, improved medical insurance package for families and an increase in retirement contributions to competitive levels. Academic Quality and Competitiveness ECU needs to develop and support a performance‐driven campus environment with the intention of encouraging the best and the brightest to stay on our campus. The strategies to accomplish this include competitive academic loads for all disciplines, effective support for research and teaching improvements, competitive start‐up packages for incoming faculty, mentoring programs for newly hired and existing faculty and staff, competitive research leaves of absence to improve academic performance in the classroom and laboratories and fast track promotion of high performing faculty and staff. To support these strategies, ECU needs to create and annually update an institutional continuity plan that includes effective workforce planning for faculty and staff and improve openness and communication between academic units and central administration. Specific Issues Addressed in UNC Tomorrow Response regarding Recruitment and Retention I.
What are the key characteristics of a thoughtful, deliberate planning process necessary to address the workforce needs of the institution now and in the next 5 to 10 years? For nearly a decade, ECU has been experiencing accelerated enrollment growth resulting in a severe understaffing of academic and academic support areas. This issue represents the context and point of departure for analyzing the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff.
An important tool for assisting the university in identifying the specific issues in recruitment and retention of faculty and staff is the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), which is a survey of junior faculty. In their literature, COACHE indicates that “Many institutions are joining COACHE as 14
they find themselves bracing for a wave, perhaps lasting a decade, of faculty retirements. The need to replenish the faculty ranks by hiring talented early‐ career scholars drives these colleges and universities to use COACHE as a recruiting tool by sharing COACHE findings with search committees as a means of educating them about the unique perspective and experiences of pre‐tenured faculty on their campuses. Equipping search committees with concrete information about the areas of greatest satisfaction among the institutions’ tenure‐track faculty gives the institution a competitive edge in the faculty labor market: committees can speak knowledgeably and candidly about the tenure‐ track experience, prepare responses for the tough questions, and advertise the most favorable aspects of their institutions as academic workplaces.” East Carolina University participated in the COACHE survey during the 2005‐06 academic year with the following results: • • • • •
100% rated the tenure process better than or about the same as peers 80% rated nature of the work better than or about the same as peers 78% rated policies and practices better than or about the same as peers 80% rated climate, culture and collegiality better than or about the same as peers 100 % rated global satisfaction better than or about the same as peers and 60% said it was better than peers
Currently the university is participating in the 2008‐09 COACHE survey. The results of this survey will allow us to determine not only the current climate for tenure‐track faculty but enable us to compare the results with the 2005‐06 survey to see if this climate has changed over time. These analyses are a valuable tool for the university in its efforts to recruit and retain faculty. Also, a new Equity Office dashboard analytical tool will provide key institutional equity indicators in real time on a computer dashboard. Several of these indicators are relevant to future workforce planning.
Finally, it is recommended that the institution develop a comprehensive tool that assists administrators, directors and managers in addressing critical workforce element as well as changes that will occur in the next 5 to 10 years. It is also recommended that a consolidated tool be developed and deployed throughout all UNC institutions that will implement human capital management for university employees including EPA teaching and Non‐Teaching as well as SPA staff and CSS employees.
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II. What ongoing process is needed to identify key talent gaps and surpluses to mitigate leader and worker shortages in the next 5, 10 and 15 years? To begin to identify proactive and effective faculty recruitment and retention strategies, members of the subcommittee polled department across the university about their experiences in the recruitment and retention of faculty. 1 It was found that issues varied by discipline, sometimes in contradiction. Factors related to their success were related to: • •
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recruitment process (making offers early, ability to offer nationally competitive salaries, building relationships with potential candidates at conferences) fostering candidate research (start‐up package, support from Division of Research and Graduate Studies, graduate student support, course release time to support research) quality of work life (work load, doctoral education, mentors, consistency of teaching schedule, high gender diversity, alignment between rank and salary, perceived collaborative environment, positive faculty relations) general environment (North Carolina’s support of higher education, ECU’s sound regional reputation and welcoming atmosphere, vision to be nationally competitive, airport with regional jet, some flexibility in budget – lapsed dollars and phased retirement)
Indicative of the variation, the same factors related to success were often also related to future challenges: •
recruitment process (making offers early, ability to offer nationally competitive salaries) recruitment process (lateness of offer letters, extremely small pools of
*What have been some notable successes you have experienced in recruiting and retaining a high quality faculty? Were any factors especially important in achieving these successes?
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*What have been the challenges associated with recruitment and retention of high quality faculty? Do you have any suggestions regarding policy changes that might facilitate recruitment and retention?
*How would you describe your faculty in terms of diversity? (By diversity we are referring primarily to gender and underrepresented minority faculty). What factors have supported your successful recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty? What changes might further assist your efforts to recruit and retain a diverse faculty?
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potential candidates with high level of competition in the specialized field, approvals for contracts, lack of moving expenses, poor medical coverage) lack of research support (clarity of research mission, competitive start‐up packages) quality of work life (salaries, lack of pool to reward outstanding accomplishment, teaching loads, low racial diversity, strict P&T timelines – need way to extend, lack of sabbatical) general reputation (ECU lacks name recognition, “chip” on shoulder of ECU community, departmental in‐fighting)
Given the contradictory findings, ongoing systematic assessment of faculty recruitment and retention efforts should be considered. III. What percentage of faculty and staff that will be eligible for retirement over the next 5, 10, 15 and 20 years and what impact will it have on the ECU workforce”? Altogether, 38% of the 5,424 faculty and staff are at or near retirement age. A 2007 break down of personnel by categories are indicated below: • • •
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19% of category 10, Executive, Administrative and Managerial, is at or within 5 years of being eligible for retirement, 42% within 10 years or less, 60.6% within 15 years or less and 71% within 20 years or less 17.6 % of category 20, Instructional Faculty, is at or within 5 years of being eligible for retirement, 33% within 10 years or less, 48.5% within 15 years or less and 61.8% within 20 years or less 4.7% of category 30, Professional (other than executive/administrative/managerial, deans, department chair, or faculty), is at or within 5 years of being eligible for retirement, 15.8% within 10 or less, 29% within 15 years or less and 42.9% within 20 years or less 5% of category 40, Technical and Paraprofessional, is at or within 5 years of being eligible for retirement, 13% within 10 or less, 25.6% within 15 years or less, 42% within 20 years or less 7% of category 50, Clerical and Secretarial, is at or within 5 years of being eligible for retirement, 15.9% within 10 years or less, 32.5% within 15 years or less and 47% within 20 years or less 5.4% of category 60, Skilled Crafts, is at or within 5 years of being eligible for retirement, 19.7% within 10 years or less, 33.5% within 15 years or less and 56% within 20 years or less
Also, since retirement is based on both age and length of state service, it is possible for an employee to eligible to retire without hitting the age requirement.
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IV. What challenges will ECU face in the next 5, 10 and 15 years in response to demographic shifts especially in age and ethnicity/race and how can these shifts be used to help enhance diversity on campus? At the beginning of the 2007 academic year, the modal age category for all but one occupational group was 18‐39. This breakdown by group was as follows:
Occupational Activity Group
Modal Age Group
Percent of Modal Group to Total in Group
Executive, Administrative and Managerial
50‐59
22.89%
Instructional Faculty
18‐39
25.01%
Professional
18‐39
45.24%
Technical and Paraprofessionals
18‐39
45.38%
Clerical and Secretarial
18‐39
39.04%
Skilled Crafts
18‐39
30.77%
Service/Maintenance
18‐39
34.07%
Attrition due to retirement appears to be an issue affecting the upper level administrative group more than the other occupational groups. One way that ECU is addressing this issue is with the reinstatement of the ECU Leadership Academy. This program is designed to educate selected members of the university community about issues regarding higher education administration in order to enhance their potential promotion to leadership roles at the university. A careful trend analysis of race and ethnicity within occupational groups in terms of recruitment and attrition is critical. However time limits prevented such a detailed analysis. These data may be skewed due to the fact that faculty all across the campus grew rapidly due to a high rate of enrollment growth. We do know that minority faculty grew 90% from 118 in 2000 to 224 in 2006. Female faculty growth during the same period grew by 46% from 491 in 2000 to 718 in 2006. This is also the time, however, when faculty across the campus grew rapidly due to enrollment growth at a high rate. V. What barriers is ECU facing with respect to recruiting and retaining potential talent and what additional resources, tools and flexibilities would be helpful in addressing these challenges (policies, programs, compensation, benefits, budget, etc.? 18
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Quality of benefit programs Lack of structured sabbatical program Quality and amount of space for faculty offices and research programs Lack of clarity regarding policies and procedures for recruitment of a diverse faculty Lack of resources for competitive “start‐up” packages for some disciplines Non‐timely allocations of new faculty positions Delays in processing of recruitment and appointment materials Inadequate institutional support for non‐native‐citizen faculty seeking appropriate visa status Insufficient private funds to assist with moving expenses and other recruitment incentives. Better job opportunities elsewhere, including opportunities for advancement, increased salary, merit increase, better working hours and more work conducive to skills/education Personal reasons such as daycare and its cost, commuting too far, family concerns, marriage/relocation, need different shift and part‐time work not available Work environment, including appropriate workload, inequities between faculty and staff, lack of commitment to continuing education and professional development, unprofessional supervisors, lack of support from supervisor, poor quality of supervision, too much stress at work, discrimination, and no confidentiality among supervisors Salary inequities Need for staff performance evaluations that are valued Need for an easier method of dismissing non‐performing staff Equity in the hiring process for staff, including more advancement and promotion from within Cost of parking Classism and racism Employee benefits including tuition assistance for family members and domestic partner insurance Bonus restrictions for SPA and CSS Telecommuting for SPA and CSS
VI. How management of a diverse multi‐generational workforce should be accomplished at ECU and what sustainable diversity initiatives and creative incentives to recognize and reward appropriate behaviors and outcomes are implemented? •
The university defines diversity in a broad context to include the representation, integration, and interaction of different races, genders, ages, ethnicities, cultures, national origins, abilities, religion, sexual orientations, intellectual positions and perspectives
19
A climate survey administered in spring 2007 revealed 5 major challenges: • • • • •
Classism/privilege among employees Hostile/intimidating conduct around race or ethnicity (students) Invisibility of many underserved communities on campus Lack of welcoming climate Lack of recognition of efforts toward creating equity and community at ECU by members of the ECU community
The Chancellor’s Diversity Council Action Plan for Diversity has addressed the issues indicated by the 2007 survey in accordance with the UNC Tomorrow and ECU tomorrow strategic plans by developing a strategic plan that includes the following goals and action steps: Goal 1.
Develop and sustain a shared, inclusive understanding of diversity on campus. •
Goal 2.
Establishment of a diversity committee in each college/unit that does not already have one, identification of diversity advocates in each college/unit and development of a 3‐5 year plan for diversity in each college Use of all manner of communication, including the Chancellor’s convocation speech, website postings, catalogue, and activity programs and marketing plan to increase campus awareness of diversity Recruit, retain, promote and engage a more diverse university workforce at all
levels
•
•
Goal 3.
Gather data from Human Resources and Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Design a university‐wide training program for new faculty and staff orientations. Develop a curriculum that encourages critical and systemic thinking through
exposure and understanding of multiple cultural perspectives.
•
• • •
Ask the academic areas and the Faculty Senate to review the criteria for diversity course requirement Encourage professional development to enhance curriculum Host institutes/seminars in each college on a rotating basis to discuss learning through diverse perspectives around social interactions in relevant areas. Create a university culture that values and appreciates diversity
•
Include diversity definition in catalog
Goal 4.
20
• • • •
Create a resource center on campus for underserved communities. Develop support for research and teaching that acknowledges and addresses diversity and climate issues Develop diversity benchmark standards for assessment and a score card. Recognize outstanding diversity participation through scholarship or innovative programs across the university and at all levels within ECU
VII. How can ECU engage in an effective, systematic process to identify key employees and critical competencies as well as leadership and management development programs designed to address the issues of succession planning? • • • •
ECU has an ambitious faculty development program created by the Center for Faculty Excellent that puts on workshops, seminars, presentations, projects and discussions designed to elevate the skill of faculty teaching and research. ECU has instituted a New Chairs Orientation Program with activities conducted on a monthly basis beginning in August and ending in April of each academic year. ECU participates in the Bridges program – a program to develop female leadership in the academy. ECU intends to develop a dean’s orientation program in the Office of the Provost.
VIII. Beyond what has already been identified in previous responses, what other significant issues exist regarding recruitment and retention of high quality faculty and staff? • • • • • • • • • •
Need for well‐defined and publicized “partner” hire policy, as well as “partner” benefits program Continued attention to issues of salary compression and inversion Continued development of orientation/training program for administrators Allow more flexibility in scheduling Allow employees to feel valued by providing positive, effective, timely feedback and providing appropriate resources for development in areas that need improvement Improve quality of supervision by training current/new supervisors on how to provide effective feedback, the importance of confidentiality, conflict resolution and avoiding discrimination Provide university‐wide diversity training to enhance understanding of diversity and how it impacts/affects the workplace Begin succession planning process Establish a highly collaborative university environment that supports and recognizes individual and team achievements Provide expanded tuition benefits for staff and dependents
IX. The recommendations contained in sections 1‐8 are listed below. 21
• •
• • • •
• •
• • • • • • • • •
Develop a comprehensive tool that assists administrators, directors and managers in addressing critical workforce element and changes that will occur in the next 5 to 10 years Develop and deploy a consolidated tool throughout the UNC system that will implement human capital management for university employees including EPA teaching and non teaching faculty, SPA staff and CSS employees Develop a recruitment process that makes offers early, is able to offer nationally competitive salaries, fast approvals for contracts, relocation expenses and improved medical coverage and benefits Foster research of candidates by providing start‐up packages and support from the Division of Research and Graduate Studies Provide quality of work life in such things as work load, doctoral education, mentors, consistency of teaching schedule, high gender diversity and alignment between rank and salary Provide a general environment of support of higher education by taking advantage of ECU’s sound regional reputation, vision to be nationally competitive, airport with regional jet and some flexibility in budget – lapsed dollars and phased retirement. Additionally, eliminating inequities between faculty and staff, increasing commitment to continuing education and professional development, eliminating unprofessional supervisors and supporting those that do well, reducing stress at work and eliminating discrimination Provide quality of work life conditions such as adequate salary, recognize outstanding accomplishment, reasonable teaching loads, more racial diversity, strict promotion and tenure timelines and sabbaticals Carry out a careful trend analysis of race and ethnicity within occupational groups in terms of recruitment and attrition. This analysis will need to be carried out prior to developing retention strategies aimed at specific racial or ethnic groups Develop an appropriate quality of and amount of space for faculty offices and research programs Provide more clarity regarding policies and procedures for recruitment of a diverse faculty Provide timely allocations of new faculty positions Provide adequate institutional support for non‐native‐citizen faculty seeking appropriate visa status Deal with issues of child care and its cost, lengthy commutes too far, family concerns, marriage/relocation, needs for different shifts and part‐time work not available Develop an easier method of dismissing non‐performing staff Provide more equity in the hiring process for staff, including more advancement and promotion from within Provide relief from parking cost Review policies and practices at ECU that through their application perpetuate classism/racism 22
• • • • • • • • • • •
Provide benefits including tuition assistance for family members and domestic partner insurance Review bonus restrictions and telecommuting for SPA and CSS employees Develop a well‐defined and publicized “partner” hire policy as well as “partner” benefits program Provide continued attention to issues of salary compression and inversion Provide continued development of orientation/training program for administrators Allow more flexibility in scheduling Allow employees to feel valued by providing positive, effective, timely feedback and providing appropriate resources for development in areas that need improvement Improve quality of supervision by training current/new supervisors on how to provide effective feedback, the importance of confidentiality, conflict resolution and avoiding discrimination Provide university‐wide diversity training to enhance understanding of diversity and how it impacts/affects the workplace Begin succession planning process Establish a highly collaborative university environment that supports and recognizes individual and team achievements
23
Elizabeth City State University I. INTRODUCTION Recruitment and Retention of high quality faculty and staff has been a high priority for the university for a number of years. The university’s administration has begun proceedings for establishing a “work‐force planning team” to review specific objectives such as: roles and responsibilities of administrative staff in each unit; standards of performance; accountability; efficiency and effectiveness; incentives and adjustments to meet market pay for faculty and staff. Meeting these objectives and goals will require the combined efforts of workforce planning, academic program reviews and the implementation of projected budget reductions. To this purpose, the divisions have collaborated and collectively developed strategies to enhance the ongoing initiatives to not only recruit but also to maintain quality faculty. Similarly, efforts are ongoing to address the compensation of faculty to ensure equity and pending availability of funding sources. The university is keenly cognizant of the status of the aging workforce and the impact of retirement over the next ten years. The administrative staff consists of a total of 410 employees (EPA and SPA) with approximately 13.5% eligible for retirement as of the current date. Within the next five to ten years, an additional 20% will become eligible for retirement. Eligibility by faculty members are included in the four attached school reports submitted by the respective deans. While a valuable program on our campus, the Phased Retirement Program has not effectively addressed faculty recruitment and retention. It has been a more successful tool as a bridge for faculty to actual full retirement. Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenured track faculty on our campus, the phased retirement program would not be a valued added component for such faculty. Over the next five years, the overall skill sets and competencies for faculty will evolve around technology resulting in a paradigm shift of staff development and training to address workforce needs. Plans will be developed to address those needs after a careful analysis has been conducted with the appropriate professional assistance. One strong consideration in the plan will be streamlining of work functions through the use of technology. The Division of Human Resources and Payroll is a critical component of the university’s strategic planning in terms of recruitment, retention and forecasting workforce needs. Plans are in motion to establish new strategies to attract top talent and identify candidates for hard to fill positions; the university is uniquely aware of the challenges in this area. Efforts have begun to identify gaps between the present and future with respect to leader and worker shortages. This information will be used to predict the workforce of the future. The university has proactively implemented recruitment strategies designed to attract top talent which has yielded positive outcomes in many cases. The geographic location of the university, in some circumstances, has contributed to the difficulty experienced in recruiting as well as retaining the desired level of talent in specific academic disciplines and other departments. In terms of functions not needed over the span of the next ten years, employees will be encouraged to retrain and re‐tool skills where possible to avoid reduction in force measures. The percentage of employees eligible for retirement has been and is continuing to be evaluated for the next 5, 24
10, 15 and 20 year periods. The impact of such retirements centers upon the transfer of knowledge as well as the continuation of high quality education for our students. A study has not been conducted to address worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race nor the specific challenges the university will face as a result of these demographic shifts; this component will be considered as a priority along with other initiatives addressing the impending changes in our workforce. Diversity has a clear definition on the campus of Elizabeth City State University as evidenced by the mandatory training provided for all employees at least three times per academic year. The full day training includes cultural competencies, valuing differences, understanding biases and recognizing stereotyping of people. The EEO Plan submitted each year by the university provides the goals to increase diversity throughout the campus in all work classes. The effectiveness of these goals is measured by the University’s EEO Committee by assessing the diversity of departments in comparison to hiring trends during the selection process. Feedback is provided by the University’s EEO Compliance Officer to the department head(s) to enforce the need to effectively diversify the campus workforce. Plans are underway to develop professional management and leadership programs for not only senior and mid‐level managers but also for academic deans, chairpersons and program directors to establish campus wide accountability and performance measures for administrative staff. II. Enrollment Growth, Faculty Needs, and Program Needs Next 5‐10 Years (2009‐2019) A. Number of faculty and staff required during the next 5‐10 years 1. Current faculty eligible for retirement in the next 5‐10 years School Department Number of Faculty Davis School of Business and Economics
Accounting, Finance and Economics
5
Management and Marketing
5
School of Arts and Humanities
History and Political Science
2 and 2*
Language, Literature and Communication
2
Music
1
25
Art
2
Social Sciences
2
School of Education Education and Psychology Psychology
3, 5* and 1** 1
Health and Physical Education
1
School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Biology
3
Chemistry, Geology and Physics
3
Technology
1
Mathematics and Computer Science
4
Aviation Science
0
Pharmacy and Health Professions
0
* Adjunct (full‐time/part‐time) ** Phased Retirement 2. Strategies for the Recruitment of Specialized Faculty • Establish Recruitment Committees for each of the Schools •
•
• • • • • • •
Collaborate with Human Resources to ensure that vacancies are advertised in PeopleAdmin, the University’s online employment system for all open faculty and staff positions, and multiple and diverse publications (e.g. Chronicle of Higher Education, Blacks in Higher Education) By networking with colleagues from other institutions.
Increasing the use of technology using sites such as www.higheredjobs.com Continued participation and on‐site interviews of potential candidates at professional conferences, workshops and symposiums. Advertising in specific discipline sources such as the College Music Society and in journals such as the NCMEA Journal, MENC Journal Online, or the Teaching Music Journal. Working with professional organizations (NCATE, AACTE, NAEYC, NAIT, etc.) to identify and recruit stellar candidates from all backgrounds. Incorporating the use of Head Hunters if applicant pool is not suitable Viewing online resources such as Facebook, Myspace or professional blogs. Negotiating with Human Resources and Academic Affairs to assist with job placement assistance for partners or spouses. Information about the 26
local community and assistance with housing costs are all benefits offered by the University. • Raising money to augment available faculty lines and ‘naming’ the professorship after the donor. • Collapsing vacant faculty lines to assist in paying salaries at or close to national averages for AACSB accredited schools in the Davies School of Business and Economics. • Supplement SBE instruction with high quality adjunct faculty to about 10% of sections taught per semester. • Establish a “Davis SBE Business Research Institute” to reduce the teaching load for faculty actively engaged in research. • Provide travel support as an incentive to recruit and retain for specialized adjunct faculty who live in southeastern Virginia but work in Elizabeth City, NC 3. Recommendations for Designing and Implementing a Proactive Recruitment Strategy that Will Attract Talent and Identify Candidates for Hard‐To‐Fill Positions • Use of endowed professorships and chairs • Secure funds to support graduate education for promising students with interests in being a part of the professoriate • Attending accreditation conferences/meetings to acquire knowledge on competencies/standards that will need to be exhibited by specialized faculty. • Attend national/state meetings to interact with professionals who serve as clinicians, poster session presenters, and officers who may provide insight into faculty expertise from all disciplines. • Ensure that all department faculty members take the People Admin Training Workshop. • Start the recruitment process in beginning of the semester to ensure sufficient time to advertize the position, obtain applicants, interview applicants, and hire the desired qualified applicant within the academic year. • Peruse various job descriptions related to the vacancy and write an excellent job description detailing the requirements needed for the position at ECSU. • Contact all promising candidates directly and early in the search process to encourage candidates to apply for positions. • Provide opportunities for candidates to meet with diverse faculty, staff, and students during campus visits. • Information on community‐based cultural, political, social, and religious organizations should be made available to the candidates, and the 27
candidates should have the opportunity to visit with representatives from these organizations. • Create a program to hire diverse post‐docs or ABDs as prospective faculty and encourage them to remain at the institution as full‐time faculty once the term of the pos‐doc has ended. • Create a “pipe‐line” project to encourage advanced graduate students to remain at the University as tenure‐track faculty members or to return to the University after several years at another institution. 4. Methods for Addressing and Increasing Diversity Amongst Faculty and Staff •
When creating the Search Committees, designate a diverse group of faculty to serve.
•
Secure private funds to offer housing and relocation assistance to new hires • Initiate and establish partnerships with doctoral institutions such as Historically Black Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Native American institutions to attract their graduates to faculty positions. • Pay higher salaries and provide more reassigned time for scholarship to address factors such as poor schools and low salaries (compared to national averages). 5. Challenges Facing the Institution and Schools as a Result of Demographic Changes and Projected Community and Economic Needs a. School of Arts and Humanities 1. Proposed Academic Programs • M. A. English (Composition and Rhetoric) • M.A. Communication Studies • B. A. Spanish • B. A. Speech Pathology • Expand present B.A. in Communication Studies to include: • Concentration in TV Production • Concentration in Radio Production • B.F.A.‐Bachelor of Fine Arts • Master of Fine Arts • Concentration or certificate program in Church Music • Baccalaureate degree in Geography • B.S. in Public Administration • Teacher licensure for Social Studies Education • Baccalaureate degree in Theatre Arts 2. New Programs and Initiatives
•
Reorganization of the departments in the School of Arts and Humanities for greater emphasis on professional studies and pre‐ professional studies and greater clarity for the creative and performing arts and for the social and behavioral sciences 28
• Certificate program in paralegal studies • Certificate program in public administration/management • Establishment of a forensic science lab 3. New Faculty Needs • One faculty in each of the following programs: the proposed B.A. program in Speech Pathology, the proposed B.A. program in Spanish, Art History, Art Education, Social Work and Philosophy. • Two faculty in each of the following programs: English, Communication Studies, Music, Sociology, and Political Science • Three faculty members in Criminal Justice • Four full‐time faculty members to achieve NASPPA accreditation for the approved M.P.A program (public administration) 4. New Staff Needs •
An Associate Dean for the School of Arts and Humanities.
•
Two Directors: One for Foreign Language Labs and one for the graduate Public Administration Program. • A Computer Technician and a Studio Technician for the Art Program. The Studio Technician will help address safety issues in several studio areas (sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, metals). • Three Administrative Assistants for the graduate Public Administration, Social Work and Theater Arts programs. b. Davis School of Business And Economics • Provision of appropriate building space. • Changing the culture and outlook of the School from ‘inward’ to embracing the broader community, the region and economic/business interests by redeployments in resource allocations, incentives, rewards and support staff. • Adopting and implementing an ethos of “less is more” by streamlining program offerings from 2 BS degrees with 8 separate concentrations and 4 minors at least 2 true areas of excellence. To do so will require focus and resource reallocations. c. School of Education and Psychology 1. Proposed Programs and Changes • Reorganization of the School of Education and Psychology to the School of Education, Psychology and Allied Health • A new MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) that combines dual licensure in high needs areas. • A Master’s Degree in Organizational Management with Business and Economics and accelerated degrees. • Graduate degrees in health professions that require licensure under SDPI such as Speech Pathology. This will require moving this program to the School of Education and Psychology and seeking ASHA Accreditation. 29
•
Create advance certificates and master’s degrees in health professions where we have concentrations such as physical and occupational therapy. Collaborate with other universities to assist or use their courses to expedite. • Offer graduate programs in Mental Health/School Counseling (increase in bullying and school violence has increase from 27% in 2002 to 36% in 2007). 2. Faculty Needs • Seven faculty members in the Department of Health and Physical Education • Eight faculty members in the Department of Psychology • Ten faculty in Department of Education 3. New Staff Needs • An Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and School Outreach • An Assistant Dean/Director of Teacher Education • A Chair for the Department of Allied Health • Four Administrative Associates for the Chair of Allied Health, the Assistant Dean, the Director of Student Services and the Associate Dean • One full‐time Assessment Coordinator • Two additional full‐time teachers in lab school, two additional full‐ time teacher assistants for lab school. d. School of Mathematics, Science and Technology • Recruitment of faculty and staff to meet student enrollment for the Pharmacy partnership program which is projected to increase from 15 students to 50 or 60 admitted per year. Housing for professional students and with experiential training in the area. • Faculty in Biology and Chemistry to support courses in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, etc. There is a shortage of faculty in these areas and salaries must be competitive in order to recruit the best faculty who will ensure adequate preparation for pre‐pharmacy and PharmD students. • Growing science and mathematics education faculty to increase the number and quality of math and science teachers. Several faculty in Biology and Mathematics are expected to retire and must be replaced with faculty who have licensure in teaching in the public schools.
30
Fayetteville State University Introduction/Background Fayetteville State University seeks to be an institution of choice for current and prospective faculty members. The university’s efforts to recruit and retain high‐quality faculty will be guided and supported by broader initiatives aimed at building a culture of excellence in learning that promotes talent development among students, staff, and faculty. In general, FSU will improve working conditions for faculty members and, thereby, improve faculty recruitment and retention by: 1) implementing recruitment strategies that ensure an appropriate “fit” between institutional needs and priorities and prospective faculty strengths and commitments; 2) providing a robust program of faculty development that promotes excellence in learning and talent development; and 3) developing rewards and incentives that support institutional needs and priorities, which are shaped in part by UNC Tomorrow. As FSU seeks to improve faculty working conditions, the university will build upon existing strengths and address areas of needed improvement. Current data indicate that the turnover rate for EPA faculty is lower than the average for the state. Results of the Campus Quality Survey (CQS) indicate that 62% of the faculty are satisfied or very satisfied with employment at FSU. The university must identify the sources of faculty satisfaction and build upon them. University improvement efforts will be guided by analyses of data from the CQS, the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), student evaluations of faculty, and other data related to faculty. A proposed exit questionnaire (see below) for faculty who resign from the university will provide additional information that can be used to address areas of needed improvements. FSU has already implemented numerous activities designed to determine current and future workforce needs. In the Division of Academic Affairs, each college/school (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business and Economics, School of Education, and Graduate School) has an action plan, strategic plan, and/or accreditation self‐study to address unit needs. Needs assessments of various programs within the college and schools have been conducted. This section addresses these activities and proposes additional ones for recruitment and retention of faculty and academic support staff, focusing on the following areas: • Critical talent, including leader and worker shortages • The aging workforce, including retirement and attrition trends • The impact of worldwide demographic shifts on campus workforces • Strategies for recruiting and retaining high potential talent • Managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce Critical Talent Issues: Each college/school has identified faculty positions that are typically “hard‐to‐fill” and have developed ongoing recruitment strategies for those positions. Hard‐to‐ 31
fill positions typically are in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) areas, but also include certain business disciplines (e.g., Accounting, Management Information Systems, and Finance). New and emerging programs at FSU developed to address shortages in the workforce, such as Nursing and Intelligence Studies, also encounter recruiting difficulties as the faculty in these high‐need areas are often equally in short supply. Consequently, as a result of the limited pool of applicants for these positions, increased efforts will be made to advertise strategically and more broadly at conferences, university symposiums, in publications/journals and websites that are most likely to reach the targeted population. Recommended activities to address the critical talent issues are as follows: • Assess Critical Talent: Assess the number of “hard‐to‐fill” (critical talent) faculty positions at FSU and recruitment procedures used, revising as needed • Review Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Guidelines: Review SACS guidelines and requirements that may impact faculty recruitment and retention strategies and plans. • Review FSU Recruiting Processes: Review recruiting processes and hiring trends, including: • Position announcements and advertising to ensure an appropriate fit between institutional needs and priorities and prospective faculty strengths and commitments. • Qualifications, experiences, and contributions to FSU of non‐tenure track faculty; and program/department needs. • Feasibility of offering multi‐year, full‐time contracts with benefits to non‐tenure track and/or adjunct/fixed‐term faculty teaching in hard‐to‐fill areas. A committee has been established to review Non‐Tenure Track Faculty (NTTF) roles and responsibilities. This committee will consider hard‐to‐fill positions as one criterion for multi‐year contracts. The NTTF initiative has taken on greater importance in anticipation of BRAC, which will bring a large number of high‐ranking military officers who may possess critical talents and who may be employed as non‐tenure track faculty. (Note: See the NTTF component of the Tenure and Reward System section in this report.) Unit/Group Responsible: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/Deans/Chairpersons/Non‐Tenure Track Faculty (NTTF) Committee Timeline: • February 2009: Assess critical talent needs and determine number of “hard‐to‐fill” positions • April 2009: Review recruitment procedures currently in use; revise as needed • August 2009: Implement focused recruitment efforts designed to hire critical talents 32
• April 2010: Assess effectiveness of focused recruitment efforts (Note: See the timeline for NTTF activities in the Tenure and Reward System section in this report, which also applies to addressing the need for critical talent.) Aging Workforce, Retirement, and Attrition Trends: Currently, fifty percent (50%) of the faculty are age 52 and older and, therefore, will be eligible for retirement within ten years. While the number of faculty on the phased‐retirement plan is currentlyless than one percent,; this option will be used more aggressively in the future to retain faculty who continue to make significant contributions to FSU’s strategic goal, objective, and mission. Recommended activities to address the needs in this area are as follows: • Assess Faculty Retirement: FSU will assess retirement of faculty within three years of retirement eligibility to assist in long‐range planning of program needs. Unit/Group Responsible: Academic Affairs/ Human Resources/Institutional Research Timeline: • February 2009: Develop form and procedure to assess faculty retirement intentions • March 2009: Assess retirement plans or intentions of faculty who are within three years of retirement eligibility • April 2010: Reassess retirement plans or intentions of faculty who are within three years of retirement eligibility • Develop Incentive Program for Retired Faculty with Critical Talent: Identified faculty who are within three years of retirement eligibility or who have applied for phased retirement with critical talent may be offered incentives to delay retirement based on institutional need. Incentives may include, but are not limited to, salary increases, reduced teaching load, limited committee assignments, special travel funds, or other attractive benefits. Unit/Group Responsible: Academic Affairs/Human Resources/Institutional Research Timeline: • February 2009: Develop assessment form • March 2009: Administer assessment form to eligible faculty • April 2009: Analyze results of assessment form • August 2009: Determine feasibility of identified incentives
33
Impact of Demographic Shifts on Campus Workforce: FSU has a substantial faculty demographic database and, to that end, such data should be compiled into a report and/or centralized manner that allows for trends and shifts to be accessible for ongoing study, assessment, and utilization. Demographic shifts affecting FSU need to be explored in conjunction with state, regional, national, and global trends. Academic programs, the local and global economy, student enrollment, student demographics, high school graduation rates, the military (including Base Realignment and Closure, BRAC), graduate school graduation rates within disciplines, and the aging workforce are all factors that will influence or be impacted by demographic shifts in the faculty workforce. Assessment thus far indicates the following: • FSU Employees: The current racial makeup of EPA employees is 55% African American, 30% White, 12% Asian, 2% Hispanic, and 1% American Indian. Forty‐six percent (46%) of EPA employees are female and 54% are male. • FSU Students Being Served: Diversity in the local and surrounding communities is reflected in our student enrollment. In spring 2008, the racial makeup of the student body was 71% African American, 17% White, 4% Hispanic, 1% American Indian, and 1% Asian. With regard to gender, 69% of the students are female and 31% are male. It is also important to note that 42% of the student body is age 25 and older and that 76% live off campus. As a result of demographic changes in the region, FSU’s student body is likely to include an increasing number of Hispanics as well as active‐duty and retired military and their dependents. • FSU Community: The Fayetteville community and FSU are heavily impacted (via active duty military and dependents) by deployments particularly in regions of Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus, it will be important for faculty and staff to be sensitive to the experiences and situations that affect military students. By 2013, more than 40,000 new residents are projected to move into the Fayetteville area as a result of BRAC (Base Realignment And Closure). A significant number of higher‐grade field officers and generals, army civilians, and defense contractors will move into the region. Many of these personnel and/or their family members will have advanced degrees and experiences in critical talent areas, potentially enhancing applicant pools when recruiting for specific positions. The need for higher education will increase as well, making it necessary for FSU to be responsive to these students’ needs. In fact, it is estimated that more than 16,000 spouses and other dependents will relocate to the Fayetteville area because of BRAC. BRAC and the influx of people it will bring will add to the diversity of culture and experiences in the community‐at‐ large as well as to the FSU campus community. FSU must continue to recruit and retain a faculty that is highly qualified, reflects the diversity and needs of the student body, and who works effectively with all students by being sensitive to their wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. FSU search 34
committees established to recruit employees will be required to consider these demographic factors and student needs when recruiting new faculty. Deliberative efforts will be taken to ensure an appropriate fit between FSU and prospective faculty members. The primary activity to address these needs includes: •
Assess Demographic Shifts: Assess FSU workforce needs, regional demographics (current and future), study demographic shifts and their potential impact, and continuously improve recruitment practices and faculty working conditions by evaluating data from faculty.
Unit/Group Responsible: Human Resources/Institutional Research/Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Timeline: • May 2009: Assess current FSU faculty workforce and student body demographic trends • September 2009: Review university strategic plans, unit needs assessments, annual reports, etc. to determine how unit needs might be affected by the demographic shifts • December 2009: Assess state, regional, national, and global trends, and labor market trends applicable to FSU faculty • March 2010: Determine gaps and patterns between current FSU faculty workforce and projected demographic shifts • April 2010: Use assessment data to update the Equal Employment Opportunity Plan • May 2010: Develop a faculty recruitment plan Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining High Potential Talent: Each college has implemented strategies for recruiting and retaining high‐potential talent. Targeted advertisements are placed in discipline‐specific publications and, similarly, recruitment is done at discipline‐specific conferences and workshops. Retention strategies include supporting summer research, encouraging and promoting collaboration for research, redesigning upper level undergraduate courses to include a research focus, encouraging and promoting faculty development through increased funding, maintaining department and college websites to highlight opportunities at FSU, encouraging and supporting faculty participation in research and grant initiatives that lead to publications and presentations, establishing a peer mentoring program in which seasoned faculty are paired with new hires, holding college and schools meetings hosted by deans with new hires, and rewarding faculty through honors and awards programs. Using data to assess faculty needs and satisfaction, such as the Campus Quality Survey (CQS) and the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Survey, will be essential to guide the development of activities and programs to ensure they are effective. FSU will establish a Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee to direct the implementation of the programs and activities included in this report. The committee will include faculty, including the Faculty 35
•
Senate, administrators, and staff, and will report to the Provost. The activities and programs for recruiting and retaining high‐potential faculty include the following: • Recruit High‐Potential Talent: FSU will establish a Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee for the purpose of being prepared to recruit high‐potential talent, beginning with clear, well‐defined guidelines and procedures for conducting the search. These guidelines will delineate the importance of an appropriate fit between FSU and prospective faculty. Among the factors that constitute an appropriate fit are: 1) commitment to contributing to a culture of excellence in learning that promotes talent development among all members of the community; 2) ability to work with other faculty and students who are diverse in terms of ethnicity, age, life experiences, and readiness for college; 3) support for FSU’s efforts to respond to calls for accountability and transparency from internal and external constituencies; 4) willingness to engage students in learning inside and outside the classroom, to include academic advisement; 5) desire to include students in research, service learning and outreach and engagement efforts; 6) commitment to helping FSU meet the needs of North Carolina and to prepare graduates for success in the global economy. Announcements will be publicized at conferences and university symposiums, in publications, and on websites that are likely to reach the targeted talent. The FSU websites, including the college, schools, and department sites, will be utilized and maintained appropriately for this purpose. Unit/Group Responsible: Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee/Faculty/ Chairpersons/Deans/Chairpersons/Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Timeline: • January 2009: Establish Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee to begin the planning process • March 2009: Committee to review and update the Recruitment/Search Manual to ensure that it fully addresses the UNC Tomorrow objectives • Ongoing: Committee to collaborate with academic departments, Human Resources, and Public Relations to ensure FSU’s image and communications are up‐to‐date and accurately reflect the university’s goals, accomplishments, and current mission. • August 2009: FSU to implement focused recruitment efforts using the revised manual • April 2010: Provost and Committee to review FSU and external sources of data with regard to effective recruitment and future areas of need for high‐potential faculty Retain High‐Potential Talent: FSU is strengthening its faculty retention efforts through several initiatives and programs that include faculty development in the areas of scholarship, research, and teaching; course redesign; and grants for research and innovative projects. FSU’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CITL) has implemented faculty development activities through its Saturday Academy that is enabling faculty to enhance 36
their teaching methods and foster student success. CITL has begun to focus more on its role to serve as an instructional development and teaching and learning resource for equipping faculty with the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and technologies to improve student learning outcomes. In addition, FSU is encouraging and providing support to faculty who incorporate UNC Tomorrow objectives as part of these retention efforts. For example, the recently implemented FSU Faculty Development Grant Fund program, a Chancellor initiative, is a major step toward providing support to faculty who are interested in pursuing scholarly and research activities to enhance their professional development and strengthen the academic culture at FSU. A Title III Grant for Strengthening Faculty Development has been in place for several years providing support to faculty in the areas of innovative teaching, active learning techniques, research, travel for the purpose of grant writing and professional development, skills development in the area of instructional technology, publication of articles, and online course development. These three faculty development programs represent major efforts at FSU to support and invest in its faculty with the intent of strengthening their skills and abilities as well as improving their level of employee satisfaction, thus, improving faculty retention. Unit/Group Responsible: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/Dean of Graduate Studies/Director of the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning/Research Funding Advisory Committee Timeline: • Ongoing: Implementation of FSU Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) and Title III Grant for Strengthening Faculty Development • August/September 2008: Provost developed general preliminary guidelines for new Faculty Development Grant Fund • September 2008: Provost established Research Funding Advisory Committee • October 2008: Faculty Development Grant Fund implemented, posting guidelines for the application and use of these funds on the FSU website and distributed to faculty • October 2008‐May 2009: Faculty apply for and receive grants • June 2009: Research Funding Advisory Committee to review and report on faculty use of funds •
Faculty Development Workshops for New Faculty (proposed): During the first year of employment at FSU, new faculty members will have a one‐course reduction of teaching load to enable them to participate in a weekly series of workshops that will focus on engaging teaching methodologies, academic support strategies and resources, policies regarding tenure, reappointment, and promotion, and other relevant issues that will enable faculty to be successful at FSU. New faculty will not be assigned advisees in their first 37
semester of employment, but will participate in Academic Advisement workshops in the spring semester to prepare them for service as advisors in their second year. Unit/Group Responsible: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/Director of Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL)/Director of Transfer and Advisement Center Timeline: • March 2009: Complete plan for the workshops for new faculty • April 2009: Finalize course schedules for fall 2009 to reflect release time for new faculty • May‐August 2009: Inform new faculty of the requirement to participate in workshops and assign courses accordingly • August‐December 2009: New faculty members to participate in workshops conducted by the CITL • January–March 2010: New faculty members to participate in workshops on academic advisement • February‐April 2010: Conduct follow‐up meetings with the new faculty to assess the effectiveness of the faculty development program • May 2010: New faculty to report on implementation of information learned in workshops •
Faculty Teaching Workload Study (proposed): The full‐time teaching load of 12 semester hours in addition to the heavy academic advising load; the requirement for involvement in research, publications, and other scholarly activities; and expected or required involvement in university and community service make recruiting and retaining high‐potential faculty a challenge. Knowing that data indicate heavy teaching loads lower faculty satisfaction with their employer, FSU will examine teaching load and number of students taught and will make recommendations to address this issue to the extent possible. For example, faculty teaching loads, release time, and other faculty development supports, including a plan to give first‐year faculty a reduced teaching load and limited committee and advisement responsibilities will be explored.
Unit/Group Responsible: Faculty Workload Task Force/Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Timeline: • September 2009: Provost to establish Faculty Workload Task Force • February 2010: Task Force to review teaching loads 38
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April 2010: Task Force to make recommendations to Provost, Deans, and Chairpersons and obtain feedback August 2010: Provost and Task Force to present Faculty Workload Plan to Faculty Senate and faculty for input September 2010: Provost and Task Force to finalize plan to address faculty teaching loads January 2011: Provost to begin implementation of Faculty Workload Plan May 2011: Provost, Deans, and Chairpersons to evaluate the Faculty Workload Plan implementation and modify for 2011‐2012 implementation
Academic Advisement of Majors (proposed): As part of its ongoing efforts to improve retention and graduation rates, Academic Affairs has implemented a new accountability plan that requires all students to communicate with their officially assigned advisor before registering for classes. This requirement has significantly increased faculty workloads, especially in departments with a large number of majors. The university will consider advisement workloads in allocating new faculty positions. The FSU Transfer and Advisement Center, whose staff are professional advisors, will provide workshops that will help all faculty members become more effective advisors. Unit/Group Responsible: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/ Deans/ Chairpersons/Director of FSU Transfer and Advisement Center Timeline: • September 2009: Provost, Deans and Chairpersons to assess faculty advisement workloads and identify high student‐to‐faculty areas • January 2010: Provost, Deans, and Chairpersons to propose recommended solutions to Faculty Senate and faculty • February 2010: Faculty Senate and faculty to provide feedback • April 2010: Provost to announce Academic Advisement Plan to Address Excessive Faculty Advisement •
Peer Mentorship Program (proposed): This program will be a vehicle to assist new and/or junior faculty in learning and navigating processes and procedures, in providing them support, and assisting them in addressing areas of concern. Data indicates mentoring junior faculty will improve their satisfaction and, ultimately, their retention. Senior faculty at FSU will be selected for this program and undergo training in mentorship and receive an incentive for their participation. The Peer Mentorship Program as a service to new and junior faculty will be an added benefit to strengthening recruitment and retention of high‐ potential talent.
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Unit/Group Responsible: Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
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Timeline: • February 2009: Complete surveys and interviews of current new faculty to determine their most problematic transitional issues and to determine the types of issues with which senior faculty members can assist junior faculty members. • March 2009: Seek nominations from department chairs and faculty for tenured faculty who could serve as Faculty Mentors in each degree program. • April – May 2009: Develop and implement a training program for individuals selected to serve as Faculty Mentors. These Faculty Mentors will be able to assist new faculty with issues related to teaching, academic regulations, curricula, and departmental and university procedures. • July 2009: Assign Faculty Mentors to new faculty members. • August 2009 – May 2010: Conduct at least two meetings per semester for Faculty Mentors to discuss problems and needs of new faculty. • October 2009 – March 2010: Review results from COACHE survey to determine additional areas of support needed by new faculty members. • April 2010: Conduct survey of new faculty members to determine the effectiveness of mentoring efforts and to identify additional areas of support needed by new faculty in their first year. • May 2010: Select and train additional faculty, as needed, to serve as Faculty Mentors and provide training. Exit Questionnaire for Faculty (proposed): The Exit Questionnaire for Faculty will provide the university with data to assist in recruitment and retention planning. Collecting additional data, above and beyond the information collected by FSU Human Resources, will enable Academic Affairs to make necessary improvements based on information obtained from faculty who resign. This information can assist Academic Affairs in identifying commonalities and trends that may need to be addressed. For example, salary, working conditions, student support, and workload are known areas faculty cite as reasons they chose to resign. Obtaining specific information will assist Academic Affairs with its future planning, particularly as it relates to retaining high‐potential faculty. Current data indicates that the turnover rate for EPA faculty averaged 7.8% over the past four years, about half the average for the state (15%). Results of the Campus Quality Survey (CQS) indicate that most faculty (62%) are satisfied and very satisfied with their employment at Fayetteville State University, 21% indicate they are neutral, and 17% indicate they are somewhat dissatisfied or not satisfied. Given the low turnover rate and favorable satisfaction ratings, FSU has the opportunity to improve upon benchmarks that
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are reasonably good and achieve much higher ratings through improvements that could result from focusing on the information learned from the Exit Questionnaire. Unit/Group Responsible: Human Resources/Academic Affairs Timeline: • January 2009: Provost to review exit documents currently used by Human Resources as a foundation for developing the Exit Questionnaire for Faculty • March 2009: Provost/Associate VC for Academic Affairs and selected faculty and staff to develop Exit Questionnaire for Faculty • May 2009: Human Resources and Academic Affairs to administer Exit Questionnaire to resigning faculty • June 2009: Human Resources to analyze results and submit report to Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Developing Effective Supervisors for a Diverse Multi‐Generational Workforce: The university’s diverse and multi‐generational workforce will require special training for managers and directors to help them develop effective supervisory and communication skills. The racial breakdown of the current FSU faculty is 55% African American, 30% White, 12% Asian, and 3% Hispanic and Indian. The faculty is expected to become increasingly diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. Faculty ages range from the early 20s to the 70s. Diversity of race, ethnicity, and age among the faculty requires chairpersons and deans, who are the most experienced faculty, to respect the array of personal, cultural, and professional experience of the faculty they supervise. Managers and directors must help build an institutional culture in which diversity is valued so that students will be prepared to work effectively among diverse populations. Needs and expectations will vary and ongoing supervision training must be provided to ensure effective management of this diverse multi‐generational workforce, a situation that will be challenged by the expected retirement of the aging workforce over the next decade. • Review the results of the Campus Quality Survey (CQS), The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), and student evaluations: FSU is firmly committed to continuous improvement based on analyses of data that enable the university to assess current management strengths and areas of improvement. Management/supervisory training will be scheduled to address needs identified in these reviews. Unit/Group Responsible: Human Resources/Academic Affairs Timeline: 41
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August 2009: Form Management Effectiveness Task Force September 2009: Review CQS,COACHE, FSSE, and student evaluation data October 2009: Establish strategies for collecting disaggregated data about faculty ethnicity, race, and age on a annual basis November 2009: Assess management effectiveness December 2009: Submit results and training recommendations, including management training calendar, to Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs February 2010: Begin offering management training August 2010: Assess management effectiveness and modify training as appropriate January 2011: Assess management effectiveness
Additional Resources/Flexibilities to Address Challenges: • Salary Adjustment: Salary increases are generally funded through state appropriations. As a result of the many demands on state funds and budget cuts, salaries increases have been limited; thus, creating a lag in faculty salaries at FSU in comparison to peer institutions. In addition, new faculty are offered contracts at market rates which increases the gap between new hires and existing faculty. In an effort to combat such salary compression, funds are being sought (in addition to normal appropriations) to provide equity adjustments for existing faculty. These adjustments will serve as incentives for faculty to remain at FSU and continue to be productive within their fields of expertise.
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(FSU Continued)
5.5 Staff Recruitment and Retention Major Finding: UNC should increase efforts to attract and retain high‐quality staff at all levels. Introduction/Background Fayetteville State University seeks to be an institution of choice for employees and potential employees. Consequently, to attract and retain high potential and/or critically talented employees, FSU must ensure that its recruitment, retention, training and development, workplace environment, benefits, and salaries meet the needs of a diverse and multi‐generational group of prospective and existing employees. Having sound leadership that is knowledgeable and sensitive to employee needs is essential. This section explains how FSU will assess and respond to the current and future needs in the areas of critical talent, aging workforce, retirement and attrition trends, demographic shifts, recruiting and retention strategies, and managing diversity. FSU Strategic Goals and Priorities for Attracting and Retaining High‐Quality Staff at all Levels • To create an analysis‐based process for determining the institution’s need relative to staff • To develop a process for succession planning in all workforce units of the university • To develop strategies for recruiting and retaining the necessary talent to support the work of the university Critical Talent Issues: To ensure that FSU has an effective analysis‐based process, an institutional framework will be established to define critical talent, encompassing all work units of the university. The university will then establish a baseline for existing institutional critical talent positions. This effort will require all units of the university to be involved in identifying business needs and personnel competencies. Following the establishment of the baseline, all units will be required to analyze the gap between projected need for critical talent and the existence of that talent so that adequate planning for recruitment and support of individuals in these critical talent positions can be achieved. Finally, FSU must develop plans and implement actions for retaining employees with critical skills and talents. Several of the recommended activities in the sections that follow may overlap because each area is part of an overall strategy to attract and retain high‐quality staff at all levels. Recommended activities to address the critical talent issues and a workforce plan at FSU are as follows: • Establish conceptual/contextual framework for critical talent (unit goals, position competencies and employee competencies) • Assess the current workforce at FSU to identify critical talent positions
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Human Resources and Institutional Research should lead this effort to get a thorough understanding and summarize its findings Determine future critical talent needs at FSU • Factors for consideration • Institutional growth and decline and areas of need (all units) • Key external drivers • UNC Tomorrow goals • Requirement for successful BRAC implementation • Commitment to the economic development of southeastern North Carolina • Status of the U.S. national economy • Key internal drivers • Chancellor’s vision • Academic Affairs commitment to high‐quality education and an engaged faculty • FSU’s unique mission • FSU’s ongoing master planning process • FSU’s strategic planning and budgeting process • FSU’s vision for continuous quality improvement Develop FSU Future Workforce Plan for the next five years with a 10‐year outlook • FSU is committed to embracing and fully implementing the concept of career banding, inclusive of employee and position competency assessment. • FSU is committed to identifying and aligning critical talent with focused workforce development plans. • Strategies for accomplishing these recruitment and retention goals will include: • Recruit and announce open positions more widely • Develop and promote benefits in addition to salary, that include family‐ friendly practices, tuition waivers, community involvement leave • Develop and define career path opportunities within divisions and classifications • Train managers on employee development strategies that could lead to retention • Implement where feasible flexible work hours and telecommuting options • Provide technology and tools to enhance employment productivity and workplace environment • Manage change in working environment • Foster and create nurturing and welcoming culture for employees
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Recognize employees for accomplishments (training completion, certifications, etc.) • Investment in training and professional development • Focus on employees at different stages, focusing on those who can assume leadership roles and provide continuity for the university, hence, addressing successive planning • Target new and existing employees for professional development • Enhance and require management and leadership training • Provide and document certificate training programs for employees and supervisors Unit/Group Responsible: Chancellor’s Office/Human Resources/Institutional Research/Workforce Plan Committee Timeline: • September 2008 – January 2009: Assemble and review current FSU workforce data using Human Resources, Personnel Management Information System (PMIS), and Institutional Research raw and summary data sets • February 2009: Establish Workforce Planning Committee and give charge to assess future needs for FSU • February – June 2009: Workforce Planning Committee identify and assess indicators and drivers of future workforce needs, focusing on critical talent issues • July 2009 – December 2010: Develop FSU Future Workforce Plan for next five years that includes an annual review and ten year outlook Obstacles and Barriers: • Uncertain economy • Budget allocations • Impact on migration patterns Aging Workforce, Retirement and Attrition Trends: To be prepared for a higher‐than‐usual employee retirement rate in the next five‐to‐ten years because of the aging workforce, FSU will seek to understand the projected impact this situation will have on its ability to maintain appropriate staffing levels, particularly with regard to critical talent positions. Recommended activities to achieve that end include: • Examine current data (For example: Employees 50 years and older comprise 44% of the campus workforce, indicating that almost half of FSU employees are within 10 to 15 years of retirement.) 45
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Understand the impact of current trends (For example: Retirement and normal attrition, resulting in a significant loss of continuity of expertise at FSU and creating a void in the workplace.) Determine the appropriate steps to address areas of need: • Tie‐in with Succession Planning procedures applicable to replacement of critical talent (SPA or EPA) • Recruit employees, particularly for critical open positions, with prior public university experience (transfers verses new employees) • Develop plans to facilitate deferment of retirement for employees with critical talents • Assess retirement plans and possible incentives to hold on to valuable employees for smooth transitions • Explore creation of a form of phased retirement for EPA non‐faculty and SPA critical talented employees • Provide ongoing professional development to all categories of university employees • Explore potential for formal mentoring program • Strengthen cross‐training programs
Unit/Group Responsible: Human Resources/Institutional Research/Workforce Planning Committee/Departments and Units Timeline: • February – June 2009: Complete assessment of potential impact of retirements in critical talent areas over the next 5 years with a 10 year outlook • July 2009 – October 2009: Develop and publicize response plan based on assessment • Ongoing: Commit to strategic implementation Obstacles and Barriers: • Statutory limitations relative to EPA non‐faculty and SPA retirements • Regional variations in available talent in critical skills areas Impact of Demographic Shifts on Campus Workforce: FSU will analyze demographic shifts (regional, national, global) on its campus workforce. That analysis must include, at a minimum, internal and external factors that will influence workforce needs, such as: enrollment management goals, academic programs, economic development (BRAC, business and industry trends), and population trends (growth, race and ethnicity, education and skill levels, returning 46
military and families, psychographics, lifestyle, age). The university must actively develop programs and strategies to address the impact of demographic shifts. (Note: The activities and programs described in previous sections (i.e., Critical Talent and Aging Workforce) are applicable to this section.) Unit/Group Responsible: Human Resources/Workforce Planning Committee/ Departments and Units Timeline: • February – June 2009: Analyze demographic shifts and its impact on FSU workforce in critical talent areas over the next 5 years with a 10‐year outlook • July 2009 – October 2009: Incorporate findings in the FSU Work Plan; develop and publicize response accordingly as part of the FSU Workforce Plan • Ongoing: Commit to strategic implementation Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining High Potential Talent: FSU will seek to become the employer of preference for high‐potential talent in southeastern North Carolina. Economic impact studies have shown FSU to be one of the key economic engines in the region. Understanding and marketing that reality will become a strategic initiative for the university. In addition, strategies will be developed to enhance recruitment of new employees and retention of existing employees with high potential, including the development of a Succession Plan that will also focus on SPA and EPA critical talent positions. Recommended activities to address this need include: • Enhance recruitment • Competitiveness of pay and benefits • Resources for broad‐based and targeted advertising • Enhance retention • Training and development • Career paths • Environment and culture • Develop a reputation for strategic successive planning Unit/Group Responsible: Human Resources/Workforce Planning Committee/ Succession Planning Sub‐committee Timeline: • January – June 2009: Analyze existing recruiting and retention processes and practices to identify areas for improvement 47
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February 2009: Establish Succession Planning Sub‐Committee February – November 2009: Develop Succession Plan and include as part of the FSU Workforce Plan Ongoing: Implement enhanced recruiting and retention processes and newly adopted Succession Plan
Obstacles and Barriers: • Statutory and budgetary limitations of true merit‐based pay program Developing Effective Supervisors for a Diverse Multi‐Generational Workforce: FSU will create an institutional conceptual model of diversity. That conceptual model must take into account agreed‐upon elements of diversity important to meeting and maintaining the workforce needs of a 21st century university and consider FSU’s unique mission. The concept of generational diversity will require FSU to use employee age as a legitimate category for defining diversity. Moreover, it will be imperative for FSU to develop programs and activities to meet the challenge of managing and working with employees of different generations and addressing differences and commonalities in attitudes, behaviors, and expectations so that sensitivity and appreciation of each generation is upheld. Recommended activities to address this need include: • Update/refine the definition of diversity at FSU • Review current diversity data, for example: • Race (Currently, 65% African‐American / 35% Caucasian) • Age (Currently 78% of workforce in the 30‐59 age range) • Slight differences in workforce population per age group • Education (Degreed and Non‐Degreed) • Understand data that will achieve diversity goals with regard to programs, policies, and activities (existing and proposed): • Enhance training of supervisors and managers • Strengthen diversity training • Continually review policies and procedures that affect: • Technology (state of the art) • Flexible work schedules • Work life balance and family–friendly benefits and practices • Conceptualize a model of “succession” planning Unit/Group Responsible: Human Resources/Institutional Research/Workforce Planning Committee/Departments and Units 48
Timeline: • January – June 2009: Develop conceptual model of diversity at FSU incorporating existing policies and procedures where appropriate • July 2009 – Ongoing: Develop and implement awareness multi‐generational diversity campaign and training programs for supervisors and employees • July 2009 – Ongoing: Develop and implement multi‐generational programs and activities • Ongoing: Continually assess and evaluate diversity plans and activities and make necessary changes for improvement Obstacles and Barriers: • General lack of awareness of generational differences • Considerations and provisions for generational differences, needs, and preferences Additional Resources/Flexibilities to Address Challenges: Policies, statutes, or programs that the UNC General Administration might consider to improve campus recruitment and retention efforts with regard to staff include: • Exempt universities from limited leave accruals as indicated in statute • Shorten or eliminate retirees six‐month break requirement • Consider the possibility of a phased‐retirement program for EPA non‐faculty and SPA employees • Seek to eliminate statutory and budgetary limitations that impede a true merit‐based program
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North Carolina A&T State University A. Context and Overview The American population is aging, with the Baby Boom Generation (1946‐1964) retiring. This major demographic shift will have an impact on the recruitment and retention of faculty members at North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T). Looking ahead to 2050, nearly 42% of the population is projected to be between the ages of 45‐85 years old. Thirty‐one percent of the population will be between the ages of 20‐44, and 26% of the population will be between the ages of 4‐19 years of age. Due to the aging of the baby boomers and improving longevity, the number of people in 85+‐year‐old age group will grow by 389% between 2000 and 2050. The working age population will be smaller than the elderly population and only slightly larger than the school‐age population (1).
Faculty members hired in the late 1960s are retiring. This can present a threat to both institutional effectiveness, if courses cannot be offered and projects cannot be completed, and to faculty morale which, in turn, may affect student and faculty interaction (2). Is there a new cohort ready to take the places of experienced faculty members with commitment to that institution? According to a national study by Dooris and Guidos (2006) (3), 53% of the untenured faculty hired at research universities became tenured, while about 42% resigned before reaching the point where a tenure decision was to be made. Moreover, both nationally and locally, the withdrawal rate was most pronounced among underrepresented groups (e.g. women and persons of color). A recent national report (4) found that early in their academic career, fewer than half of pre‐tenure faculty felt adequately prepared to obtain grants, conduct research, teach, advise undergraduates, and serve on faculty committees. Retaining effective faculty and recruiting new ones are essential tasks complicated by demographic shifts and tightening budgets. When recruiting new faculty, it is important that an institution have sufficient knowledge of its economic condition (e.g., current funding status), know which area(s) are most in need and have the highest demand for new faculty, and have long‐term staffing plans. Part of the recruitment process, besides attracting qualified workers, is knowing the available funding level required for new hires. It is also important to know what area(s) have the highest demand for a professor. Finally, it is important to acknowledge the future staffing plans of the institution. Knowledge of future staffing plans will be crucial in deciding whether to hire tenure‐track faculty, a full‐time contract instructor, or a post‐doctoral fellow. Workforce planning is the process of ensuring that the right people with the right skills are in the right place at the right time to accomplish the mission, vision and values of NC A&T). The purpose of this plan is to provide a clear vision of NC A&T’s current workforce profile compared to future needs, to 50
provide recommendations and strategies for recruitment, retention and career development for the next five years. The process will be dynamic as this is the first workforce strategic plan which will need to be fully developed over the next year. For example, there will be political, socio‐economic, global, national and regional changes of which we are currently unaware. This plan will need to be updated at least annually following its full development during the year. B. North Carolina A&T State University Workforce Profile During the next five years, NC A&T anticipates experiencing higher turnover due to retirement rates, with some employment categories being impacted significantly greater than others. Twenty‐one percent (373) of the University’s workforce will be eligible to retire in 2009 based upon the eligibility criteria for the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) and the Teachers and State Employees Retirement System (TSERS). Of the 21%, 69% represent the following faculty and senior administrator categories: Faculty; Department Heads, Chairs and Directors; Institutional and Chief Functional Officers; and Senior Executive Officers. Of the University’s workforce of 1,760, 49% is the average age as compared to 42.1 years of age, which is the projected national median age of the labor force in 2016. Greater than 50% of the workforce at the University is at the mid‐career stage or later. There is a predicted shortage of managers in the workforce for the next three years. However, due to corporate layoffs and downsizing, the market is beginning to be saturated with management candidates. When considering the average age of 49 for the University’s faculty, management and senior executive workforce, the loss and replacement of management talent becomes a critical component of the workforce planning strategy for the next five years. C. North Carolina A&T State University’s Projected Future Staffing Needs The University particularly will be challenged to recruit and retain top quality faculty and professional staff in the following interdisciplinary education fields which are being initiated: Nanoscience; Nanoengineering; Biomedical Engineering; Biotechnology; and Computational Science. The University will also be challenged to recruit and retain top quality faculty and professional staff in the following current areas of strength which need to become more prominent and dominant within the UNC System: Nursing; Education; and Engineering. In order to fully support the growth, development and enhanced customer service requirements of the above‐referenced areas, staff with the following competencies will need to be recruited, trained, and retained: Information Technology Support; Human Resources; Administrative Support; and Middle Level Management 51
As recruitment strategies are identified, we know that younger faculty and staff often accept employment with different expectations from the reasons stated by current mid‐career and longer‐term faculty and staff. Specifically, mid‐career and longer‐term employees often are interested in the retirement benefits of the UNC System and/or tenure for faculty. Additionally, we are challenged to establish the appropriate balance of tenured track, tenured, junior and adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty increased as follows between FY’ 06/07 – FY’ 07/08: Total Headcount FY’ 06/07 295 Total Headcount FY’ 07/08 358 During the academic years of 2000 through 2006, the student population at the University increased substantially from approximately 7,000 to 11,000 students. To accommodate this rapid increase in the student population, adjunct faculty were hired to help reduce the student teacher ratio for tenured faculty. New technology and ways of doing business, e.g. joint initiatives/partnerships, are quickly changing many aspects of the workplace. Employees of all ages need adequate on‐going training and support so they can be prepared for the changes in the workplace, maintain and improve productivity and retain job satisfaction. D. A Survey of Faculty Recruiting Strategies A survey of faculty recruiting strategies of NC A&T’s Colleges and Schools was completed by Department Chairs and Deans. Feedback was summarized into the following categories: required/changing competencies: recruitment/retention strategies for high potential talent: and general management and professional development. The following is a summary of the survey findings: For five categories (Nanoscience, Nanoengineering, Nursing, Education and Engineering), an increase in faculty and new MS and PhD programs is projected. The desired mix of tenured‐track and non‐ tenured track faculty will need to be determined with corresponding recruitment and retention strategies developed. Fairly stable‐sized workforce of approximately 1,300 staff (excluding faculty) is projected through 2013. The competency requirements for SPA staff as defined by career‐banding, will help to assess and validate current and future competency requirements for the University. This process will also help to define the number of staff FTEs required by the University, based upon enhanced competency requirements. The University potentially will require fewer FTEs with greater competency in the next five years. Recruitments are projected to continue their upward trend based upon the projected employees who are eligible to retire within the next five years. 52
Management/supervisory training will be essential to implement beginning FY’ 09‐10. This training will be necessary to enhance the recruitment/selection, performance management and ethics competencies of existing managers. Leadership development training will be developed and ready for implementation during FY’ 10 ‐11. New technology and ways of doing business are quickly changing many aspects of the workplace. Workers of all ages need on‐going training and support to keep pace with these changes and maintain productivity and job satisfaction. “Open enrollment” course offerings will be necessary through Human Resources to provide support for competency development in the areas of fundamental through advanced levels of computer skills and customer‐focused assessment tools and behaviors. Develop and implement mentoring programs for junior faculty and management staff. Complete comprehensive salary equity analysis and allocate required financial resources to increase, as applicable, faculty and staff salaries. Recruitment and retention of high potential faculty and staff at NC A&T will require market competitive salaries and total compensation packages, including competitive startup packages. Development and implementation of a total compensation strategy is essential by FY’09 –’10. E. Workforce Themes and Strategies Staff and faculty needs have changed over the past 20 years. In past years, it was common and expected to have an entire career with one organization. However, people entering the workforce today expect that they will have multiple careers and sufficient opportunities for career advancement. NC A&T must create a work culture where faculty and staff no longer have to leave the University to further their careers and experience career growth and development. In order for the University to recruit and retain the highest quality faculty and staff, we will need to know, understand and sustain the type of work environment that attracts these individuals. We must encourage employees to take responsibility for innovation in approaches to problem‐solving, customer service and operations improvement. High morale and the ability to balance work and personal needs enable employees to produce at consistently high levels. Employee needs and expectations are changing. NC A&T must be open to and more aggressive in implementing changes to support employees in today’s workplace in order to make the University the kind of place where talented faculty and staff want to work. The following are the types of initiatives that will need to be implemented to enhance the University’s work culture: 1. Diversity Awareness Diversity and inclusion are integral parts of our University culture, particularly as we strive to become a more customer‐focused, high‐performance institution. As such, NC A&T values diversity and seeks to foster it because it sparks creativity and innovation when employees with different perspectives work together to offer solutions to the many challenges in the academy. 53
To recruit and retain the best talent, our diversity and inclusion strategy seeks to ensure that candidate pools are broad and diverse and that all applicants are treated fairly and equally. Not only are diversity and inclusion a moral imperative, they are strategic imperatives. NC A&T’s management is responsible for enforcing this policy by making thoughtful and equitable efforts to correct imbalances in our workforce. We expect all leaders at the University to achieve key diversity and inclusion goals consistent with our Affirmative Action Plan. Although NC A&T is an historically black Uiversity, we face the challenge of continuing to diversify our workforce. With the changing demographics, awareness of ethnic, cultural and special needs, diversity will play an increasing role in retaining our current diverse faculty and staff. The engineering, technology and research focus of the University creates the need to attract and retain more foreign nationals in our graduate programs based upon current labor force demographics. English language literacy is a critical competency for foreign national employees, particularly faculty, relative to the quality of classroom instruction. In addition, workforce diversity in engineering and technology includes recruiting more African Americans. 2. Management Development and Mentoring Programs Current and future demands dictate the development and standardization of training for supervisors and managers with certain competencies that must be obtained. These competencies are fundamental to creating a management team that is empowered to manage their human resources. Following are key components of the proposed management development training initiatives: Fundamentals of job evaluation and organization design; Fundamentals of behavioral‐based interviewing; Performance management process guidelines; Linking performance management to pay and career development; and Managing conflict resolution. The management training should not be optional, but should instead be expected for a supervisor or manager to obtain the skills/competencies necessary to be promoted. Providing this type of training and offering promotional opportunities enables NC A&T to replace retiring managers and positively impacts diversity at higher levels of the organization. 3. Career Development Planning Mapping out the future involves more than an organizational chart displaying NC A&T hierarchy. It is essential to know which faculty and staff have the particular skills and competencies required to assume expanded and promotional opportunities at the University, what competencies will be required in the future, and how to train staff for those needs. Career development planning can help to develop 54
and maintain strong leadership and also help the organization to keep pace with changes in the business, e.g. technical competency requirements, customer‐focused competency requirements, ethics requirements, etc., general industry and overall marketplace. It can help NC A&T focus on organizational excellence and create alignment with the key strategic objectives of the University. 4. Flexible Options Based upon the changing demographics of the labor market, flexible staffing of talented faculty and staff will be the face of the future. Managers need to staff up and down and fill unexpected voids with competent, available and University‐knowledgeable flexible staff, e.g. temporary workers. A major theme that emerges from research and interviews with HR professionals and senior leaders at NC A&T is flexibility. The use of the term has multiple meanings:
Flexible scheduling; Flexible benefit offerings; Flexible compensation models; Flexible staffing options that provide “core” staffing and seasonal or event oriented flexible staffing (Temporary Service); and Flexibility to balance life needs through programs at work, e.g. fitness programs, etc. 5. Recruitment Strategies Effectively planning for and meeting the staffing requirements of NC A&T is essential and a formidable challenge. Whether recruiting new talent or preparing and supporting internal candidates for promotion, recruitment and potentially redeployment are important responsibilities for all University managers. Effective planning on the front end is one of the essential contributors to success. Training guidelines and supporting tools for managers and supervisors will be developed as part of the Management/Supervisory training modules to provide consistency in how to develop recruitment strategies and conduct behavioral based interviews. 6. Workforce Planning System The development of the NC A&T workforce is critical and requires forethought and planning. Areas of need must be identified and prioritized, and resources must be directed towards the areas of greatest need. This plan is the beginning of an ongoing process. NC A&T has begun development of a strategic plan which will set the framework from which all workforce planning will evolve. The workforce plan must ensure that the University has the human capital available to meet the University’s strategic goals and objectives. For example, if the workforce plan identifies an expected shortage of faculty and staff in interdisciplinary education fields, this need could be met by a combination of strategies, e.g. formation of partnerships with other institutions of higher learning here and abroad, reallocation of current resources, training ‐ internal and external, etc. 55
To the extent that training and development are needed, planning for development and growth of the University’s faculty and staff must be tightly linked to workforce planning on an University‐wide basis, as well as in each school/college, department, etc. Schools/Colleges and departments should formulate an integrated plan which not only lays out their strategic performance objectives, but identifies how they plan to use their workforce to address those needs and related training requirements. In summary, the development of strategies to retain and attract talent to meet the future education and business needs of NC A&T is the final step in the workforce strategic plan. These strategies need to be consistent across the University. They must promote a work culture that aligns with the University’s strategic plan. During FY’ 09‐10, the workforce strategic plan will be further developed and aligned with the completed University strategic plan. F. Tenure Track and Tenure Faculty Recommendations The following recommendations were made by the faculty committee reviewing the UNC Tomorrow Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention area of focus: 1. Critical talent issues, including leader and worker shortages a) Junior faculty need to be transitioned into leadership roles to meet the needs as retirements increase. Recommendations: 1) Mentoring plans should match junior faculty with senior faculty to prepare them for tenure and for leadership positions. 2) Prepare faculty for administrative positions in the future by offering them roles as program coordinators. b) Tenure and promotion/annual review process needs to be improved. Recommendations:
1) Increase transparency and clarity of the promotion and tenure and annual review process. 2) Increase consistency in the annual review process across departments and schools/colleges. c) Outstanding faculty need to be identified and nurtured. Recommendations: 1) Strategies for retention include providing support in the form of research dollars, faculty development, collaborative opportunities and given first priority to utilize limited funds to engage in activities that will enhance their application for tenure and promotion. 2) Develop a comprehensive mentoring program for junior faculty members. 3) Implement a Summer Junior Faculty Research Grant Program. 56
4) Expand junior faculty orientation and professional development activities. d) Increase support for professionalism and development of department chairs and deans. Recommendations: 1) Require extensive leadership and ethics training for all departmental chairs and deans. 2) Evaluate chairs and deans annually. e) Staff will need to be retained and developed as competition increases for a shrinking pool of younger workers. Recommendations: 1) Improved pay/benefits package at hiring. 2) Increase opportunities for staff development and training. 2. Strategies for recruiting and retaining high potential talent. a) Faculty teaching loads are variable across schools and the university as a whole. Recommendations: 1) Faculty lines should be more closely tied to the number of undergraduates they teach, to ensure equitable distribution of course and student credit hours load among faculty across the institution. b) Faculty and staff are being lured away by others institutions.
Recommendations: 1) Develop a common (across schools/colleges) minimum “new hire” package. 2) Participate more fully in the UNC‐GA Faculty Recruitment and Retention Fund. 3) Implement the University Reassigned Time Policy (Sabbatical). 4) Improve the work environment. 5) Increase job satisfaction.
3. Managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce. a) Support faculty at various stages of their work life as they cope with needs of children, aged parents.
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Recommendations: 1) Provide flexibility in work/teaching schedules. 2) Limit junior faculty advising, committee, and administrative commitments. 3) Promote the use of a small set of “vacant” faculty lines to develop a rotating pool of course‐ release time for junior faculty members. 4) Increase recognition and reward for high‐quality Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) activities in the annual review and promotion and tenure review process.
4. Junior Faculty Retention Issues. In December 2006, the Provost appointed a Junior Faculty Task Force in response to survey results from the Fall 2005 COACHE survey indicating low job satisfaction among junior faculty members at NC A&T. Based on the COACHE survey results and the data obtained by the Junior Faculty Task Force, they recommended a series of actions, which are outlined below. We believe these recommendations are vital to improving faculty retention among our junior faculty and include them as part of our strategy for UNC Tomorrow. a) Professional Support for Junior Faculty Members: 1) Develop a comprehensive mentoring program for junior faculty members. 2) Implement a Summer Junior Faculty Research Grant Program. 3) Expand junior faculty orientation and professional development activities. b) Tenure and Promotion/Annual Review Process: 1) Increase transparency and clarity of the promotion and tenure and annual review process. 2) Increase consistency in the annual review process across departments. 3) Initiate a campus‐wide discussion of tenure and promotion / annual review criteria and processes. 4) Increase clarity of expected professional demands on new tenure track faculty members. c) Teaching, Service and Workload Balance: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Provide junior faculty members with increased flexibility in teaching schedules. Limit junior faculty advising, committee, and administrative commitments. Develop a centralized advising program. Develop a common (across schools/colleges) minimum “new hire” package. Promote the use of a small set of “vacant” faculty lines to develop a rotating pool of course‐ release time for junior faculty members. 6) Increase recognition and reward for high‐quality Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) activities in the annual review and promotion and tenure review process. 7) Establish a university‐wide junior faculty teaching award. 8) Initiate a campus‐wide discussion regarding the development of full‐time, tenure‐track, teaching‐centered academic positions.
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d) Overall Academic/Administrative Environment: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Require extensive leadership and ethics training for all departmental chairs and deans. Evaluate chairs and deans annually. Develop and “Aggie Code of Student Classroom Conduct.” Bring all classrooms up to minimum instructional technology standards. Provide appropriate academic support for students with under‐prepared backgrounds.
G. Non‐Tenure Track Faculty Strategic Workforce Issues
In September 2002, the Committee on Non‐Tenure Track Faculty, appointed by Dr. Gretchen Bataille, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, was charged with examining the employment of non‐tenure track faculty within the University of North Carolina system. Dr. Bataille’s research indicated a substantial increase in non‐tenure track faculty throughout the UNC system. Specifically at NC A & T, the percentage of Non‐Tenure Track faculty increased from low 30’s in 1997 to the low 50’s in 2007. Such a dramatic change in the composition of our faculty has a number of implications toward the quality of instruction, workforce dynamics, quality of life, and the ability to achieve our strategic university goals.
The Committee, upon recognizing a substantial increase of non‐tenure track faculty throughout the system, produced a set of eight recommendations to address this phenomenon. We look at these recommendations as guidelines for this segment of faculty and in addressing their recruiting and retention issues. Therefore, our plan going forward would be to assess where we are in fulfilling General Administration’s recommendations and what actions, if any, are necessary to include these recommendations in our workforce plans. Recommendation 1: Each UNC institution should develop a staffing plan defining the desired mix of various types of faculty appointments and monitor its progress in moving toward its staffing goals. NC A&T has determined that reducing the number of adjuncts and non‐tenure track faculty teaching our general education courses is critical. The University Studies Program, which teaches our general education courses, has as its general premise the hiring of predominantly tenure‐track faculty to teach University Studies courses. We believe with our concerted effort to increase the tenure‐track faculty teaching in the general education curriculum and a slower growth of new students over the next few years, we will see a decrease in the percentage of non‐tenure track faculty on campus. NCA&T has committed to “begin a careful study of the proper ratio of the different types of faculty with a report due by the end of the fall semester.”
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Recommendation 2: Each campus, whenever possible, should offer multi‐year contracts (for three or more years, with eligibility for reappointment) to full‐time non‐tenure track faculty who have successfully completed a probationary period or otherwise demonstrated their effectiveness and contributions. We do not offer multi‐year contracts except on a very limited basis. In the future, we will access how many schools and colleges are interested in providing these types of multi‐year contracts and commit to making them available as an option for the 2009‐2010 academic year. Recommendation 3: The Office of the President should develop a policy and guidelines for non‐tenure track appointments, requiring each institution to develop the following: a) A definition of "full time" faculty load applicable to non‐tenure track positions and appropriate to the institution's mission and program array; b) A definition of assignments and responsibilities that constitute 50%, 75% and 100% loads, with identification of the employee benefits available to non‐tenure track faculty employed at 50% or 75% of a full‐time load; c) A policy determining under what circumstances if any faculty on part‐time appointments can be assigned full‐time loads; d) A policy determining under what circumstances part‐time faculty should be issued two‐semester continuing contracts with accompanying eligibility for benefits; e) A policy for timely notice of appointment or reappointment of part‐time faculty.. NC A&T’s policies and guidelines for non‐tenure track appointments vary by colleges and schools. We acknowledge that having the Office of the President create a standard policy would streamline the process and reduce confusion and stress on the part of non‐tenure track faculty. We will work with the Office of the President to complete this task. Recommendation 4: Each campus should develop a set of clearly defined position descriptions and titles for full‐time and part‐time non‐tenure track positions. In 2006, the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (SAES) developed formalized job descriptions for their non‐tenure track research faculty. NC A&T will begin a careful study of the SAES descriptions and develop a generic description of these positions with a report due by the end of the Fall semester. Formal descriptions for all schools/colleges will be developed by May 1, 2009.
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Recommendation 5: At campuses which have not done so, full‐time and part‐time non‐tenure track faculty should be provided a specific description of the evaluation process and criteria by which their performance will be judged and how the evaluations will be linked to reappointment and salary determinations. One of the schools at NC A&T developed a formalized performance expectations and evaluation criteria for the research faculty in full‐time and part‐time non‐tenure track positions. This particular document determines salary increases and procedures for transitioning to a tenure‐track position. NC A&T plans to further evaluate this document and develop a generic process for these positions with a report due by the end of the fall semester. A formal process for all schools/colleges will be developed by May 1, 2009. Recommendation 6: Each campus should: a) Provide non‐tenure track faculty adequate orientation to their responsibilities as well as access to office space, telephones, computers, email, clerical support and other assistance necessary to fulfill their responsibilities; b) Develop guidelines for the proper compensation, either through stipends or adjusted teaching loads, for advising and administrative activities assigned to non‐tenure track faculty; c) Include non‐tenure track faculty as appropriate in decision‐making processes at the department, school/college, and university level, particularly in decisions affecting their own responsibilities and employment conditions. All schools/colleges and their departments provide orientation for their faculty, however, they struggle with developing guidelines for compensation mainly because of the diversity of the teaching disciplines. Most schools/colleges include full‐time non‐tenure track faculty on its committees where possible. This does meet with some resistance from the tenured faculty. NC A&T will develop an orientation process for all non‐tenure track faculty, which will include a formal program administered by the schools/colleges with the help of the Academy for Teaching and Learning. This program will begin with the 2009‐2010 academic year. Each school/college will develop compensation guidelines based upon its special conditions consistent with the individual departments within it. The implementation of these policies will be for the 2009‐2010 academic year. Recommendation 7: Each campus should provide opportunities to non‐tenure track faculty for professional development activities and for recognition of their accomplishments through campus awards. The Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) awards grants to fund faculty travel and registration‐related expenses to conferences/academic workshops. During the 2007‐2008 academic year, ATL Faculty Development Grants were awarded to five non‐tenure track faculty members (out of 62 total grants) for a total of $10,403 (out of $66,057). On a limited basis, depending upon available space, non‐tenure track faculty have been included in the year‐long New Faculty Lunch Series orientation program. They also have access to online faculty development resources provided through university site licenses paid for by ATL (National Teaching and Learning Forum, The Teaching Professor, etc.). 61
Recommendation 8: As part of their staffing plans, institutions should:
a) Analyze the compensation of full‐time and part‐time non‐tenure track faculty and weigh this compensation against the duties and responsibilities of these positions; b) Increase compensation where appropriate to ensure the continued employment of qualified, experienced, and professional faculty; c) Develop policies for the eligibility of full‐time non‐tenure track faculty for regular salary increases and for increases in part‐time faculty stipends, both across‐the‐board within disciplines, and for individual faculty based on experience and performance. We recognize the need to analyze the compensation of full‐time and part‐time non‐tenure track faculty. The university will study the data surrounding this issue and make recommendations to the schools/colleges on compensation based upon this study. H. Faculty and Staff Demographics The following Appendices contain graphs and tables containing the demographics and statistical information related to faculty and staff at NC A&T. The following data are presented: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
NC A&T Headcount and Demographics NC A&T Total Hires and Terminations NC A&T Turnover Statistics and Trends NC A&T Retirement Projections NC A&T Promotions, Transfers and Reclassifications NC A&T Adjunct Faculty Demographics NC A&T New and Abolished Positions
I. References
1. Lopez, Janet (Summer 2006) The Impact of Demographic Changes on United States Higher Education 2000‐2050, State Higher Education Executive Offices 2. Harrison, Haskel D. and Hargrove, Matthew J. (Fall‐Winter 2006) Business Perspectives 3. Dooris, M. J. & Guidos, M. (May, 2006). Tenure achievement rates at research universities. Chicago, IL: Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research. 4. Berberet, J. (June, 2008). Perceptions of early career faculty: Managing the transition from graduate school to professional career. TIAA‐CREF Institute. http://www.tiaa‐ crefinstitute.org/research/dialogue/docs/92.pdf
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Appendix 1. NC A&T Headcount and Demographics Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
2
1
2
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
46
43
54
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
88
89
89
2A – Faculty
455
422
510
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
18
17
21
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
1
1
1
3B – Managers
5
5
5
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
32
41
41
4 – Other Professionals
158
171
170
5 – Office / Clerical
411
442
432
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
213
207
211
7 – Skilled Crafts
65
58
57
8 – Service & Maintenance
154
153
167
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
1
1
0
1,649
1,651
1,760
BCAT Occupational Group
Grand Total
63
The following is a graphical representation of the above for FY 2007‐08.
NC A&T State University FY 07-08 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1A
1B
1C
2A
2B
3A
3B
3C
4
5
6
7
8
9
64
Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries)
Average
Average
Age
Salary
2
Female
0
0
Male
54
$ 226,200
54
Female
50
$ 105,734
Male
55
$ 139,014
89
Female
51
$ 84,671
Male
51
$ 95,234
510
Female
47
$ 63,889
Male
50
$ 72,384
21
Female
48
$ 50,398
Male
39
$ 70,765
1
Female
33
$ 76,913
Male
0
0
BCAT Occupational Group
Total Headcount FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
2A – Faculty
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
3B – Managers
65
Female
5
43
$ 62,282
Male
0
0
41
Female
48
$ 58,501
Male
48
$ 76,272
4 – Other Professionals
170
Female
48
$ 47,801
Male
49
$ 50,964
432
Female
47
$ 32,198
Male
43
$ 32,293
211
Female
43
$ 46,616
Male
43
$ 46,003
57
Female
0
0
Male
49
$ 35,285
167
Female
47
$ 26,135
Male
47
$ 27,459
0
Female
0
0
Male
0
0
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
5 – Office / Clerical
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
7 – Skilled Crafts
8 – Service & Maintenance
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
66
Headcount by Race and Gender (excludes students and temporaries)
NC A&T State University FY 07-08 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% Female Male
50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% White
Black
Asian
Hispanic
American Indian
Other
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Appendix 2. NC A&T Total Hires and Terminations NC A&T New Hires Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1
3
10
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
2
4
7
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
10
12
5
2A – Faculty
58
52
74
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
11
5
3
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
2
0
0
3B – Managers
0
0
0
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
0
6
7
4 – Other Professionals
38
34
36
5 – Office / Clerical
60
59
44
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
36
39
28
7 – Skilled Crafts
5
13
8
8 – Service & Maintenance
27
28
43
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0
0
0
250
255
265
BCAT Occupational Group
Grand Total
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NC A&T Separations Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
2
2
3
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
4
7
6
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
11
15
14
2A – Faculty
60
55
56
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
9
5
7
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
2
0
0
3B – Managers
1
0
0
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
0
7
3
4 – Other Professionals
24
44
37
5 – Office / Clerical
39
51
54
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
26
31
30
7 – Skilled Crafts
11
10
11
8 – Service & Maintenance
29
26
39
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0
0
0
218
253
260
BCAT Occupational Group
Grand Total
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Appendix 3. NC A&T Turnover Statistics and Trends NC A&T Turnover Comparison Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
0.20%
0.20%
0.20%
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
0.80%
0.50%
0.40%
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
2.20%
0.90%
0.80%
2A – Faculty
3.70%
3.40%
3.20%
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
0.60%
0.30%
0.40%
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
0.20%
0.00%
0.00%
3B – Managers
0.10%
0.00%
0.00%
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
0.00%
0.50%
0.20%
4 – Other Professionals
1.50%
2.70%
2.10%
5 – Office / Clerical
2.40%
3.10%
3.10%
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
1.60%
1.90%
1.70%
7 – Skilled Crafts
0.70%
0.60%
0.70%
8 – Service & Maintenance
0.20%
1.60%
2.30%
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
FY Average
0.95%
1.05%
1.01%
BCAT Occupational Group
NCA&TSU Turnover Comparison FY’ 07/08 70
Comparison by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Turnover
Comments
BCAT Occupational Group Rate 1A – Senior Executive Officers
0.20%
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
0.40%
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
0.80%
2A – Faculty
3.20%
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
0.40%
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
0.00%
3B – Managers
0.00%
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
0.20%
4 – Other Professionals
2.10%
5 – Office / Clerical
3.10%
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
1.70%
7 – Skilled Crafts
0.70%
8 – Service & Maintenance
2.30%
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0.00%
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Appendix 4. Retirement Projections NC A&T Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) Eligible for Retirement Headcount by Race and Gender (excludes students and temporaries) 2009 ORP Eligible for Retirem ent
2010 ORP Eligible for Retirem ent
White
2011 ORP Eligible for Retirement
White
Hisp
White
Hisp
Hisp
MALE
Black
FEMALE
MALE
Black
FEMALE
As-Am
As-Am
As-Am
Others
Others
Others
0
10
20
30 Em ployees
40
50
60
0
2
4
6
8
Em ployees
10
12
14
MALE
Black
FEMALE
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Employees
72
2012 ORP Eligible for Retirement
2013 ORP Eligible for Retirem ent
White
White
Hisp
Hisp
MALE
Black
MALE
Black
FEMALE As-Am
FEMALE
As-Am
Others
Others
0
5
10
15
0
Employees
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Em ployees
73
NCA&TSU Retirement (ORP Eligible) 5 or more years of state service. Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) BCAT Occupational Group
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1
1
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
8
3
14
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
15
3
1
6
3
2A – Faculty
160
20
22
18
62
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
3
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
3B – Managers
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
3
4 – Other Professionals
2
7
7
5 – Office / Clerical
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
1
7 – Skilled Crafts
8 – Service & Maintenance
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
74
189
26
23
32
90
Average Age ‐ Female
52
52
45
51
42
Average Age ‐ Male
54
47
43
49
45
$ 80,596
$ 72,901
$ 67,447
$ 73,636
$ 81,094
Grand Total
Average Salary
75
NC A&T Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System (TSERS) Eligible for Retirement Headcount by Race and Gender (excludes students and temporaries) 2011 TSERS Eligible for Retirem ent
2010 TSERS Eligible for Retirement
2009 TSERS Eligible for Retirem ent
OTHER
OTHER
OTHER
CAUCASIANS
CAUCASIANS
CAUCASIANS
MALE
HISPANIC
MALE
HISPANIC
AFRICAN AMERICAN
AFRICAN AMERICAN
AFRICAN AMERICAN
ASIAN AMERICAN
ASIAN AMERICAN
ASIAN AMERICAN
0
25
50
75
100
125
0
150
5
10
15
20
25
30
FEMALE
0
Employees
Em ployees
MALE
HISPANIC
FEMALE
FEMALE
5
10
15
20
Em ployees
76
2012 TSERS Eligible for Retirement
2013 TSERS Eligible for Retirement
OTHER
OTHER
CAUCASIANS
CAUCASIANS
MALE
HISPANIC AFRICAN AMERICAN
AFRICAN AMERICAN
ASIAN AMERICAN
ASIAN AMERICAN
0
5
10
15
20
MALE
HISPANIC
FEMALE
25
FEMALE
0
Em ployees
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Em ployees
77
NC A&T Retirement (TSERS Eligible age 50 & 20 years service) Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) BCAT Occupational Group
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
2
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
1
2A – Faculty
2
3
1
4
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
1
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
2
1
3B – Managers
2
1
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
4 – Other Professionals
3
3
1
3
5 – Office / Clerical
6
6
8
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
1
1
5
4
5
7 – Skilled Crafts
1
1
8 – Service & Maintenance
1
1
1
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
1 78
10
14
13
11
24
56
53
52
65
51
Average Age ‐ Female
Average Age ‐ Male
$ 62,068
$ 49,859
$ 47,113
$ 48,000
$ 50,199
Grand Total
Average Age
Average Salary
79
NC A&T Retirement (TSERS Eligible age 65 & 5 years service) Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) BCAT Occupational Group
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
5
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
3
1
1
2A – Faculty
11
4
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
1
3
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
1
3B – Managers
1
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
4 – Other Professionals
4
1
5 – Office / Clerical
11
1
5
1
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
2
1
7 – Skilled Crafts
2
1
2
8 – Service & Maintenance
3
5
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
1
2 80
42
1
7
14
9
68
68
65
54
64
Average Age ‐ Female
Average Age ‐ Male
$ 63,119
$ 54,000
$ 62,442
$ 50,903
$ 53,172
Grand Total
Average Age
Average Salary
81
NC A&T Retirement (TSERS Eligible 30 years service & Any Age) Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) BCAT Occupational Group
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
2
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
4
2A – Faculty
18
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
1
3B – Managers
1
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
4 – Other Professionals
4
5 – Office / Clerical
13
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
2
7 – Skilled Crafts
8 – Service & Maintenance
2
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
82
47
0
0
0
0
62
0
0
0
0
Average Age ‐ Female
Average Age ‐ Male
$ 66,278
$ 0
$ 0
$ 0
$ 0
Grand Total
Average Age
Average Salary
83
NC A&T Retirement (TSERS Eligible age 60 & 25 years service) Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) BCAT Occupational Group
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
1
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
2
2A – Faculty
8
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
1
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
1
3B – Managers
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
4 – Other Professionals
2
5 – Office / Clerical
3
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
2
7 – Skilled Crafts
8 – Service & Maintenance
2
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
84
22
0
0
0
0
64
0
0
0
0
Average Age ‐ Female
Average Age ‐ Male
$ 71,405
$ 0
$ 0
$ 0
$ 0
Grand Total
Average Age
Average Salary
85
NC A&T Retirement (TSERS Eligible age 60 & 5 years service) Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) BCAT Occupational Group
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
2
1
1
1
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
13
2
1
2A – Faculty
1
6
4
2
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
2
1
1
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
1
1
3B – Managers
1
1
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
1
4 – Other Professionals
31
6
1
4
1
5 – Office / Clerical
2
5
12
2
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
2
1
2
5
7 – Skilled Crafts
2
8 – Service & Maintenance
8
3
1
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
86
63
17
14
23
15
61
60
59
57
53
Average Age ‐ Female
Average Age ‐ Male
$ 43,197
$ 54,884
$ 46,422
$ 19,287
$ 40,608
Grand Total
Average Age
Average Salary
87
Appendix 5. NC A&T Promotions, Transfers and Reclassifications NC A&T Promotions Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
0
1
1
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
3
4
7
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
1
30
10
2A – Faculty
22
15
14
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
1
0
2
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
2
0
1
3B – Managers
0
0
0
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
0
0
2
4 – Other Professionals
2
4
3
5 – Office / Clerical
47
18
34
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
15
10
11
7 – Skilled Crafts
5
4
6
8 – Service & Maintenance
21
11
11
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0
0
0
119
97
102
BCAT Occupational Group
Grand Total
1
NC A&T Horizontal Transfers Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1
0
0
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
2
2
8
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
2
1
8
2A – Faculty
12
5
3
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
3
3
4
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
0
1
1
3B – Managers
0
0
0
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
0
0
0
4 – Other Professionals
6
9
2
5 – Office / Clerical
25
22
12
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
1
0
4
7 – Skilled Crafts
0
1
0
8 – Service & Maintenance
6
7
2
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0
0
0
Grand Total
58
51
44
BCAT Occupational Group
2
NC A&T Reclassifications Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
0
0
0
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
0
0
0
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
0
0
2
2A – Faculty
0
0
0
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
0
0
0
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
0
0
0
3B – Managers
0
0
0
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
0
0
0
4 – Other Professionals
4
3
2
5 – Office / Clerical
13
10
9
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
2
1
3
7 – Skilled Crafts
0
0
0
8 – Service & Maintenance
1
1
0
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0
0
0
20
15
16
BCAT Occupational Group
Grand Total
3
Appendix 6. NC A&T Adjunct Faculty Demographics NC A&T Headcount and Demographics EPA Adjunct Faculty Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
0
0
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
1
0
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
0
2
2A – Faculty
256
321
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
0
0
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
1
0
3B – Managers
0
0
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
16
0
4 – Other Professionals
19
35
5 – Office / Clerical
2
0
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
0
0
7 – Skilled Crafts
0
0
8 – Service & Maintenance
0
0
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
0
0
Grand Total
295
358
BCAT Occupational Group
4
Appendix 7. NC A&T New and Abolished Positions NC A&T Positions ‐ New Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
2
4
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
3
6
6
2A – Faculty
15
44
12
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
3
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
3B – Managers
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
5
4
4 – Other Professionals
14
17
21
5 – Office / Clerical
18
20
23
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
13
17
11
7 – Skilled Crafts
4
6
8 – Service & Maintenance
14
5
10
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
81
116
100
BCAT Occupational Group
Grand Total
5
NC A&T Positions ‐ Abolished Headcount by Occupational Group (excludes students and temporaries) Total Headcount
Total Headcount
Total Headcount
FY’ 05/06
FY’ 06/07
FY’ 07/08
1A – Senior Executive Officers
1B – Institutional & Chief Functional Officers
1
1
1C – Department Heads, Chairs & Directors
2
2A – Faculty
6
3
2B – Professionals with Academic Rank
3A – Administrative Unit Heads/ Professionals
3B – Managers
3C – Administrative / Professional Associates
1
2
3
4 – Other Professionals
15
2
5 – Office / Clerical
7
19
6
6 – Technical / Paraprofessional
2
6
7
7 – Skilled Crafts
1
3
1
8 – Service & Maintenance
3
1
9 – Other (Miscellaneous Status Designations)
11
55
26
BCAT Occupational Group
Grand Total
6
North Carolina Central University The UNC Tomorrow report indicates that “UNC should lead the campuses in a refinement and adjustment of the tenure, promotion, and incentive system to place greater value on faculty involvement and engagement in applied research and outreach that will enhance the state’s competitiveness without decreasing support for teaching, basic research and scholarship.” Chronology of the Promotion, Tenure and Reward System As a part of the ongoing, continuous improvement efforts of North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the reappointment, promotion, and tenure policies and regulations of the university were last reviewed in 2008. The process began during fall, 2007 when the provost appointed an adhoc committee to review the document and provide a critique to General Administration (GA) of The University of North Carolina. This special committee which met three times was comprised of representation from all schools and colleges including a professor of law who guided discussions on policy and procedures in higher education. The completed report was submitted to GA in May 2008. Based on the GA recommendations, the regulations were revised reflecting clarification of the “special faculty” section which focused on definitions of clinical and research faculty. The revision was sent to the Provost in May and July, 2008 before submission to the faculty through presentation during the annual Faculty Institute in August, 2008. Following a comment period, four town hall meetings were convened to provide opportunity for additional feedback. Incorporated suggestions were reflected in the document which was approved by the Faculty Senate in September, 2008. At the university faculty meeting in October, 2008, the document was approved and prepared for the Council of Deans at which it was presented for information only. The Academic Planning Council approved the revision in November, 2008. On November 19, 2008, the NCCU Board of Trustees approved the document which was then forwarded to GA on November 25, 2008. “Special Faculty” are members of the faculty, other than tenured or tenure track faculty, appointed because of their unique expertise or to meet the special needs of the university. Special faculty are prefixed by the terms visiting, adjunct, clinical, or research. Visiting faculty contracts are full‐time at fixed terms and do not require normally expected academic credentials for regular faculty rank. Adjunct faculty are employed to teach designated courses on a part‐time basis. As described in the Guidelines for Clinical Faculty, appointments for clinical and research faculty primarily involve teaching in one‐on‐one or small group settings and in contexts other than traditional classroom or through distance education, and require areas of practice of a particular discipline or profession which requires imparting practical skills and evaluating
7
students in the development of these professional skills. These appointments are made in the School of Education, the School of Law, and the Department of Nursing. Other faculty may include the designation lecturer, artist in residence, writer in residence, or professional in residence. Lecturers are non‐tenured appointments and require coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree or comparable expertise in an appropriate field. Artists, Writers, or Professionals in Residence are distinguished persons in their fields of expertise whose appointments are term contracts. In a second phase of revision of guidelines, another special committee is reviewing criteria for tenure and promotion. The first draft of this revision is expected in May, 2009. It too will follow the process described above for final approval: faculty, Faculty Senate, Academic Planning Council, and Board of Trustees. Subsequently, each academic unit will revise its criteria based on the university criteria accordingly. Review of the Promotion, Tenure and Reward System A review of the current Policy on Promotion and Tenure in light of the current North Carolina Central University faculty complement reveals the following preliminary findings: 1. Faculty members in a number of disciplines engage in applied research and outreach. For example, programs, clinics, grants and initiatives in public health, sociology, psychology, criminal justice, law and public administration engage the community in resolving pressing issues while further advancing knowledge. 2. Faculty members that focus on community outreach often struggle to amass the traditional type of portfolio requisite to be approved for promotion or tenure given the values placed on basic research and scholarship. 3. These issues particularly perplex junior faculty members since they must select a research focus early in their careers. With interest that is more aligned with applied research and outreach, junior faculty may face additional obstacles in building portfolios that meet the current standard. 4. Junior faculty members further must be clear as to the expectations in their disciplines. The university must assure that departmental expectations are equitable in light of the NCCU mission, other NCCU programs, and the standards of our peer institutions. 5. NCCU continues to expect a significant loss of faculty due to retirement. The preponderance of faculty at NCCU with 20 or more years of service or age 50 or greater are enrolled in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System. Thus, while the stock market has some impact, the current state of the investment market has less of an impact on NCCU faculty career decisions. 6. Faculty have limited financial and scholarly incentive to engage in applied research and outreach. 8
North Carolina Central University proposes to address the issues described above by initiating an open process which will evaluate the current Policy on Promotion and Tenure and make those changes as needed to meet the UNC tomorrow objectives. The university will further examine the incentives for faculty engaging in applied research and outreach with a goal of creating the type of campus that is engaged with the community at all levels to address the needs of North Carolina. Timeline for Promotion, Tenure and Rewards Committee January 2009 The Provost will select and charge a Promotion, Tenure and Incentives Committee. The committee will be comprised of: 2 Representatives of the Faculty Senate 1 Representative from the Council of Deans 2 Representatives of the Office of the Provost 3 Representatives of the academic community 1 Representative from the Human Resources Department 1 Representative from the Division of Administration and Finance 1 Representative from the Division of Student Affairs 1 Representative from the Division of Institutional Advancement 1 Representative from the Division of Research and Graduate Studies. The charge for the committee will be to review the system to manage promotion, tenure, and reappointment procedures, provide continuous oversight for promotion, tenure, and reappointment protocol, develop guidelines for outreach contributions which reflect UNC tomorrow initiatives, and conduct recognition programs for noteworthy accomplishments in teaching, research, and outreach. All minutes and draft documents shall be posted to the NCCU website and committee wiki for open comments. February–May 2009 The Promotion, Tenure and Rewards Committee: shall have open forums with the faculty and university community to discuss the current policy and the preliminary findings contained in this document.
9
examine the Promotion and Tenure policies of our peer institutions including the standards within each discipline area. will examine incentives to engage in applied research and outreach at our peer institutions. will develop a policy consistent with the needs of the university, inclusive of appropriate findings, and gleaned from the peer institutional studies referenced above. June‐September 2009 The Promotion, Tenure and Reward Committee will report the findings and recommendations based on their review. The university will be provided the opportunity to examine the information amassed and comment via the wiki committee site. A presentation and report of the findings and recommendations shall be provided to the Faculty Senate, the Council of Deans, the Academic Planning Council and Board of Trustees for feedback. September‐November 2009 Promotion, Tenure and Rewards Committee will draft a proposed Promotion and Tenure Policy reflecting constituent input. November 2009‐February 2010 The Provost and Chancellor will receive the draft of the proposed Promotion and Tenure Policy. Promotion, Tenure and Incentives Committee will hold faculty and administrator forums to discuss the draft report. The Faculty Senate will receive the final version of the proposed Promotion and Tenure Policy for formal consideration. If approved, the document will be transmitted to the Council of Deans. The Council of Deans will receive the final version of the proposed Promotion and Tenure Policy for information only. The Academic Planning Council will receive the final version of the proposed Promotion and Tenure Policy for formal consideration. If approved, the document will be transmitted to the Office of the Provost. The Office of the Provost will receive the final version of the proposed Promotion and Tenure
10
Policy for formal consideration. If approved, the document will be transmitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval. February 2010 – April 2010 The Board of Trustees will receive the final version of the proposed Promotion and Tenure Policy for formal consideration. If approved, the document will be transmitted to the UNC Board of Governors via General Administration. Administrative Challenges External Challenge Given the budgetary constraints of the state, some of the incentives may be impractical to implement without use of external funding sources. Internal Challenge Instability in leadership in the academic affairs division at the university has precluded recognition of tenure, promotion, and reappointment procedures as a priority. Current Outreach Activities and Strategies Outreach is defined as service which is a prominent strategic goal of the university: Build upon NCCU’s history of addressing the needs of underserved groups through innovative outreach efforts and effective retention strategies. General guidelines for designating the contributions to faculty productivity include the teaching minimum of 50%. The research and outreach/services minimums are determined by faculty in consultation with department chairpersons or deans. For example, a faculty member may establish the following goals:
Teaching
50%
Research
30%
Outreach/Service
20%.
Likewise, the motto of the university, Truth and Service, further reiterates the university’s commitment in this area. The university’s longstanding Professional Faculty Development Committee continues to plan workshops at the beginning of each semester for new and returning faculty, staff, and administrators. Faculty have opportunity to recommend topics which are addressed by faculty with the desired expertise or consultants outside of the university. An annual awards banquet will be initiated in May, 2009 at which faculty who have made
11
significant progress and laudatory contributions in the areas of research, and outreach will be recognized. Currently, recognition in teaching is awarded annually at Commencement exercises. All awards will be presented at the banquet. For several intermittent years since 1990, the Office of the Provost has provided competitive mini‐grants for research for faculty. These amounts have supported small projects and provided seed money for more expansive projects. Service Learning in some academic units has created experiential learning opportunities for students and faculty. Additionally, these activities have strengthened the university and community relationships.
NCCU Please respond to the following questions: 1. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? North Carolina Central University is not currently engaged in a deliberate planning process to address the workforce needs of the campus. A deliberate planning process to address workforce needs is supported by the establishment of a new leadership team and full utilization of the university planning system. • Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? North Carolina Central University has a basic understanding of the current workforce needs. However, a more in‐depth analysis of the future workforce demands and trends is warranted to project our needs over the next five years. Surveys are being conducted to assess the needs of each unit regarding faculty and staff. Career banding policies and guidelines have been implemented to clarify roles, responsibilities, competencies, and to ensure equity in salary decisions for staff. • Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? The university has begun to identify staffing needs and skill sets needed for the future. The next five to ten years will bring about changes in the demographics of our faculty and staff populations. The university has identified the following needed skill sets: (1)
12
analytical skills (e.g., goal centered critical analysis); (2) technical skills (e.g., data base reporting); (3) communication skills (e.g., understanding and adhering to processes and protocols); (4) best practices that foster student centered outcomes (e.g., maintain engaging learning environments); (5) scholarship (e.g., innovative research); and (6) outreach (e.g., community partnerships). •
Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process?
North Carolina Central University has basic analytical tools needed to conduct a workforce planning process. Such resources include faculty, staff and administrators; the Office of Research Evaluation and Planning; the Office of Human Resources; Information Technology Services; and access to local, state, national, and international workforce development trends and data. In order to expand upon these tools, there must be a restructuring of the offices of Research, Evaluation, and Planning and Human Resources. These offices are scheduled to be restructured with the University’s new leadership team taking the lead. •
Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives?
Yes. The Human Resources Department plays a role in developing strategies to accomplish the university’s mission, goals, and objectives. The EPA (exempt from state personnel act) and SPA (subject to state personnel act) operations have combined to be more effective in delivering efficient services to faculty, staff and administrators. Human Resources policies, processes, and procedures are being revised for efficiency and effectiveness, particularly for the recruitment of a more developed workforce with the needed skill sets. Human Resources will play a more prominent role in accomplishing the University’s mission, goals, and objectives once this unit has been completely restructured. 2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? North Carolina Central University is in the process of identifying gaps and surpluses between what the university currently has and what is needed with respect to leader and worker shortages. Critical talent areas for both leader and worker role to maintain a competitive environment in higher education, at NCCU include: (1) science, mathematics and technology; (2) nursing and allied health; (3) biotechnology; (4) education; (5) English and language development; (6) social sciences; and (7) research. 13
•
Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions?
North Carolina Central University has not implemented a proactive recruitment strategy to attract top talent. The university recognizes the importance of developing and implementing a comprehensive plan that might include the following: o Research start‐up packages o Office and laboratory space o Flexible academic appointments o Moving and living packages o Spousal employment o Reduced teaching loads o Workload flexibility o Sabbaticals •
Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future?
North Carolina Central University has not developed a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future. The university has embraced policies consistent with guidelines developed for career banding and post‐tenure review. 3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? North Carolina Central University has not conducted a comprehensive evaluation of retirement faculty over the next 20 years and the impact it would have on the campus workforce. However, evaluations on workforce and attrition are conducted by individual units. It is expected that the restructuring of the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Planning will yield a trend analysis of the aging workforce and attrition rates. • Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? North Carolina Central University has not adequately addressed recruitment and retention of employees. Consistent with the earlier statement regarding recruiting and retaining top talent, the university recognizes the importance of developing and
14
implementing a comprehensive plan for recruitment and retention that might include the following: o On‐going professional development o Research start‐up packages o Office and laboratory space o Flexible academic appointments o Moving and living packages o Spousal employment o Reduced teaching loads o Workload flexibility o Campus childcare services o Sabbaticals •
Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts?
Yes. There are policies and programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve NCCUs’ recruitment and retention efforts. General Administration could initiate a system –wide approach to support sabbaticals, professional development programs, staff awards for faculty and staff, and leadership institutes for senior administrators. •
Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty?
Yes. Phased retirement policies have been very effective in allowing for more strategic recruitment and hiring of faculty and staff. Phased retirement also allows faculty to prepare for the changing lifestyle that comes with retirement. There are perhaps categories of non‐tenure track and non‐tenured faculty that should be considered eligible for the phased retirement program. For example, there is a category of faculty with a specific designation brought about from the 1980 Consent Decree. This group of faculty is not eligible for the phased retirement program. Extending phased retirement for this group of faculty should be considered.
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4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? Managing the impact of demographics on a historically black and traditional college campus is a significant challenge. Forecasts of demographics changes by race and age present a growing non‐traditional pool of enrollment for NCCU. Appropriate tailoring of faculty recruitment and retention policies will produce the special types of faculty and staff needed to address the challenges brought about by the changing demographics. The University has identified specific challenges with respect to changing demographics now and in the near future. Those specific challenges are: (1) impact on institutional culture; (2) outreach to Latino populations (3) escalating college costs, (4) attracting non‐African American and international students especially in behavioral and social sciences and liberal arts (5) attracting more African‐ Americans in business, law, library sciences, biotechnology, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) areas and (6) expansion of weekend and distance education offerings. The University will continue to be challenged in accommodating and managing lifestyle structures and choices. 5. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.? North Carolina Central University like all of higher education in this nation is engaged in a very competitive environment for recruiting and retaining high potential talent amongst faculty and staff. The major barriers to recruiting and retaining high potential talent are (1) limited research and laboratory space (2) limited flexibility in course loads (3) limited funding for moving and living packages(4) shortage of system wide opportunities for professional development and institutes (5) competitive salaries and compensation packages(e.g. campus child care, assistance in securing housing, wellness programs) In addition, NCCU currently operates with a structure for hiring faculty and staff that is in many ways inadequate for success in a highly competitive environment. NCCU would receive immense benefit from resources for the development of a proven structure for recruitment and hiring supported by consistent policies and staffed by skilled and experienced personnel with demonstrated proficiencies in management and administration. 6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? At a historically black institution, diversity is defined as the presence of persons other than the historic African‐American faculty, staff and student population. Diversity is the recognition of multiple nationalities, races, cultures, ages, lifestyles and abilities at the University and the changes brought on by their presence.
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•
Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff?
The University has significant levels of diversity throughout its academic units, relative to higher education in this nation. North Carolina Central University remains committed to ensuring that our workforce is diverse, particularly in a growing global environment for higher education. In goal 3 of NCCU’s 2004‐2008 Strategic Plan, diversity is addressed through objective 3.5.which states: identify the establishment of more exchange programs and international partnerships, implement programs and activities for the local Hispanic population, provide workshops to sensitize the University community within a multicultural environment, expand curriculum in international and global affairs, and advance support for faculty and staff with communication barriers, cultural differences and disabilities. •
Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness?
Yes. North Carolina Central University has implemented programs and policies to implement diversity in the University. For more than two decades, NCCU has actively engaged in recruitment practices aimed at attracting a more diverse faculty and staff. These practices include: enhanced search processes conducted by diverse groups of faculty and staff; advertisements in a diversity of media; personal contacts with prospective applicants while attending and participating in professional meetings and conferences; making use of professional networks via e‐mail and other electronic media, and targeting publications which are distributed to diverse populations. Overall, these practices have been effective resulting in the significant levels of diversity throughout our academic units. In this context, effectiveness is measured by the increased numbers of diverse faculty and staff with elevated levels of retention. 7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. North Carolina Central University has not engaged in a successful systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement. The level of professional management and leadership development programs available for senior and mid‐level managers at NCCU has been relatively consistent over two decades. University administrators utilize the Phased Retirement Program as a mechanism to identify key employees and their critical competencies to recruit top talents for their replacement. The Phased Retirement Program allows for continuity in the transition of individuals between leadership and academic roles. However, there is a definite need to 17
provide elevated and more targeted and intentional development opportunities for our senior and mid‐level managers. What has been provided are the following: (1) BRIDGES; (2) University Management Development Program (UMDP); (3) American Council on Education (ACE) Leadership Training Sessions; (4) Harvard Management Institute; and (5) leadership development programs in professional organizations. 8. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. The evolving relationship between NCCU and General Administration continues to present a number of challenges in the recruitment and retention of faculty. NCCU like many historically black colleges and universities is still in the early years of integration into the state system of higher education. Variant expectations, perceptions, resource allocations, appointments, and availability of technical assistance continue to negatively impact several areas of the university including recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff. The University proposes advanced dialogue between NCCU and General Administration specific to this issue.
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North Carolina State University 1. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? A. Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? The most significant influences on NC State’s workforce at in the next 5‐10 years are expected enrollment growth and an increased exit rate for faculty and experienced staff, primarily due to retirement. NC State has developed projections for faculty and staff hiring through 2017, paralleling our enrollment plan. However, given deteriorating economic conditions and uncertain state funding for the near future, actual hiring may differ significantly from our projections, and declining returns on retirement investments are likely to slow expected retirement rates, particularly for the vast majority of faculty who are enrolled in the Optional Retirement Program. Our enrollment projections assume full enrollment funding; however, in the absence of full funding, NC State would be forced to re‐examine its enrollment plan and reduce the number of admitted students. Expected permanent reductions in state funding will make it difficult to retain existing faculty and staff and challenge our ability to replace exiting faculty and staff. Despite the external influences cited above, NC State has responded to this UNC Tomorrow question using its current hiring projections, which were developed before the national and state budget crises were fully apparent. We will be working throughout the remainder of the fiscal year to adjust our projections as we develop plans for operating with reduced funding for 2009‐2010 and beyond. Our hiring projections are based on projected increases in enrollment through 2017 and associated growth in faculty and staff. Table 1 includes projected increases in total faculty, tenured and tenure‐track faculty, and staff. The higher percentage increase among faculty reflects a projected increase in the proportion of graduate and professional students by 2017.
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Table 1: Increases in Students, Faculty, and Staff 2007 to 2017
2007
2017
% increase
Students
31,871
40,000
22%
Faculty
Total
1,939
2,500
29%*
T/TT
1,515
1,928
27%*
Staff
6,188
7,500
22%
Because NC State competes nationally and internationally in hiring faculty members, we have focused in particular on the increase in annual tenure‐track/tenured faculty hires required to meet increased enrollment and higher exit rates. Based on analysis of the age structure and current exit rate for faculty, NC State predicts an increase in the exit rate from a current rate of 9% to 11% for the next ten years. Of course, a decrease in the exit rate would lead to a decrease in the hiring rate. Figure 1 shows the projected increase in hiring among tenure‐track/tenured faculty 2009 through 2017 as a result enrollment growth (red) and exit rates for faculty (blue). Figure 1: Increase in Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty Hires 2009‐2017
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The projected demand for faculty and EPA and SPA staff create significant challenges for the institution. Deans, vice chancellors, and faculty members have identified a range of implications for recruitment and retention in academic and non‐academic units. The most significant challenges include the following: •
Improved recruitment and retention efforts to replace departing faculty members and meet the needs of increased enrollment, particularly since comparable retirement patterns among peer institutions nationwide will increase competition for top faculty
•
Time and resources for course development and training to prepare for a planned increase in distance and on‐line courses to accommodate enrollment growth
•
Additional faculty and expanded graduate student support for an increased proportion of graduate students
•
Planning in colleges and departments for an appropriate mix of tenure‐track/tenured faculty and non‐tenure‐track faculty, including “career path” non‐tenure‐track faculty focused in teaching, clinical, research, or extension who have rank and are eligible for promotion.
•
The impact on non‐academic units of increased numbers of students and faculty and changing educational demands: o In Information Technology, demands for new services by students, faculty, and administrative units will require hiring additional professionals in competition with private sector employers. o In Advancement, with possible declines in state support, hiring needs will expand in such areas as major gifts fund raisers, alumni relations, advancement services and public affairs. o In Student Affairs, additional faculty and professional staff will be needed to meet the needs of a larger and more diverse student body. o In Facilities Management, there will be additional demands to create and maintain academic and research space as well as campus physical systems and infrastructures. o Throughout the University, additional staff will be needed in areas whose work increases as a function of increased students and faculty members (e.g., Legal Affairs, Admissions, Disability Services, etc.)
NC State will continue discussions about more effective ways to recruit and retain faculty and staff, particularly in light of economic conditions that create significant budget uncertainty. B. Have you begun to identify the . . . skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? 21
In addition to increasing the number of faculty, professionals, and support staff, NC State recognizes that the skills and competencies of newly hired faculty and staff will need to reflect changes in academic programs and technology, particularly in light of NC State focus areas such as health and well‐being, energy and the environment, and educational innovation. These focus areas are also central to the goals of UNC‐Tomorrow. These and other fields will require faculty members with new or enhanced competencies: •
More interdisciplinary faculty, some with joint appointments, in NC State’s focus areas, including climate change/global warming, human and animal health, water quality and management, affordable/sustainable housing, sustainable/systems‐based agriculture, alternative energy sources, entrepreneurship, and globalization. Major granting agencies also increasingly seek interdisciplinary projects in their calls for proposals in these and other areas.
•
Increased competencies in instructional technology among faculty and staff for traditional classrooms and distance/online teaching and learning, new data analysis techniques for research, new ways to deliver student services, and enhanced university operations. Access to emerging technologies and high‐quality information technology resources will have a critical impact on NC State’s ability to recruit and retain excellent faculty and staff.
•
Given demographic changes in the NC and US populations, faculty in new areas such as family resource management (to respond to retirees’ emerging health, financial, and quality of life needs); greater K‐12 focus on critical education issues (such as expanded STEM education, drop‐out rates, and demand for new teachers); nutrition and health (including childhood/adult obesity, diabetes, etc.); and workforce retraining
•
Faculty with significant international experience to globalize the university and K‐12 curricula and to support expanded international education opportunities for students
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Faculty willing and able to work in off‐campus locations within the state and internationally
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Excellent teaching faculty within majors and the general education program
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Professional staff in non‐academic units to support an expanded number of faculty and students, including expanded information technology services in areas such as converging network and communication technologies, IT security, enterprise applications development, evolving web technologies, and virtual and high performance computing
•
New skill sets for EPA professionals and SPA employees as work evolves from processing manual transactions to using sophisticated enterprise data systems (accounting, budgeting, environmental health/safety, facilities management, HR management, etc.) and technology and regulatory/legal compliance become more complex (building control systems, grants accounting, environmental health and safety, human resource management, and other areas)
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C. Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? NC State’s human resources data system meets most essential workforce analysis needs. With the implementation of new information systems, NC State is developing data repositories and retrieval tools to combine and analyze information from disparate sources more efficiently. More sophisticated dashboard/metrics analytic and reporting tools would provide enhanced use of data for improved business intelligence and organizational decision‐ making. NC State’s Institute for Advanced Analytics is designed to produce graduates who are prepared to employ advanced analytics techniques. D. Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? Human Resources is involved in planning for faculty and staff needs and can provide consultation services to campus units in a number of areas such as •
Organizational design and development
•
Employment relations
•
Proactive recruitment strategies
•
Support for searches for high‐level and hard‐to‐fill positions
•
Employment relations
Human Resources has developed several programs to assist in recruitment: •
Creating a fulltime professional recruiter role focused expressly on hard‐to‐fill technical and professional vacancies.
•
Developing an in‐house executive search recruitment function to assist hiring departments to proactively recruit for high‐level academic and administrative leadership positions.
•
Working toward transforming its historically transaction‐focused “employment specialists” into more strategic “recruitment partners” who will collaborate more proactively with hiring departments
Other offices such as the Office of Equal Opportunity provide assessment of the hiring market and establish diversity hiring goals in key areas.
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2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? A. Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? Within the Colleges, faculty and administrators have developed a number of strategies for recruiting high‐caliber and diverse faculty: •
Appointing interdisciplinary committees to plan “cluster hires” of faculty in energy, health and environment, and other interdisciplinary areas for which established networks for recruiting faculty are less successful
•
Using “target of opportunity hires” to respond to unexpected hiring opportunities, e.g., senior candidates who turn up in a junior faculty search, hires who can help the university and a college achieve diversity goals, or multiple hires in searches that produce several strong candidates
•
Increasing the number of named professorships to attract and retain senior faculty in critical areas
•
Taking advantage of the President’s faculty and staff recruitment fund.
•
Maintaining informal networks with professional associations and other highly ranked programs to identify and recruit top PhD candidates and post‐doctoral researchers
•
Creating special advisory groups in key areas to help identify needs, top personnel available, and top universities and research centers in targeted areas
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Hosting international research conferences to further strengthen our reputation and bring targeted leaders to our campus
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Proactively recruiting the spouses and partners of faculty who have been offered positions.
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Using national databases identifying women and minority faculty candidates
•
Using programs such as Building Future Faculty to keep in touch with graduate students and advisers at other universities to identify promising faculty hires
•
Establishing internships to help train graduate students interested in pursuing academic careers and identify potential candidates for faculty positions.
•
Creating administrative positions responsible for ensuring diversity and assisting in recruiting and retaining diverse faculty.
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Non‐academic units have identified a number of targeted recruitment strategies: •
Contracting with national online recruiting firms or using NC State’s executive search program for difficult to hire management positions
•
Encouraging personnel to identify high performers from related functions at the University and encourage them to explore career opportunities in new functional areas.
•
Networking among colleagues to identify promising staff from other universities.
•
Reaching out to NC State students, particularly from under‐represented populations, by providing internships and part‐time positions to interest them in university positions.
B. Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? Given projected increases in enrollment and retirements and the resulting need to fill vacant and new positions, NC State has not planned for large‐scale reductions‐in‐force. However, the impact of national and state economic conditions may impact these assumptions. Even if reductions in force are not needed, retraining and limited redeployment of faculty and staff may be necessary. Units need flexibility to employ the following practices for retraining and redeployment: •
Moving vacant positions to new areas where expansion is expected.
•
Redirecting funds from administrative and clerical support positions to areas of new need such as instructional technology positions.
•
Increasing the use of joint appointments across departments and colleges to support increasing interdisciplinary teaching, research, and outreach.
•
Providing faculty time and resources, including off‐campus scholarly leave, to enable faculty to maintain currency, reinvigorate their teaching, research, and outreach, and gain new skills and experiences that will allow them to move their program into new directions.
•
Using the tuition waiver program strategically to encourage staff with strong competencies to pursue academic training and degrees which will increase their qualifications for needed positions.
•
Providing opportunities for staff to participate in professional development programs.
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•
Increasing cross‐training of staff, particularly to support laboratories and equipment.
3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? A. Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? See section 2.A. on recruitment and sections 5 and 6B on programs and tools needed to improve retention. B. Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts? •
Immediate or 1‐year vesting and increased employer contributions to the Optional Retirement Program (ORP)
•
Employer contributions for dependent healthcare
•
Health insurance and other major benefits for domestic partners
•
Campus tuition waivers for dependents of faculty and staff
•
ORP eligibility and additional annual leave for SPA professionals
•
Commitment to keep career‐banded salary averages at competitive market averages
•
Bonus pay and merit‐based increases for SPA employees
•
In light of economic uncertainties, fiscal exigency policies that offer flexibility in responding to the emerging economic crisis
•
A more appropriate taxonomy of EPA professional positions
•
Separation from the state’s personnel system in order to better manage the University’s unique personnel requirements, labor market realities, and employment practices
C. Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐ tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty?
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The Phased Retirement Program has been a useful management tool, although it has both positive and negative effects on personnel planning and administration. •
PRP can help retain valuable retirement‐age faculty for three years who might otherwise have retired fully. It can enable a college to retain skills, teaching and research expertise in selected areas while recruiting replacements.
•
Because PRP and federal and state laws do not allow deans and department heads to encourage less productive faculty to enter the program, the university cannot use the program strategically to ensure that the most productive faculty are retained or that less productive faculty consider phased retirement.
•
When a faculty member enters the program, his or her position is in limbo for 3 years, since half of the retiring faculty member’s salary is often not adequate to hire a replacement, even at the Assistant Professor rank. While the position is in limbo, research activity in an area can slump and engagement efforts may stagnate.
•
PRP does not apply to any significant extent to faculty in the ORP; because the proportion of these faculty grows each year, PRP becomes less relevant. UNC should consider other types of retirement incentives benchmarked by peer institutions in the US and around the world.
•
Phased retirement opportunities could be attractive to career‐path non‐tenure track faculty and EPA professional positions and allow more flexibility for units to phase in replacements or hire part‐time people as new staff needs develop.
•
Reducing the six‐month break in service before re‐employing employees not eligible for phased retirement is an urgent need. UNC should advocate for a change in legislation to allow for a shorter break in service so employees with key competencies can be rehired.
4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? According to the 2006 Survey of Earned Doctorates, •
63% of research doctorates were awarded to US citizens in 2006; the percentage is even lower in some disciplines, ranging from 32 % in engineering and 47% in physical sciences.
•
The percentage of doctorates awarded to US racial/ethnic minorities in 2006 was 20%, a slowly increasing percentage that varies significantly across disciplines.
•
Women were awarded over 50% of new doctorates to US citizens in 2006, continuing a four‐year trend.
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According to previous surveys, only 55 percent of US doctoral recipients with post‐doctorate employment plans reported that they intended to work in education (2003 Survey of Earned Doctorates). These trends have implications for the pipeline for faculty recruitment and for retention in higher education generally as well as for UNC and NC State. •
Since international faculty are likely to remain a significant proportion of new hires, assistance with immigration processes will continue to be a challenge for NC State and other research universities.
•
As the percentage of racial and ethnic minorities in the NC and US population increases, the percentage of minorities receiving PhDs will also need to increase. However, unless the college graduation rate for minorities increases, the pipeline for PhDs overall, not just for minority PhDs, will be reduced. UNC and NC State need to increase efforts to increase the number of minority undergraduate degree recipients and attract them to graduate study and academic careers, particularly in high‐need areas where the current proportion of minority PhD recipients is very small.
•
Programs to recruit and retain female faculty need to be strengthened, including spousal/partner hiring, expanded paid leave to meet family responsibilities, ability to move to part‐time employment below 75% without losing health and retirement benefits, and improved access to childcare. NC State is addressing many of these issues, but declining funding will limit the institution’s options for meeting the needs of an increasing number of female faculty members.
•
Increasing numbers of Generation X and Millennial faculty members will bring new expectations for support programs and benefits and a more flexible workplace.
•
Competition from non‐academic institutions needs to be countered by more attractive compensation and a climate supportive of the needs and contributions of faculty.
•
Among staff, an increasing number of non‐native‐English speakers in first‐level service and maintenance positions creates communication challenges among and between employees, supervisors, and customers/service recipients.
•
Pending retirements and insufficient pipelines in skilled non‐academic positions will challenge NC State’s ability to recruit and retain employees in critical positions.
5. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.?
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•
Compensation
o
Ongoing challenges exist in both salary and benefits. Campus rankings in these areas relative to our peers hurt recruitment, and the State of North Carolina benefit package is becoming less and less competitive. If newly hired faculty do not realize this when an offer is made, they quickly do so once employed, impacting morale and retention. Costs of health benefits for dependents, low contributions to retirement programs compared to other universities, and the five‐year vesting requirement for retirement programs limit UNC institutions in competing with universities in other states.
o
While the UNC recruitment/retention fund has been helpful in retaining some faculty members, it requires a written offer at another university and cannot be used for start‐up packages, which are often as important as compensation in recruiting new faculty members. Funds are also needed for pre‐emptive actions to prevent valuable faculty from seeking jobs at other institutions, since it is often too late to retain a faculty member after he or she has received an attractive offer elsewhere.
o
Salary compression is difficult to address with limited resources for salary increases beyond annual legislative increases.
o
Among non‐academic units, departments often hire entry‐level staff and provide them an excellent training experience, only to see them recruited away for better salary and benefits.
•
Start‐up costs o The greatest recruitment barrier for faculty is the cost of start‐up packages, particularly for new faculty in experimental areas (equipment, lab renovations, technicians, postdocs, graduate assistants, etc.). Typical costs in STEM disciplines are $500K ‐ $1M, even for a junior hire. o Start‐up costs are a problem not only for colleges with science and technology disciplines. A recent informal poll of NC State deans revealed that a similar proportion of the budgets in each of the colleges is spent on start‐up costs, regardless of college disciplines. o Start‐up costs cannot be supported by enrollment funding alone, whose purpose is to support instruction rather than research infrastructure. Although every faculty member is expected to develop a research program, we do not receive resources to support their research. o Typically, colleges and departments must find resources from fund‐raising or grants to fund all or part of a start‐up package. Their limited resources limit the number of new tenured and tenure‐track faculty they can afford; as a result, they sometimes resort to hiring part‐time, non‐tenure‐track faculty or graduate assistants. In the long run, this 29
risks degrading the quality of instruction and research and could lead to problems with accreditation. •
Space o The supply of high quality classroom, office, and laboratory space is limited, although NC State has made substantial gains as a result of the bond build‐out. o NC State has explored the possibility of combined, multi‐use
laboratory facilities; space that can be flexibly allocated to faculty as needs arise and redeployed as appropriate will continue to be included in future capital planning. o Although many departments have benefited in recent years from new and renovated space, others relegated to older, unrenovated buildings have difficulty competing for faculty and face costs for repairs and maintenance of outdated facilities. •
Flexible appointments o Many departments are considering more use of flexible appointments, e.g.
permanent or temporary part‐time tenure‐track positions, for spousal hires or to accommodate work‐life balance. o The 0.75 FTE requirement for employer contributions to benefits eligibility limits employment flexibility in appointments. •
Searches/relocation expenses: The high costs of national searches and difficulties in offering reimbursement for relocation expenses are obstacles to recruitment.
•
Spousal/partner hires o While several offices offer assistance in finding academic and non‐academic
for spouses and partners, finding positions in other departments for spouses and partners of new hires requires significant effort by department heads and does not always result in reciprocity in future hires. o Jobs and benefits for domestic partners are increasing issues in recruitment. We cannot offer “spouse‐comparable” benefits to potential hires who are in domestic partner relationships; universities with which we compete in recruitment are often able to provide such benefits. •
Faculty Support o Faculty‐centered policies and programs are needed to provide support,
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particularly for new faculty, that assist rather than frustrate faculty (grants and contracts, tech transfer, travel reimbursements, parking, etc.) o Because budget reductions and reallocations over many years have led to significant reductions in the number of administrative support positions, faculty are increasingly expected to spend time on administrative and management tasks that could be accomplished more effectively and at less cost by staff employees. o In NC State’s 2005 Faculty Well‐Being Survey, faculty commented that they are required to comply with too much red tape and are responsible for “busy work” that takes time away from their teaching/research/ engagement responsibilities. In many cases this time is spent on compliance issues and unfunded mandates from the state and federal governments, the UNC system, or the university. •
Faculty housing: For many prospective employees, the Triangle is an expensive place to live, particularly compared to other parts of the state and to the locations in which competing universities are located. Higher gas prices are impacting those who buy houses distant from campus in more affordable areas of the region. The availability of convenient and affordable housing is likely to become an increasing challenge for the recruitment and retention of new faculty and staff. •
•
Support for graduate students: Access to top graduate students directly affects NC State’s ability to recruit top‐quality faculty members. Without adequate funding for stipends and tuition support for the Graduate Student Support Plan, NC State loses many promising graduate students to other universities. The inability to waive tuition and fees for supported graduate students means that faculty have to pay in‐state tuition, fees and student health insurance from their grants. If we cannot attract those students or if it costs too much to support them, we may lose the best faculty.
Tuition Assistance: A comprehensive tuition assistance program for the dependents of faculty and staff members would allow NC State to compete more effectively against other universities in hiring faculty and staff.
6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? An extensive body of scientific research has determined that having a diversity of people and ideas on college campuses can result in a number of important cognitive and developmental benefits. In addition to these benefits, diversity on college campuses has been shown to help prepare students to live and work in the global community.
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NC State defines diversity as an inclusive community of people with varied human characteristics, ideas, and world‐views and whose interactions both benefit and challenge each other to grow while making the community better. Such a community will: •
Enhance access, attract and retain a diverse population and promote equity and equal opportunity
•
Encourage interaction among diverse people to enrich the educational experience, promote personal growth and enhance the community
•
Foster mutual respect, value differences and promote cross cultural understanding
•
Prepare leaders to live and work in a competitive global community
NC State comprises a diverse community of individuals from varied backgrounds and demographic categories; it encourages, accepts, and values a diversity of people and ideas; it seeks to promote an environment where equity, respect and understanding represent the norm in the campus climate; and it seeks to prepare entrepreneurs who are effective citizens of a global community. We will know that we have achieved authentic diversity when all four of these objectives are fully realized. A. Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? Goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff are articulated in two major documents, the NC State University Diversity Strategic Plan and the NC State Affirmative Action Plan. Goals for increasing diversity are also in many of the Unit/College Affirmative Action Plans. Diversity Strategic Plan. Goal 1: NC State will increase the presence, participation, and success of diverse individuals throughout the NC State community and achieve the critical mass necessary to ensure the educational and work performance benefits of diversity. Affirmative Action Plan NC State sets annual placement goals for administrators, faculty, and professional staff. Placement goals are minimum campus‐wide targets for each group. They do not represent the ultimate goal which is, over time and absent discrimination, that the employee workforce of NC State University will generally reflect the gender, racial and ethnic profile of the labor pools from which the institution recruits and selects. Placement goals are expressed as the percentage rate/ratio necessary to achieve full utilization of women and/or minorities in the university's workforce. Unit Affirmative Action Plans As part of the affirmative action planning process at NC State, each college and major administrative unit prepares a Unit Action Plan, a detailed description of the placement goals, recruitment strategies and other employment‐related activities intended to increase the 32
representation of minorities and women in the workforce. Unit Action Plans describe both long and short‐term goals and identify a timeline for attaining the stated goals. Placement goals and timetables take into account the availability of protected class members currently employed in the unit as well as qualified persons available in the relevant labor market. In addition to establishing realistic and attainable hiring goals, units are asked to examine their employment‐related processes, such as any requirements for promotion, professional development, training, salary adjustments, discipline, and the workplace environment to identify any impediments to the full utilization of women and minorities. B. Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? To support diversity, the University has implemented an extensive array of programs, policies and activities in three major areas: •
Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Pipeline Programs: Central to the University’s strategic effort to support diversity at NC State are programs that prepare outstanding men and women to join the professoriate or to serve on our staff. o Pre‐College Programs: The Office for Pre‐College Programs provides a one‐stop‐shop for over thirty academic pre‐college programs in a variety of academic disciplines aimed at helping students prepare for college while experiencing college life at NC State. Programs available for elementary, middle, and high school students provide college planning resources and conduct visitation program for middle and high school students from schools, churches, and community organizations. o Recruitment at Professional Conferences. Members of the campus community representing colleges, departments and diversity offices across campus attend professional conferences to recruit future faculty and staff. In addition to discipline‐ specific conferences, the university sends representatives to major minority faculty recruiting fairs like the Southern Regional Executive Board Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, a four‐day conference that has become the largest gathering of minority doctoral scholars in the country. o The Building Future Faculty Program. The N C State Building Future Faculty Program is an annual two‐day all‐expenses paid workshop for doctoral students and post‐ doctoral scholars who are interested in pursuing academic careers, who are committed to promoting diversity in higher education, and who are one to two years away from beginning a job search. Participants attend sessions describing life as a faculty member at a research extensive university, expectations for new faculty, and resources available to faculty for help with research and teaching. o Pathway to the Professoriate Program. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the NC State Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Program is 33
a comprehensive effort to create a better pathway to the Ph.D. and the professoriate for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines, as well as the social sciences. Programs offered through AGEP at NC State include campus visits, undergraduate summer research experiences, bridging programs, a future faculty recruitment program and others. Examples include N C Alliance to Create Opportunity through Education (NC‐OPT‐ED) Alliance Day, a national conference for students from middle school through graduate school, “crosstalks” to provide Ph.D. students from different universities the opportunity to network with one another, and an annual workshop on mentoring for current and future faculty. o Diversity Grants and Financial Support for Graduate Education. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity provides mentoring, professional development opportunities, and funding to NC State undergraduate and graduate students to help increase diversity in doctoral education and in the Ph.D. workforce in biomedical and behavioral sciences. For current graduate students, we also offer Diversity Enhancement Grants that provide supplemental fellowships up to $4,000, depending on financial need. In addition, Directors of Graduate Programs are invited to submit nominations for supplemental Graduate School Diversity Enhancement Recruiting Fellowships to increase the amount funds offered to incoming graduate students. •
Faculty/Staff Search and Hiring Programs and Activities. In addition to creating a pipeline for future diverse faculty and staff, NC State aggressively pursues programs, policies and activities to recruit and hire the very best candidates in the pool. o Search Committee Education and Briefings. The Office of Equal Opportunity and Equity (OEOE) leads campus efforts to educate and prepare faculty and staff search committees, particularly with respect to our commitment to diversity. In addition to face‐to‐face briefings on best practices related to promoting diversity, the OEOE has created an online Search Committee Education Module to increase knowledge of correct, legal, and recommended hiring practices within the university community. o A Call to Action: What Leaders Can Do To Promote Faculty and Staff Diversity. In September 2007, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Office for Equal Opportunity and Equity published this document, which calls for campus leaders to take action in four major areas in order to increase the demographic at NC State: senior leadership engagement, an aggressive affirmative action plan and process, effective employee retention plans, and a strong institutional commitment to metrics, accountability and reward of progress towards demographic diversity. o Target of Opportunity Hiring Policy. NC State’s target of opportunity hiring policy allows departments speed and flexibility in securing faculty and staff candidates outside the standard hiring process. The process is most frequently used in hiring nationally renowned scholars in targeted curricular growth areas, attracting
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outstanding senior scholars, adding senior leadership to a program, and diversifying the faculty in areas where under representation exists. •
Faculty and Staff Retention and Success Programs. A third component of our strategic faculty and staff diversity effort promotes faculty and staff retention and success. o Faculty and Staff Retention Plans and Initiatives. Departments are strongly encouraged to develop and implement faculty and staff retention plans, including department head diversity leadership training, mentoring and collaboration programs, maintaining inclusive climates in the departments, and promoting family and work/life balance. Other initiatives in this area include salary equity studies, competitive faculty start‐up packages, the Assistant Professor’s Learning Community, and the PURPOSE Institute, Promoting Under Represented Presence On Science and Engineering faculty. The Institute focuses on the recruitment, preparation and retention of African‐American, Hispanic or Native American science and engineering faculty members in science and engineering. o Welcoming and Inclusive Campus Climate. The campus sponsors and implements many programs and activities to promote minority faculty retention and success, such as a wide variety of diversity education programs offered by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Equity and throughout the campus community. Family friendly polices, tenure clock flexibility policies, childcare facilities, and parental leave polices all contribute to creating a welcoming and inclusive campus. In each of the colleges and several campus units, diversity coordinators develop and implement programs and activities designed to create a welcoming and inclusive campus climate. A wide range of organizations support an inclusive campus, including the Faculty Senate, the Staff Senate Diversity Committee, the University Diversity Advisory Council, the African American Faculty and Staff Organization, the Chancellor’s African American Community Advisory Council, the Council on the Status of Women, the Association of Women Faculty, the African American Coordinating Committee, and the GLBT Center Advisory Council. o Diversity Programs Assessment. These activities are assessed through the Office for Diversity and Inclusion Diversity Assessment Plan, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Equity Assessment Plan, surveys conducted by University Planning and Analysis Assessment, OEOE Exit Interviews for Separating Faculty, The NC State Diversity Fact Book, and the Faculty Salary Equity Study. Many individual campus units, departments and activities also produce their own diversity assessment plans.
7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. 35
Succession planning must be considered in light of the University’s commitment to full and open recruitment for vacant positions, where all qualified candidates have the opportunity to compete for vacancies on their individual merits and qualifications. While NC State has a traditionally‐strong record of promoting well‐qualified internal candidates for administrative and professional positions, the university needs to retain full flexibility to hire top external candidates who can bring new and alternative experiences and expertise to the institution. NC State supports the participation of its faculty and staff in a range of leadership development programs at the institutional, state, and national levels, which help the university identify and prepare faculty and staff for future leadership opportunities. •
NC State is strengthening professional development opportunities on campus for department heads, center directors, and other faculty leaders. In particular, development programs are being developed for new department heads.
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NC State has received an NSF ADVANCE grant which will focus in part on assisting department heads in developing more supportive departments, reducing unconscious bias in hiring, and identifying and providing development opportunities to emerging leaders, particularly women and faculty from underrepresented groups. The grants aim is to create departmental climates that will improve retention of female and minority faculty members. Effective leadership development models developed through the ADVANCE program can be employed beyond the period of grant funding.
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The appointment of associate deans, associate department heads, and other departmental leadership positions such as directors of graduate programs provide training and experience that prepare them to be competitive for positions as dean and department heads.
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Human Resources offers a range of training and development programs for SPA staff, EPA professionals, faculty and administrators. These programs support employees in their current positions and can position them for future leadership positions.
8. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. •
Although North Carolina’s budget cuts have so far been smaller than those in many other states, fiscal concerns will impact the ability to recruit and retain faculty in the near future. Financial uncertainty creates low morale among faculty and staff, potentially impacting effectiveness and productivity.
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Applying the 12‐cell enrollment funding matrix as an average across all schools generating credit hours within a cell negatively affects NC State’s ability to conduct teaching and research.
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The State of North Carolina has not funded research at a level comparable to other states with whom we are compared. Funds for research excellence in the hundreds of millions of dollars are needed.
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UNC School of the Arts 1. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? • Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? • Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? • Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? • Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? UNCSA continuously assesses its workforce needs in light of budgetary constraints, its current programs and potential future needs. The Office of Human Resources consults regularly and works closely with the Chancellor, the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Academic Officer to determine ongoing needs and to manage efficiencies throughout the organization. Since UNCSA does not anticipate significant enrollment growth in the future, staffing needs for the campus, including faculty and staff, are not anticipated to change dramatically in the years to come. We are confident that we have a thorough understanding of our current workforce, including faculty and staff, and the potential changes that may occur in the next five years. Please see the charts in the power point presentation attached hereto. We do anticipate some faculty retirements as well as normal attrition among faculty and staff. However, we are prepared to manage those transitions through our ongoing recruitment practices. Because of UNCSA’s mission and highly specialized faculty, we must continuously assess potential needs within the faculty and support staff. Human Resources, the Chief Academic Officer and the Deans work closely together to track those potential needs and to identify areas that will need particular attention among our faculty. The career banding of all support staff and the E&Y study have moved the organization closer to understanding the competencies required for all staff and administrative functions on our campus. The Office of Human Resources went “live” with HR Banner this fall and now has excellent electronic employee data. The Office of Human Resources is working to develop reporting capabilities within the system to quickly evaluate our employee population including identifying demographics and examining attrition statistics, including resignations, retirements, internal transfers and promotions, and involuntary terminations. Upon the completion of the implementation of the position module of People Admin we will be able to electronically conduct a skills inventory of current employees and vacancies. As noted above, the Office of Human Resources plays a major role in development of strategies relating to workforce and organizational development at UNCSA. Although, historically, UNCSA has not had a strong human resources function, in recent years the Office of Human Resources 38
has become a critical player on the campus and is now involved in all major recruitment activities, and works much more closely with the senior management team to ensure that faculty and staff are in place to enable the campus to meet its goals and accomplish its mission. 2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? o Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? o Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? UNCSA is somewhat unique in that it must hire highly specialized artists that can teach a particular art form to students. The campus understands, to the extent possible, its workforce needs in the next five years. UNCSA does have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy to attract top‐quality talent, but its implementation may be delayed due to severe budgetary restrictions. Through the exercise of evaluating potential budget reversions as high as 7%, and as part of UNCSA’s ongoing assessment of its workforce, Human Resources and the Chief Operating Officer continuously determine where efficiencies can be achieved within the workforce. The campus is understaffed in many areas and cutting positions will cripple departments to a degree that will prevent them from performing the basic functions of their respective areas. UNCSA employees represent a talented and dedicated workforce that, with appropriate training, can grow with the institution. The Office of Human Resources had completed interviews to hire a trainer, but the position was frozen due to the current budget crisis. The absence of an onsite trainer hampers our ability to develop and retain employees. UNCSA already adheres to a policy of redeploying employees where possible and will reduce the size of the workforce when necessary. 3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? o Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? o Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts?
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Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐ tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty?
UNCSA continuously evaluates its workforce and has determined, based on the make‐up of the workforce currently, the percentage of employees eligible for retirement in the coming years. As noted above, since the campus will not experience significant enrollment growth, we believe UNCSA can manage the retirement and attrition of its workforce effectively without any significant detrimental impact to the campus. UNCSA’s Office of Human Resources now has a full time human resources generalist that oversees all of the recruitment activities and job design on the campus. This has significantly improved the effectiveness of the recruiting activities. Through improved screening and interview processes, employee orientation, the retention rate of employees has improved and turnover has decreased. Further improvement will come from the ability to train our employees in both hard skills and soft skills, to provide each employee and manager with a baseline for success. General Administration could assist our effectiveness by coordinating shared services between campuses, facilitating opportunities for policy comparisons and reviews, providing standards when appropriate. Most importantly, General Administration could assist our effectiveness by supporting the recommendations from the UNC Task force. The availability of phased retirement has not had a major impact at UNCSA. Due to the relatively small size of our faculty and the fact that we do not have tenure, we have been able to manage retirements relatively well. 4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? UNCSA, not unlike other campuses in the UNC system, continues to have a difficult time recruiting persons of color for open faculty positions. Due to the specialized nature of most of our faculty positions and the fact that the candidate pools for such positions are so limited, we do not anticipate any change in this circumstance. Consequently, as our student body becomes increasingly diverse, our faculty may not mirror that diversity, which can create challenges. Human Resources will continue to seek a bilingual workforce. In addition, Human Resources and the wellness committees will continue to evaluate our population’s need for family friendly workplace practices and policies as the age of our employee population shifts.
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5. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.? UNCSA is recognized as one of the leading conservatories in the United States. We compete with the likes of Juilliard, Eastman, and other private institutions for our faculty and, to some extent, our staff. In addition, many of our faculty are recruited from the private sector. Consequently, the most significant barrier to recruiting high potential talent is our inability to offer competitive salaries and benefits. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that we are the smallest campus in the system, with little or no enrollment growth, and with approved salary ranges for positions that are compared to other small campuses but are not competitive with the market place in which we recruit. To effectively address these challenges, UNCSA should not be compared to small campuses within the system but should be compared to the top professional (law, business, medical) schools within the system, and should be funded similarly. The additional resources would provide us the flexibility to compete for the very best performing artists and instructors and would enable us to attract the highest caliber students in the country. Simply put, financial resources are the single most significant obstacle to the school reaching its full potential. 6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? o Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? o Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? UNCSA strives to attract and maintain a diverse workforce throughout all program and support areas of the university. We define diversity as race, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or political affiliation. The university defines its goals in our EEO/AA Plan filed with the Office of State Personnel each March. The Office of Human Resources is committed to achieving those goals and is particularly sensitive in each recruitment effort to seek minority candidates to fill positions. In 2005, the Office of Human Resources became the EEO/AA office for UNCSA. The bias related harassment policy was revised, the EEO Plan was updated and the recruitment processes were revamped to include an emphasis on assembling diverse hiring committees as well as training hiring committee members on issues relating to interviewer bias. The initiative has been somewhat effective in that 55% of new hires for 2008 were diversity hires. However, we believe additional efforts will be required to make more progress including climate surveys, and sensitivity and awareness training. We hope to see continued improvements in the years to come.
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7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. UNCSA continues our commitment to diversity and to our EEO policy and plan through competitive recruitment. We strongly encourage managers to offer development opportunities to their current employees so that they may become the most qualified candidate to apply for a vacancy within the institution. The state prohibits pre‐selection as dictated by G.S. 126‐7.1. As referenced above, recently, the school created a training position within the Office of Human Resources. That individual would be responsible for training and professional development programs for employees. However, due to the budget reversion, the position has been frozen and has not yet been filled. Consequently, the school does not have any formal training or professional development programs for employees. UNCSA does encourage its employees to utilize programs offered through the Office of State Personnel, UNC system and other outside professional organizations that will contribute to the professional development of the employee. 8. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. UNCSA is, perhaps, the most challenged campus in the system from a resource standpoint. In addition, it is more like a professional school than a traditional university or college campus within the UNC system. We believe the “reclassification” of the campus would change the perception of the campus and would help the Board of Governors and the General Assembly understand why UNCSA requires a different funding model. That is the largest single barrier preventing the school from hiring and retaining the highest quality faculty and staff.
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UNC Asheville The UNC Tomorrow Commission recommended that “UNC should prepare for wide‐scale faculty retirement and should increase efforts to recruit and retain high‐quality faculty.” (Recommendation 5.4) The Commission further recommended that “UNC should increase efforts to attract and retain high‐quality staff at all levels.” (Recommendation 5.5) Campuses are asked to consider their internal workforce planning needs over the next 5 years, including (1) critical talent issues, including leader and worker shortages; (2) the aging workforce including retirement and attrition trends among faculty and staff; (3) the impact of worldwide demographic shifts on campus workforces; (4) strategies for recruiting and retaining high potential talent; and (5) managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce. In identifying strategies responding to this section, campuses are asked to consider the related suggested strategies identified by the UNC Tomorrow Commission (See Recommendations 5.4 and 5.5 of the UNC Tomorrow Commission Final Report). In conducting this review, campuses are encouraged to seek input from and involve their human resources professionals and faculty and staff representatives. = = = = = = = = = = = = = Consultation process: Because the recruitment and retention of faculty and staff are complex issues, with processes that are both divergent and intertwined, our campus took an approach to this study that included consultation from various campus constituencies. • Academic Affairs has conferred, formally and informally, with members of the Faculty Senate, with Academic Deans, Chairs & Program Directors, and a multi‐constituent group called the Provost’s Cabinet. • Human Resources conferred with the Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Committee (CSAC), and with the Human Resources Service Council, which includes members of both faculty and staff. • Our University Planning Council, a multi‐constituent group that provides important consultation on major university topics, reviewed a draft in November and provided additional guidance and feedback. The following document is a compilation of what we know now, what we have learned through our consultation, and how we intend to plan for the future of UNC Asheville.
1. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future?
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Yes. The University’s Strategic Plan includes Social Sustainability as one of its nine goals. Although a full‐scale review had not yet been completed, we had already begun several important facets of such a review before the UNC Tomorrow request to do so. This UNCT report has allowed us to pull these separate projects together in service of a more helpful overview of our staffing issues. After analyzing campus‐wide trends among faculty and staff groups, we intend to develop departmental profiles which will identify the expertise, credentials, and competencies that will be needed within the departments (academic and administrative) over the next 10 or 15 years, and compare these profiles with the profile of existing departments. The academic department or administrative office profile will require demographic, economic, and social science research to tell us how each of these factors might affect the behavior of a multi‐ generational workforce. This profile comparison, and the plan that develops from it, will look significantly different for academic and administrative departments, but the goal and outcome will be the same: to understand what we have and what we need, and make a plan to develop the workforce that will bring to life the vision we have jointly articulated for our campus. In order to accomplish this in the recruitment of faculty, Academic Affairs will lead conversations with faculty leadership—Department Chairs, Program Directors, and Faculty Senate, among others—on improving the linkage between University mission, the strategic plan, and the mechanisms in place for recruitment, retention, support and promotion of new faculty hires. In the past three years, UNC Asheville has taken a proactive approach to establishing appropriate market salary ranges for all staff positions. Internal equity studies are conducted on an ongoing basis for vacated or re‐classified positions. With the recent approval of the University’s Strategic Plan, the process to more thoroughly evaluate our current workforce against the workforce needs of the future has begun in earnest. o Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? Not yet. While there are increasing numbers of faculty and staff becoming eligible to retire (see charts attached), we believe these employees may delay retirement, given the current uncertain economic climate. However, current data indicates that approximately 20% of our staff will be eligible to retire with full state retirement benefits in the next 5 years. The Student Affairs Division will experience a retirement eligibility of an estimated 11%, while each of the remaining divisions will experience a retirement eligibility of 20 – 24%. During the next 10 year period, 42% of our current staff workforce will be eligible to retire with full State retirement benefits. The retirements will affect all occupational categories. We are intensifying our succession planning efforts, and will continue to plan for workforce and demographic changes in the near future. o Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? 44
This process has been underway for the past two years for staff positions. Efforts have included organizational development studies with several important groups, including housekeeping and academic office support, identified areas in which job profiles have changed significantly in recent years as a result of process improvement and technology. Many positions are functioning at a higher level of responsibility and independence, and have been more appropriately classified to reflect those changes. A study for senior staff support and other groups are planned as we complete and fully implement the recommendations of the early studies.
Human Resources is conducting a benchmarking study of positions, staffing levels, and salaries among two of UNC Asheville’s important peer groups: The Council for Public Liberal Arts Colleges and the UNC General Administration‐ approved peer list. These are scheduled to be completed by June 2009.
Career Banding, the new pay and classification system that was required by the NC Legislature for all state employees subject to the State Personnel Act (SPA employees), is providing an important rubric of competencies and skill sets for these employees, who comprise roughly 2/3 of our staff workforce. All our SPA employees are now Career Banded, and we have completed supervisory assessments of individual employee competencies, which will contribute to helping us identify staffing and training needs for the next five years.
Human Resources provides Senior Staff semi‐monthly updates on new position requests and reclassifications. Senior Staff approve position actions in accordance with established priorities of the University’s strategic plan, internal equity considerations and market rates.
In Academic Affairs, the Provost and the Deans conduct regular conversations with Chairs and Program Directors, in order to identify disciplinary and interdisciplinary developments that signal opportunities for department and program growth. Emerging areas in curricular evolution and new developments in scholarship result in the targeting of new knowledge domains and skill sets for which faculty staffing must be adjusted. The Provost has instituted a system of general input on position allocation at monthly meetings of the assembled chairs and program directors, at which discussions take place on criteria for moving ahead on new searches.
Beyond this general discussion, Academic Affairs has for three years informed this conversation through the institution of a Position Allocation Committee, consisting of the Provost, the Deans, and chair and program director representatives from the four academic program areas. This committee receives all position requests, reviews them in the context of current data and projected enrollments, and then makes recommendations to the Provost on the allocation of new and continuing positions.
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The next step is to undertake a focused study of enrollment data, class sizes, and major declarations to assess the alignment between allocation of faculty teaching resources and student need/demand.
o Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process?
UNC Asheville has some of the elements needed in workforce planning already in place, but is continuing to develop a more comprehensive process within our organization. We hired outside advisors and trainers to help us with our first organizational development studies (described above).
In 2007‐08, Academic Affairs empanelled a Faculty Workload Taskforce to study curricular coverage patterns, identify reporting needs, and make recommendations for future planning. Academic Affairs sees this Workload Study as an emerging tool in monitoring and addressing workforce needs in delivering the curriculum.
The development and approval of our strategic plan was the first step in our workforce planning process. Collaborative efforts between Human Resources and Finance have resulted in a more comprehensive personnel budget tracking system. In addition, a Wage and Compensation Specialist was added to Human Resources in late 2006. The primary responsibilities for the Specialist include researching current trends and market salary rates, conducting equity analyses, and tracking position activity for all SPA and EPA Non‐Faculty positions.
The organizational development studies mentioned in response to question #1 above will continue with future studies to be conducted in a phased approach.
The NC Office of State Personnel has created a data warehouse and business intelligence application called NC WORKS that will enable NC State Government to proactively manage and forecast talent needs. Once the application is ready for use, the Universities will have an additional tool to analyze:
Current workforce supply to forecast future staffing availability based on current staff and trend data, Future staffing needs Comparison of present workforce to future workforce human capital needs to identify gaps and surpluses in staffing, Projected workforce based on expected attrition, and Retirement eligibility and likelihood of retirement (based on predictive modeling analysis)
In Spring 2008, Human Resources conducted a Professional Development Needs Analysis Survey (using both online and paper survey forms). 33.5% of staff members surveyed indicated the areas in which professional development for our staff is needed. Areas explored included topics needed, barriers to attending
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professional development opportunities, preferred methods of training and professional development, best time to offer training, and the level of interest in several program areas (i.e. safety, computer software, leadership/management, etc.) Information gathered was used to create the 2008‐2010 Professional Development program offerings. Human Resources will continue to assess professional development needs and develop additional training programs to provide timely competency/skill development.
The implementation of Banner has improved the quality of reports available to evaluate current staffing.
o Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? Our Human Resources office has conceptualized, designed, led, and managed all of the staff‐related efforts described above, and will continue to lead the campus in organizational development efforts for staff employees.
2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages?
Yes. Of particular concern is the salary disparity among specific positions and in specific specialties as compared to similar positions in our regional and national job market.
o Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions?
The challenges in this area are multiple:
Attracting top quality teaching faculty in a public undergraduate liberal arts setting where interdisciplinary teaching and learning are cornerstones of the curriculum is a particular challenge – in many ways, this approach to teaching is more demanding on faculty members. We compete with private liberal arts universities where faculty salaries, benefits, working conditions and perks are more generous. It is difficult to retain faculty interested in teaching at public undergraduate liberal arts universities because the salaries, benefits, working conditions and perks are less lucrative.
Having identified diversity as our campus’ greatest weakness, we are focused on improving the demographics on campus to reflect the larger world around us.
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We are working to assure that our students and faculty have the benefit of exposure to a wide range of ideas, perspectives and values. In the liberal arts setting, it is critical that we offer opportunities for all campus constituencies— particularly our students—to learn about and engage global cultures and practice. This diversity of views and knowledge strengthens critical thinking and analytical reasoning, and is central to UNC Tomorrow learning outcomes and goals regarding global readiness.
With our faculty salaries consistently at the bottom of the 16‐campus system, we are challenged in recruiting and retaining the high quality faculty that are needed for our unique setting. Our university is consistently ranked highly in comparison with others like ourselves (e.g., U.S. News and World Report, the College Learning Assessment, etc) and we need the highest quality faculty to match.
Our Strategic Plan has identified specific goals, and work groups to undertake these goals, focusing on the Faculty and Staff Search Process, Diversity and inclusion, Undergraduate Education, and Social Sustainability. Academic affairs will dovetail efforts with these work groups in order to review search procedures pertaining to cultivation of diverse candidate pools, candidates’ fit with institutional/liberal arts mission, desire to participate fully in interdisciplinary teaching and learning, alignment of tenure and promotion to effect retention, and the addressing of salary levels at all ranks.
We are working toward a more comprehensive and integrative effort to link faculty recruitment, retention, support, and promotion efforts and policies for new faculty hires to our liberal arts mission, interdisciplinary practice, and tradition of undergraduate research, all of which are featured prominently in the University’s Strategic Plan.
In Fall 2006, UNC Asheville implemented PeopleAdmin, an online application system for staff. The number of applications for employment has increased significantly with the transition to paperless application system. Updates to our PeopleAdmin system are planned for the coming year, including features to provide more beneficial information to applicants.
UNC Asheville has increased its participation in regional job fairs.
We now advertise staff vacancies in publications targeting diverse markets, broader regions, and specific vocational areas. Human Resources plans to further increase advertisements in local publications targeting diverse audiences and to focus on writing job announcements that appeal to a wider audience by including elements that appeal to diverse markets, adding a values statement, and emphasizing the total benefits package.
We are expanding methods of promoting the benefits of working at UNC Asheville, including updating web content, developing flyers, working with local
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community college career centers, and networking with current employees/alumni to promote UNC Asheville’s career opportunities.
As part of the social sustainability element of the University’s Strategic Plan, a special Workgroup was developed to work toward the following goals:
2008 ‐ 2009: Improve search process to better match faculty and staff applicants with the University’s mission and expectations 2009 ‐ 2010: Establish appropriate targets for staffing levels and competitive pay for all university positions 2010 – 2011: Explore career satisfaction strategies for all employees (enhancing work/life balance, robust technology, internal communications, diversity, workplace wellness, and campus infrastructure) 2011 – 2012: Develop professional development plans for all employees with funding to implement it 2012 – 2013: Achieve salary levels that are at or above 80th percentile of faculty and staff peers.
o Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future?
As a small liberal arts institution, we have built‐in mechanism for resilience and response to changing needs: employees are used to wearing ‘multiple hats’ and fulfilling multiple functions in a setting where departments are one‐person or two‐people deep. Although this presents a liability for the University in times of vacancies, illnesses, and vacations, it is an advantage in that employees, faculty and staff, are adept at filling multiple roles – what the business world might consider ‘cross training’ is a way of life in an environment of interdisciplinary habits of mind. In addition, we are so leanly staffed, there is no excess to trim through a reduction‐in‐force. In fact, the equivalent of approximately 38 full time administrative positions are currently filled by faculty members who receive release time to fill these critical administrative roles, at least partially because we do not have the funding to staff them.
One of the barriers to attracting and keeping faculty is that they often have to fulfill multiple roles and feel compelled to prioritize tasks for which they are not trained (e.g., administration) and which do not increase their discipline knowledge or teaching effectiveness.
Ongoing OD studies will further identify the future skill needs and aid in identifying professional development needs for our employees, enabling them to develop additional competencies that will be needed in the workplace in the future. By developing a professional development program aimed at helping employees succeed in career paths, versus targeting improving skills only useful in their current jobs, the university hopes to increase retention rates, provide 49
avenues for internal promotions, and provide greater overall job satisfaction for employees.
UNC Asheville’s Reduction‐In‐Force policy for SPA employees follows Office of State Personnel’s guidelines and provides for employees in phased‐out functions or programs to transfer to other areas within the university when feasible.
3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the
percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? See Answer to first bullet under #1 and attached tables/statistics. o Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization?
The proportion of faculty who have stayed at UNC Asheville for 10, 20, or 30 years is a clear demonstration of the success of Academic Affairs in hiring faculty who fit well with out liberal arts mission. Academic Affairs is beginning the process of analyzing how to refine the search process to enhance the fit with our liberal arts mission and commitment to interdisciplinary teaching and learning. (See details in items 1 and 2 above.) This will also require the faculty to address the issue of appropriate balance between teaching, research, and service, and an alignment of this balance with policies regarding reappointment, tenure and promotion. This work has already begun.
Ongoing recruitment efforts ‐ see D.2.
Retention efforts include:
Annual re‐assessments and improvements to the monthly Nuts and Bolts New Employee Orientation Program that provides the new employee with information they will need as the begin their new job and the semi‐annual UNC Asheville Way orientation program that introduces the employee to the rich history, culture and values of the University community. Enhancements that will be incorporated into the orientation programs in the coming year include providing information on ways to become involved in the university community, information about community resources, and an expanded emphasis on the tuition assistance and educational funds available to employees.
Academic Affairs offers an orientation program for new faculty and a separate orientation program for new department chairs and program directors at the state of each academic year. Both programs are coordinated by the Office of the Deans and serve to introduce newcomers to important responsibilities, resources, and resource persons. The Office of the Deans also provides each
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new adjunct instructor with an Adjunct Instructor Handbook and a teaching resource book written specifically for adjunct faculty.
Academic Affairs has revived its successful faculty mentor program, in which senior and junior faculty are assigned to new faculty hires. These mentors then are able to identify interests and opportunities available to new hires, in an efficient and informed manner. In addition, the mentor program serves an important acculturation feature, through which new faculty can learn about important policies, procedures and support mechanisms, all of which assists directing support to them quickly and effectively.
UNC Asheville’s Human Resources Department has developed several certification programs to encourage employees to develop core competencies and meet professional development goals. By offering more opportunities for career development, UNC Asheville hopes to increase retention rates:
o Administrative Professional and Frontline Service Professional – this year’s classes include Banner Finance, Microsoft Excel I, II and III, and Access I, II, III and Advanced Access. o Frontline Leadership – provides supervisors by equipping them with the basic skills and responsibilities needed in the supervisor role. Courses include Policy Essentials, Equal Employment Opportunity Institute, Disciplinary Process, Performance Management and Career Banding, Building an Environment of Trust, Getting Started as a New Leader, Coaching and Counseling Fundamentals, and Developing Others. •
•
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Extraordinary Leadership – a two‐year leadership development program for campus leaders, is all about cultivating our most valuable resources – our individual contributors and teams – in meeting our objectives. This program is designed to prepare our leaders to handle challenges and encourages a more flexible, motivated and capable workforce. Courses include: Essentials of Leadership, Building and Environment of Trust, Motivating Others, Workplace Diversity and Developing Others. Academic Affairs supports a number of faculty development opportunities, such as the Summer Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies Faculty Development Program and the Center for Teaching and Learning Reading Circle Program, which offer both junior and senior faculty support for enhancing their knowledge and practice in pedagogy. We would like to expand the role of the Center for Teaching and Learning on campus and enable it to offer a greater variety of professional development opportunities. Academic Affairs provides research support in its Summer Faculty‐Student Undergraduate Research Partnership Program, which allows faculty to work intensively during the summer months with students on mentored undergraduate research. Our Undergraduate Research Program also provides summer funds, through a number of grant funded projects, further enabling
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faculty to deepen core competencies in their own scholarship and in undergraduate research. o Additional Professional Development opportunities include: o Professional Development Lunch Series – monthly lunch and learn series designed to enhance professional and leadership competencies through discussion and interactive exercises. Participants enhance their professional skills to successfully meet the ever‐expanding workplace expectations. o Supervisor Roundtable – monthly lunch series designed to help supervisors keep updated on policies, procedures, employment law and position management. o Supervisor Forum – quarterly peer‐based information sharing session based on current issues and trends in supervision.
Other class offerings include Introductory Spanish. English as a Second Language and Introduction to Sign Language.
A Flexible Work Schedule policy was implemented to provide better work/life balance for employees.
The Chancellor hosts “All Campus Meetings” several times each semester to provide faculty and staff updates on legislative actions that affect our campus, board of trustees actions, and other issues of university‐wide significance.
The University is increasing collaboration across campus divisions through workgroups established to implement strategic plan initiatives and in support of the challenges facing a multi‐generational workforce. The university continues to seek ways to foster community connectedness.
The university’s administration strongly supports campus‐wide efforts to build community through outreach programs such as Community Connections Week, community service opportunities, the annual Fall Picnic at the beginning of each academic year, ‘coffee on the quad,’ the Turning of the Maples,’ the annual holiday gathering, and other events that include faculty and staff, and oftentimes students.
With the support and encouragement of the Chancellor, a Human Resources Service Council was formed in Fall 2007. Guided by the Social Sustainability goal of the University’s Strategic Plan, the Council seeks ways to encourage and support academic, civic and campus community engagement. Human Resources works with the Council to better understand and collaboratively prioritize the issues that are important to employees, to provide enhanced human resources support, and improve human resources processes. Representatives from Faculty Senate, the Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Council, and each campus division participate in the monthly discussions and collaborations.
The Human Resources Office Hours extend through the late evening at least once each week, to provide consistent support and availability for employees on all shifts.
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The office routinely conducts evening benefits sessions and professional development opportunities. o Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts?
The single most valuable policy change would be a revision to the required faculty teaching load to affirm General Administration’s commitment to our identity as a public liberal arts college. Even a modest reduction from 8 courses per year to 7 courses per year would improve our competitive advantage in recruiting new faculty.
Providing at least some of the EPA‐non‐faculty dollars to move those faculty who are in administrative roles out of FTE faculty positions would help us better align our existing teaching resources with student interests and needs while maintaining our ability to accomplish great things with a small administrative staff.
The GA Recruitment & Retention Fund for Faculty has been a tremendous help to us in retaining faculty who are in high demand in their fields. We encourage GA to continue this program. The need to return the funds when we do not retain these faculty members serves as an incentive for us to do better with retention in every way possible.
GA might consider targeting recruitment and retention funds specifically for small and under‐resourced institutions.
GA might initiate a post‐doctoral program through which smaller schools might employ new UNC‐system PhDs, who would then get important faculty development opportunities before entering the job market, while giving the smaller UNC schools needed teaching and research power.
For staff positions that are exempt from the Personnel Act (EPA), greater autonomy over position management would allow us to manage our campus staffing more efficiently, and to be more responsive to the changes in the economy.
Establishing UNC salary ranges for all EPA positions – or even just for the already established generic positions – would allow campuses to establish greater equity across the system, and not have to re‐invent the wheel on each campus.
Establishing supplemental UNC system‐wide benefits would allow all campuses to be more competitive employers for faculty and staff. UNC would have more buying power than individual campuses (a good example is the 403b plan).
Benefits for domestic partners would not only enhance the social sustainability and diversity of UNC campuses, it would serve to improve our competitiveness for top talent. 53
Smaller campuses like UNC Asheville would benefit greatly from several UNC GA Initiatives:
o More competitive health insurance rates o More flexibility in hiring TSERS retirees earlier than 6 months o System‐wide Leadership programs o Centralization of common policies and processes (such as processes associated with the payroll initiative) o Greater leave flexibility for new staff hires o Supporting a “phased retirement” program for staff. o Reward and incentive programs to encourage high‐performance employees. o Develop a system‐wide mentoring program for employees in positions that require thorough knowledge of the intricacies of the state and the University systems. This could serve to help several campuses during transitions in key positions, as well as provide intentional career pathing for talented employees who are ready to progress to higher level positions that may not be available on their own campuses. o Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Faculty phased retirement has facilitated the addressing of broad academic program and departmental needs, as student enrollment patterns change over time and as curricula change to reflect new disciplinary developments. However, because we are a small university, some departments with faculty on phased retirement suffer adverse consequences from the loss of faculty time. It would help if we could replace faculty on phased retirement so that the department’s work can be accomplished. Also, the current economic climate may tend to suppress interest in phased retirement, due to losses in defined contribution plans and the resulting need to work for longer periods of time. o Implementing a phased retirement plan for staff may serve to mirror the transitional benefits among staff positions, especially since early data suggests that staff generational shifts will be more abrupt than faculty generational shifts. o Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty? Yes. This is a matter of workplace fairness and is in line with the recommendations in UNC Asheville’s earlier report on non‐tenure track faculty.
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4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts?
As more institutions seek to expand diversity among their faculty, pressure will increase to raise salaries in order to be competitive in the marketplace. Without a methodical way to increase our faculty salaries, we will be hampered in recruitment and retention of faculty due to worldwide shifts in age and ethnicity/race. We encourage the UNC General Administration to examine ways of “grow‐our‐own” faculty through scholarships/fellowships to graduate programs and through post‐doctoral programs. At UNC Asheville, we have some wonderful lecturers who are in need of their terminal degrees in order to assume a tenure track faculty position. If we had a “grow‐our‐own” program, these lecturers could remain on our faculty and pursue their terminal degrees, thereby making them eligible for tenure‐track status. See also our answer to #2 above. Difficulty recruiting for positions requiring unique or specialized skills due to our inability to compete in the areas of salary and benefits partnered with the high cost of living in the Asheville area. TSERS retirement plan does not appeal to the younger generation of job seekers, precisely the demographic on whom we will rely to replenish our aging workforce. Plans that offer more portability options would be a stronger recruitment tool. Need additional higher level training and career development opportunities to address the challenges of the multi‐generational workforce, providing more opportunities for career growth within the University. Continuing efforts to build multi‐cultural networks within the University and the community (i.e. business and social). There is a limited job market for spouses or partners of new recruits in the Asheville. This puts additional pressure on the salary of the individual being recruited. Paying more competitive salaries will not improve the job prospects of the partner/spouse, but may make it less urgent and/or necessary. Parking is becoming more difficult on campus. Many employees live outside of the immediate Asheville area, which excludes them from the public transportation options. Lack of parking spaces and the cost of parking continue to be of concern. Our inability to retain parking ticket receipts complicates this problem, as the primary method for paying for parking facilities is through parking fees. This poses a proportionally greater financial burden on the lower‐ paid employees whose salaries are already well below market.
o What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/ 55
flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.?
With respect to faculty, three key barriers to improving and retaining high‐ potential talent: (1) below‐market salary levels, (2) heavy teaching loads that draw faculty away from scholarship and undergraduate research work with students, and (3) the high cost of living in Asheville. Specific issues include: o Comparatively low faculty salaries – among the lowest in the UNC system and nationally. o High cost of living in Asheville, especially in housing – among the highest in North Carolina. o Relatively weak and limited job market for spouses and partners. o Salary compression in academic departments. o Salary inversion in some academic departments that are highly competitive (e.g. Management and Accountancy). o Inadequate faculty start‐up funds. o Inadequate lab and office space for faculty. o Low levels of funding for faculty travel and development. o Inadequate levels of matching funds for grant activity. o The need to divert faculty to administrative duties because of inadequate resources to support administrative salaries.
More autonomy with EPA position management would allow all campuses to respond more quickly to the needs of the campus
Salary compression and equity issues are difficult to address with a severely limited budget. Career Banding is providing more flexibility for future career growth among SPA positions, but funding for the initiative is beyond the current capacity of our campus.
Limits on salary increases that prohibit rewarding SPA employees for performance or offering bonuses.
A benefit package that is more competitive with other universities across the nation would assist with recruiting new employees and retaining those we have.
Educational assistance for dependents would be a valuable recruitment and retention tool.
The employee’s cost for benefits, particularly family medical insurance, should be indexed to the campus’ area cost of living, or the individual’s salary, or both. At present, the cost is beyond the reach of many full‐time employees.
Outdated facilities and shortage of space for administrative functions. Not all buildings are fully accessible to individuals with disabling conditions, wiring for technology updates is difficult, etc.
Staff salaries are not competitive enough to attract top‐notch candidates from other institutions. In many searches, we have seen outstanding candidates for
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key positions who have withdrawn because of salary. The high cost of living in Asheville makes this problem even more acute. Benefits that are not competitive (in either coverage or cost) are a secondary but important concern. o With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? The Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan workgroup is in the process of developing a definition of diversity specific to UNC Asheville. o Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? Once we have established a definition, we will establish ranges to increase diversity, to the extent allowed by law. o Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives.
We have organized a Diversity Action Council, bringing together, for the first time, the decision makers and financial managers of all diversity‐related initiatives to establish University priorities and coordinate our efforts and talents. Their first task is to help the campus develop a definition of diversity, and to identify all the funding and programs related to diversity. It will be a future responsibility of this group to help determine which of our many initiatives have been most successful in achieving the inclusiveness and diversity that we desire, so that we may do more of those things.
We have also recently established an Intercultural Center in our Student Union. Fall of 2008 saw the opening of the new Intercultural Center in our Student Union. First‐year goals include: 1. Increase multicultural competence among UNC Asheville students and campus community 2. Improve recruitment and retention of students of color 3. Develop sustainable student organizations for UNC‐Asheville’s multicultural student groups.
Our curriculum requires students to take diversity intensive courses which “focus on the meaning and experience of diversity and difference and the implications of living in a diverse society …. Diversity intensive courses emphasize the complex and problematic processes of identity formation. These courses encourage awareness of the relationships between self and social institutions, both of which rest upon as well as reify difference and hierarchy” (from the ILS website). 57
Each May, Academic Affairs holds a 2‐3 week Faculty Development program, a part of which is devoted to supporting faculty development in the Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies Diversity Intensive program. The NEH Distinguished Teaching Professorship also has funds to support faculty development and has, in the past two years, supported faculty development in the cultures of Italy, India and Ghana, that included opportunities for travel that can in turn support curricular development for the following academic year. This year, Academic Affairs also supported an in‐house conference on Diversity, in which faculty, students, staff and administration participated in panel discussions, presented papers and engaged in other activities pertaining to diversity. Many departments and programs—International Studies, Women’s Studies, Africana Studies, Sociology/Anthropology, Foreign Languages and Classics, among them—support faculty travel that relates directly to issues of diversity.
In early 2008, UNC Asheville’s senior leadership participated in a 9‐week program called Building Bridges with members of senior leadership from the Greater Asheville community. This program focuses on black‐white relationships, and explores the many faces of institutional racism.
o Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? The mission of the Diversity Action Council includes the study and measurement of success in this area. Conversations are beginning within this council to begin measuring effectiveness and setting appropriate benchmarks. o With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? Among SPA employees, the recent implementation of Career Banding has prompted the identification of critical competencies for those employees. Position descriptions and competencies are being designed based on the business needs and senior and mid‐level managers will periodically re‐assess the essential functions of positions within their area to plan for the longer‐term business needs for the position. Positions defined as EPA “Generic” positions are identified as part of our core staff required to support the required components of the UNC System structure. Senior Staff annually evaluate position needs in each division, and the yearly preparation and planning of each division for this evaluation is an essential part of UNC Asheville’s ongoing strategic workforce planning process. 58
o What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe.
The Extraordinary Leadership Program (EXL, a two‐year leadership development course of study for campus leaders), is all about cultivating our most valuable resources – our individual contributors and teams – in meeting our objectives. This program is designed to prepare our leaders to handle challenges and encourages a more flexible, motivated and capable workforce. Sessions include: Essentials of Leadership, Building and Environment of Trust, Motivating Others, Workplace Diversity and Developing Others. Detailed descriptions of the courses are available online at http://www.unca.edu/hr/training/training__developmentEXL.htm
See response to Item #3 for additional professional development offerings.
The UNC General Administration’s recent Ernst & Young study helped to identify key competencies for financial and other high risk areas. Training and development opportunities will be addressing these needs.
This year, the Professional Development manager, who coordinates the EXL Leadership Program, plans to conduct focus groups specific to faculty to identify courses that would be helpful in preparing department chairs, program directors and deans for leadership within the academy. Within the next year, the Provost plans to initiate a faculty leadership seminar for the purpose of cultivating faculty leadership for the future.
o Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed.
It is critical that we address the disconnect between the UNC funding model and the way in which faculty workload is established at UNC Asheville and assessed by UNC GA. Our success in liberal arts education is due, in large measure, to our faculty mentorship of students, particularly in the areas of undergraduate research and community engagement. Because our fulltime faculty spend considerable energy and time in working directly with students on scholarly, community‐based and outreach projects, they are able to facilitate student development at a high level. Faculty at institutions with graduate programs are rewarded with higher salaries and provided with the necessary teaching loads as recognition of the need to work closely with graduate students in developing research skills and a program of scholarship. To mentor undergraduate research students and oversee community‐ based scholarship with undergraduates is no different: it takes time, energy and expertise. Our current 4‐4 teaching load fails to account for the many hours spent 59
engaged in these important teaching activities. The recent CLA (College Learning Assessment) results* testifies to the outstanding work our faculty do with undergraduate students. The UNC model for funding campuses should be constructed to reward this quality of undergraduate teaching, and the model for assessing and determining teaching load by GA should reflect the value our University places on high‐performing graduates. *CLA Results for 2007‐08 show that our freshmen gained more than their entering skills would have predicted and our seniors gained more over four years than would have been predicted. This is in stark contrast to other well‐regarded campuses.
Staff Salaries and Talent Drain – We have recently discovered an additional burden our campus bears as a result of our chronically depressed salaries: In theory, our top tier management positions should be very attractive roles for experienced mid‐level professionals from other campuses who are ready to take on more responsibility. However, our salaries are so low that our Vice Chancellors make significantly less than mid‐level professionals at the larger campuses, most of which are located in areas with lower cost of living. UNC General Administration could help by establishing salary ranges for common EPA positions within the UNC system, and providing assistance for the campuses at the low end of the range to bring their salaries to competitive levels. This would allow for greater career options for UNC employees – improving retention within the University system and greater access for all campuses to talented professionals with University experience. For critical positions that are typically difficult to fill or which might be ‘aging out’ at any given time, UNC GA could provide a ‘career pathing’ program to retain talented employees within the UNC system throughout their careers in their chosen fields. The Office of State Personnel has recently implemented a new job classification and salary range system called Career Banding. 2/3 of our Staff members are subject to the Personnel Act, and therefore were required to be ‘career banded.’ Although this is a vastly improved system, it has set new salary ranges for positions that we are unable to fund with existing resources. To date, there has been very little funding from the Legislature to fund such adjustments. This puts some campuses at a disadvantage with respect to other State agencies and campuses, a situation that hurts the entire University system. If UNC GA could serve as an advocate with the Legislature to make the funding of Career Banding a priority, all campuses would benefit and improve our competitiveness in recruiting and retaining good employees.
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UNC Chapel Hill Our response is arranged in two sections. Section A addresses issues that cut across categories of faculty and staff employees. Section B is focused solely on faculty recruitment and retention. Section A. 1) Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus workforce needs now and for the future? UNC‐Chapel Hill is actively engaged in developing a thoughtful and deliberate workforce plan. Two important factors supporting this effort are: ¾ Moving EPA non‐faculty personnel responsibility to the Office of Human Resources from the Provost’s office (in November 2007) to facilitate a more coherent and effective HR strategy ¾ Establishing a strategic planning division in the Office of Human Resources (OHR) in March 2008 In spring 2008, the Office of Human Resources also developed fiscal‐year strategic goals, several of which are focused on workforce planning topics. These include: ¾ Enhancing the UNC employment brand and recruitment advertising program; ¾ Improving ApplicantWeb (our online employment application process) to make it more user‐friendly and inviting for our applicant pool ¾ Developing a succession planning support framework ¾ Redesigning the new employee orientation program to better familiarize our new hires with the University, and therefore increase employee engagement and ultimately retention ¾ Improving our ability to provide temporary staffing solutions for the University to address near‐term changes in need or to address short‐term, non‐permanent workload needs ¾ Providing essential workforce data to senior University administrators on a quarterly basis, in a user‐friendly and useful format • Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment in the Provost’s office has compiled workforce data for several years. Further, the development of the Human Resources Data Warehouse several years ago has provided institutional and departmental leadership additional opportunities to query and obtain workforce data easily in a variety of formats and presentations.
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From this data, we are able to discern who will be eligible for retirement and how our workforce will be aging (about 26 percent of our total SPA workforce will be eligible to retire within 10 years). In addition, we are in the process of expanding our workforce reporting capabilities by enriching the amount of transactional human resources data that will be available for analysis. This includes more careful analysis of promotional and employee separation trends as well as salary administration decision‐making. To more thoroughly understand what changes will occur in our workforce, we are considering additional steps, including: ¾ Surveying our employees regarding their current level of satisfaction/engagement and assessing trends across time and by work unit ¾ Increasing our understanding of our applicant pool, and how the addition of new employees from this pool will affect the demographics of our current workforce and potentially influence our recruitment strategies •
Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years?
This spring, the University completed the transition to the career banding classification system for our more than 6,800 permanent SPA positions. The banding system has identified competencies for each band and role. OHR’s Training & Development department is continuing to design certificate track programs (a series of courses on a specified theme) for the more common SPA branches and roles at the University. We anticipate that this training program will help support competency development within our workforce as employees refine their skill sets for their current roles and look forward to potential developmental opportunities to better use newly acquired skills. In addition, UNC‐Chapel Hill offers a longstanding management development program that targets the development and/or enhancement of managerial and leadership competencies in existing and prospective University managers. This free program enjoys strong interest and support within the University management community. •
Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? The Human Resources Data Warehouse allows OHR and University managers to access human resource metrics such as turnover, staff demographics, etc. from their desktop through a web‐browser based tool. Recently, we have also begun using a third‐party commercial software product called PeopleClick to perform statistical analysis of recruitment data, and will use that information to both enhance our recruiting strategies and enhance our compliance posture. Also, as previously noted, we are now taking steps to further expand our management reporting capabilities to incorporate a broader set of human resources transactional data available in our existing legacy business systems. 62
However, even with the above noted efforts, we remain limited by aging payroll and human resource information systems, with reporting capabilities far less robust than would be available from a more modern suite of integrated administrative systems. To this end, the University is in the early stages of a large‐scale replacement of all of our administrative systems, including HR and Payroll, through the implementation of the PeopleSoft Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The ERP is expected to substantially enhance our analytical capabilities with regard to workforce planning and human resources data. Early pre‐planning for implementation of the HR/Payroll portion of the University’s ERP system is expected to commence in December 2008. •
Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives?
OHR uses many opportunities to engage in discussions with administrators at a variety of levels, from departmental management to the Chancellor’s Cabinet, to help inform and promote workforce strategies that address the University’s principal missions of teaching, research, and public service. For example, when the Lineberger Cancer Center received additional funding from the North Carolina General Assembly last year, OHR met with Lineberger management and helped them develop solutions for recruiting and retaining research nurse positions, which are needed to meet expanding research demands. OHR has also partnered with UNC General Administration and our sister institutions to provide more flexible EPA job classifications for clinical administrators within the School of Medicine, who have a central role in the management of clinical revenue‐generating units within this School. OHR continues to embrace and pursue opportunities to collaborate with GA and our sister UNC campuses on workforce issues of mutual concern and where enhanced economies of scale can result. 2) With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? Information from the HR Data Warehouse confirms that UNC‐Chapel Hill can expect talent shortages from retiring staff, most notably in the executive, administrative, and skilled trade job families (e.g., carpenters, electricians, painters and HVAC technicians). We also are aware of several specific roles that are classified as “hard to fill” at the University, such as nurses, statisticians and IT application analysts. We expect that this gap will increase in the future. We are developing targeted strategies for each of these areas. • Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? 63
We are concerned about our ability to recruit top talent for our vacancies. Located in the Research Triangle, Carolina faces intense competition for talent – not only from other Tier 1 research universities, but particularly from private organizations that offer rich total compensation packages and have the agility to adapt their recruiting strategies in response to the changing talent market. The unemployment rate in the Research Triangle is historically very low, and has made recruiting even the more common jobs such as clerical positions challenging. We are currently designing a proactive recruitment strategy that includes: ¾ Meeting with departmental leadership to discuss targeted efforts for “hard to fill” positions ¾ Providing our department clients with data regarding the effectiveness of various recruitment sources and mediums ¾ Expanding our presence at career fairs and employment events
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Even with a softening national and regional economy, Carolina must remain cognizant of the very real competitive pressures we face in recruiting and retaining the most specialized or in‐demand talent. Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? UNC‐Chapel Hill’s practice has been to avoid layoffs whenever possible by reassigning individuals to open positions when such opportunities present themselves and the employee in question has the requisite skills that are aligned to specific available openings. Our layoff policy is currently being reviewed to ensure clarity and to assure it appropriately reflects the new SPA career banding structure. In the meantime, OHR will continue to make efforts to minimize the impact of necessary layoffs as much as possible. In addition, in early 2007, we contracted with Lee Hecht Harrison, a global leader in career counseling, to assist with outplacement counseling services for EPA and SPA employees who are laid off due to State budget cuts or program eliminations. We believe the recent banding conversion has provided an appropriate level of information and review to ensure that all skills required for University positions are up‐ to‐date. As stated earlier, we are developing new certificate track training programs to better align the competencies required in career banded positions with available training opportunities. We expect these training programs will provide additional qualified internal applicants for University positions. In addition, we are currently piloting a literacy program to increase both the traditional and technical literacy skills of employees. OHR is also redesigning the clerical skills program, which prepares lower‐level employees to fill administrative and clerical
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positions. This is particularly important because we do anticipate an increased loss of administrative and clerical staff due to retirement. 3) With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5, 10, 15, 20 year period and the impact this will have on your campus workforce Overall, our data shows that 13 percent of SPA employees will be eligible for retirement in the next five years. In particular, we have identified specific segments of our workforce that could be hardest hit by retirements in the next five and 10 years. About 39 percent of skilled trades, 35 percent of executives, and 29 percent of clerical staff will be eligible for retirement within 10 years. While mere eligibility does not directly translate into entirely predictable turnover at a specific point in time, we are prudently preparing for the eventuality of a highly experienced component of our workforce leaving the organization for retirement. These data points underline the critical importance of several of the steps we are taking that are mentioned elsewhere in this document, such as redesigning our clerical skills program, developing a succession planning model for managerial positions, and planning how best to prepare for the loss of “baby boomers” in the skilled trades (as earlier noted, these include carpenters, electricians, painters and HVAC technicians). • Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? UNC‐Chapel Hill has serious concerns about recruiting and retaining quality staff in what has historically been a competitive labor market for many of our job classifications. In our recruiting efforts, we are working with recruitment advertising outlets to increase our effectiveness in targeting high quality applicants, especially in more specialized occupational areas such as information technology. These efforts include negotiating discounted rates with high‐visibility recruitment outlets such as Monster.com and careerbuilder.com, as well as partnerships that facilitate external posting of University positions at higheredjobs.com. These arrangements serve to expand the reach of the University’s recruitment process and reach audiences that may not seek out opportunities through UNC‐Chapel Hill’s own job posting site. We are equally concerned about our ability to retain quality and hard to recruit staff, and have begun examining how we can reduce turnover among high performers. OHR is redesigning the employee orientation program to provide a more comprehensive and motivational introduction to the University. The upgraded program will provide detailed information regarding policies, benefits and University culture to aid the socialization process of newly hired staff at Carolina. In addition, with Chancellor Thorp’s support, we are designing a comprehensive leadership program for all supervisory staff. Increasing the leadership skills of supervisory staff will increase the quality of work life for all University employees. This program will roll out later this fiscal year, and will 65
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include a baseline satisfaction/engagement survey for all UNC‐Chapel Hill faculty and staff, as well as follow‐up surveys in future years to assess progress and continuing opportunities for improvement against the baseline. The Benefits and Employees Services group in OHR continues to search for opportunities to expand and improve our benefits offerings to employees within statutory limitations. In particular, the Employee Services unit offers a variety of work/life programs that are both well‐received by the employee population and emphasize the University’s interest in assuring every employee’s ability to find work/life balance. These programs include: ¾ A summer camp for school‐age children of Carolina’s faculty, staff and students ¾ Informational sessions on topics such as personal financial management, personal safety, and preparing for the birth or adoption of a child ¾ Hosting an employee caregiver support group It is further noted that we have recently established a Wellness Committee charged with the task of establishing an employee wellness plan. This group will begin its work in December 2008. With the spike in gas prices this spring and summer, University administration established a task force (chaired by Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Brenda Malone) to explore approaches to help our employees, many who commute long distances, to cope with this added economic burden. UNC‐Chapel Hill is already recognized as a leader in this field due to the numerous commuting and mass transit initiatives put in place for our employees over the last several years, including free public bus transportation throughout Chapel Hill and a sliding scale for parking fees based on salary. We were awarded “Super Achiever” by Best Workplace for Commuters (EPA / NCDOT regional award), received an “A” in our transportation initiatives from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s report card, and received top honors for our efforts during Bike to Work Week. Collectively, these efforts are intended to reinforce an employer brand for Carolina as an “employer of choice” locally, regionally and nationally. Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus recruitment and retention efforts?
While UNC‐Chapel Hill would appreciate any efforts from General Administration to assist us in our recruitment and retention efforts, we firmly believe that the initiative to seek legislative approval for a “substantially equivalent” Human Resource system will have the greatest positive impact on our workforce planning efforts. We would also like to see the legislature revoke the statute requiring TSERS retirees to have a six‐month break in service between retirement and beginning work as a 66
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temporary employee for any state university or agency. Being able to tap into this experienced labor pool would increase our opportunities to manage the anticipated dearth of skilled employees as the “baby boomers” exit the workforce. In addition, we believe certain benefits improvements would allow us to compare more favorably to our peers and greatly increase our recruiting and retention efforts. These include: ¾ Reduced costs for dependent health insurance coverage ¾ Increasing the employer contribution to the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) ¾ Tuition reimbursement for children of employees ¾ Decreasing the mandatory employee contribution to TSERS, which would increase take‐home pay for those employees ¾ Improving vacation leave accruals for experienced mid‐career SPA employees We also believe that several system‐wide efforts could be of benefit not only to UNC‐ Chapel Hill but to all UNC sister institutions: ¾ Leverage the system‐wide hiring volume into more favorable contract opportunities with recruitment mediums such as Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, and the Chronicle for Higher Education, as examples ¾ Contract for an employee satisfaction/engagement survey to achieve economies of scale on a system‐wide basis. This would also provide valuable benchmarking of key employee metrics across the system ¾ Continue sharing ideas and best practices through the HR Council – in particular, we suggest a system‐wide workforce planning summit to discuss how to further collaborate among the UNC system campuses, and might also include external subject matter expert speakers Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐ tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty?
Please see faculty section below. 4) With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? UNC‐Chapel Hill has a strong commitment to racial and ethnic diversity on its campus. Diversity is one of six major goals of the Academic Plan; and it is included in our campus Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan http://www.unc.edu/depts/eooada/univreports.html). Central North Carolina has a high percentage of residents from different geographic and international origins. In particular, the Research Triangle and North Carolina in general has a 67
large and growing Latino population. UNC‐Chapel Hill also has a substantial Burmese population in our housekeeping staff. To deal with the language barriers, we offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to our employees. We are exploring ways to provide greater bilingual service to our employees. We anticipate that the need for bilingual services and ESL will grow in the next five years as the local Latino population increases. James H. Johnson Jr., William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Carolina’s Kenan‐Flagler Business School, predicted in his April 2008 presentation, “People and Jobs on the Move: Implications for North Carolina State Government”, that our population will continue to age, and we can expect to face a workforce shortage in the next few years. We will need to be able to anticipate the talent market needs—flexible scheduling, work‐life balance, goal attainment as a measure of performance, etc—in adapting our human resource systems to the demands of the new Millennial generation now entering the workforce. Our ability to determine their needs through workforce survey technology will enhance our ability to recruit talented staff. Please also see section below on country‐of‐origin of faculty in science, technology, and mathematics. 5) What are some of the barriers that your university is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resource/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc? Like many other institutions, UNC‐Chapel Hill has several barriers in recruiting and retaining high‐potential talent. As noted earlier, our Research Triangle location means we are surrounded by employers with the funding and flexibility to develop attractive, total compensation packages. Our lack of competitiveness is especially visible in the area of benefits. Because the State Personnel Act prohibits pay for performance for SPA employees, our compensation practices do not encourage a culture of high achievement. High‐performing staff can become demoralized and discouraged in this environment. Our introductory benefits are less competitive and many new employees leave after a couple of years to join organizations that offer them better salary, health care, pension and leave packages. Having the opportunity to develop a substantially equivalent Human Resource system will have a major impact on our ability to recruit and retain talented staff. In addition, we believe that we are greatly hindered by our lack of data surrounding why staff applicants are attracted to UNC‐Chapel Hill and, conversely, why they choose to leave. We would like to do a better job of surveying staff as they enter the organization, throughout their tenure, and when they depart. We have collected these data for members of the faculty. 6) With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? Diversity has been defined at Carolina by various sources. One of the first published definitions was developed by the Faculty Council in a 1999 resolution that suggests diversity includes, but 68
is not limited to, factors such as age, economic circumstances, ethnic identification, family educational attainment, disability, gender, geographic origin, maturity, race, religion, sexual orientation, social position and veteran status. In 2005, the Chancellor’s Task Force for Diversity identified social backgrounds, economic circumstances, personal characteristics, philosophical outlooks, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, expectations and aspirations as some of the salient diversity factors. • Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? In 2005, Chancellor Moeser charged a Task Force on Diversity to develop recommendations for diversity goals and efforts. From this effort, led by Dr. Archie Ervin, Associate Provost for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, the University’s Diversity Plan was implemented in the fall of 2006, stating five diversity goals: 1. Define and publicize the University’s commitment to diversity 2. Achieve the critical masses of underrepresented populations necessary to ensure the educational benefits of diversity in faculty, staff, and executive, administrative, and managerial positions 3. Make high quality diversity education, orientation, and training available to all members of the University community 4. Create and sustain a climate in which respectful discussions of diversity are encouraged and take leadership in creating opportunities for interaction and cross group learning 5. Support further research to advance the University’s commitment to diversity • Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? The Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs is responsible for spearheading diversity efforts at UNC‐Chapel Hill. In 2006, a Baseline Report of diversity‐related programs and initiatives was compiled from data supplied by 14 schools and 13 administrative units, which indicates a broad level of initiatives across the University in support of the above stated goals. For the first time in our 2007 budgeting process we required all deans and vice chancellors to submit which goals would be chosen by their units for implementation. Our first report, Diversity Matters at UNC, based on responses from all academic and administrative units for 2007‐08 was published in summer 2008. This report helps to highlight areas where we have made progress and those that need additional attention. The Equal Opportunity/ADA Office is responsible for the development and implementation of the UNC‐Chapel Hill's Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Plan efforts, and monitoring of the recruitment and search process. Under the Equal Opportunity Plan appropriate goals are established in order to improve the representation of minorities and women where under‐representation exists. The Equal 69
Opportunity Plan includes information on progress toward goals and analysis of equal opportunity efforts and effectiveness. OHR’s contract with Monster.com includes access to the Monster Diversity Network, a group of wide‐ranging Web sites that serve diverse communities. We believe this access will directly result in increased diversity in our applicant pools. In addition, OHR’s goals for this fiscal year include several goals directly related to staff diversity, such as: ¾ Determine a career fair schedule with the goal to tie to EEO plan goals and underrepresented areas whenever possible ¾ Develop report for hiring managers with real time aggregated demographic applicant pool information For faculty recruitment we have provided guidance to search committees regarding diversity engaged in targeted recruitment efforts to increase minority representation. We also have used enhanced recruitment efforts to identify and attract minority faculty. We have conducted the Carolina Minority Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity, a state‐supported initiative since 1983. This program develops scholars from underrepresented groups for possible tenure‐track appointments at Carolina and other research universities. The program has graduated 132 scholars, 24 who now work at Carolina, and 17 who have received appointments at other North Carolina universities. 7) With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. We are in the early stages of developing a succession planning model for use on campus, which we expect to have completed by the end of the fiscal year. We intend to identify succession planning approaches and strategies that focus on maintaining a continuity of internal talent while still being respectful of State regulations around pre‐selection and the requirement for competitive recruitments. UNC‐Chapel Hill offers several management and leadership development programs. OHR’s Training & Development department currently offers two different certificate tracks for leaders and potential leaders within the University. Both tracks are open to all interested employees. In addition, Training & Development has run a University Management Development Program for several years. This well‐respected multi‐day program is open to nominated employees who manage people or projects from UNC‐Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University. 70
Participants are selected from those nominated, and engage in a well‐designed curriculum. Program participants are at the mid‐management level at Carolina and NCCU. We are actively planning the introduction of a comprehensive supervisory/managerial program for all UNC‐Chapel Hill supervisors. The program will include a multi‐day comprehensive training program for supervisors, and include consultation with managers and senior leadership to ensure that supervisors exhibit the learned behaviors on the job. For faculty, planning occurs on continuous basis as department chairs and deans work with their faculties to anticipate the research and substantive direction of their disciplines and assess curricular needs as they conduct searches. With regard to faculty leadership development, see the description of the Center for Faculty Excellence on page 15. 8) Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. In particular, we would like to highlight the need to survey our applicants, employees and former staff to determine who comes to Carolina, why they come, why they stay, and why they leave. This information would be invaluable in developing thoughtful and effective workforce strategies for the future. We have done this for faculty, but not for non‐faculty staff. We also believe that continued professional development for faculty and staff—especially leadership development—is critical to retaining talent and building a workforce that is prepared for the future. The Center for Faculty Excellence (see section below) recognizes the need for leadership training for faculty and has adopted leadership as one of three major components for faculty development. B. Faculty Workforce: Issues in Faculty Recruitment and Retention Although we address faculty recruitment and retention in this section, much of the previous section addressing staff human resource topics is also relevant. Our focus here is not only on faculty, but also on what kind of setting we need to create in order to recruit the faculty we need. Obviously many of the comments in the previous section regarding employee benefits and services are also relevant here.
1. Trends affecting the faculty workforce The academic workforce in the United States is changing in three important ways that present a challenge for faculty staffing. UNC‐Chapel Hill mirrors all three trends and has a fourth. 71
a. Demographic changes: The aging faculty workforce The academic workforce in the United States is graying; retirements among currently employed college professors will reach unprecedented levels now that the “baby boom” generation has started to retire. Carolina’s faculty workforce is aging. In the 2006‐2007 fiscal year, nearly 41 percent of the tenured and tenure‐track faculty at UNC‐Chapel Hill was 55 years of age or older. That figure compares to 29 percent being 55 years or older just ten years before. Based on the current ages of the UNC‐Chapel Hill faculty workforce, and assuming no substantial changes in the age at which our faculty members retire, UNC‐Chapel Hill can expect to see at least 500 tenured faculty members retire in the next 10 years. This is more than double the rate of faculty retirements of recent years (e.g., 22 tenured faculty members retired in the 2005‐2006 fiscal year). b. Changes in the nature of the professorate Fewer college and university faculty members are hired on the tenure‐track than in previous years. According to the National Science Foundation, the percentage of doctoral level workers at colleges and universities in the fields of science and engineering who are not full time, tenure track faculty members has doubled in the last thirty years and continues to increase. This trend can be seen across other disciplinary areas as well. At Chapel Hill, across all disciplines, more than 40 percent of UNC‐Chapel Hill full time faculty members were not on the tenure track in fall 2007 (OIRA , Human Resources Data Warehouse). In fall 1997, by contrast, fixed term faculty FTE were only 27% of the total. Put another way, the number of tenured and tenure track faculty grew by less than 2% from 1997‐2007 (1773 to 1807) while total permanent faculty FTE grew 24 percent (2421 to 3000). It is obvious that fixed‐term faculty provide valuable contributions in the areas of teaching, service, and research. However, this change in the nature of the professorate may have important implications for research productivity and for teaching. With regard to research, fixed‐term faculty members can and do submit proposals for extramural funding—and many are quite successful. But in the absence of employment continuity, it is more difficult to sustain larger‐scale or longer‐term research projects. In the list of the top 100 faculty members in the receipt of extramural support, tenured or tenure track faculty members are disproportionately represented, and the research reputation of the university depends almost exclusively on its tenured faculty. In some academic units fixed‐term faculty members have a primarily instructional role. In these settings, they often have more concentrated teaching responsibilities than do tenured/tenure track faculty because fixed‐term faculty may not have research responsibilities. The ability to deploy instructional capacity in this concentrated way has obvious advantages. One caveat, however, is that a number of recent studies (For example, see Jaeger, Academe Online, 2008) 72
suggest a negative relationship between student persistence and the percentage of fixed‐term faculty, especially when they teach a large proportion of the introductory undergraduate course. This finding needs to be further investigated in a carefully controlled manner. This line of research and good planning practice suggest that it is important to be aware of roles in which fixed term faculty make the most important contributions across the campus and to create conditions in which they are most successful. c. Dependence on foreign‐born faculty members U.S. universities do not produce enough American‐born Ph.D.s in many disciplines to fill available faculty positions, especially in technical fields such as computer science, mathematics and many other areas of science and engineering. The result is an increasing reliance on faculty members who are foreign‐born. Nationwide, across all science and engineering fields, 23 percent of faculty members are foreign‐ born. At UNC‐Chapel Hill, across the entire University, (about 13 percent) are not U.S. citizens. UNC‐Chapel Hill does not keep records about where faculty members are born, so foreign‐born faculty members who are now U.S. citizens are not counted among the 13 percent. Overall, foreign‐born scientists and engineers in the academic workforce have more than doubled in the past 30 years. The National Science Foundation expects this trend to continue, because U.S. universities are not producing enough American‐born Ph.D.s in some fields of science and engineering to meet the demand of employers. Thus, at a time when the American professorate is aging, American universities are not producing replacement levels of American‐ born Ph.D.s in some fields of study. The NSF expects this trend to continue, with further upward growth of foreign‐born faculty members in science and engineering over the next 20 years. The decline in production of University faculty in the STEM disciplines mirrors our low productivity of faculty for middle and high school mathematics and science teaching. d. Enrollment growth UNC‐Chapel Hill has proposed an enrollment plan that will result in an increase of students to nearly 33,000 by the year 2017. That’s 4000 more student than we have now. We have tried to study the effects of enrollment growth from many different perspectives. This growth, when coupled with our retirement projections, has major implications for faculty recruitment. What does this mean over the next 10 years? Retirements 500 positions (projection based on age of current faculty and past retirement patterns) Normal turnover 1600 (approximately 160 a year at the modest rate or 5% from resignations and non‐reappointments, etc.) Enrollment increase 378 positions 73
All together, that suggests the need to recruit and hire approximately 2480 new faculty members over the next 10 years, or about 248 new faculty members per year. To put that number in perspective, as of fall 2007, the current permanent faculty FTE is 3000 members. There have been some indications that the current economic situation will result in a lower rate of retirement, but we do not yet have data to address that speculation. 2. Fostering Faculty Success These trends suggest that in the next decade we will need to recruit, develop, and retain faculty at unprecedented rates. In surveys we have conducted, we have found that the reputation of the institution, collegiality, support for research and teaching, and quality of students are very important factors. A recent COACHE surveys suggest that for junior faculty clear guidelines regarding criteria for success is very important to their satisfaction and that this is an area we need to strengthen. The following are among steps we have taken to address these issues: ¾ Since 2004, we have made significant progress in offering faculty members competitive salaries through a combination of state legislated salary increases and campus‐based tuition funds. Faculty salary increases was a major focus for the campus and for the UNC system; our concerted efforts have been fruitful. ¾ To assist in developing and retaining faculty, we established the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) in 2008. The CFE was based on the work of a year‐long study group that looked at the areas of support of most importance to the faculty. The Center is designed to foster excellence in teaching, research, and leadership among our faculty and will provide programs that support and advance faculty through the various stages of their careers. The CFE will aim to connect faculty to resources across the university and encourage mentoring to prepare succeeding generations of teachers, researchers, and leaders. Part of the work for the CFE will be to offer programs for deans and department chairs that will assist them in creating the kind of collegial atmosphere and mentoring that is conducive to faculty success. ¾ Because the quality of both colleagues and students is very important in attracting faculty to our campus, strong recruitment not only of faculty, but also of graduate and undergraduate students is critical to maintaining or enhancing the University’s quality. Our efforts to recruit graduate students are important to our overall mission and are critical to our recruitment of faculty. A primary barrier to recruiting graduate students has been the difficulty in securing adequate tuition remission for non‐resident graduate students who serve as teaching assistant and research assistants. Although we received modest increases in our tuition remission fund in the past year, the total available is far less than needed. ¾ We know that the quality of fellow students is also an extremely important factor in recruiting the most accomplished undergraduates. A recent study we conducted that 74
was commissioned by The Art & Science Group shows that changes in the quality of the undergraduate student body would have dramatic affects on their likelihood of attending Carolina. The quality of the faculty and their access to faculty are also important factors in students’ choices. Thus, there is an organic relationship between recruiting outstanding faculty and outstanding students. In other words our efforts to recruit faculty must be coupled with corresponding efforts to recruit outstanding students and staff. The Center for Public Service and Office of the Vice Chancellor for Engagement have helped to document and highlight our faculty’s extensive involvement in public service and other engagement activities. The Vice Chancellor for Engagement has also sponsored programs that help members of the faculty to recast their research and scholarship to support engagement. The Center for Public Service and the A.P.P.L.E.S program support the inclusion of service efforts in course offerings. 3. Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? We have no evidence to suggest that the existence of the Phased Retirement Program (PRP) is a critical feature in faculty hiring or retention. The following observations regarding our PRP are based on a survey of faculty, deans, and department chairs: ¾ In general, the Phased Retirement Program (PRP) at UNC‐Chapel Hill appears to be a success. Though there is no clear statistical tendency toward increasing rates of participation since the inception of the program, PRP proved popular among eligible faculty from its inception. ¾ We do not receive more applications for phased retirement than we are allowed to make, so we are not as yet, seeing a demand for the program that exceeds its design. ¾ PRP has been administered quite consistently in the schools and colleges of UNC‐Chapel Hill. Though some schools retain the practice of negotiating fixed‐term contracts with retiring faculty, PRP may have significantly reduced this practice by offering a well‐ supported standard procedure for partial retirement. ¾ When the savings from a phased retirement are adequate to fund a faculty line, it can be used immediately to replace the PRP retiree. But in the balance of cases, salary savings have been used to employ fixed‐term instructors to replace the teaching of the retired faculty member. It is clear, however, that in many cases the salary saved during a phased retirement is not enough to fund a new faculty hire in the vacated line, even at the most junior level. Given the predicted acceleration in overall retirement rate, increasing student enrollments, and the increasing competition for first‐rate faculty, it often is desirable to fill vacated positions more quickly. ¾ Most administrators felt that the current three‐year period specified in the UNC‐Chapel Hill program is appropriate. Faculty agreed that this is a suitable term for the program, especially given that they know they can withdraw early if desired. Some faculty spoke 75
of negotiating fixed‐term contracts after the close of their three‐year PRP term, so it is clear that the three‐year time period does not limit the possibilities for faculty. ¾ The Division of Human Resources has been invaluable in making our PRP work. Their availability, clarity of information, and support throughout the process of entering phased retirement appears to have been very effective on this campus. 4. Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty? This question illustrates some of the complexity associated with fixed‐term category. Fixed‐ term faculty members make important contributions to all aspects of the University’s mission. It is safe to say that the University could not function without them. Further, we are obligated to give attention to their professional development and welfare. However, it is not a goal to make fixed‐term appointments just like tenured appointments. Fixed‐term appointments are made to provide the University greater flexibility in hiring faculty to respond to focused needs, and in making more rapid change. We have not surveyed the campus data regarding extending phased retirement to non‐tenured faculty; however, several factors suggest that phased retirement, in its current form, could not play the same role with non‐tenured faculty. In practice, phased retirement appointments are half‐time, fixed‐term appointments offered to previously tenured faculty members upon their retirement. Non‐tenured/non‐tenure track members are already on fixed‐term appointments, and phased retirement would not change that status. In operation, phased retirement has been a benefit for the tenured faculty member, giving the privilege (and almost the right) to a half‐time fixed‐term appointment at retirement. Extending phased retirement to fixed‐term faculty would be guaranteeing a right to employment beyond their fixed term. A large number (the majority) of our fixed‐term faculty members are employed in a clinical or research setting, where they generate their own salaries through clinical activities or research grants. The needs of those funding sources would need to be considered carefully before creating a policy that might jeopardize the activities that provide funding. Drafting a policy that offers a benefit of half‐time employment for three‐year period to retiring fixed‐term faculty would be complex. It may be worthwhile to ascertain the extent to which this half‐time appointment at the time of retirement is already available to fixed‐term members of the faculty.
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UNC Charlotte Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? Yes. Between the Department of Human Resources/Equal Opportunity‐Affirmative Action and the Division of Academic Affairs, considerable effort has been undertaken and will continue to assure that the various employment categories are analyzed and considered in campus strategic planning in order to support UNC Charlotte’s recent and anticipated growth. Current and projected HR data and their implications were presented and discussed at the Chancellor’s Executive Retreat in August 2008. The topic will be revisited at the mid‐year retreat in December when the focus will be on new employee induction and orientation. o Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? Yes, we have a clear understanding of our current workforce and changes that will occur over the next 5 years. UNC Charlotte currently employs nearly 2,800 full‐time permanent faculty and staff: 5.7% EPA Senior Administrators 11.7% EPA Staff 52% SPA Staff 30.5% Faculty Dependence on temporary employees, which fluctuates, adds up to another 4,000 during peak academic activity. Temporary employment disaggregated by category during the peak of Spring 2008 was: 14.3% EPA 11.5% SPA 18.5% Graduate Assistants 44.6% Student Wage 10.9% Federal Work Study It is important to note that non‐faculty new position growth over the past two years has increased by 20.4%. Thus, 25% of all employees have been working at UNC Charlotte for less than two years (19% EPA Senior Administrators, 32% EPA Staff, and 28% SPA Staff and well over 20% of Faculty). Depending on
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enrollment growth funding, growth in new positions is anticipated to continue over the next five years at a similar rate. In five years, 18% of all permanent employees will be eligible for retirement (24% Faculty and 16% SPA/EPA Staff). o Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? Yes. In ten years, 29% of all permanent employees at UNC Charlotte will be eligible for retirement (34% of the faculty and 26% SPA/EPA Staff). This represents nearly 800 permanent employees. Compounding the impact of this potential wave of retirements on recruiting is the fact that over this same ten‐ year window, it is conceivable that campus growth in new positions could reach nearly 40%. If this growth is realized, it could result in an additional need for 1,100+ new non‐faculty permanent employees. In rough terms, that amounts to a potential need for over 178,000 square feet of office and support space to accommodate this employee growth. This analysis includes new positions anticipated by type (services/trades @ 190; skilled trades @ 75; admin support @ 275; professional @ 465; and technical @ 114), with growth in all campus divisions, but primarily in Academic Affairs and Business Affairs divisions as the infrastructure struggles to keep up with growth. This issue is being addressed in our campus Master Plan exercise that is scheduled for completion in fall 2009. Related to the issue of staff competencies has been the massive and multi‐year effort to move over 1,400 SPA employees on campus from the old “graded/classified” system to “career banding.” The career banding system focuses heavily on competency identification for the job and competency assessment for the individual. While much training still remains to done for both managers and employees to assure that all understand and embrace the concepts tied to employee development, we are pleased with our campus progress to date and believe this approach, while not perfect, offers us a greater chance of success in dealing with the fast pace of growth and change. o Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? This will be an area of considerable focus. Planning assumptions will be refined and data monitored in consideration of anticipated student and program growth. For faculty and staff planning, we believe we have access to the tools needed to
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assist the Departments of Human Resources, Affirmative Action, Office of Academic Budget and Personnel and Office of Institutional Research in collaboratively fulfilling workforce‐planning analysis. For example, the NC Office of State Personnel, in partnership with SAS, is developing the NC Workforce Outlook and Retirement Knowledge System (NC WORKS), a workforce planning data warehouse expected to be operational in 2009. In addition, we will continue our collaboration with UNC General Administration to knit together coherent and functional workforce planning efforts, which can help support campuses where expertise and depth may be thin, and to assure consistent analysis throughout the UNC System. o Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? Yes, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and the Human Resources Department are consistently included in organizational planning and decision making, particularly where such matters rely heavily on HR for success and/or where potential issues and impacts on employees are anticipated and require thoughtful foresight and planning. 2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? We have identified staffing gaps in key business areas and are providing resources to add positions. Surpluses have not been a problem and we have worked to re‐train current employees when business processes shift or their work responsibilities change. o Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? For our staff positions, we are fortunate that the Charlotte area provides a large pool of talent for our posted positions. We anticipate that the pool of qualified applicants will increase at our university particularly in the areas of information technology, accounting, management and human resources, although we can anticipate continued struggles where available funding is insufficient to meet market demands for skills. Certain areas remain challenging even under the best circumstances, including campus police positions as a critical example, given the turnover in these positions locally, regionally and nationally. We have undertaken efforts over the past several years to systematically increase average
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SPA salaries on campus for all positions. Doing so has increased the average SPA salary by nearly $8,000 over the past three years, from just under $32,000 in 2005 to nearly $39,000 currently. This approach, coupled with the economic environment, has coincided with a 3% drop in turnover during the same general timeframe. We have also successfully pursued specific efforts to reduce turnover by creating career ladder opportunities tied to training in those areas where turnover has been acute, for example, in our vivarium. Although the local pool of applicants is expected to remain strong, we recognize that working at a financial institution or a hospital versus a state university is different. Recognizing this, we have undertaken a review of our new employee training programs and those programs focused on successful integration and mentoring of employees. While the economy is favorable to our applicant flow, we know that when the economy recovers we must be in position to retain critical employees. As addressed above, competitive salaries are part of that equation. Also fully engaging new employees and helping them develop personally and professionally are also important. The university senior leadership has publicly supported and reinforced to managers at every level of the university the need to pay attention to employee development as a key leadership initiative. Human Resources has recently added another new training position, and continues to add training programs to our array of in‐house development options available for our current and new employees. These training programs are vital to retooling our current employees, enabling them to advance in their careers by acquiring new skills and competencies, as reinforced by our new career banding methodologies. In the area of faculty recruitment, our needs are driven by the Academic Plan. The colleges develop staffing plans that are consonant with the Academic Plan and that strive to achieve a balance of tenure track and non‐tenure track faculty to meet the demands of our instructional programs. We have systematically pursued the use of full time lecturers to reduce our dependence on part time instructors. In support of faculty recruitment, we have used merit salary increases, augmenting appropriations with funds from campus‐initiated tuition increases, to raise faculty salaries to more competitive rates, approaching 80% of the rates in our peer group, in order to recruit and retain top talent. When available, the President’s Recruitment and Retention funds provide invaluable assistance, allowing us to make competitive offers to a number of outstanding faculty. In support of faculty hiring, Academic Affairs offers regular Recruitment
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Seminars for search committee members to provide strategies to increase the pool for hard‐to‐fill positions and to specifically enhance faculty diversity. Because we compete for faculty at a national level, barriers to filling faculty positions include: 1. Our benefits package (discussed in greater detail below). 2. The cost of start‐up packages which have grown dramatically in the sciences and engineering. 3. Funds available for moving expenses. In the past year, the Chancellor has made available significant non‐state funds to enable us to provide more competitive packages in faculty hiring. 4. The need to accommodate requests for spousal/partner hires for faculty and staff. The difficulty increases if the spouse/partner is also seeking a faculty position and we do not have the need or resources to add another position in the appropriate area. When possible, Academic Affairs has provided one‐third to one‐half of the funds needed to match funds in the hiring departments. Because we have been hiring approximately 100 faculty per year, the amount of time and effort involved in spousal/partner hires is substantial. We need a position dedicated to helping spouses/partners find suitable employment on campus or in the Greater Charlotte area. o Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? We have a reduction‐in‐force policy which has been used sparingly over the past ten years. However, when used and in anticipation of troubling budget projections for the foreseeable future, Human Resources is well‐versed and works closely with employees and management where positions are to be abolished. Our track record with early notification and time spent working to find re‐employment within the University has been outstanding. As mentioned above, we know we must continue to stress training and professional development for all staff. The key to success in this area is early and in‐depth coordination with department‐level managers where there are indications of a need to reorganize and address potential impacts on employees. An example of successful reorganization is the transition to a new model for staffing department offices in our College of Engineering. When it was clear that
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the model of receptionist and clerical support typically used was no longer meeting the needs of the College, HR and the College were able to transition to a model in which student services personnel became the front line staff in the department offices, providing more immediate service to students. 3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5, 10, 15, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? Yes, our average age of all employees is 47 years. As noted earlier, nearly one‐third of the university employment base will be eligible to retire at the same time that the university can expect to grow by an additional 30%. HR has provided information in the aggregate to senior leadership on this subject. o Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? We have already mentioned recent campus‐wide market‐based SPA strategic salary initiatives focused on moving positions and employees to a more competitive footing, and initiatives related to training and development tied to career banding and employee engagement. In addition, we have instituted an annual campus leadership conference and other management‐level training efforts to focus at the supervisory/management levels on the importance of leadership and climate in keeping employees positively motivated, particularly in times of budget and resource uncertainties. Senior leadership is informed annually concerning employee relations trends and matters, with appropriate recommendations extended as needed to ensure that employee‐related issues are addressed at all levels. Related to turnover among employees with less than two years experience at the university, we determined the need several years ago to refocus and improve the competencies of managers in the critical area of recruitment. We now have a cohort of campus members (internal and external to HR) certified in Development Dimensions International’s (DDI) Targeted Selection Program, a rigorous behavioral‐based recruiting approach. Further, we have certified trainers and campus members in a Covey program, Speed of Trust, aimed at breaking down inhibitors to success for employees and managers. Other work to deal with recruiting and retention issues includes as examples:
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1. Using consultative approaches to conferring with supervisors and managers on job/organizational design. 2. Providing guidance, training and assistance in concert with senior support on teleworking and flexible working schedules. 3. Encouraging mentoring and department sponsored programs to reinforce learning and positive experiences for new and relatively new employees. 4. Operating to the extent possible with transparency on matters related to policies, procedures and matters of employee concern. This includes open door access for the Staff Organization President, Staff Council and area representatives and use of multiple sources for disseminating employee and employment‐related information (e.g. Campus News, “leader listserv”, website, Staff Council and other forums). 5. Providing Leadership Enhancement and Development (LEAD) training for supervisors; ASPIRE training for those identified as high potential and “aspiring” to leadership positions; Program in Administrative Certification (PAC); Covey Programs (7‐Habits, Speed of Trust, others); and a variety of diversity‐training and other training initiatives focused on specific audiences. 6. Encouraging use of UNC Tuition Waiver Program by employees. 7. Providing resources to help supervisors and employees with emotional and physical competence (i.e., Wellness programs, Employee Assistance Program, etc.).
Plans include: 1. Developing additional programs as needed and tying to campus outcomes/goals, like diversity. One example includes addressing the challenges that will arise with a more diverse workforce, including an expectation that the Latino population will be largely represented in the 2010 Census (which will dramatically affect the Affirmative Action Plan). Developing programs to help with inclusion such as GED, English as a Second Language, Conversational Spanish, etc. will be addressed. 2. Partnering with Council on University Community (COUC) to build a more unified campus approach to implementation of the campus Plan for Diversity, Inclusion, and Access, including using the existing cohort
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of certified diversity trainers on campus as an extension of COUC’s outreach. 3. Working with UNC General Administration as discussed below. To specifically address the needs of the faculty, we have used a series of surveys to monitor the institutional climate and effectiveness. We have longitudinal data from the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) study of the faculty and have begun to monitor the status of early career faculty with the survey administered by the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) at Harvard. The data from these surveys have been used to drive a number of institutional initiatives. For example, we have established: 1. Leadership UNC Charlotte, a university‐wide, cohort‐based program for department chairs and emerging leaders. The yearlong program focuses on the role of departmental leadership in establishing a productive climate, recruitment and retention of faculty and staff, evaluation of faculty and staff, and effective departmental communication. 2. A mentoring program for all new faculty and a mid‐career mentoring program for those at the associate professor level to provide guidance and support. 3. A Committee on the Future of the Faculty to review policies and practices related to faculty recruitment, retention, and advancement and to make recommendations to the university administration and Faculty Council for improvements. Examples of recommendations endorsed by the Faculty Council include the creation of an Ombudsperson position, college based equity advisors, and greater flexibility in modifications of the tenure clock. Our surveys of faculty have also indicated that the leading institutional effectiveness gap for untenured women faculty is childcare. This also ranks high for untenured male faculty. We have a detailed study of needs and requirements underway and will follow up with a market survey in the spring semester. o Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts? Work is needed in improving the overall benefit package. We recommend that the System 84
1. Review contribution rates, particularly for those in the UNC Optional Retirement System. 2. Reconsider whether or not to develop and pursue legislative authority for a separate health plan for the universities. The current financial state of the NC State Health Plan is troubling and may pose significant problems for employees when rates are inevitably increased. Our university budget may also be in jeopardy as current Health Plan deficits are addressed by the General Assembly. 3. Develop and support a phased retirement program for staff members that would allow employees to leave university employment in a planned and managed fashion, similar to that offered currently to faculty. 4. Continue to push for legislative authority for “Substantially Equivalent” authority under NC GS 126 (State Personnel Act). Such authority could allow for changes in leave accrual rates at the time of hire (particularly for professional level SPA positions where recruitment from outside NC becomes difficult for those with many years of experience at the time of hire). Such change could also support the development of a pay plan that allows performance pay and bonus incentives to reward exceptional performance. 5. Push to change the state law amended two years ago which now requires a six‐month break before TSERS retirees can return to work. This presents an unnecessary legislated impediment to the university in dealing with situations where a critical loss of talent can result in adverse operational consequences in the short to intermediate term. 6. Push for immediate or one‐year UNC ORP vesting versus the current five years stipulated in NC law. 7. Support the idea of expanded use of the UNC Tuition Waiver Program by employee dependents. 8. Continue to pursue and advocate for legislative authority for extending domestic partner benefits where currently prohibited. o Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Yes, it has helped ease the difficult decision to retire and made it less traumatic for some faculty. The administration appreciates the 3‐year advance notice of a retirement in order to prepare for the loss of the faculty
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member’s expertise. Only about 1% of our faculty have participated each year, so the response has not been substantial. o Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty? We have had a small number of requests from our clinical faculty and lecturers. At present, it would probably be more helpful to relax the 6‐ month break in service rule so that our retirees on the State Health Plan can return and teach on a part time basis. As we develop senior lecturer positions and as more non‐tenure track research or teaching faculty move through the ranks and are retained at the university for longer periods, a phased retirement program will be helpful. 4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? As earlier noted, Charlotte’s Hispanic population will continue to rapidly grow and this population will become our largest minority at some point in the next few years. We need to provide more training in conversational Spanish for all staff and provide more programs that promote an understanding of the Hispanic culture and society. We are hiring growing numbers of young faculty and must accommodate their work/life balance concerns. We already provide a generous Family Leave Policy, but we are also investigating the provision of on‐campus childcare. Work on this issue will be completed in spring 2009. Young faculty (particularly female faculty) need greater flexibility in the tenure review process. Options/opportunities for reduced or restructured work schedules for faculty starting families are under study. Another consideration being explored is a part‐time tenure‐track process that is flexible enough to assist young faculty in accommodating professional as well as personal/family needs. While the focus has been on families with young children, similar arguments can be made about other family responsibilities. 5. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional
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resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.? Several have already been mentioned, but to briefly recap, the UNC ORP vesting period and low contribution rate by comparison to others nationwide are problematic and counterproductive to recruiting efforts. Also mentioned is the matter of legislated restriction to leave accrual rates for SPA employees. This is particularly problematic in negotiations with candidates for many professional‐level SPA positions when the preferred candidate may be from out of state and/or possess many years of experience and already be earning well above minimum leave accrual rates. As discussed, progress with salaries over the past few years has been significant. With respect to SPA staff recruitment, it is far more likely today for us to fail to hire based on something related to benefits (leave accrual rates, ineligible for UNC ORP and/or cost of dependent health coverage) than on salary. All three of the identified benefits issues have been discussed earlier. All three require legislative action to remedy. Not insignificantly, all three issues are covered by separate NC promulgating legislation chapters (State Personnel Act, NC Retirement System, State Health Plan). 6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? According to our diversity plan: “Diversity is the acknowledgment and experience of the many facets of human difference. It involves the consideration of the variety of characteristics and traits which include, but are not limited to, ethnicity, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and religion.” a. Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? In 2006 Chancellor Philip Dubois appointed the Council on University Community (COUC) to lead diversity efforts and to seek ways to sustain a diverse and inclusive community. The COUC is chaired by the Provost and consists of the Vice Chancellors and Athletic Director. The COUC was charged with developing a diversity plan for the campus and with monitoring and reporting on the diversity of our faculty, students, and staff on an annual basis. The COUC has published a comprehensive status report on campus diversity that was presented at the Chancellor’s retreat in 2007 and has since been updated. The report benchmarks progress against other institutions in the system for gender, race, and ethnicity. We have made significant progress in
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faculty and staff diversity, but have room to improve at the senior ranks of the faculty and higher paid staff positions. b. Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? We have adopted the UNC Charlotte Campus Plan for Diversity, Access, and Inclusion that identifies six campus‐wide objectives, key strategies for meeting the objectives, measures of success, and provides a framework for strategic planning within constituent units. The Plan includes mechanisms for assessing the progress of diversity efforts, such as monitoring and reporting demographic data, conducting climate surveys, and evaluating student learning outcomes relevant to diversity. Accountability for meeting the objectives rests with the Vice Chancellors and Athletic Director. For example, in the Division of Academic Affairs, all the deans are expected to include diversity in their goal statements, and they are reviewed annually on their success in increasing diversity in their colleges. This in turn results in training and expectations for department chairs and search committees to consider actions to increase the diversity of the faculty and staff. We have established the expectation that diversity will be considered in all new hires. In support of our efforts to diversity the faculty, each fall semester, the Provost sponsors and participates in Faculty Recruitment Seminars to provide search committee members and chairs with strategies to ensure a diverse pool of candidates, to conduct fair and unbiased reviews and interviews, and to encourage a more professional search process. In addition to monitoring who is hired, we are studying the process to ensure that effective strategies are employed in searches. To encourage all members of the campus community to engage in activities that support diversity, access, and inclusion, the COUC administers the Chancellor’s Diversity Challenge Fund, a $100,000 fund for faculty, staff and student initiatives that advance the University’s goals for diversity. To date, the Fund has awarded grants to various departments, units, and organizations for over thirty projects that employed strategies for increasing diversity in presence, awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures, and intergroup
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relations. The awards have supported lectures, cultural programs, workshops, and student community engagement projects. These projects have focused on a broad range of topics, including gender, LBGTQ issues, race/ethnicity, and faculty and graduate student diversity. As a means to promote deeper understanding of the Campus Plan for Diversity, Access, and Inclusion and to foster a sense of community among faculty, students, and staff, the Council has launched the UNC Charlotte Crossroads Initiative. Through facilitated dialogue among faculty, students, and staff, the project will allow UNC Charlotte to discuss possible future outcomes for the campus, in the context of changing community demographics. This fall, with a grant from the Foundation for the Carolinas, Crossroads Initiative hosted the first Crossroads Campus Forum to bring campus community members together in a conversation about the future in which increasing demographic diversity would be a driving force. The program developed four scenarios about the future of UNC Charlotte and engaged over 300 students, faculty, and staff in creating a vision for the future of the institution in which excellence would be fostered in an environment that supports diversity, access, and inclusion. Other diversity resources across the University, targeted to students, faculty, and staff include: 1. The Multicultural Resource Center and the Office of International Programs that provide ongoing education and training throughout the academic year to help faculty, students, and staff explore many aspects of diversity. 2. Human Resources’ diversity training programs that are available to staff and supervisors. 3. The Summer Institute for Diversity in the Curriculum that offers resources to faculty to promote diversity and inclusiveness in course content, classroom climate, and diverse learning styles. 4. Disabilities Services, providing services to people with disabilities and information to increase awareness and understanding about disabilities and access. In addition to these campus‐wide resources, many individual colleges and units have initiated diversity programs tailored to their specific needs. 7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these 89
employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. This is anticipated to be an area of significant emphasis for the foreseeable future. Based on data provided earlier, UNC Charlotte can expect significant retirement and transition over the next five to ten years as the campus both grows due to enrollment increase and new, more complex programs, and as employees at every level transition to retirement. For senior administrators, particularly in Business Affairs, great interest follows the work of the Ernst & Young study and largely focused on the financial and administrative (business) infrastructure. Experience gained as our key finance/business leaders move through this process will provide us with critical insights. Professional development is emphasized on this campus at every level. Each vice chancellor is charged with attending to the professional development of staff within his or her respective areas of responsibility. Investment of time, money and effort is underway as appropriate certifications are pursued and as campus “bench strength” is developed for critical skills that cut across divisional boundaries. Certifications in Business Process and Business Analysis have become essential to the university’s ability to plan and coordinate large‐scale organizational initiatives. Deans and associate deans have participated in summer programs or short courses in institutional management. In addition to Leadership UNC Charlotte, our program for department chairs and emerging leaders, faculty leaders and professional staff have been regular participants in the UNC Chapel Hill Bridges Program, a program for women aspiring to senior administrative positions. Other efforts include participation the American Leadership Forum, Leadership Charlotte, Leadership North Carolina, College/University Business Management Institute and many others. One of the country’s premier leader development institutes is headquartered and operates in Greensboro, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). Several of our deans have participated in the CCL programs. UNC General Administration might seek assistance with a UNC‐focused approach for grooming potential senior leaders. For our over 1,400 SPA employees recently “banded,” campus managers will gain increased experience dealing with career development of employees, ideally “jointly managed.” Information on critical behavioral and functional competencies is
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becoming better identified and will be more readily accessible for reference related to specific positions. This information and a better understanding overall will facilitate succession planning and organizational development moving to the future. 8. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. Continue to fund the Recruitment and Retention fund for our faculty. This has been highly successful in providing extra funds to recruit and to stave off offers from other universities.
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UNC Greensboro 1. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? With the recent change in chancellors and the end of the last five‐year strategic plan in the summer of 2008, UNCG is beginning a new strategic planning process for the next five years (2009‐14) under our new Chancellor, Linda P. Brady. We anticipate that the new plan will help distinguish UNCG from our competitors and serve as a valuable recruitment tool by emphasizing important values that define a positive work environment. Critical data for a comprehensive workforce plan will include accurate enrollment projections and programmatic priorities that will emerge from the planning process. Our strategic plan will identify areas in which we plan to build on existing strengths and develop new ones. This will allow us to anticipate the kinds of faculty and staff expertise that we will need to recruit. Decisions about academic priorities will have implications for staff recruitment. For example, developing additional strength in the lab sciences will require more technical support staff, and increased reliance on electronic resources for scholarship and research by faculty in all disciplines will require more IT staff. • Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? Based on past history and various statistical indicators, we have developed an understanding of the work‐force requirements involved in bringing UNCG to its current status as an institution of higher education. Using those metrics as indicators of future needs, campus administrators can develop plans based on their professional expertise, understanding of higher education needs based on UNC and national metrics, and availability of the necessary skilled work force in the local, regional, and national markets they draw from. Human resources (HR) professionals in both the SPA and EPA domains work with University administrators to ensure they have adequate pools of qualified applicants for staff positions on which to draw. Faculty needs are driven by enrollment projections and programmatic priorities established by our planning process. Local, national, and international events may require us to change directions in ways that are impossible to predict but may include responses to economic crisis, safety and security issues, natural disasters, and natural resource limitations. • Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? Certain work‐force and work‐place changes must be taken into account by any organization, such as making effective use of technology, offering alternatives to the “traditional” work‐place such as telecommuting and flexible work schedules, ensuring physical and environmental safety, and increasing sustainability in campus operations.
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As all organizations come into competition for a well‐educated work force, UNCG will have to re‐examine its needs based on the directions set by our new strategic plan. Human Resource Services (HRS) staff are ready to assist in recruitment of SPA staff with up‐to‐date technology and the means to attract high quality applicants based on an understanding of how today’s worker seeks employment. •
Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process?
The expertise and tools are in place. The state of North Carolina is developing through OSP a web‐based workforce planning tool suitable for SPA staff. The UNC System, through its collaborative efforts with all constituent institutions, as well as UNCG’s well‐ trained, experienced HR staffs, is ready to embark on a workforce planning process when the administration finalizes its strategic objectives through the next five‐year planning cycle. Within the Division of Academic Affairs, the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) provides data on enrollment trends, instructional productivity, and other measures that allow academic administrators to make decisions about likely needs for faculty and support staff in departments and academic units. •
Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives?
The Human Resource function will participate in the strategic planning process and has a seat at the table to develop the next five‐year plan. The UNC Human Resources Banner Systems Conference (first held in September 2008) provided opportunities for collaboration and sharing of data and strategies across campuses. 2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? The expected continued growth in UNCG’s enrollment will require hiring more faculty in areas where we anticipate the greatest student demand, as well as in areas that are critical for programmatic development. As faculty size grows and new programmatic priorities are identified, we will need to recruit additional support staff. Many of the factors that influence our ability to recruit faculty and staff, such as the national and state economy, are outside our control but we can respond to them in creative ways, as described below. If the economy weakens and opportunities in the private sector shrink, we can expect larger numbers of applicants for staff positions of all kinds. However, an economic downturn will also limit the funding we can expect to receive from both public and private sources and make it harder for us to offer the competitive salaries needed to fill positions. • Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions?
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We are beginning to work on an integrated marketing program that will represent UNCG more effectively to faculty and academic leaders around the country so that we are perceived more often as an institution of first choice both by recent graduates seeking a first faculty position and by established academics wanting to move. We need to position UNCG in the minds of faculty around the country as having significant advantages over both smaller and larger institutions as a place to work. Our marketing plan should emphasize characteristics that make UNCG especially attractive to both faculty and staff, for example the recent survey by the Chronicle of Higher Education that rated UNCG as one the best campuses in our category to work for, and the award from Minority Access, Inc., for our contributions in the area of diversity. With the difficult state of the national, international and local economies for the past several years, UNCG has generally not experienced a lack of well qualified and talented applicants for staff positions. As the economy struggles, the quality and quantity of the applicant pool rises in proportion to the depth and distress of the economic cycle. UNCG currently has large applicant pools in nearly all areas of staff expertise. Even in traditionally “hard to fill” positions, the university generally has an adequate applicant pool from which to draw. When SPA or EPA positions require unusual expertise, HR staff can devote additional time to those positions since applicants for the “routine” positions are more easily recruited. UNCG’s ability to recruit both faculty and staff in areas of high demand is limited by a number of factors mentioned elsewhere in this report, including inadequate benefits for State employees, the lack of domestic partner benefits, and the limitations of the state personnel system which is fundamentally inappropriate for academic recruitment. We do, however, offer some attractive benefits, including the opportunity for employees to take one course per semester free of tuition and an employee assistance program. •
Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future?
As strategic SPA staffing issues are identified, Human Resource Services will assist departments with placement needs. North Carolina has a well‐defined SPA RIF policy and procedures that provide state employees with excellent redeployment alternatives should a RIF situation occur. In addition, the University administration is committed to placing all employees whose positions are no longer needed within the University family if they have the ability to be trained in other areas and a desire to continue with UNCG. In past economic hard times, Human Resource Services has been extremely successful in placing “displaced” SPA employees within the University or within the UNC system or state of North Carolina work force using the RIF procedures. UNCG does not have a plan or strategy for any reduction in force of EPA employees.
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3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? Data on the age distribution of the UNCG work force, both faculty and staff, do not suggest an immediate surge in retirements, although this may become more significant as the baby‐boom generation (now in their late 50s and early 60s) reach retirement age in the next five to ten years. However, the recent fall of the stock market may well lead older workers, especially faculty in the Optional Retirement Program, to delay retirement. A significant barrier to ensuring a more smooth transition of the work force is the legislated prohibition to re‐ employing retired employees for six months. This is a significant disincentive to making the best use of retired workers’ knowledge, skills and experience. Many of these former employees are fiercely loyal to the UNCG community and would prefer to remain an active part of the university, but are prevented from doing so by this statute. In addition, these former employees would be excellent mentors to the next generation of workers. • Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? See answer to number three above. In addition, the less than attractive benefits package offered by the state of North Carolina is a major barrier to attracting the work force that UNCG requires for the future. As employees gain expertise and training at the university, they tend to leave for better paying jobs in the private sector or in other private or state universities that offer more competitive benefits packages. In some cases, opportunities for spousal/partner hiring, and inclusion of domestic partners in the benefits package can help in recruitment and retention of faculty, as well as EPA and SPA administrators. The Welfare Committees of both the Faculty and Staff Senates are studying the issue of benefits and will make recommendations to the University Benefits Committee later this year. • Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts? The very inadequate benefits offered to State employees are a continual problem in recruitment and retention, especially for classes of employees with relatively high mobility. GA should continue efforts to get the benefits package delegated to the UNC System so that we can better meet the needs and expectations of the university work force, by providing domestic partner benefits, assistance finding employment for spouses and partners, more “family friendly” benefits, free or reduced tuition for employees’ family members, etc. Such benefits are increasingly common at institutions outside the UNC system with which we compete.
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We urge the Legislature to change the state law that prevents us from re‐hiring retired employees who are in the Teachers and State Employees’ Retirement System, which includes all SPA staff, for 6 months after retirement. This creates problems when we want to have a recent retiree train their replacement – we cannot re‐hire them part‐ time for the training period. It also interferes with our ability to use recently retired employees to fill part‐time vacancies. The increased complexity of administrative systems (especially Banner) means that inexperienced part‐time replacements are very little help in academic offices. We urge the Legislature to adopt the recommendations of the President’s Task Force on Human Resources calling for a “substantially equivalent” personnel system that would allow greater flexibility in personnel administration within the UNC system. Current administrative procedures and policies are not well‐suited to the requirements of academic institutions. •
Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty?
Faculty see phased retirement as a good option to have available, even if they don’t actually use it, so it may have an indirect positive effect on recruitment, particularly of mid‐career faculty. When faculty do take phased retirement, it has advantages and disadvantages. It provides a way for faculty to make a gradual transition from full‐time work to full retirement which can be appealing and may encourage some faculty to begin retirement earlier than they otherwise would. The fixed term of phased retirement can make it easier to plan for replacing faculty, although the timing of the application (in February for the following academic year) can create short‐term problems in planning the academic program, especially in small departments. Faculty on phased retirement take up resources (50% salary, office space, sometimes lab space) that limit the department’s ability to hire a tenure‐track replacement – replacing teaching is generally not too difficult, but there can be a three‐year gap before the faculty member’s contributions to graduate training, research, and scholarship can be replaced. Most faculty prefer to work one semester full‐time and take one semester off, rather than working half‐time for the whole year. This limits their participation in year‐ long activities, such as advising and committee work, and may discourage them from continuing to hold grants during the phased retirement period.
Extending the policy to non‐tenure‐track faculty would have different consequences in different academic units. The School of Health & Human Performance believes that it would be a valuable option for their Academic Professional Track faculty, but in other units the problems of replacing a non‐tenure‐track faculty member for half the year seem to outweigh the benefits.
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The UNC system should look into a phased retirement package for EPA non‐faculty administrators. This is being successfully implemented in a number of universities nationwide. However, in most academic units covering EPA non‐faculty responsibilities on a half‐time basis would be very difficult because of the small numbers of such positions and the specialization of their responsibilities. 4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? An important challenge is to determine how demographic shifts in the student population should affect faculty hiring decisions. Demographic data are hard to interpret in terms of enrollment changes without detailed analysis that takes account of differences in college‐going percentages among different ethnic groups. GA could be very helpful in getting experts to conduct sophisticated analyses to provide useful predictions about demographic shifts as they affect university enrollments. We can expect a significant mismatch between student and faculty representation of Hispanic/Latinos if preliminary predictions of the growing Hispanic population are accurate. Recruitment of African‐American faculty will remain a challenge for the foreseeable future. In staff recruitment we have noted an increasing representation of Hispanics in the work force and applicant pools. As we are all aware, North Carolina has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the US. As this population increases and the children of Hispanic families enter into and graduate from the K‐12 education system, their representation in the work force will increase. As we face potential labor shortages, we must appeal to this pool of potential applicants. In addition to these changes in ethnic composition, the shift in generations is also becoming apparent. As the “Generation X” and “millennial” generations enter the work force in greater and greater percentages we will see changes in values, expectations, education, and technical “savvy.” There will also be a loss of other value systems that were important to former generations and are still important to current employers. These differences need to be recognized and planned for in staff development programs, promotional opportunities, etc. to take full advantage of the new generation’s skills, knowledge, and abilities. 5. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.? In faculty recruitment and retention, we have done quite well on the side of compensation, generally being able to make competitive starting salaries and often succeeding with counter‐ offers. President Bowles’s recruitment/retention fund has been a big help in that regard. When
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we lose faculty candidates, it is mostly because of benefits, or factors over which we have little or no control. UNCG’s Spousal Hiring Policy has helped with some hires that would have failed otherwise and we recommend that other campuses adopt similar policies if they have not already done so. Salary compression and inversion is a constant and growing problem that can damage faculty morale although relatively generous salary increase packages in recent years have helped ameliorate its effects. We fully support President Bowles’ continuing efforts to bring faculty salaries at UNC campuses to the 80th percentile of peer institutions and urge that this remain a Legislative priority. Benefits are a constant problem in recruitment. The President’s Task Force on Human Resources studied this issue in 2008 and concluded as follows: “In 2006, UNC conducted a study of the competitiveness of its benefits programs compared to the peer institutions for each of the 15 campuses (excluding the North Carolina School of the Arts), looking at health care, retirement and selected other benefit programs. Although the competitiveness varied by campus and benefit program, the conclusion of the study was that, taken as a whole, UNC’s benefit package is not competitive with its peers.” Other reports have reached the same conclusion. Faculty candidates often ask for higher salaries after looking up benefits on our web site. This especially creates a disincentive for candidates with families (who are more likely to stay in NC after relocating here). A benefits package for domestic partners would be a great advantage in faculty and administrator recruitments.
In the sciences, lack of technical support staff is becoming an issue in recruitment. We will need to hire more such staff in coming years – this may be made easier by the current economic downturn (since technical workers will be laid off by business and industry), but we will need to work on retention to avoid losing experienced staff when the economy begins to recover and positions open up again in the private sector. UNCG recently started a mentoring program for junior faculty to help them make the transition into their careers and learn about the UNCG environment. It is too early to tell what the effect will be, but candidates often ask about mentoring opportunities during interviews so this may help with recruitment. In staff recruitment, the available pool of talent is rated as good at the present time due in no small part to the decline of the national economy and the resultant downsizing of many competing organizations. The barriers continue to involve a less than competitive benefits package, decline of the local economy and resultant decline in the housing markets, etc. In addition, compensation is an issue that the UNC system and the state of North Carolina has recognized as a problem and is beginning to address with a new market based classification system – Career Banding – that allows managers more flexibility in determining salaries and provides more opportunities for salary increases after hiring. Career Banding has helped reduce turnover and makes our vacant jobs more competitive in the job market. It has also assisted in retaining top talent by reducing the inflexibility of the former compensation system to make it easier to recommend staff salary increases. 98
6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? UNCG defines diversity broadly as any issue that raises awareness of “difference,” including gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age, cultural background, etc. The key is to turn around the awareness of “difference” to ensure inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness based on difference and is on our new Chancellor’s list of priorities to be addressed at UNCG. • Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? UNCG’s Affirmative Action Plan is a guide that identifies areas of “underutilization” in various work groups and then provides ways to increase representation of underrepresented classes to ensure appropriate diversity in the organization. UNCG has an Affirmative Action Committee, chaired by the Chancellor, that reviews these metrics regularly and disseminates the information to campus departments and divisions to establish appropriate programs where needed to raise awareness and encourage diversity in the university population. • Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? The Office of Multicultural Affairs sponsors various programs and initiatives related to diversity. In 2003 the university embarked on a major initiative offered through the Anti‐ Defamation League: “Bridging Differences,” a diversity awareness and inclusiveness development program co‐sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs and the Chancellor’s Office. The entire university population was invited to attend this multi‐ part personal and professional development program. A diverse group of university employees were trained as trainers and the program was offered for the next 24 months to all university faculty, staff and administrators. In 2007, Provost Perrin formed a subcommittee of the Deans Council to study ways to increase recruitment and retention of ethnic minority faculty. Chancellor Brady has reviewed the report of that committee and she and the Provost are considering how to proceed with implementation of some of its recommendations. Within the Division of Academic Affairs, some units (including the University Libraries and the College of Arts & Sciences) have created committees on diversity and inclusiveness, or appointed individuals with special responsibility for diversity initiatives. The Library’s Diversity Fellows Program was established in 2007 as a way to recruit more minority faculty and staff. In the Fall of 2008 the Provost and the Faculty Senate co‐sponsored the appointment of an Inclusive Community Task Force that is studying ways to achieve greater diversity and inclusiveness at UNCG.
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UNCG has the most ethnically diverse student body of all the UNC campuses, with the highest percentage of ethnic minority students of any majority‐White campus. This diversity can be very advantageous to us in recruiting a more diverse faculty and staff. In 2008, 16% of new tenured/tenure‐track faculty were members of ethnic minorities. In September 2008, UNCG was recognized by Minority Access, Inc., for its commitment to increasing campus diversity. 7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. Two quite separate career advancement trajectories exist for faculty: the academic track from Assistant to full Professor; and a transition into administration (Department Head/Chair, Dean, Provost, etc.). Progress and retention in the former, much more traditional track would be helped by having more endowed professorships to use for recognition and retention of senior and mid‐career faculty who might otherwise be attracted to more prestigious institutions. A more generous program of research assignments (sabbaticals) for mid‐career and senior faculty would also be beneficial. The College of Arts & Sciences at UNCG has adopted several policies to encourage professional development for early‐career faculty, and to facilitate faculty in the humanities getting fellowships. Administrative transition for faculty is rarely approached systematically and most faculty who take the administrative route stumble into it by accident. Deans are always looking for the next generation of department heads and are able to use Associate Head and similar positions to test potential candidates. Another possibility might be to create temporary opportunities for faculty and staff with interests in administration – an in‐ house version of the ACE Fellows program. Greensboro has an outstanding resource for leadership development in the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL; see http://www.ccl.org/leadership/index.aspx). The Center has a special program for school superintendents, but nothing for university administrators. The UNC system should consider approaching the Center to develop such a program, which could have nation‐ wide appeal. Many professional higher‐education organizations offer regular workshops for new administrators but CCL could be encouraged to develop a national model based on their success in other areas. With the inception of the career banding program, critical competencies for each SPA position are now in the process of being captured and categorized. When this effort is complete, in the late spring of 2009, campus managers will have a more accessible reference file of critical competencies related to specific positions so that they can do a more complete job of succession planning for future vacancies. 100
8. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. Faculty often comment that teaching loads at UNCG are high in comparison with other institutions whose research profiles we wish to emulate. The university specifically encourages differential workload assignments in which teaching loads may vary among faculty with different levels of engagement in research, scholarship, creative activity, outreach, etc., and department heads have considerable discretion in that regard. However, the ability to exercise that discretion is often limited by lack of sufficient faculty in departments. A change in UNCG’s enrollment change funding formula to reflect our recent classification by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with high research activity would provide resources to help us to address workload issues and increase our faculty’s research productivity and ability to provide outreach to the community. Retention of human resources depends to a great extent on good management and, as discussed in question 7, UNCG has no systematic approach for faculty who might wish to transition into academic administrative roles. A systematic approach including training requirements for all personnel in new supervisory roles would benefit UNCG both from the standpoint of employee morale as well as providing sound legal footing for academic administrators once recruited. Several academic units at UNCG have implemented policies that define expectations for non‐ tenure‐track faculty and provide promotion through either Clinical Faculty or Academic Professional tracks. Providing defined opportunities for professional advancement assists in recruitment and retention of faculty who do not wish to enter the traditional tenure track, but whose expertise is of long‐term benefit to the University.
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UNC Pembroke Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has and continues to be engaged in a “deliberate planning process,” the latest of which began during the 2006‐2007 academic year. The process involved all segments of the campus community and regional stakeholders in an inclusive, effective examination of UNC Pembroke’s mission and priorities. The resulting strategic plan articulates goals and initiatives related to the university’s mission in the context of regional challenges and opportunities. Implementation and planning continued during 2007‐2008 under the auspices of the Strategic Planning and Resource Council (SPARC) and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. SPARC’s central focus was mobilizing the university’s intellectual resources, not planning workforce development. However, all divisions are committed to implementing the goals and objectives and the plan has a bearing on staffing priorities and the climate in which individuals work. Independent of the strategic planning process, UNC Pembroke has taken the initial steps to review and establish procedures to address campus workforce needs now and in the future. The Human Resources office completes an annual workforce analysis for EEO purposes. This report provides trend data of key indicators including turnover statistics, positions filled, etc. Some FTE requirements are projected with the addition of new or leased buildings. Each division annually requests funds from the Chancellor for positions and support needs as part of the budget request process. This requires an analysis of their current and projected staffing needs, including anticipated growth. Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? UNCP has grown rapidly during the last ten years and is planning for continued enrollment growth during the next ten years. Enrollment growth has necessitated hiring an increased proportion of adjuncts; new faculty positions will remain tied to UNC Pembroke 3 growth and be allocated in patterns consistent with regional needs and state and UNC priorities. UNCP has conducted a workforce analysis of current staffing levels, potential staff retirements and average turnover rates, along with the comparison to planned campus growth over the next five and ten years. These summary reports are an indicator of potential retirement eligibility. Human Resources serves as the department responsible for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for all hires except teaching faculty positions for which the Provost and Vice‐Chancellor for Academic Affairs is the reporting official.
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Annually, the Human Resources office completes an EEO/AA plan that includes a staff workforce analysis and sets specific recruitment goals for the coming year. Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? UNC Pembroke has completed the career banding process for all SPA employees including development of functional competencies for each position classification as well as new job descriptions. This process required completing competency assessments of all SPA employees filling each of the related positions. These documents will be beneficial in defining recruitment and staff development priorities for SPA positions. Each Vice Chancellor projects staffing needs within his or her respective division as a means of future planning; staff development is multi‐pronged. On‐campus staff workshops, scheduled either by Human Resources or the Division of Information Technology, train participants for campus‐specific technology applications, including Banner modules, and for processes such as budgeting, safety regulations, the On‐Line Employment System (OES). Many division managers provide staff development opportunities appropriate for enhancing their employees’ competencies. Employees report that professional organization conferences and expert consultants offer the most energizing opportunities. In combination, the opportunities develop necessary skill sets and professional expertise. UNCP would like to develop a university‐wide staffing plan. This would position the institution to ensure each division has at least the minimal staff necessary to maintain operational levels during changing times as we continue implementation of technology and respond to the UNC Tomorrow recommendations.
Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? Many of the necessary tools are available. The Office of State Personnel (OSP), in partnership with SAS, is developing the NC Workforce Outlook, a workforce planning data warehouse. OSP has also provided a Workforce Planning Model. However, limited resources and competing priorities have prevented workforce planning from becoming an institutional priority. In addition, the state has not made available the comparative salary data required to complete an effective market analysis by career banded classification. OSP’s planned elimination of the data download available through their website will present an additional obstacle for workforce planning. Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? Human Resources personnel serve in a limited role in the organization’s solution strategies to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives. All offices report reliance on the Online Employment System and screening of SPA applications as a service helpful to their hiring processes. The office has begun to develop benchmark data and reports to assist in organizational planning and solution strategies. 2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses
between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages?
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The Human Resources office has begun to identify gaps and surpluses between present staff positions and future needs. However, due to a general pattern of understaffing during a period of expansive growth, we are aware of gaps but not of any surpluses. Many department managers and department heads expressed concerns related to staffing gaps created by our inability to successfully attract and retain a highly qualified workforce. Often, the most competent candidate declines a position based on UNCP’s rural location and noncompetitive salary and benefits packages. As reliance on more sophisticated technology increases across campus, this will undoubtedly disadvantage all campus units. Some gaps in staff and faculty obviously stem from program development and the pains of rapid growth. Our Nursing Department provides the clearest example of a problem and planned responsiveness. The department of sixteen faculty members, now beginning its third year, is headed by its only full professor. To provide continuing capacity for effective leadership and program direction, two tenured department members are close to completing doctoral degree programs. The institution has secured funding for an endowed Nursing Department chair to enhance program capacity and ensure continued ability to offer high‐quality programs. The department has been proactive from its inception in planning to meet faculty and staff recruitment, staff development, facility requirements, and to address the changing needs of the citizens of North Carolina. Another proactive institutional initiative will support current faculty who do not hold terminal degrees. The U. S. Department of Education, Office of Post‐Secondary Education, recently awarded $2.2 million to UNC Pembroke for “Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Student and Faculty Advancement.” The faculty portion of the multi‐year grant will fund graduate study to result in a terminal degree for qualifying full‐time instructional faculty. Economic and demographic changes are also driving the needs and expectations of our primary service area, Southeastern North Carolina. As the region undergoes dramatic population growth and shifts, including BRAC‐related in‐migration and expanding Hispanic influence, the university must search for the necessary talent to respond to both anticipated and unanticipated changes resulting from socioeconomic and demographic market forces. Given the region’s economic struggles, this is one of the more significant challenges facing UNCP. Meeting the needs of the region and attracting highly qualified technical and administrative support staff to a poor rural area are interrelated difficulties. We recognize that other gaps may become apparent as we work to implement strategic plan initiatives and respond to UNC Tomorrow recommendations within our region. Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? UNCP recruitment strategies are limited based on budget constraints. To meet current budget reductions advertising of positions has been limited to a display ad on a bi‐monthly basis. No funds are available for action‐oriented staff recruitment strategies. In 2005, Human Resources implemented PeopleAdmin online employment system. This has been very successful for all employment types. Seventy percent of applicants identify the UNCP website as the way they learned of the position. This system has automated many 104
manual processes, eliminated many department level responsibilities, and created an effective and efficient, virtually paperless recruitment process for staff positions. It has also enhanced the accuracy of our EEO reporting. Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? There are no current plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in force employees. This occurs as a matter of happenstance and not through a planned approach. During a time of tremendous growth, UNCP continues to function with a minimal level of staffing which does not provide for the time or resources to adequately develop or implement a strategy to provide a cross‐training or job sharing initiatives which could be utilized to retrain or redeploy staff for future needs. During the last two years, 12% of EPA non‐faculty employees and 18% of SPA employees were promoted or transferred. We make every effort to avoid RIF by reassigning an individual whenever possible. In the current budget environment, UNCP is reviewing the reduction in force policy which would be followed as needed. 3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? As the attached Human Resources tables report, 28% of UNCP employees joined the UNCP workforce during the past 2 years. These new hires fill 34% of EPA non‐faculty, 28% of faculty, and 27% of SPA staff positions. Because of new faculty hires which have followed enrollment growth, all academic departments have added junior faculty in recent years and anticipate gradual turnover of current department members rather than an aberrant surge of retirements. In Fall 2007, only 15% of full‐time faculty were aged 61 or older, making UNCP’s faculty significantly younger than the system‐wide 20%. In contrast to the system‐wide 19% under the age of 40, UNC Pembroke has 28% in that age bracket. Based on faculty age distribution, increasing longevity, and the preference of many faculty members to remain active scholars and teachers, for the next ten years at least UNCP’s faculty workforce planning will focus on growth‐related faculty recruitment rather than an imminent wave of wide scale retirements. However, combined, the retirements and new positions will require that significant time, attention, and resources be devoted faculty searches.
The high projection for turnover in senior campus leadership due to retirements within the next five to ten years may have the greatest impact on the institution’s ability to sustain its unique culture and to effectively plan for growth. While these leadership projections (94% of SAAO Tier I) are high, retirement eligibility does not necessarily mean individuals, particularly administrators and faculty, will choose to exercise the option. UNCP does face continuing staff changes with 126 (15%) of all permanent employees being eligible for retirement within 5 years and 28% eligible for retirement in the next 10 years. Those reaching eligibility include an anticipated 21.6% of faculty within the next 5 years and 36.8% within the next 10 years. Almost 30% of SPA employees in service/maintenance and skilled crafts and trade will be eligible in the next 5 years. 105
Retirements, along with normal turnover and anticipated growth, are projected to change the UNCP workforce by greater than 50%. Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? Standards imposed by others in the State restrict the campus’s ability to fully impact benefits and salaries which have a direct bearing on recruitment and retention. Career banding, for example, was supposed to provide flexibility. In fact, because it was an unfunded mandate, it exerts a negative impact on retention. In most areas, Career Banding without funding has created morale issues for those who diverted precious administrative and staff time to satisfy the state‐mandated reclassifications. In all areas where the promised funding has not followed completion of the process, compensation is considered inadequate by employees and supervisors alike. Career banding, by allowing above‐minimum hiring salary, has helped somewhat in the recruitment of qualified candidates. In fact, recruitment for some SPA positions appears to be less problematic than retention. The highly skilled positions which require strong communication ability, technology expertise, or advanced education are difficult to fill. Similarly, some who gain proficiency and expertise leave to take more adequately compensated positions beyond the university rather than working two jobs. Other offices have no current vacancies but have hired multiple replacements in the past three years. The relatively high satisfaction level among SPA employees in departments for which career banding has resulted in salary adjustments suggests that fully funding this process is important to both recruitment and retention of highly qualified employees.
UNCP is supportive of campus based programs which may assist with retention. Employees are encouraged to participate in the Wellness Program which addresses qualify of life. Employees also value tuition waivers which allow them to earn initial or advanced degrees. During the Fall 2008 semester 84 employees registered for a total of 384 semester credit hours as part of the tuition waiver program. Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts? We have identified desirable changes in several areas. Some are policy changes, others require funding. UNC Pembroke’s Human Resources office has issues with our current inability to access state SPA salary comparison data. Since the implementation of Beacon and career banding, OSP does not maintain or publish the average salary data which was previously available on their website. OSP’s planned elimination of the data download, currently available through their website, will further impede campus workforce planning and systems data reconciliation. We encourage General Administration to request that OSP maintain these helpful data sources.
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Revised OSP policies that would recalculate the allowable salary ranges for our area would provide important assistance. General Administration could provide a greater flexibility in establishing and classifying positions, along with additional budget flexibility to fund positions. We encourage General Administration to advocate for more competitive Benefits Programs that provide both improved and cost effective medical coverage. A shorter ORP vesting period and a matching deferred compensation program would also help the campus attract highly qualified staff. It is important that General Administration seek the funding necessary to bring SPA positions to appropriate market levels. This is essential if campuses are to recruit and retain staff and administrators at levels necessary to lead and support UNC Tomorrow initiatives. We also request that you consider relocation funding for EPA positions and tuition reimbursement for dependents of employees.
Additionally, relocation funds and a spousal relocation program, enhanced leave program available from date of hire, and flexible scheduling would help us address recruitment challenges. Regional economic growth and development of additional regional cultural resources, as they improve the quality of life for staff, would also be helpful for both recruitment and retention efforts. Barriers that resources and flexibility could address are the elimination of the current state prohibition against rewarding SPA employees for performance, additional funding to address salary compression issues, and enhanced benefits programs. All of these barriers need to be removed to assist in our efforts to maintain a high performing campus staff. Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐ tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty? The phased retirement program does assist in recruitment, degree program continuity, and junior faculty mentoring. In some cases it has had the added benefit of expanding the window for completing a successful search for replacement faculty. We are not prepared at this time to make a recommendation on non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty inclusion in this benefit, but a committee has been tasked with examining multiple aspects of these individuals’ status on campus and will be considering the question. 4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? UNCP has effectively maintained a diverse campus population. The primary challenge UNCP may be facing in the next five or ten years is increased competition for highly qualified minority candidates. Currently, limited numbers of competitive minority candidates surface in our applicant pools for some administrative positions and academic fields. In other cases, 107
minority candidates may be the first choice of a search committee but decline an offer based on salary limitations, noncompetitive benefits, rural location, and limited community resources which characterize very poor counties. Turnover is another challenge. A pattern of individuals leaving campus relatively early in their university employment for better compensation is extremely costly to the campus, representing both economic drain and loss of accrued expertise. Preparing the university to remain responsive to dramatic demographic shifts may require establishing support services specifically designed to address new areas of diversity on campus and within our service region. Some new or larger special‐needs populations may include the Hispanic population, veterans, and military personnel. Support services for non‐traditional course and program delivery may also require enhancement as a result of population shifts, flexible work patterns, diffuse technology, and increased competition among online providers. All will require planning so we are positioned to successfully meet interrelated staffing, academic resources, student services, and programmatic challenges. 5. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.? Most academic departments continue to successfully recruit highly talented faculty who excel in teaching and research and are committed to providing service. However, we face significant challenges. Greater flexibility would aid in efforts to recruit highly talented minority faculty who often enjoy multiple offers, and to retain highly regarded mid‐career faculty. In a preliminary survey, 69% of the academic departments reported that recent offers have been declined. The reasons are varied; lack of postdoctoral fellowship opportunities, heavy teaching loads, and restricted research opportunities have made campus conditions unattractive to several. The rural nature of the service area as well as current salary offers have been significant barriers to recruiting and retaining faculty. The resources necessary to support a 3‐3 teaching load would remove barriers associated with the current 4‐4 requirement. It would aid in retaining mid‐level, tenured faculty, permitting them to actively pursue a comprehensive research agenda and/or to increase engagement in complex, proactive community service activities. As a byproduct, these actions would undoubtedly increase the university’s impact in the region. General Administration and other UNC institutions could also augment their valuable support for UNC Pembroke’s effort to provide quality education for the next generation of North Carolinians. We appreciate the UNC Tomorrow Commission’s recommendation that UNC develop collaborative initiatives to ensure a strong pool of excellent faculty for high needs areas. Academic disciplines constitute the most critical category of scrutiny; but we suggest that regional and diversity gaps are another facet deserving attention. Multiple aspects of diversity are fundamental to the intellectual health of academic institutions and we are confident of our ability to continue to recruit and retain faculty with strong credentials and outstanding
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potential from prominent North Carolina and out‐of‐state institutions. As we have indicated, however, financial and regional constraints often present significant challenges. We recognize that any effective solution will be complex and must begin long before students reach a university campus. However General Administration might undertake focused initiatives to effectively support multiple constituent institutions’ efforts to respond to North Carolina’s increasingly diverse citizenry. One way to circumvent the difficulty of attracting heavily‐recruited, urban‐raised minority faculty to Southeastern North Carolina is to proactively support the academic aspirations of highly talented individuals for whom rural settings constitute familiar territory. Doctoral campuses within the UNC system could be encouraged to conscientiously recruit highly talented regional campus graduates. When not inappropriate for the academic field, graduate programs might revise stringent residency requirements which sometimes eliminate otherwise‐qualified regional students from Ph.D. programs. Permitting part‐time enrollment would allow faculty members, and others, to remain employed while strengthening their academic credentials and, thus, increasing their potential contributions to a campus and the state. General Administration could establish a state program modeled on the McNair Scholars initiative, earmark some graduate fellowships for individuals who commit to spending a significant portion of their faculty career within the UNC system, and create an advertising clearinghouse for graduates of UNC institutions. Each would make an important UNC system‐wide contribution to preparing the next generation of the professoriate. 6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? Diversity is inherent in the culture and environment of UNCP. Historically this has meant ethnic, racial, generational, and gender diversity. All are part of the institutional fabric in which students, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni take pride. Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? The EEO Plan typically includes goals for increasing diversity among faculty and staff. However, during the past year no goals were developed based on the current diversity of our faculty and staff. UNCP has a culture that promotes inclusiveness, acceptance and mutual respect among faculty, staff and students that enhances the academic experience from multiple perspectives. UNCP is committed to diversity and EEO by openly recruiting for vacancies which specify the competencies and skills required for the position. Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? UNCP is committed to a diverse campus environment and promotes a culture of acceptance and understanding. During our recent strategic planning process in which both faculty and staff participated, one strategic plan goal and associated task force focused specifically on diversity. As we work to achieve the plan’s goals, this task force, as well as the other three, will develop assessment measures for the related initiatives. 109
The institution has also made strides toward adequately accommodating students and faculty with mobility limitations. Sidewalks have been reconstructed to include ramps and additional reserved parking spaces for appropriately tagged vehicles adjoin buildings. Additional elevators and other needed structural improvements have priority on our repair and renovation funding requests. 7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. There is no systematic process to identify key employees or critical competencies at the campus level. This is more likely to be organized at the Division or Department level where any related professional management and leadership development programs would be identified by the appropriate manager. Succession planning, even within individual units, is difficult because most departments have only one or two qualified professionals in an office. Each of them is responsible for multiple tasks, supported by staff members who do not have the qualifications required for the position. Creating depth within departments is the solution but financing is the barrier. Although, as indicated above, a number of staff members take advantage of the employee tuition waiver and work toward or complete bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees, the degrees are of limited benefit to the university in terms of succession planning. Some SPA employees matriculate in programs that are unrelated to their current position and leave university employment. A key student accounts manager, for example, completed a teacher licensure program. Because it takes multiple years to complete a program on waivers, many other staff members earn degrees near the end of their employment. While the benefits to the individuals, their families, and the region are significant, they contribute much more to employee retention rates than to preparing replacement department managers or administrators. In addition to the Teaching and Learning Center’s active calendar of faculty workshops on a variety of classroom, technology, and professional development topics, UNCP supports administrative development opportunities for interested faculty members. A campus‐based Administrative Fellows Program has been in place for three years, providing selected faculty an opportunity to explore academic administrative roles. A few female faculty and staff have also attended the UNC Bridges program. The numbers involved are small but all former participants remain at UNCP, some in administrative positions.
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UNC Wilmington Summary of UNCW recommendations about what UNC might do to help with faculty and staff recruitment and retention. 1. Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, phased retirement should be extended to such faculty members. 2. Employee benefits are uncompetitive. The state’s portfolio of employee benefits, especially health care coverage, needs to be evaluated against and improved to competitive market standards, including offering a separate coverage rate for faculty/spouse (partner) without children. 3. State regulations complicate the university’s efforts to compete with institutions that routinely reimburse newly hired faculty members for moving expenses. These need to be made more flexible. 4. President Bowles appointed a Task Force in late 2007 with the express purpose of reviewing issues that impact staff employees who are subject to the State Personnel Act. The recommendations from that Task Force include the establishment of a unique “Article” with the Chapter 126 (State Personnel Act) that is devoted to university staff employment; this is similar to other articles that focus on counties, municipalities, etc. The passage of such legislation would provide the universities more flexibility in recruiting and retention matters for its staff employees. We believe that the task force recommendations should be implemented. 5. UNCW continues to suffer from being understaffed and from staff salaries that are well below market. As of November 2008, our SPA salaries are approximately $3million below market for the number of positions we have. Obviously, increasing both the number of staff and the respective salary levels are driven by the level of funding. 6. The relatively low staffing level compounds any issue regarding salary, benefits, turnover, need for training, etc. Increasing staff levels would enhance our ability to develop staff in order for them to compete for promotions (university succession plan). We recommend that the funding for UNCW be reviewed and considered in relation to the students and public we serve. 7. Given forecasts that the universities will have a skilled labor shortage in the coming years, it is important that we foster the ability of individuals to work longer if they so choose. With this in mind, any enhancement that would make university employment more attractive or to encourage employees to stay longer would help. These could include: • Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP). Such programs are well‐ established in other states and truly serve as “win‐wins” for both the employees and the universities. • Change state law to reduce the “6 month break” before a state retiree can return to the state workforce.
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Voice the university employee concerns regarding State Health Coverage to the General Assembly. Pursue a reasonable model to allow tuition reimbursement or tuition waiver for children of employees.
(Note: UNCW divided its examination of internal workforce planning needs into separate faculty and staff reviews.)
UNCW FACULTY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION I. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP Larry Clark, Dean, Cameron School of Business (Chair) Martin Posey, Chair, Department of Biology and Marine Biology Hank Weddington, Associate Dean, Watson School of Education Jeanne Kemppainen, Professor, School of Nursing Bruce McKinney, President, Faculty Senate Chris Gould, Director, Center for Faculty Leadership Abdou Ndoye, Assessment Program Director, Watson School of Education Kathleen Berkeley, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Cem Canel, Chair, Information Systems and Operations Management Dan Pfohl, Associate University Librarian Jessie Sova, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Resource Management Martha Andrews, Associate Professor, Department of Management Kim Cook, Chair, Sociology and Criminal Justice Lori Preiss, Employment Services Manager, Human Resources Jose Hernandez, Associate Provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion
II. COMMITTEE CHARGE
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The Committee was created in response to recommendation 5.4 of the University of North Carolina Tomorrow Final Report (December 2007) indicating that each campus “should prepare for wide‐scale retirement and should increase efforts to recruit and retain high‐quality faculty.” The charge for the committee by Provost Brian Chapman, August 15, 2008: UNC has therefore charged UNCW to consider our workforce needs over the next 5 years, including: •
critical talent issues, including leader and worker shortages;
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the aging workforce including retirement and attrition trends among faculty and staff;
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the impact of worldwide demographic shifts on campus workforces;
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strategies for recruiting and retaining high potential talent; and
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managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce.
With this charge in mind, I am appointing you to the UNC Tomorrow Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention Committee. The specific objectives of this committee are to produce a report for submission to the University of North Carolina General Administration by December 1, 2008, that answers the following questions: 6. Is UNCW engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address our campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? 7. With respect to critical talent issues, do we have gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? How are we going to fill those gaps or minimize those surpluses? 8. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, what impact will retirements over the next 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, and 20‐year period have on our workforce?
9. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges do we face now and over the next 5 years as a result of demographic shifts? 10. What are the barriers we face with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help us address these challenges (e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.)?
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11. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are we supporting and achieving diversity? 12. With respect to succession planning, have we engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for our senior and mid‐level managers? 13. What other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff might we highlight? Vice Provost Steve McFarland will chair this committee. Because of the size of this challenge, I am dividing this effort between two subcommittees. Larry Clark, Dean of the Cameron School of Business, will chair a subcommittee to examine faculty recruitment and retention issues. William Fleming, Assistant to the Chancellor for Human Resources, will chair a subcommittee to examine staff recruitment and retention issues. III. UNC QUESTIONS CONCERNING FACULTY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
1. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’s workforce needs now and for the future? The University Planning and Quality Control Council (http://www.uncw.edu/planning/council.htm ) assists the Chancellor and Board of Trustees in setting strategic directions and developing a consolidated planning document. The UPQC also measures progress toward strategic goals related to workforce planning. Goal II (http://www.uncw.edu/planning/documents/StrategicPlan.pdf ), in particular, is to “recruit, retain, and develop quality faculty . . . in appropriate numbers.” In order to reach this goal, the university strives to offer fair and competitive salaries and benefits along with opportunities for professional development and career advancement. Concrete, measurable objectives include the following:
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Steadily increasing faculty salaries to the 80th percentile among peer institutions for all academic ranks. (As of July 2008, faculty salaries at UNCW were above the national average.) • Increasing the three‐year moving average of total R&D expenditures from $12.5 million in 2001‐2003 to at least $20 million by 2009‐2011. (This objective was included in the 2006‐2011 long‐range planning report submitted to General Administration in 2005.) • Continuing to improve the student‐faculty ratio from 18.2 to 1 (2004‐2005), 17.2 to 1 (2006‐2007), and 17.0 to 1 (fall 2007) to 15 to 1. Additional planning is performed by the Office of Human Resources through annual Workforce Data Analyses and EEO/AA reports. a. Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next five years? The university’s long‐range planning takes the following demographic trends into account: • UNCW’s Enrollment Model anticipates growth from 12,336 in 2008 to 13,655 by 2013. Efforts to reduce student‐faculty ratio must take this growth into consideration. • By August 2009, 94 faculty members will be eligible for the Phased Retirement Program. Since its inception in 1998, 59 individuals (an average of 5.4 per year) have entered phased retirement. • Faculty turnover (for reasons other than retirement) has declined by 4 percent from 2006‐2007 to 2007‐2008. While this is too short a time frame from which to deduce any long‐term trends, the university does not anticipate acceleration of voluntary turnover, partly because of economic conditions. b. Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next five to ten years? UNCW’s long‐range planning report for 2006‐2011 acknowledges a need to develop academic programs and collaborative strategies to support initiatives in allied health, nursing, medicine, and related fields in response to a shortage of regional health‐care providers. One of the most urgent priorities is the projected need for 18,000 additional nurses in North Carolina by 2015. With the support of Congressman Mike McIntyre, the
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university’s new graduate program in nursing is partnering with the New Hanover Regional Medical Center to increase the number of pre‐licensure students. c. Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? The university participates in national surveys conducted by the following organizations: the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE), the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI), the Climate Survey of Minority and Women Faculty, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences/Statistical Analysis System (SPSS/SAS). d. Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its missions, goals, and objectives? Personnel from Human Resources serve on committees that address the university’s strategic goals. 2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and future with respect to leader and worker shortages? a. Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract to talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? UNCW has adopted a strategic view of recruitment to accommodate current and future needs. Procedures are governed by a policy for recruitment and selection of EPA and faculty employees http://www.uncw.edu/policies/documents/08111RecruitmentandSelectionofEPAandFa cultyEmployees10608.finak.pdf This policy prescribes a deliberate process that begins by identifying goals, values, and selective criteria. All vacant positions, EPA and SPA alike, are posted on the university’s website, easily accessible to potential candidates. Faculty positions are advertised in the Chronicle of Higher Education or in top‐tier professional journals, websites, and databases, including those that target under‐represented minorities. Members of search committees send letters to professional contacts outside the university aimed at attracting qualified applicants. Leadership and visibility in professional organizations also enhance recruitment at national and regional conferences. Campus interviews provide maximum interaction between job candidates and faculty members,
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administrators, office workers, and students. Since these interviews are usually scheduled in January and February, UNCW sometimes gains a competitive edge because of Wilmington’s mild winters. Faculty recruits are attracted to UNCW because of its emphasis on teaching, its partnerships with public schools and other regional agencies, the appeal of Wilmington as a community, and the personal engagement of faculty members in campus interviewing. Faculty recruits who decline employment often cite non‐competitive salary and benefits relative to those offered by other universities or in other career tracks. Some also cite the regional cost of living, inadequate support for research, and the slowness of the hiring process. Initiatives that support the university’s efforts to retain quality faculty include departmental and university‐wide mentoring programs; the Watson School of Education Leadership Academy; the services of the Center for Faculty Leadership (CFL) and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE); President Bowles’s Faculty Recruitment and Retention Fund, which helps match competing offers from other universities; salary supplements in the form of stipends and research grants; flexible work schedules; sensitivity to the needs of dual‐career families; and conscientious monitoring of progress toward tenure and promotion through professional development plans and annual performance review. b. Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retain, redeploy, or reduce in‐force employees whose functions are not needed in the future? UNC Wilmington has not yet specifically addressed this issue. 3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, and 20‐year periods and the impact this will have on your campus workforce? The annual number of retirements among tenured faculty, after peaking at 11 in 2003, declined to 6 in 2008. Since 1998, 59 tenured faculty members have availed themselves of the UNCW phased retirement program, which permits a three‐year reduced workload: either a full‐time assignment for a single semester each academic year or a half‐time assignment through both semesters. Because of its popularity, total participation in this program is limited to a number no greater than 10 percent of the
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university’s tenured and tenure‐track faculty; departmental participation is restricted to a number no greater than 20 percent of such faculty within the academic unit. If and when eligibility for phased retirement exceeds these limits, priority is given to faculty members with the greatest length of service within the UNC system. a. Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? The university has pursued the following strategies for recruiting and retaining high‐quality faculty members:
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Efforts to develop diverse applicant pools Competitive salary offers and start‐up packages Mentoring programs at the university and departmental levels Clear and supportive guidance toward tenure and promotion Opportunities for professional development: Cahill Grants http://www.uncw.edu/fac_handbook/development/research_opps/cahill.htm Summer Research Initiatives http://www.uncw.edu/aa/Awards/documents/summerresearchinitiative03_000. pdf Curriculum Development Grants http://www.uncw.edu/aa/Awards/documents/summercurriculum03.pdf Research Reassignments http://www.uncw.edu/policies/03‐210‐facultyreassignmentawards.htm Inter‐University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/ICPSR/pdf/internship.pdf CTE and CFL workshops
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On‐campus cultural programs (examples): Synergy Reading Program http://www.uncw.edu/commonreading Buckner Lecture Series http://www.uncw.edu/english/buckner.html Sherman Lecture Series http://www.uncw.edu/hst/alumni/sherman.html Theatrical and musical performances and film screenings
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b. Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’s recruitment and retention efforts? UNCW would benefit from system‐wide endorsement and funding of the following initiatives: • Nationally competitive entry‐level salaries for faculty (above the 80th CUPA percentile) • Increased flexibility in awarding start‐up packages • Reimbursement of moving expenses for newly recruited faculty members • Reduced teaching loads for first‐year tenure‐track faculty • Provisions for spousal/partner hiring and employment counseling • Mandated provisions for campus child care • Pre‐tenure eligibility for research reassignments, after reappointment • Additional summer support for research projects • More explicit provisions for tenuring and promoting clinical‐track faculty members. c. Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty, recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? See item a, above. d. Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to such faculty members? This would be a fair and appropriate provision, fully in accord with UNCW’s recently adopted policy for awarding senior lecturer status to lecturers with five or more years of commendable service http://www.uncw.edu/fac_handbook/employment/fac_status/lecturers.htm. 4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges do we face now and over the next five years as a result of these shifts? Southeast North Carolina offers appealing quality‐of‐life features that attract prospective faculty members of all ages and ethnicities. However, the region’s relatively high cost of living complicates recruitment of new faculty, especially those with recently 119
earned doctorates. Consequently, UNCW may have to hire more senior faculty members who are better able to handle a higher cost of living. There are generally fewer qualified candidates among this age group, and they are more costly to hire. In regard to age: • UNCW is fortunate to have a relatively young faculty, 60% of whom have been hired over the last 10 years. • A continuing challenge, however, is the health of older faculty members and their growing need to provide care for aging parents. The university supports the goals and provisions of the Family Medical and Leave Act. • Some faculty members without children at home resent the fact that the state’s health plan does not offer more reasonably priced spouse/partner coverage (as opposed to individual or family coverage). Although this does not impel senior faculty members to leave UNCW, it does have an impact on morale. • The high quality of life in this region continues to attract a large number of more recently retired professionals and executives, many of whom have “retired young” with an ability and inclination to remain active in some line of work. o Some retirees offer to teach courses or otherwise support student learning. The Cameron Executive Network, for example, includes over 150 recently retired members who mentor or otherwise help students; more than 40 members volunteer a half day a week to help students compose their resumes. o The Watson School of Education has appointed a retired school administrator as its Educator‐in‐Residence. The Cameron School of Business has six Executives‐in‐Residence. Similar opportunities may exist for other academic units at UNCW. o UNCW should explore additional strategies and opportunities for attracting and leveraging more recently retired individuals to support student learning. In regard to ethnicity/race: • Wilmington continually strives to overcome the enduring effects of its racial history, especially the 1898 race riot. The following challenges remain: o Lack of trust, especially among African Americans born in Wilmington. o A professional workforce that still includes relatively few African American accountants, architects, doctors, and lawyers. This lack of representation is a barrier to recruiting and retaining faculty of color. • While UNCW has become a campus that highly values inclusion and diversity, ethnic and racial minorities remain under‐represented among students, faculty, and staff.
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Greater diversity would enhance the powerful learning experience and preparation for life and work that UNCW provides its graduates. Because minorities remain under‐represented in most of academic departments, UNCW has had difficulty attracting and retaining a diverse faculty. The cultural climate of the campus and its support structures for faculty of color are continuing concerns. The “trailing spouse issue” is particularly relevant to hiring and retaining a diverse faculty.
In general, Wilmington’s history and its current under‐representation of professional persons of color remain as a deterrent to recruiting a more diverse faculty. Consequently, UNCW needs to become more intentional in supporting newly hired faculty of color in order to better assure better retention. Otherwise, a continuing lack of diversity in most academic units will impede the recruitment and retention of such highly talented individuals.
5. What are the barriers we face with respect to recruiting and retaining high‐potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would help us address these challenges (e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.)? The university faces some persistent and formidable obstacles in its efforts to recruit and retain high‐quality faculty members: • Faculty salaries at UNCW are often uncompetitive with those offered by peer institutions, particularly in view of the relative cost of living in the Wilmington area. • Start‐up packages for new faculty members are neither competitive nor equitably distributed. • Employee benefits are also uncompetitive, and faculty members are not eligible for services provided by Student Health. • State regulations complicate the university’s efforts to compete with institutions that routinely reimburse newly hired faculty members for moving expenses. • UNCW has yet to adopt formal policies to accommodate spousal/partner hiring or employment counseling. • UNCW is one of the few institutions within the UNC system without on‐site child care. • Pre‐tenured faculty members are ineligible for research reassignments; tenured faculty members compete for a limited number of these leaves. • The university could offer more flexibility in scheduling faculty workload (e.g., teaching summer classes to reduce workload for fall or spring)
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UNCW faces a shortage of non‐teaching (i.e., clinical and research) faculty members and does not provide an adequate working environment for recruiting and retaining these colleagues. While recent construction has alleviated some problems, UNCW is still behind many of its peer institutions with respect to common‐use facilities, faculty office space, equipment for the sciences and specialized facilities (such as for Film Studies). 6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? UNCW actively encourages and promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open‐mindedness among students, faculty, staff and the broader community. The university views diversity as an educational benefit that enhances the academic experience and fosters free exchange of ideas from multiple perspectives. According to 2008 UNCW EEO/AA plan, “Reaffirmation of Commitment to Equal Education and Employment Opportunity” (http://www.uncw.edu/hr/employment‐affirmative.html ): “Diversity includes, but is not limited to race, sex, age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran’s status, gender, educational disadvantage, socio‐economic circumstances, language, and history of overcoming adversity.” a. Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? UNCW seeks to employ women and ethnic minorities in proportions that correspond with their representation in appropriate labor markets; i.e., the presence of women and minorities in the university’s workforce should correspond with their availability in the job market. In order to realize this objective, the university’s goal is to bring incumbency within all job groups to a lower percentage than market availability and to ensure that the difference is at least one whole person. b. Have you implemented programs, policies, and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives. Have you found them to be effective? And if so, how do you measure effectiveness? UNCW produces an annual EEO/AA plan that tracks progress toward achieving labor market parity. The 2008 plan (http://www.uncw.edu/hr/employment‐affirmative.html) includes “Good Faith Efforts” and specific programs to support diversity. Also, the university recently adopted the Seahawk Respect Compact
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(http://appserv02.uncw.edu/news/atuncw/annview.aspx?id=4580 ) , which reaffirms its commitment to promoting diversity. Additional initiatives include the following: • Watson School of Education diversity committee has created a showcase for faculty members to display their efforts to incorporate diversity issues into the curriculum. The committee also organizes an annual half‐day diversity retreat. • ITSD Diversity Plan (http://www.uncw.edu/itsd/documents/ITSDDiversityPlanFinal.pdf) The university measures the effectiveness of its efforts to achieve diversity in the workforces by comparing current UNCW percentages with national labor market availability as reported in the 2003 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty. The effectiveness of the university’s initiatives is reflected in changes in incumbency since 2004: 11 of 16 faculty areas saw improved representation of women; 10 of 16 saw improved representation of minorities. 7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. Like many other universities, UNCW has not fully embraced succession planning, partly under the assumption that replacements in key positions are best identified and recruited through competitive national searches in which inside candidates are encouraged to apply. Succession planning is further complicated by statutory constraints that govern recruitment, as well as the university’s Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Plan. Nevertheless, the university has pursued a variety of initiatives to foster academic leadership: • The Leadership Enhancement and Administrative Development program (LEAD) is a certification program involving a series of workshops for interested faculty members and SPA employees. • The Center for Faculty Leadership (CFL) offers an annual day‐long orientation for new department chairs, a monthly series of lunch meetings for chairs and other mid‐level administrators, and various other programs (workshops, lectures, and
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support for attending national conferences). CFL encourages networking and alliance building and provides access to a variety of resources for career development. Each fall, CFL sponsors two or more participants in the UNC Bridges Program for women faculty members with administrative interests. The Watson School of Education Leadership Academy brings together a group of younger faculty and staff members for monthly meetings aimed at grooming them for positions of leadership. This academy is in its fourth year of existence. It is based on three guiding principles: 1. A “grow your own” leadership model 2. An increase in leadership knowledge of self, WSE/UNCW communities, and the city and region 3. An additional source of two‐way communication Campus and community leaders meet with shared experiences and guide the group through leadership divisions. Case studies and shared book are also used to increase the knowledge base. The group also selects a campus and/or community project to complete. The participants are nominated to participate and then selected to join the group. Only eight participants are selected each year. The group meets throughout the academic year culminating in a celebratory event to show progress results. The dean serves as the leader of this group.
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Section II of the university’s EEO/AA Plan (Career Planning and Professional Development), outlines methods for providing opportunities to acquire new skills and to update and enhance existing ones. These programs should be strengthened and supplemented by other initiatives such as the following: • Developmental administrative assignments • Formal administrative mentoring through job shadowing • Implementations of the Athabasca Succession Planning Process for Academic and Non‐Academic Leadership/Management Positions http://www1.athabascau.ca/hr/gen_info/perform.html • Incorporation of succession planning into strategic planning
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(Note: UNCW divided its examination of internal workforce planning needs into separate faculty and staff reviews.)
UNCW STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION I. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP William Fleming, Assistant to the Chancellor for Human Resources (Chair) Mark Steelman, Director, Employment and Compensation, Human Resources Cheryl Sutton, University Administrative Manager, Facilities Jose Hernandez, Associate Provost for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Jessie Sova, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Resource Management Nancy Maready, Public Service and Continuing Education Suzie Daughtridge, Director of Advancement Services, Division of Advancement Ann Glossl, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs Jane Bailey, Director, Facilities Administration Sharon Boyd, Associate Vice Chancellor, Business Affairs Patti Thompson, Information Technology Resource Manager Max Allen, Chief of Staff Nancy Jones, Chair, Staff Council Linda Adkins, Administrative Budget Manager, College of Arts and Sciences
II. COMMITTEE CHARGE The Committee was created in response to recommendation 5.4 of the University of North Carolina Tomorrow Final Report (December 2007) indicating that each campus “should prepare for wide‐scale retirement and should increase efforts to recruit and retain high‐quality faculty.” The charge for the committee by Provost Brian Chapman, August 15, 2008:
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UNC has therefore charged UNCW to consider our workforce needs over the next 5 years, including: •
critical talent issues, including leader and worker shortages;
•
the aging workforce including retirement and attrition trends among faculty and staff;
•
the impact of worldwide demographic shifts on campus workforces;
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strategies for recruiting and retaining high potential talent; and
•
managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce.
With this charge in mind, I am appointing you to the UNC Tomorrow Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention Committee. The specific objectives of this committee are to produce a report for submission to the University of North Carolina General Administration by December 1, 2008, that answers the following questions: 1. Is UNCW engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address our campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? 2. With respect to critical talent issues, do we have gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? How are we going to fill those gaps or minimize those surpluses? 3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, what impact will retirements over the next 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, and 20‐year period have on our workforce?
4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges do we face now and over the next 5 years as a result of demographic shifts? 5. What are the barriers we face with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help us address these challenges (e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.)? 6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are we supporting and achieving diversity?
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7. With respect to succession planning, have we engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for our senior and mid‐level managers? 8. What other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff might we highlight? Vice Provost Steve McFarland will chair this committee. Because of the size of this challenge, I am dividing this effort between two subcommittees. Larry Clark, Dean of the Cameron School of Business, will chair a subcommittee to examine faculty recruitment and retention issues. William Fleming, Assistant to the Chancellor for Human Resources, will chair a subcommittee to examine staff recruitment and retention issues. III. UNC QUESTIONS CONCERNING STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION This is summary of responses regarding SPA staff employment at UNC Wilmington. Many of these areas are symptomatic of a larger issue. While we can continue to try and “treat the symptoms”; we believe that the support of the President’s Task Force report on SPA employment would be more helpful for the long term benefit of the university system. This task force and their report focused on many of the same issues referenced in this UNC Tomorrow Phase II questionnaire. The final recommendation was that the university system staff employees should be governed by a different section of the State Personnel Act. This effort was tabled in 2008, but we are given to understand that this will be introduced in the next legislative session.
1. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus workforce needs now and for the future? • Yes. As part of the well‐established UNCW Strategic planning process, the UNCW Planning and Quality Council (http://www.uncw.edu/planning/council.htm ) has identified specific progress measures regarding both faculty and staff employment.
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In 2004, a benchmark study was done to provide baseline data for comparison. The findings from this study included student‐staff ratios as an indicator. One of the progress measures has been to improve that ratio. This progress measure is monitored closely for the strategic plan updates. Through focused efforts and use of state and university resources, UNCW has improved this ratio. At the end of each fiscal year, HR completes an annual workforce analysis and presents to cabinet. This report provides trend data of key indicators including turnover statistics, positions filled, salary competitiveness, etc. Some FTE requirements are projected with the addition of new buildings Each division, section and department is invited each year to request funds for FTE’s, training, and support needs as part of the budget request process. This requires reflection on current situation and projection of future needs.
a. Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years?
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Yes. UNCW grew rapidly during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. HR provides age summary reports as an indicator of potential retirement eligibility. Our highest age population is in the 40‐50 category. As a result, our workforce does not appear to face the massive Baby Boomer attrition predicted at some other campuses. • The HR office also serves as the unit responsible for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). Each calendar year, HR completes an extension EEO/AA plan that includes an exhaustive workforce analysis and specific recruitment plans for the coming year. http://www.uncw.edu/hr/employment‐affirmative.html b. Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? • Yes. A key struggle faced by our campus is a general level of being understaffed. It has made it difficult to focus a great deal of attention on future needs when the needs of the present are so significant. • Our campus has just completed the transition to the “Banding” classification system for its approximately 1000 SPA staff positions. This system provided for an individual analysis of each position, the respective competencies required for the job, and the competencies of the individuals filling the positions. • UNCW takes its workforce planning seriously. Each Vice Chancellor projects staffing needs within their respective divisions as a means of future planning. • HR has begun the mapping of skill needs to training and developmental opportunities for staff. This will provide the opportunity for individuals to improve their skill sets through campus provided educational workshops.
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The four‐year plan is used as a guideline. Changes are inevitable as we implement emerging technologies and respond to the objectives outline in UNC Tomorrow. . IT developed a schedule of projected staffing needs from 2006‐2010 to get ready for the spring/summer budget discussions, each division was requested to prepare this schedule to facilitate budget request discussions among members of the cabinet. We would like to develop a university‐wide staffing plan and utilize the potential of the campus banding system. This objective would be influenced by budget restrictions. Certain units have developed specific staffing plans for example, a comprehensive consultant study was done to evaluate the staffing needs in university advancement three years ago. While the plan forecasted out from 2005 to 2010, the added staffing was intended to bring the division up to standard operational levels to execute a capital campaign.
c. Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? • We believe that we will have the necessary tools. The Office of State Personnel, in partnership with SAS, is developing the NC Workforce Outlook and Retirement Knowledge System (NC WORKS), a workforce planning data warehouse. This is expected to be operational in 2009, but we do have questions about the ability to load the appropriate faculty and staff data from Banner, PMIS, and Beacon. Therefore, this is a long term project.
d. Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? • Yes. The Assistant to the Chancellor for Human Resources is a cabinet level position. The incumbent also serves on the Quality and Planning Council. 2. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages?
o Yes – to some degree. As noted earlier, due to a general level of being understaffed, UNCW has existing gaps. We are not aware of any surpluses.
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a. Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? o In the spring of 2007, HR convened a recruitment task force to brainstorm ideas of improving the diversity of faculty candidate pools. o A key strategy from the task force was the requirement of all search committees to identify a “List of Five” external contacts from which nominations would be sought. o
o
In 2006, HR implemented the PeopleAdmin online application software. This has been very successful for our applicants and a paperless transition for our campus. In FY 07‐08, HR process almost 12,000 SPA applicants…an average of 80 per vacancy. For hard‐to‐fill positions, UNCW has looked for ways to be flexible within the parameters set by general statute. For example, we utilize continuous recruitment for our public safety officer vacancies to enable us to accept applications without the restrictions of a deadline. In addition, we hire trainee positions from pools with no qualified individuals and use targeted recruitment to notify instructors at community colleges with Basic Law Enforcement Training programs. We also place newspaper advertisements in outlying counties with higher unemployment rates than our own.
b. Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? • Our policy in this area is to avoid RIF by reassigning an individual whenever possible. This is impacted by the level of understaffing that exists now. UNCW has not focused attention on the redeployment of employees who potentially may not be needed in the future. However, we do have a reduction‐in‐force policy that would be followed for any such changes. 3. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5, 10, 15, 20 year period and the impact this will have on your campus workforce? • Yes. HR has provided reports (in aggregate) of age as an indicator of retirement eligibility. We also know that retirement eligibility does not necessarily mean that individuals will choose to do so. • As noted above, UNCW grew rapidly during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Our highest age population is in the 40‐50 category. As a result, our workforce does not appear to face the massive Baby Boomer attrition predicted at some other campuses. 8
a. Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? • Yes. As noted above, UNCW has regularly sought to improve recruitment and retention. • In January of 2008, HR began a two full day new employee orientation program. The purpose is to provide the best baseline possible for new employees to be successful. Program segments include benefits enrollment, history of UNCW, diversity appreciation, and safety. • We continue to provide training and development opportunities to provide staff with the tools and skills to be successful in their work. Examples include the HR training and development catalog provided each semester, and a new Finance Certificate Training Program developed by Business Affairs. • Many divisions provide extra coordination beyond the central HR role. For example, in Student Affairs, they have centralized recruitment of their positions, defined a division check list, and have ensured that they are very inclusive in interview process. • Managers can design jobs that build advancement potential as employees develop. For example, one manager has noted trying to build some “junior” management levels into a department. This gives people the ability to obtain some skills, while still being supervised and “mentored”. These are generic types of skills such as personnel management, project management and strategic planning that make the employee much more marketable when it is time for them to move to higher level jobs. While it does not help retention, it does make positions attractive for recruiting purposes and also makes the department attractive by providing either the skills or a position that help individuals to advance whether internally or externally. • UNCW has a sliding scale for parking fees. This results in lower paid positions having a cheaper rate to pay for parking. • UNCW provides free use of textbooks for staff you take university courses for credit. • The university Wellness committee continues to promote ideas for employees to improve their health. • UNCW provides Teleworking and Flex time policies so that units can provide has much flexibility for their work force as reasonably possible. • Managers should identify future business needs and incorporate training plans to develop current staff. Employees engaged in a career development plan where they can reach defined milestones and be compensated for advancing their competency level will have the opportunity to set personal goals and become vested in their career development; this may increase retention rates. This process requires funding for training and compensation.
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•
Identify and plan for specific funding to address staff salary compression as supervisors note demonstrated and documented competencies, as an example, progression through Business Affairs Finance Certificate Program.
b. Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus recruitment and retention efforts? •
•
We do not believe that additional policies at the system level would be necessary. Instead, we believe that UNC G.A. should continue to focus on system‐wide benefits improvement. Examples of benefit improvements would include: o Tuition reimbursement for children of employees o Improved health insurance cost o Investigate the implementation of a Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) for individuals in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System. This well‐established option in other states allows individuals to work longer, and allows the university to know with certainty specific retirement dates.
•
The change in state law two years ago that requires a 6 month break before TSERS retirees can return to work has been a negative for the university. Continued efforts by G.A. to reverse this for the university would be helpful.
c. Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty? • (N/A to our committee‐faculty employees only). 4. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? • UNCW has identified recruiting, retaining and inclusion needs within our EEO/AA plan.
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•
• • •
• • •
Wilmington is a growing community and expected to continue growth. However, much of the growth is in retirees. We may receive on average 82 applications per position, but many recent positions are supplied with 6 or less qualified applicants. It is difficult to attract candidates for specialized functions who are coming from other economies, because our salaries and benefits are not competitive and our cost of living is high. Turnover by individuals leaving relatively early in their university employment. Some individuals early in their careers come to this area and often leave after a few years because they cannot afford a house or they cannot find a job for a spouse or partner. Their discretionary income is severely limited. The cost of living issue is exacerbated by transportation challenges. Since folks have to move further away to afford a home, then transportation, or lack/inconvenience of public transportation is another issue that affects their budget. Retirement plans do not address the needs of a younger, more mobile workforce. There needs to be more tax deferred savings incentives or portable options for all employees and not just EPA. While UNCW provides flexible work schedules and promotes balance in personal lives, enhanced family friendly workplace practices would be attractive to some of the shifting demographics. With an increasing focus on community engagement and the increase in the Hispanic population in North Carolina, bilingual employees in positions with a community outreach component is a value‐added skill.
5. What are some of the barriers that your university is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resource/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc? • Space – square footage • Funding‐Having available money to recruit nationally as well as regionally (UNCW has some flexibility to increase salaries, but as the lowest funded institution, we still have funding shortages) • SPA workforce salaries are still approximately $3 million below market • Health insurance issues • Salary compression and equity • •
Since the university has a deficit of available square footage, some employees have to work in off‐campus locations. This causes some transportation challenges. The fact that employees have to pay for parking is a barrier since most area employers do not have this requirement. UNCW tries to mitigate this with parking rates tiered by salary, and will soon be adding zip cars and other green transportation initiatives to help employees with costs of commuting. This contributes to the cost of living that individuals face when trying to buy a home.
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•
The state prohibits rewarding SPA employees for performance. This is non‐intuitive when a manager is trying to reward or retain an employee.
6. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? •
In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open‐mindedness among students, faculty, staff, and the broader community. Diversity is an educational benefit that enhances the academic experience and fosters free exchange of ideas from multiple perspectives. Diversity includes, but is not limited to race, sex, age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran’s status, gender, educational disadvantage, socio‐economic circumstances, language, and history of overcoming adversity.
a. Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? • •
Yes. UNCW has a complete EEO/AA Plan. http://www.uncw.edu/hr/employment‐affirmative.html
b. Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? • •
• •
•
UNCW has conducted a campus Diversity Climate Survey to identify needed improvements. Campus Compact‐was implemented as a result of the survey. We will be conducting another survey next year to assess improvement. o http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/pdc/documents/SeahawkRespectCompact. pdf UNCW created an Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion. Many divisions and units have formulated diversity plans. For example, the Information Technology Systems Division (ITSD) has a division‐wide diversity plan. Also, the Watson School of Education has a Diversity Committee that has provided programming to improve faculty and staff awareness and understanding of issues related to diversity. HR provides a “Respecting our Differences” (Diversity Awareness) workshop and includes the module in all new employee orientations.
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•
We have had over one third (650) people who have attended our harassment awareness mini‐conference • HR has provided a webinar on “Engaging employees across generations” • There are several pages of good faith efforts that we have outlined in our EEO/AA plan. They can be accessed at the following link: http://www.uncw.edu/hr/employment‐affirmative.html • Human Resources provides instruction to all search committees regarding diversity and inclusion strategies. 7. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. •
• • • • •
•
UNCW has not focused on succession planning as a specific strategy. We believe that it is important to continue our commitment to diversity and EEO by openly recruiting for vacancies. We also are keenly aware of the state prohibition of pre‐selection as dictated by G.S. 126‐7.1. In order for internal candidates to be competitive for given vacancies, we are providing development opportunities. LEAD UNCW is a year‐long series of workshops designed for administrators in order to provide them the tools to be successful at UNCW. The first year has focused on existing and recently hired administrators/leaders (Directors, Chairs, etc). This program however, is planned to be open to aspiring administrators in the coming years. We have worked with the Ernst & Young consultants to help identify key competencies for financial and other high risk areas. The following article highlights some key elements of succession planning at a university. http://www.wittkieffer.com/cmfiles/reports/Education%20Suc_4web.pdf Individuals are encouraged to participate in their respective professional associations as a means of career enhancement. The Certified Public Manager Program, coordinated by the Office of State Personnel, is made available. The Business Affairs Division has recently begun a “Finance Certificate” program. Individuals who work with the campus system and have any contact with billing, budgeting, etc. will be provided a series of workshops designed to ensure their mastery of the rules, regulations, and systems used to accomplish this work. When we advertise positions, we specify competencies and skill sets required for the position.
8. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty 13
and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed.
• •
We believe that continued professional development of faculty and staff is an important component of both retention and skill development. The challenge of UNCW being understaffed manifests in many ways. For example, retention can be related to the historic gaps in staffing that many areas of the university have experienced. There is currently a lack of formal training/cross training for many positions within the university. Many projects and processes experience a work stoppage when an individual leaves a position. This causes a couple of problems. (1) The new employee does not have a resource to train them in their new position, so many times it is a painful process of learning as you go and trial and error. (2) In some cases when the vacating employee stays within the university, they are charged with “bridging” the new employee into their new position. This puts an unfair strain on the vacating employee who is now performing double duty, learning a new position and training a new employee on their old duties. (3) The new employee in many cases is at a disadvantage, due to the fact that there is frequently a backlog of work that exists due to the gap in rehiring. In some cases a new employee is completely overwhelmed with the backlog, resigns, and the cycle of turnover continues.
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Western Carolina University Purpose In its initial report, the UNC‐Tomorrow commission recommended that UNC schools “should prepare for wide‐scale faculty retirement and should increase efforts to recruit and retain high‐quality faculty” (5.4) and “increase efforts to attract and retain high‐quality staff at all levels” (5.5). Western Carolina University’s Phase II response specifically speaks to these recommendations through an assessment of workforce planning efforts at the university, and how they will be developed to address: o o o o o o o
The establishment of a formal conceptual framework for workforce planning (for reference and for possible future implementation) Critical talent issues The high amount of employees eligible for retire in the near future Local, regional, and national demographic shifts Barriers in relation to employee hiring Developing a more diverse workforce Succession planning in regard to the filling of key positions
Each of these subjects is discussed in detail in an independent section (they are numbered according to their place in the above bullet point list). Reporting Process Western Carolina University’s response to this focus area is structured around a central template provided by UNC General Administration. This template consists of seven specific “topic” questions or sections with additional “bulleted” sub‐questions under each of the seven primary topics. The seven topics outlined in the template, which are identified in the purpose section above, were designed to identify and assess current and future processes, programs, and needs. To appropriately respond to these questions a combination of methods were used. These methods included a complete analysis of the WCU workforce to identify current workforce trends and issues and to provide a baseline from which short and long term workforce projections were made. Using these data as a basis, identification and assessment of current institutional programming and processes were
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then conducted to identify strengths and weaknesses in relation to meeting current and projected workforce needs. Additionally, research into best practices in the area of workforce planning was conducted with specific efforts to target and identify those that best aligned with the unique needs and issues facing Western. Structure of the Response Each topic question and corresponding bulleted sub‐question includes a narrative response. Responses were derived from a combination of actual and projected institutional workforce data, identification of programs and processes currently in place to address said question, and identification of potential best practices that would allow WCU to better meet the needs and issues posed in the question. Responses include a summary of the most important institutional actions/programs specific to the question and where applicable initiatives designed to successfully address identified issues are proposed. For each initiative recommended a matrix has been provided outlining the following details: o o o o o o o
type of initiative (ie., new, existing, policy or collaboration) key implementation strategies key descriptors of success key barriers/obstacles implementation timeline responsible units, and funding sources
Response 14. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? Western Carolina University has begun to develop a workforce planning framework that is in harmony with the institutional mission and fully supports identified current and future strategic initiatives and priorities. The initial part of this effort has been to review best practices in the industry. As a result, we have identified a conceptual framework, which shapes all current and future institutional workforce initiatives, that is based upon key aspects of the Cotten Model for Workforce Development Planning. This model was developed by Ann Cotten, Director of the Schaeffer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore, and has proven successful in addressing the needs and challenges of public sector workforces. It incorporates a seven‐step process designed to effectively align an organization’s human capital – its people – with its business
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plan to achieve its mission and objectives. The key steps outlined in the model directly address recommendations set forth during the UNC Tomorrow Phase I response and include: o o o o o o o
defining the organization’s strategic direction scanning the internal and external environments modeling the current workforce assessing future workforce needs and projecting future workforce supply identifying gaps and developing gap‐closing strategies implementing gap‐closing strategies evaluating the effectiveness of gap‐closing strategies and revising strategies as needed
With this model serving as a guiding framework and through the combination of new and existing programs, processes, and initiatives outlined below, Western Carolina University is making efforts to address current and future workforce needs. To support this statement the university has recently completed a detailed analysis of current and projected institutional workforce trends and issues. This analysis has allowed WCU to gain a better understanding of current and forthcoming workforce needs as they pertain to defined institutional mission and objectives and has provided data and support for many of the responses outlined below. •
Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years?
A thorough assessment of Western Carolina University’s workforce data, blended with a review of materials on effective workforce planning, has led to the following observations and recommendations:
•
Western Carolina University currently employs 1,434 full‐time faculty and staff. 18.83% (270) permanent members of the university workforce will be eligible to retire within five years, with particularly large percentages of potential retirees expected in the following categories: o
29.21% of EPA (Exempt from the Personnel Act) Senior Administrators
o
25.87% of SPA (Subject to the Personnel Act) staff
o
18.58% of current faculty
o
18.53% of current employees profiled as “non‐faculty,” with particularly high numbers of non‐faculty retirees categorized as administrative support (23.24%) and professional (15.90%).
Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years?
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The percentage of eligible retirees will increase to 37.49% within ten years. These figures are problematic considering the university’s anticipated growth in enrollment and regional workforce projections over the next decade, which, when combined, indicate that a 25% increase in employment must occur. This will require approximately 218 new non‐faculty permanent hires and 131 permanent faculty appointments. Other challenges include the particularly high number of new Professional and Administrative Support positions created within the past two years (amounting to more than 75% of all new positions created at WCU). These new positions, when considered in conjunction with the particularly high numbers of eligible retirees in the same job categories, indicates a likelihood of consistent need within these two categories of employment. Faculty and staff must be recruited appropriately to fill these openings and given that non‐ faculty hires from the last two years are 29% more likely than the average WCU SPA employee to possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree, non‐faculty recruitment must include the expectation of a more educated talent pool. •
•
Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? An exploration of best practices in workforce planning, and a review of the current resources (both external and internal) available to Western Carolina University suggests that the institution possesses most of the tools needed for a workforce planning process. However, with the current transition of human resource management systems at both the institutional and state level taking place there is some concern about the ability to efficiently obtain necessary data. As part of the university’s ongoing workforce planning process, parts of the Cotten seven step model of workforce planning will be implemented. Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? The Office of Human Resources is a central partner for Western Carolina University in its efforts to meet university missions, goals, and objectives. By providing comprehensive assessments of WCU’s workforce needs and through the development of relevant strategies and solutions the university is better positioned to meet key strategic goals and initiatives (which include implementation of integrative learning programs aligned with the QEP, the Boyer model of scholarship, and the application of the Steward of Place model) through the proactive management of human capital.
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Initiative D.1.1: Using the Cotten Model as a conceptual framework, formally develop, implement, and communicate the WCU workforce planning strategy campus‐wide ensuring alignment with university mission and long‐range strategic plan. Initiative D.1.2: Complete formal assessment of all career‐banded SPA positions to include a current description of position duties, an individual analysis of each position, the respective competencies required for the job, and the competencies of the individuals filling the positions. Initiative D.1.3: Continue to provide and enhance WCU employee professional development programs, particularly as they relate to leadership and workforce development with specific emphasis on the professional and administrative job categories. Initiative D.1.4: Better integrate university/human resources workforce planning processes with academic and UNC Tomorrow Phase I initiatives. 15. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? As indicated above, projections of the university workforce indicate that approximately 218 non‐ faculty and 131 faculty positions will need to be filled within the next ten years, a figure that represents nearly 25% of the current workforce. The projected gap requirements over five, fifteen and twenty year periods, respectively: Five years: 109 Non‐Faculty; 66 Faculty Ten years: 218 Non‐Faculty; 131 Faculty Fifteen years: 327 Non‐Faculty; 197 Faculty Twenty years: 436 Non‐Faculty; 262 Faculty The fifth step of the Cotten seven‐step workforce planning model calls for gap and surplus identification through a comparison of workforce supply and demand and will further assist in assessing this critical issue. As critical talent gaps are identified it will be essential to also project and identify the financial resources necessary to support these needs. •
Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions?
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Understanding that WCU’s unique geographic location has the potential to serve as both a positive and a negative in the context of external recruiting, best practices suggest that a proactive recruitment strategy which will be effective at attracting top talent and identifying candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions at Western Carolina University will contain four primary steps: 1. A complete competency and skills inventory of existing positions, which will provide a more accurate projection of existing, internal human capital and a sense of which competencies must be pursued externally. 2. An external scan of existing talent pools (EG: Online job‐posting sites) for generation of an accurate assessment of current market and human capital reserves. 3. A filtered and condensed report, which will be based upon the competency and skills inventory and an external talent pool scan. This will be used for a preliminary assessment of talent strengths and weaknesses, hiring opportunities and competition‐related threats, to be used as the basis for setting talent strategy priorities. 4. Analysis of the report (detailed in step three) will inform the institution on how best to seek gifted and diverse employees through regional, state‐wide, national, and global markets. Various recruitment approaches shall be employed, based upon position, job category, and current economic circumstances. •
Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐ in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future? Western Carolina University currently has policy that specifically addresses the reduction in force of employees subject to the State Personnel Act that serves as the guiding principle during such situations. As Western Carolina University has historically maintained a relatively lean workforce no strategy designed to address worker surpluses or employees who are no longer necessary has been formally adopted or anticipated at this time. A key aspect of the Model for Workforce Development calls for the ongoing systemic analysis of programs, services, and functions to include the university workforce to assess overall alignment with institutional mission, goals, and objectives. As a result of this analysis strategies are developed and decisions
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are made to ensure that institutional resources are appropriately allocated and situated by the most effective and economical means. Initiative D.2.1: Conduct an external scan of existing talent pools in relation to the current and projected needs of the university. 16. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? Current workforce projections indicate that the percentage of WCU employees eligible for retirement within just the next five years is 18.56%. In ten years this number will increase to 37.49% or 538 members of the current workforce. The projection of retirement eligible retirees along with enrollment and regional workforce data outlined in response to question #2 above suggest substantial, ongoing full‐time employment needs for Western Carolina University over the next 5 to 20 year period. •
•
Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? Western Carolina University has researched and is developing best practices regarding talent acquisition to improve recruitment and retention and reduce employee turnover. The four‐step recruitment and selection approach (detailed above) along with an ongoing assessment and refinement of university recruitment strategies will assist in the quest for continuous improvement in this area. The university has also examined internal data and explored scholarly commentary on causes of faculty departure, in an effort to effectively determine methods to promote a reduction of turnover. Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts? Attention to best practices in talent recruitment and retention suggests that the following recommendations might be of benefit to WCU from both a recruitment and retention perspective: o
Tuition reimbursement/tuition waiver for employee spouse and/or dependents.
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o
Research possible processes/procedures to provide opportunities for trailing spouses.
o
Recommend and support changes to legislation in the area of benefits, specifically the consideration of improved/no‐cost family health coverage for employees.
o
Support legislative change to the current performance management system to allow performance pay options. The current system does not reward performance and the result is a continuing increase in low morale and dissatisfaction of employees and adds to high turnover.
o
Support legislative amendment to the state law requiring a 6 month break in service for retirees. The inability to rehire long term employees in part time appointments has added to the loss of institutional history and creates a void with the loss of the critical skills and abilities of these employees. Re‐employment for a period of time allows for a more effective knowledge base transfer and development of a younger and less experienced workforce.
o
The creation and establishment of a separate university personnel system that would allow the UNC system to develop competitive fringe benefits packages and a contemporary skill and performance based pay system.
o
Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐ tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty? Research has indicated that phased retirement programs provide positive benefits for both the employee and the organization. Employees receive reduced workloads in exchange for surrendered tenure, while institutions ascertain precise employee retirement dates through “cost neutral” means. Western’s experience has been positive by allowing the campus to retain the long term knowledge and benefit of our retiring faculty over a three year period while at the same time mentoring new tenure track faculty in the same discipline. Approximately 95% of faculty entering the phased retirement program have completed their contracts. Western has not identified any gains from extending the program to non‐tenure faculty.
17. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? Western Carolina University faces several challenges due to recent demographic shifts. The regional population has increased by 20% within the past decade. This boom includes a 400% increase in Hispanic populations. Phase One of WCU’s UNC‐Tomorrow response indicated a commitment to serving rural populations, Native Americans, and the aforementioned Hispanic community. Meanwhile, the Western North Carolina region boasts a relatively small African‐American 22
population, and the institution is therefore compelled to recruit students from the Eastern parts of the state in order to serve this community. North Carolina’s current statewide demographics present several further challenges to the UNC system. Between 2006 and 2007, the Hispanic population of the state increased by 16,000, while overall statewide high school graduation figures have recently climbed by 80,000 (a small by‐ product of the state’s overall population increase). Western Carolina University must address these increases while remaining committed to the recruitment of Native Americans, particularly the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians community and to increasing the number of African‐American applicants. Scrutiny of national and global trends reveals that North Carolina is an extreme but not isolated example of similar increases in Hispanic, minority, and overall population figures, information which corroborates aforementioned suggestions that enrollment figures will swell. The specific challenges this presents to WCU (within the framework of this section of the Phase Two response) will be to hire new faculty and non‐faculty employees to meet rising student populations, specifically 109 non‐ faculty employees and 66 new members of the faculty. This process must reflect increases in non‐ white student populations in new faculty hires. Initiative D.4.1: Develop targeted recruitment strategies to effectively reach out to the growing Hispanic population, the established Native American population, and underrepresented minority groups in general marketing WCU as an employer of choice. 18. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.? Located within the southwestern corner of western North Carolina, Western Carolina University’s geographical location is generally advantageous. However, the unique nature of this area can present challenges with respect to recruiting and retaining top level talent. To attract top talent and to fill key positions the university has had to increasingly focus its attention and resources nationally. WCU is in a growing region that is expected to continue to develop. It is difficult to attract candidates for specialized functions who are coming from other economies, because often salaries and benefits are not competitive when coupled with the high cost of living associated with the Western North Carolina region. Moreover the university struggles to retain employees due to the lack of affordable housing or the inability to find adequate employment for a spouse or partner.
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Additionally, Phase I of WCU’s UNC Tomorrow response identified the traditional faculty hiring system utilized by the institution and the UNC system as a barrier facing the campus, specifically because its emphasis on research partly conflicts with the university’s current focus. Therefore, in implementing the QEP and the new P&T policies based on Boyer’s model (as outlined in Phase I), it will become increasingly important to hire key faculty at the associate professor and professor ranks who have significant non‐university experience. Professors with “real world” expertise would be of value to students’ educational experiences. Implementing this model at WCU will challenge the traditional views of hiring as well as expectations within individual departments. In addition to the potential boundaries of geography and traditional systems, other key barriers that have been identified include: the area of benefits (offerings are not competitive with other public state systems nationwide), the lack of a true performance pay option, a dual personnel system which provides different levels of benefits based upon position type (minimal vacation leave for entering SPA employees), salary compression and equity and limited salary flexibility due to budgetary restrictions for both new hires and worthy internal employees. Western Carolina University recommends and supports changes to legislation in the area of benefits (family health coverage, enhanced vacation leave for SPA employment, tuition waiver/reimbursement for employee family), performance pay, a separate personnel system for the university system, and other issues that may affect the employee population and our ability to compete in the war for talent. 19. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? Western Carolina University defines “diversity” broadly, encompassing exceptionalities, race, ethnicity, culture, religious background, gender, linguistic differences, socioeconomic level, and any of the other ways our society defines human and group differences, including age, geography, sexual orientation and national origin. This broadly‐conceptualized diversity must be satisfied in faculty populations, as excessively homogenous faculty populations are detrimental to minority student recruitment efforts. Particular areas of focus regarding diverse populations include Western North Carolina’s growing Hispanic population, the university’s commitment to serving the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), and increasing the overall representation of African‐American faculty and staff. Specific concerns for our institution in relation to a “multi‐generational” workforce include the high number (23%) of employees hired within the past two years, and the even greater number of permanent employees (37.49%) eligible for retirement within ten years. A resultant blend of new hires and “relatively recent” hires will result in predominantly younger and less‐seasoned faculty
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and staff that in turn will have less institutional knowledge and experience than their predecessors but have the potential to foster new ideas and present new skill sets. •
Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? Western Carolina University develops and maintains a complete EEO/Affirmative Action plan that outlines current institutional workforce profiles, identifies areas of under representation, and establishes goals that are consistent with institutional mission and objectives. To help successfully obtain these goals, the university will develop strategies based upon best practices in the area of faculty and staff diversity which have been shown to consistently produce faculties reflective of underrepresented student populations. The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is an example, with its ambitious target of 30% minority hires among new faculty being met successfully in 2003 and 2004.While geographically different and ethnically less diverse than the RIT service region, an analysis of formal mechanisms indicate that Western Carolina may benefit from emulating RIT’s ideas after adjusting statistical goals to suit WCU’s specific diversity objectives. The ability to attract and retain more minority faculty members who have the capacity to serve as mentors and role models will further enhance WCU’s goals of attracting and retaining a more diverse student body.
•
Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? As outlined in WCU’s UNC Tomorrow Phase I response, institutional diversity and efforts and initiatives to support and enhance the university’s commitment to diversity are primary, mission critical objectives. Programs and services to promote diversity within the existing student body and workforce along with proactive efforts to enhance campus diversity through student and employment recruitment functions can be seen in multiple university divisions. Key areas such as the Office for Multicultural Affairs, which houses numerous diversity‐focused organizations and current diversity‐seeking objectives outlined in Phase One of WCU’s UNCT response, the Women’s Center & Women’s Programs, and the Office of Human Resources all provide programming and services designed to enhance institutional diversity. One area of concern is that often these areas operate autonomously and independently of one another. Formal diversity planning would allow for a linkage between campus‐wide diversity programming and services resulting in measurably more effective and efficient outcomes. Initiative D.6.1: Develop and implement a “Council on Diversity and Inclusion” to formally link student and employment diversity resources, programs, initiatives, and goals.
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Initiative D.6.2: Establish a Chief Diversity Officer/Director position to formally oversee university diversity initiatives/programs. 20. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe.
While WCU has not focused on succession planning as a specific workforce development strategy, the university has investigated systematic processes in continuity planning that have provided insight into key positions and the critical competencies necessary to successfully fill these positions. WCU, in maintaining its commitment to diversity and affirmative processes through the open recruitment of vacancies, does strongly advocate faculty and staff training and professional development programs to fully prepare the existing workforce for both current and future needs. Certain aspects of desirable succession planning, determined through research of best practices, are currently underway at WCU. At present the university is engaged in a formal assessment of all career‐banded SPA positions which will provide: an updated, complete description of position duties, an individual analysis of the primary functions of each position and how it operates organizationally, the respective competencies required to successfully perform in the position, and the comparative competency levels of the individual currently filling the position. Attention to the Cotten model’s discussion of skill and competency inventories will enable WCU to develop needed additional inventories (on top of those already in existence), which will allow for a similar process to occur with EPA positions. From a leadership/professional development perspective, the university does currently provide formal training/development programs for current managers/supervisors or for those individuals aspiring for leadership roles. Programs such as MASE (Management and Supervisory Essentials Training) and the WCU Leadership Development Institute have served as internal mechanisms for promoting faculty and staff professional development over the past several years. Additionally, the opportunity for members of the university workforce to participate in a variety of external leadership/professional development opportunities has been made available at the respective division and/or departmental levels. Given that a relatively high amount of professional level positions will be vacated due to retirements within the next five years (15.9%) and replacements will potentially require a higher level of education and/or professional training, steps to fully develop continuity plans, identify key positions and critical competencies, and enhance professional training and development opportunities (both external and internal) will need to continue.
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21. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed.
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Table 1. Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention (D.1‐D.7) Initiatives
Type
Initiative
(New or Existing – Program or Policy)
D.1.1: Using the Cotten Model as a conceptual framework, formally develop, implement, and communicate the WCU workforce planning strategy campus‐wide ensuring alignment with university mission and long‐range strategic plan.
New and Existing Programs/ Policies
D.1.2: Complete a formal assessment of all career‐ banded SPA and non‐faculty EPA positions to include a current description of position duties, an individual analysis of each position, the respective competencies
Existing Program
Key Strategies Open communication and full disclosure of framework to all university governance structures and constituents Fully develop current workforce planning framework to ensure inclusion of UNC Tomorrow initiatives and recommendation s Identification of appropriate positions and supervisors to complete assessment process Provide training and necessary resources to
Key Descriptors of Success
Key Barriers/Obstacles
High participation rates on HR‐initiated skills and personality‐ competency inventories High retention rates (for first few years after initiative begins) Positive feedback from faculty/staff
Societal conceptions of workforce planning as “layoff planning” Reluctant communicators and participants
All SPA positions are formally assessed within the appropriate career‐banded classification Updated position descriptions for each position are available and accurate Competency profile
Gaining full access and support of all supervisors to provide necessary information Continuous evolution of position duties
Responsible Unit/Department Human Resources Administration (Comprehensive) Institutional Research and Planning (for Inventory)
Office of Human Resources
Implementation Timeline
Budget Source
Initial development and communication processes beginning Fall 2009
Reallocatio n and Existing
Phased one year Existing implementation. SPA positions to be completed by 1/1/09 and EPA positions by 1/1/10.
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required for the job, and the competencies of the individuals filling the positions
ensure accurate analysis and assessment Manage and retain all updated information in online position management system
outlining key requirements of each position is completed and readily accessible
and responsibilities within SPA positions Lack of funding/ resources to address changes identified through assessment process
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Type
Initiative
(New or Existing – Program or Policy)
Key Strategies
D.1.3: Continue to provide and enhance WCU employee professional development programs, particularly as they relate to leadership and workforce development with specific emphasis on the professional and administrative job categories.
New and Existing Programs
Expand current training programs to address continuity planning needs Ensure that role definitions and categories of employment do not restrict access to opportunities for professional growth
D.1.4: Better integrate university/ human resources workforce planning processes with academic and UNC Tomorrow Phase I initiatives
New and Existing Programs/ Policies
Incorporate input and integration from key university governance structures into the workforce planning process Align workforce planning framework and processes with current and long‐
Key Descriptors of Success
Key Barriers/Obstacles
Increased participation in enhanced professional development activities by WCU workforce Developmental program offerings are inline with institutional objectives regarding continuity planning and development of existing workforce Professional development offerings align with institutional needs identified in workforce development plan Fully integrated workforce planning framework and process that incorporates the full university governance structure and supports the implementation of UNC Tomorrow recommendations
Creating time within current workload requirements for full participation by work force Identification of funding /resources
Full support from various university governance structures Working across “silos” to ensure full integration on a systemic level
Responsible Unit/Department Administration (comprehensive)
Implementation Timeline Ongoing
Existing, Reallocatio n
Short tem enhancement over one year period
Existing, Reallocatio n
Human Resources
Office of the Chancellor Office of the Provost VC Admin. & Finance Human Resources
Budget Source
Long‐term enhancement and integration over a five year period
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range UNC Tomorrow recommendation s
- 23 -
Type
Initiative
(New or Existing – Program or Policy)
D.2.1: Conduct an external scan of existing talent pools in relation to the current and projected needs of the university
New Program
D.4.1: Develop targeted recruitment strategies to effectively reach out to the growing Hispanic population, the established Native American population, and underrepresented minority groups in general marketing WCU as an employer of choice
New and Existing Programs
Key Descriptors of Success
Key Barriers/Obstacles
Identification of resources necessary to conduct external scan Conduct external scan of existing talent pools as recommended in proposed institutional workforce development planning process
Improved understanding of necessary recruitment strategies to meet current and projected workforce needs
Decentralized faculty/EPA hiring processes
Centralize institutional recruitment budgets to include a portion designated specifically for the recruitment of underrepresented groups Further develop relationships with EBCI to present WCU as a viable regional employer Identify community and regional resources to assist with reaching out to Hispanic community within the university service
Implementation of centralized recruitment budget with funding targeted specifically for diversity recruitment Increased representation of underrepresented minority groups in the WCU workforce to include the regionally accessible Hispanic and Native American populations
Decentralized hiring processes and recruitment budgets Ability to redirect a wide variety of resources into one central pool Questions revolving who would provide oversight and management of a centralized process
Key Strategies
Responsible Unit/Department Office of the Provost Human Resources Institutional Research and Planning
Office of the Chancellor Office of the Provost Human Resources
Implementation Timeline
Budget Source
Phased 2 year implementation period beginning in Spring 2009 (as part of the implementation of the 7‐step workforce development model
Existing, and reallocatio n
Phased 2 year implementation to be inline with the implementation of initiatives D.2.3 and D.6.3
Existing, reallocatio n,
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region Service learning projects that partner with the EBCI or the regional Hispanic population that increases institutional recognition in these areas
Type
Initiative
(New or Existing – Program or Policy)
Key Strategies
D.6.1: Develop and implement New a “Council on Diversity and Program Inclusion” to formally link student and employment diversity resources, programs, initiatives, and goals
Create “Council on Diversity” to include key institutional stakeholders with respect to employment and student diversity
D.6.2: Establish a Chief Diversity Officer/Director position to formally oversee university diversity initiatives/programs
Create and establish new position designed to provide oversight to campus‐wide diversity initiatives/programs (to include initiatives D.6.1, D.6.2, & D.6.3)
New Program
Key Descriptors of Success
Key Barriers/Obstacles
Implementation of formal “Council on Diversity” Increased collaboration and partnerships between key institutional areas that promote university‐wide diversity initiatives that support WCU mission and objectives Chief Diversity Officer position is established and filled
Working across “silos” to ensure a campus‐wide directive and approach
Budgetary constraints
Responsible Unit/Department
Implementation Timeline
Budget Source
Office of the Chancellor
One year implementation to begin Fall 2009
Existing, reallocatio n
Office of the Chancellor
Summer 2009
New
Human Resources
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Winston Salem State University Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention Please respond to the following questions: 22. Is your campus engaged in a thoughtful and deliberate planning process to address your campus’ workforce needs now and for the future? o Do you believe you have a thorough understanding of your current workforce and the changes that will be occurring over the next 5 years? o Have you begun to identify the staffing levels and skill sets or competencies needed over the next 5 to 10 years? o Do you have the analytical tools you need to conduct a workforce planning process? o Is Human Resources included in your organization’s solution strategies to enable your organization to accomplish its mission, goals, and objectives? Shortly after becoming the chancellor at Winston‐Salem State University Dr. Reaves identified the need for a talent strategy as one of his key priorities. As about seventy‐five percent of the institution’s resources are deployed for faculty and staff salaries and benefits, it is very important that this resource is well managed and that we have the appropriate talent to continue to move the institution forward.
With respect to our faculty, the current workforce is indeed well understood. Established parameters for measuring faculty expertise, educational and professional achievement, and performance both inside and out of the classroom are well defined and broadly accepted. Additionally, the framework of UNC Tomorrow informs our identification of the academic disciplines our faculty body must represent in the future as well as the robustness of the academic programs for which we plan. Largely as a result of being a focused growth institution, WSSU has been one of the fastest growing campuses in the UNC system. Our growth in full‐time faculty has grown commensurately, increasing by 88% since 2002 (2007 = 336; 2002 = 179) (see graph at the end of this report). As a result of this recent growth in the number of faculty we have a relatively young faculty with 68 percent of our full‐time faculty having served four years or less. Our target enrollment of over 8,000 by 2017 (27 % growth in headcount), much of which will result from evening‐weekend, distance learning, and graduate degree programs, will drive an increase in faculty by approximately 100 (30 % because of Student Credit Hour production in high category disciplines), with a net increase of 55 (14 %) by 2013 assuming that we continue to grow our health science, science, and business programs. One of the most significant workforce demographics is the relatively small number of faculty who will be eligible for retirement within the next five years. Currently, only 14 percent of our faculty members are eligible for retirement
by 2013 (65 years or older). We believe our requirements for additional/replacement faculty members will be significant, but not inconsistent with what we have experienced in recent years. If one considers our total faculty requirements due to enrollment growth, retirement, and other normal attrition, it appears we will need to hire approximately 32 faculty members each year through 2013; 11 for enrollment growth and 21 for normal attrition The relative youth of our faculty presents us with flexibility and an opportunity to evolve the institution more rapidly to meet the goals of UNC Tomorrow and WSSU. Additionally, our transition to a master’s level institution increasingly drives recruitment of high‐quality faculty members who not only teach well but also have an active or promising research agenda. As a result, we have hired more faculty members at the associate and full professor levels in recent years and will continue that trend. We recruit nationally to ensure the best possible pool of talented faculty and have for the most part been able to offer competitive salaries. For the next five years, we anticipate continued growth in the health sciences, business, and technology‐based discipline faculty, driven by the programs that are integral to our UNC Tomorrow plan. We realize that it is extremely difficult to identify, recruit, hire and retain faculty in the health sciences as their numbers are limited and their salaries are extremely competitive. Eligibility for Retirement by 2013 (65 years of age) Employee Category
Number Fulltime, Permanent 2008
Number 65 or older by 2013
SPA EPA Non‐Faculty Faculty
490 150 357
33 18 50
Percentage of Employees Eligible by 2013 7 12 14
Staffing for SPA positions will likely continue to be competitive within the Piedmont Triad Region of the state. WSSU recruitment results for EPA non‐faculty and SPA reflect that we have been able to replenish the workforce in all categories at a rate that sustains growth and replaces turnover. We anticipate that this trend will continue. WSSU demographics reflect that approximately seven percent of SPA and 12 percent of EPA non‐faculty will become eligible for retirement within the next five years. Necessary competencies include office and technical skill sets. Workforce assessment for the region indicates the population will grow at a somewhat faster rate than jobs within the region; therefore, we anticipate we will be able to recruit adequately for our staff support positions without taking extraordinary measures. We regularly review national sources for newly developed and available workforce planning tools, ideas, and concepts. The analytical tools most relevant to faculty workforce planning with which we are familiar are accurate enrollment projections and
a strategic direction as well as attrition rates and demographic projections. Continued dialogue between HR at General Administration and the campuses as well as inter‐ campus cross talk is essential to ensure we remain abreast of the most appropriate tools and concepts for workforce planning. The implementation of a UNC system‐wide data warehousing capability would be beneficial. The institution has realized that it needs to strengthen and restructure its Human Resources department and functions to assume a strategic role in the capacity building and alignment of ‘people’ resources and strategic goals. A first step in this process was the creation of an Associate Vice Chancellor position for Human Resources and the hiring of a new vice chancellor. It is the expectation of the institution that as Human Resources is restructured under new leadership that a strategic focus will emerge that aligns workforce strategies and university strategies to ensure the best workforce for the institution and a talent strategy that identifies/recruits, hires, develops, and retains the best employees. The Provost Office will continue to provide complementary support for those circumstances around hiring, promoting, and retaining talented faculty.
23. With respect to critical talent issues, have you begun to identify gaps and surpluses between the present and the future with respect to leader and worker shortages? o Have you implemented or do you have plans to implement a proactive recruitment strategy designed to attract top talent and identify candidates to target hard‐to‐fill positions? o Have you developed or do you have plans to develop a strategy to retrain, redeploy or reduce‐in‐force employees where functions are not needed in the future?
Our recruitment methods include wide, national advertising for faculty vacancies, competitive salaries vis‐à‐vis our national peers, and providing a fertile environment for scholarly and professional development. Academic administrators participate extensively in professional academic conferences, seminars, and workshops to identify particularly promising candidates for our faculty body needs. Additionally, when a promising candidate for a hard‐to‐fill faculty position is identified we provide flexible and targeted incentives with respect to salary and startup. The recruitment and employment of faculty with appropriate terminal degrees in the health sciences is a major issue for WSSU, especially in nursing where it’s very difficult to find and retain highly qualified faculty. In physical therapy in particular, we are having difficulty recruiting faculty of color. In nursing, the university has taken
advantage of the GA funds to recruit a competitive faculty member who joined us this academic year. We are in the midst of posting nine faculty positions for nursing with hopes of filling vacancies for the upcoming academic year. When the Associate Dean for Nursing and Endowed Chair travel, they seek out potential qualified faculty and ask them to apply. To retain current faculty with masters’ degrees, we are supporting them as much as possible to return to school and get doctorates. There are about eight nursing faculty enrolled in doctoral degree programs. During the past two years, about nine faculty completed doctoral studies, so we are increasing the quality of our faculty (5 in nursing and 4 in other health sciences programs). We recently established a faculty run mentorship program where senior faculty are mentoring junior faculty in research and publishing. Similar approaches are being used in all of the health sciences programs. Whenever we hire a new faculty member without doctorates in the tenure track, the expectation is shared for them to go back to school, and of course, that has the potential of creating a heavier workload. The UNC program which provides an avenue for salary augmentation of specific hard‐to‐fill faculty positions is very helpful, particularly in the health sciences and business disciplines.
A talent strategy for focused recruitment to fill key positions is an important initiative directly overseen by the chancellor. Our strategy includes recent revision of our policies and procedures for hiring Senior Academic and Administrative Officers (SAAO) and faculty that provide much more streamlined and responsive hiring processes, as well as a standardized and more rigorous timeline for conducting faculty searches.
We are developing plans to accommodate faculty members in low‐producing and/or scaled back academic programs that do not fit within our strategic roadmap. In addition, we will use the framework of UNC Tomorrow to inform tenure and reappointment decisions. Our preferred option is to redeploy faculty and staff members whenever possible to meet changing needs. When that is not possible, some retraining may be possible. 24. With respect to the aging workforce and attrition, have you evaluated the percentage of employees who will be eligible for retirement over the next 5‐, 10, 15‐, 20‐year period and the impact this will have on your campus’ workforce? o Have you addressed how you can improve recruitment and retention of employees and reduce turnover in your organization? o Are there policies or programs that General Administration should consider implementing that would help to improve your campus’ recruitment and retention efforts? o Has the availability of phased retirement been helpful in addressing faculty recruitment, retention, and retirement issues? Given the increasing numbers of non‐tenured and non‐tenure track faculty on UNC campuses, should phased retirement be extended to these faculty?
We are subject to the same demographic forces of the state and nation and those trends indicate increasing competition for a shrinking pool of academic and administrative talent. Recruitment and retention of highly qualified faculty members will increase in importance and in difficulty in an increasingly competitive arena. Our recruitment will be facilitated by continued offering of competitive salary and by improved benefits options. As well, we will consider the implications of distance learning delivery methods in staffing needs.
The increasing quality of our academic programs will help recruitment efforts, as will our associations and collaborations with nationally ranked institutions, both within and outside the UNC system. For example, the Center for Design Innovation and a planned Gait Laboratory collaboration in the health sciences with Wake Forest University will serve to attract prospective faculty members. Collaborations with other UNC campuses provide outstanding opportunities to attract and develop our faculty and strengthen our programs.
We believe our ability to compete for high‐quality faculty members and administrators is limited by health care and retirement packaging that is less competitive than our national peers. These are issues for which a system‐wide solution is necessary. We are able to offer very competitive salary ranges for faculty, due to the priority placed upon achieving the 80th percentile; however, an assessment of the relative merits of healthcare and retirement provisions vis‐à‐vis our national peers is necessary to either identify shortcomings or eliminate the perception. The number of tenured faculty who have taken advantage of the phased‐retirement program is small, averaging approximately one per year. We anticipate that number will increase in the future as more faculty continue to work at a later age, but with the incentive to work at a reduced load. However, we do not believe phased‐retirement for fixed‐term faculty members would serve as a significant tool to manage the faculty workforce. 25. With respect to worldwide demographic shifts in age and ethnicity/race, what challenges have you identified for your university at the present time, or within the next 5 years, as a result of demographic shifts? Within five years, 14 percent of our faculty, 12 percent of EPA non‐faculty, and 7 percent of SPA employees will be eligible for retirement. These figures appear to be significantly less than the state and national retirement‐eligible percentages. The rapid and continuing increase in the Hispanic population within the region and the state is not being realized on the campus. Only one percent of our students and one percent of our faculty are Hispanic. This may be a cause for concern since it suggests that we do not
recruit Hispanics well. A system‐wide approach to ensuring we provide higher education to this population may be essential. 26. What are some of the barriers that your University is facing with respect to recruiting and retaining high potential talent? What additional resources/flexibilities would be helpful to help you address these challenges, e.g., policies, programs, compensation, benefits, etc.? Recruiting and retaining faculty in some disciplines that are most important to our UNC Tomorrow plans is essential. Moreover, recruitment in some of the disciplines most relevant to UNC Tomorrow is exceptionally competitive. We need to be able to target specific disciplines and potential faculty members with success. Improved healthcare and other benefits are certainly important, as is the ability to target specific salary requirements to ensure we can adequately compete. Flexibility in applying compensation to either improved salary or improved retirement/health benefits may be important and certainly worthy of discussion. In some cases, reimbursement for moving expenses for faculty has been an issue. Mechanisms and venues for improved collaboration between faculty of the UNC campuses are important to the professional development of our faculty and the strength of our academic and research programs. While perhaps not an issue system‐wide, WSSU is poorly served by the official peer‐ based salary range model for EPA non‐faculty positions. The compensation philosophy upon which the model is built and the resulting salary data that define the 80th percentile, minimum, and maximum salaries put us at a competitive disadvantage in recruitment and retention for some key administrative positions. For example, the maximum salary defined by the model for the WSSU positions of Chief of Police, Director of Athletics, Registrar, and Chief of Development are significantly lower than identical positions at UNC School of the Arts, NC A&T, NC Central University, and the NC School of Science and Math. Similarly, the salaries in SAAO tier I positions such as Dean of Business, Dean of Health Sciences, Dean of Education, and Dean of Arts and Sciences are significantly lower than those at NC A&T and NCCU. This impacts our ability to attract and keep good employees when an institution as close as 30 miles away is on a different scale and is able to hire our talent away at significantly greater salaries. Constraints to our ability to manage the SPA workforce are significant. We believe the classification and compensation statutes of the Office of State Personnel limit our ability to grow and reward performance, promote excellence, and eliminate indifference. Additionally, Career Banding provides some degree of flexibility, but funding of the concept is essential. We also have to have policies that look to the future so that we are competitive with the private sector. Many employees expect flexible work hours and the ability to use technology to enable them to work from locations other than a fixed
office space. More flexibility in our times and locations for employees would also help us address our office space issues. 27. With respect to managing a diverse multi‐generational workforce, how are you defining diversity in your university? o Are you setting goals for achieving increased diversity among faculty and staff? o Have you implemented programs, policies and activities to support diversity in your university? If so, describe those diversity initiatives? Have you found them to be effective, and if so, how do you measure effectiveness? We are now setting true goals for managing diversity at Winston‐Salem State University. This is separate and apart from the EEO/AA planning and reporting that is required by the state and federal governments. The Winston‐Salem State University Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Plan is a detailed, results oriented set of procedures designed to achieve full utilization of minority, female, and workers with disabilities at all levels and in all parts of the University workplace. We are required to submit both federal and state plans on a yearly basis that track our current and past progress. As a result of our planning, five goals for Diversity Management have emerged: • •
Publicizing our commitment to diversity and fair treatment: (Currently part of our EEO/AA strategy) Achieving critical masses of underrepresented populations: (Currently part of our EEO/AA strategy from a tracking perspective) Offering Diversity Training and Education: (New Initiative) Addressing the Campus Climate: (New Initiative) Conducting research and issuing publications: (New Initiative).
• • • In support of these goals for achieving diversity we have chosen to measure our success in achieving raw head count by utilizing current tracking tools and methods of analysis via the yearly reports we submit to federal and state agencies. Those raw returns show a diverse campus overall but reveal mixed if not entirely flat results in the recruitment of white males/females. As has been the case for years with most majority schools, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity realizes that setting targeted diversity goals for hiring managers would not change outcomes without a clear mandate for such change from executive leadership. In the new global learning and earning matrix, diversity must go
well beyond even what is described above. Identifying only statistically underrepresented populations will not provide WSSU faculty, staff, students and advancement officers with the global perspective, understanding, and appreciation necessary to fully leverage diverse global fiscal, learning, and earning opportunities. Modeled after benchmark diversity initiatives at top private and public institutions (UNC‐Chapel Hill, Brown, University of Texas, UNC‐Greensboro) the Diversity Management programs and procedures at WSSU will (1) redress historical patterns of exclusion (EEO/AA foundation) and (2) foster opportunities to embrace the greatest mix of ideas, opinions, and beliefs important to the achievement of academic and institutional excellence. Our efforts have not been particularly effective over the past two years in helping us increase our underutilized populations. In an effort to increase our traditional underutilized populations at WSSU, the Equal Opportunity Committee was re‐ established to serve in both (a) an advisory capacity to deal with matters relating to the operation of the broader EEO plan for the University, and (b) begin review of the Five Goals for Diversity Management detailed above. 28. With respect to succession planning, has your campus engaged in a systematic process to identify key employees and the critical competencies that these employees possess to prepare for their replacement? What level of professional management and leadership development programs are available for your senior and mid‐level managers? Please describe. Career path opportunities that provide transition to academic administrative positions and responsibilities are vital to both our faculty retention and the vitality and effectiveness of the institution. We engage in a combination of external and internal recruitment for academic chair, dean, director, and vice chancellor‐level positions. Unfortunately, we have no formal management training opportunities other than those that are specifically focused on campus operations and processes. Management and leadership development training is largely on the job. Leadership development training has been identified as a priority and steps are underway to build a leadership‐training program. The programs for new deans and other administrators provided by UNC are essential and should be expanded to include not only those faculty members who are selected to administrative positions, but also those who aspire to administrative leadership positions.
29. Beyond what you may have already identified in Questions 1‐7 above, are there any other significant issues relating to recruitment and retention of high‐quality faculty and staff that you wish to highlight? If so, please provide a brief description of the issue, how you would propose the issue be addressed, and any related policy, regulatory, or other administrative changes needed. Continued realization that we operate in a competitive arena for talent is important. Additionally, let us again emphasize that, while we compete well in terms of salary, a comprehensive evaluation of total compensation and the flexibility to provide alternative incentives to our first‐choice candidates is necessary. We need to understand those areas in which we are not competitive and assess what can be done. A common perception is that our healthcare and retirement programs are less competitive. We either need to improve those programs or address the perception. With respect to SPA employees specifically, we need to find ways to reward excellence and eliminate indifference with respect to career and salary advancement.
Full-time Faculty and Staff Growth 700 600
Headcount
500 400
TOTAL FULL-TIME FACULTY
300
TOTAL FULLTIME STAFF
200 100 0 1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Years
North Carolina School of Science and Math CAMPUS WORKFORCE PLANNING Until recently, NCSSM has not engaged in a formal workforce planning process. Administration recognizes a compelling need to establish a standing body to address emerging issues of faculty and staff recruitment and retention. To date, perhaps due to its unique beginnings, NCSSM has had few issues and little action required in this regard. NCSSM is, however, preparing for a growth phase with a minimum increase of 50% in residential students and even more significant growth in Interactive Video Conferencing (IVC) and online enrollment expected over the next three to four years. This working group would be charged to identify NCSSM’s specific workforce needs (including diversity needs) in preparing for this growth and make prioritized recommendations for implementation. 2: CRITICAL TALENT ISSUES Efforts are underway to identify gaps between the present and future with respect to leader and worker shortages. Given plans for enrollment growth, efforts are primarily focused on shortages rather than surpluses. At present, with respect to identifying and attracting candidates for hard‐to‐fill positions, no formalized recruitment strategies exist beyond the informal engagement by faculty, administration and others to identify prospective employees during the course of daily business through such channels as academic conferences and collaborations. Public postings of positions are made through UNC and state personnel portals and in local newspapers. At present, NCSSM does not have the budget to advertise in professional publications such as the “Chronicle of Higher Education”. Given current plans for enrollment growth, there is a need for more formalized professionally supported recruitment strategies such as the following: • Identify and cultivate relationships with prospective candidates for future hires, particularly much sought after candidates from underrepresented groups in STEM. o Build official database of prospective employees with contact and related information. o Distribute official communications, such as NCSSM’s email newsletters and print publications to prospective candidates. Note that such communication would not substitute for the informal, personal contact traditionally initiated by individual members of the faculty and staff. • Ensure job descriptions are accurate and up to date. • Review employment postings to ensure that they are accurate and up to date. • Review media used to advertise positions for efficacy and research effective alternatives. • Encourage employees to articulate a “career path”. This could identify current talent for advancement. o Student Life Instructor (SLI) positions offer specific potential. For instance, increased opportunities for SLI’s to take graduate coursework at local
colleges and universities may encourage advancement and help retention. Also, improving accommodations for SLI’s (larger spaces for married couples) may also improve recruitment and retention in this role. Those same growth plans beg professionally supported strategies to identify and retrain or redeploy current employees as appropriate for new roles. While care should be taken to identify functions that may not be needed in the future, such scenarios for reduction‐in‐force are not immediately apparent. There are on‐going efforts to redeploy employees within the context of changing needs and functions. The latest example is the evolving role of campus resource officers now that armed police officers have been deployed as a result of the campus safety initiative. Recommended efforts to develop a strategy to retrain and redeploy employees where functions are not needed in the future: • Intensified efforts to prepare more faculty for IVC distance education and on‐line course teaching. 3: IMPACT OF AGING WORKFORCE AND ATTRITION The graphic below outlines the percentage of NCSSM employees who will be eligible for retirement benefits at the end of the 2009 fiscal year and over the next 5, 10, and 15 years. As shown, NCSSM could face a turnover of its EPA Senior Academic and Administrative Officers and Faculty as high as 33% and 25%, respectively, in the next 5 years. With historically low turnover NCSSM has not experienced such a risk in the past. This will result in a loss of highly skilled and experienced leaders in the School, including founding employees, an undoubtedly critical group at an institution as unique and specialized as NCSSM. NCSSM is anticipating a period of significant growth over the next three to four years, and as such, intends to engage in a more systematic, forward‐looking analysis of the needs expressed in our workforce attrition coupled with our expected growth. NCSSM plans to perform this analysis through the work of the working group reference in Section 1 to be established in the near term.
3.1: STRATEGIES FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION NCSSM’s specialized model and engaging program has attracted the State’s most gifted and motivated high school students. Its unique qualities have similarly resulted in historically successful recruiting and retention efforts for faculty and staff. Considering the already high quality of faculty, staff and administrator applicants and minimal turnover, NCSSM’s focus must become recruitment and retention efforts aimed at the increasing number of faculty and staff that will be needed for the campus expansion that will bring with it additional residential and online students. NCSSM also hopes to target recruitment and retention efforts at improving the ethnic and generational diversity of faculty and staff. Strategies to improve our overall recruitment and retention as well as the recruitment of targeted populations include the following: • Job Fair Participation: Seek additional opportunities for job fair participation, especially with job fairs focused on targeted populations aimed to increase ethnic and generational diversity. • Collaboration: Increase recruitment collaboration among UNC campuses. • Promotional Materials: Create recruitment brochure aimed at potential faculty and staff highlighting specific opportunities available at NCSSM and incentives for working at NCSSM. • Branding: Work with NCSSM web master to brand the employment experience on the newly launched NCSSM website. • Applicant Tracking System: As indicated in 3.2 below, NCSSM recognizes a need to automate its application process for a number of reasons (see below). Due to resource constraints, it is unlikely that the School could independently achieve this goal in the short‐term. If collaboration with UNC‐GA on this item is not viable, NCSSM would plan to target implementation of an electronic application process in the next two to three years. o Comprehensive Communication System: While an electronic application process would facilitate this goal tremendously, NCSSM plans to enhance its standard procedure for communicating with applicants whether using its manual process or a new electronic process. This system will ensure that every applicant is properly informed of his or her status and will ensure that NCSSM protects its public image. • Training: Train hiring managers to better identify talent, honestly communicate expectations of the position with regards to workload and productivity, and ensure that a candidate shares the NCSSM vision. Hiring managers should be able to clearly communicate the incentives of a career at NCSSM, including the following: o National Board Certification: NCSSM faculty is encouraged to obtain National Board Certification in their discipline. Certification at the high school level offers a significant salary increase. o Professional Development: While professional development for faculty and staff has always been encouraged, NCSSM is currently working to develop a comprehensive professional development plan for NCSSM faculty and staff
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that would provide opportunities and resources for them to remain abreast of cutting‐edge and innovative use of the technologies and tools that are critical in today’s educational environment. Additionally, NCSSM Faculty and Staff have access to professional development through the UNC tuition waiver program. o Leadership: NCSSM provides support and some funding for professional organization leadership positions and associated travel. o Goal‐Oriented: At NCSSM, faculty members set their own individual professional goals for the year as part of the Faculty Performance Appraisal process. Engagement: Increase knowledge of and interest in NCSSM through guest lecturers and mentorship programs. Challenges Assessment: Through NCSSM’s recruitment and retention working group, analyze workload and staffing challenges presented by the UNC system constituency and upcoming campus expansion.
3.2: POTENTIAL POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED BY UNC‐GA NCSSM currently uses a paper application process for all positions. Implementation of an electronic application process would provide the following benefits to the School: • Expedition of the application process as it would eliminate the need for the use of snail mail or hand delivery of applications. • Applicant tracking system providing access to candidates who are not hired for the position for which they originally applied, but may be an ideal candidate for another position. • Facilitation of the communication process, enabling automatic responses via email to candidates to inform them of their application status. • Promote an image of technological advancement to prospective employees. NCSSM does not currently have the internal resources necessary to develop an online application process in the near term. Being able to access the application software used by UNC‐GA could provide the above results in a shorter time frame and at a lower cost than developing a program in‐house and/or paying for a third party program. Additionally, NCSSM recognizes the barriers that are faced University‐wide in recruiting “out‐of‐ town” professionals as they often require employment for a partner in the new location. NCSSM and other universities that are located in close proximity to other UNC constituents could benefit from a collaborative system that refers partners to opportunities at other UNC constituents through a partner referral program administered by UNC‐GA. Such a system would go beyond the current links on UNC‐GA’s website to opportunities system‐wide as it would establish a communication tool to elevate such applications in the applicant process. 3.3: PHASED RETIREMENT
NCSSM does not offer phased retirement to faculty as they are not eligible under UNC‐GA’s current policy. 4: CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY WORLDWIDE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS Given NCSSM’s unique statewide mission, comparisons with worldwide demographic shifts are not fully appropriate. While NCSSM shares the typical generational shifts occurring in the greater sector of higher education, with regards to ethnic shifts, NCSSM’s focus for recruitment is the make‐up of the North Carolina high‐school student population. Generational Diversity NCSSM’s generational workforce trends align well with worldwide demographic shifts showing a significant percentage of the workforce above the age of 55. Nearly 60 percent of the current NCSSM workforce is over the age of 43, with the two younger generations individually making up approximately 20% of NCSSM’s workforce.
This generational make‐up poses a retirement and turnover risk resulting from the loss of a disproportionately large number of experienced employees. The employees nearing retirement, some of whom are founding members of the School, have a wealth of knowledge that is difficult to document or pass‐on to would‐be leaders. NCSSM will need to develop a strategy to seamlessly replace these experienced members of its community. As NCSSM has not systematically analyzed its future needs with regards to generational gaps, the development of a succession plan to address such potential gaps in critical experience and talent at NCSSM in the years to come will be a primary task of a recruitment and retention working group at NCSSM.
The generational make‐up illustrated above also presents challenges in managing multiple generations. It has been well documented that various generations have significantly different work motivations, values of time, sense of loyalty, work/balance priorities, and needs for feedback and engagement. Through its recruitment and retention working group, NCSSM will consider how it can respond to these various motivators, values, skill sets and approaches to ensure that it is able to attract and retain professionals from all generations. Ethnic Diversity As stated earlier, NCSSM evaluates its faculty and staff ethnic make‐up based on the shifts in North Carolina’s state‐wide high‐school student ethnic diversity. As such, it is not necessarily appropriate to compare NCSSM’s ethnic diversity to the world‐wide workforce make‐up. The ethnicity of NCSSM’s current workforce is illustrated below.
NCSSM has broken down its diversity analysis into the three job calssifications – SPA, EPA ‐ Faculty, and EPA – SAAO (Senior Academic and Administrative Officers) – as shown in the three pie graphs below.
NCSSM’s long‐range goal is to match the diversity of its faculty and staff to that of its student body, bearing in mind its student diversity goals. As such, NCSSM aims to increase its non‐white workforce populations, particularly among faculty and SAAO. The barriers to recruiting these target populations are not immediately clear, but it is possible that for cultural reasons, universities and colleges pose strong competition for NCSSM with regard to faculty applicants. NCSSM will continue to work towards this goal using some of the strategies listed at 3.1. 5: BARRIERS TO RECRUITING AND RETAINING HIGH POTENTIAL TALENT While NCSSM has been satisfied with the level of talent it has historically been able to recruit and retain, it recognizes that future growth may require greater effort to maintain the same level of depth in the applicant pool. • NCSSM’s faculty positions require a high level of technical competence in comparison to other high‐school teaching positions. Seeking ideal candidates would be facilitated by the ability to expand searches nationally versus statewide. Limited advertising and travel budgets create a barrier to tapping a national candidate pool. • The unique responsibilities of NCSSM’s faculty and staff resulting from its residential model are sought by only a subset of qualified prospective faculty and staff. Finding talented candidates who share a desire to provide instruction in a residential setting often requires a larger pool of applicants and a longer hiring process. • Salary levels for NCSSM staff positions are not competitive with market rates. The Banding system which is being implemented by the State for staff positions will afford NCSSM an opportunity to evaluate each position in the institution and determine whether a market rate adjustment is necessary.
6: DEFINING DIVERSITY AT NCSSM Diversity at NCSSM encompasses acceptance and respect of individuals regardless of their individual differences. These differences can be along the lines of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age or socioeconomic status. 6.1: GOALS FOR WORKFORCE DIVERSITY NCSSM annually submits an EEO Affirmative Action plan to the state of North Carolina that includes recruitment updates and diversity goals. In the 2008 EEO Plan, NCSSM states a long‐ term goal of increasing faculty representation to at least match the demographics of the student body and thereby provide role models for students from different backgrounds. With regards to goals for faculty and staff, NCSSM aims for an environment that is inclusive of all individuals regardless of their unique backgrounds. NCSSM’s administration does not tolerate discrimination or disrespect between employees and communicates an open‐door policy to employees when it comes to such issues. 6.2: PROGRAMS, POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES THAT SUPPORT DIVERSITY NCSSM engages in diversity training for all employees every other year. Additionally, Human Resources provides hiring supervisors with information on underrepresented demographics in the school to encourage diverse selection. In the past, NCSSM has held a minority teacher recruiting fair. Due to resource constraints this channel has not been utilized in recent years, however as indicated in 3.1 above, this is one of NCSSM’s strategies to improve minority recruitment in the coming years. Each year, NCSSM hosts community‐wide diversity programs. These programs began as student driven programs, but NCSSM believes that they do have a positive impact on retention of faculty and staff who value diversity. Festivals such as Asia Fest, Africa Fest and Latin America Fest engage the entire NCSSM community in activities that promote knowledge and awareness about different cultures and traditions. The Annual American Indian Powwow brings more than 2,000 community members from across North Carolina onto NCSSM’s campus to participate in the one of the largest powwows in the southeast. NCSSM also host an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration that serves to educate the community on the life of Dr. King and on the values for which he fought. All of these programs create a culture of awareness and acceptance of diversity, helping the NCSSM community recognize, understand and value its differences. NCSSM has no means to measure the effectiveness of these programs on recruitment and retention using a quantitative measurement, however, NCSSM believes they have an impact on the sense of inclusiveness and awareness of those from various cultural backgrounds. 7: SUCCESSION PLANNING Administration has taken a proactive approach in preparing the School’s younger generations of faculty and staff to move into the critical leadership and administrative roles that will become available in the coming years (as discussed in Section 4 above). While the School does not have formal training program in place, it has been successful in identifying internal resources with
specific competencies by ensuring diverse participation on task forces, committees and working groups. This consciously developed structure allows faculty and staff at all levels of experience to be exposed to the administrative activities that are critical to the School. At the same time, it provides management with an opportunity to determine the strengths of individual faculty and staff members and identify the individuals who have the potential to successfully lead the school in future years. It is important to note that NCSSM faculty and staff participate in a Performance Management Work Planning process which allows each employee the opportunity to discuss his or her career advancement goals. Managers and supervisors are encouraged to counsel employees on how that they can work toward their goals and provide them with opportunities to develop the skills and strengths necessary for achievement. NCSSM faculty is encouraged to seek additional training and such training is financially supported when budgets are sufficient. NCSSM has an active in‐service program for faculty and staff and special training for new faculty as well as a mentoring program for new faculty. Additionally, there is an active schedule of seminars and “lunch and learn” type training opportunities for staff. Together, these strategies are critical in developing NCSSM’s human capital for the next generation of the School’s leadership. When established, the recruitment and retention working group will be charged to more systematically identify the key roles within the School and the related core competencies for each role. This will allow the current administration to ensure that these key roles are ideally filled when a replacement is required.