Foundation Strategies

Organizational Development: Fostering a High Quality Diverse and Inclusive Academic Environment

Jump to section of interest:

• Compensation
• Faculty and Staff
• Health and Welfare
• Human Resources
• Diversity and Mutual Respect
• Quality and Service
• Performance Metrics

Introduction

Human resource and work/life strategies support the achievement of the university’s missions by attracting and retaining the best instructional, research, and administrative/professional (A/P) faculty and staff; investing in their development; and supporting them by providing a high quality of work life. The university is faced with several key choices that will impact our ability to continue to recruit, retain, and develop an excellent and diverse faculty and staff. The objectives in this section are intended to foster and further develop a sense of community such that our faculty and staff work in an environment that supports their efforts in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Compensation

Goal I. Provide competitive compensation based on market data.

Faculty commitment to the multiple missions of the university emphasizes the need for new policies that reward achievements in strategic activities. Base compensation and incentive strategies must be considered, including strategies to shift base salaries to grants and contracts. Analyses indicate that the salaries of teaching and research faculty will achieve the 60th percentile over the six-year planning period with 4 percent annual increases; however, the university must continue to evaluate trends in faculty compensation to ensure that steady progress is made in providing competitive compensation.

Without attention to staff compensation, the university will not be able to continue to recruit and retain the caliber of staff needed.

An analysis of (A/P) faculty compensation, while more difficult given the limitations on appropriate market data and an undefined job structure, is also necessary.

Strategies:

• Make annual investments in faculty compensation to achieve the 60th percentile of instructional faculty salaries for Virginia Tech’s peer institutions by 2012.
• Implement a specific compensation strategy for staff, research faculty, and A/P faculty that addresses the university’s goals relative to appropriate market data and available benchmarks.
• Make annual investments in the compensation of staff and A/P faculty to ensure that competitive market compensation is achieved.
• Implement incentive programs that meet institutional and unit goals.

Faculty and Staff

Goal II. Enhance current programs and establish new programs to recruit, retain, and develop the best faculty and staff.

With retirements projected at an annual rate of 12 percent of the workforce over the next six years, the recruitment of new and development of currently employed instructional, research, and administrative/professional faculty and staff will provide the foundation for succession planning and knowledge transfer. Further, increasing efforts to diversify by increasing the number of women and underrepresented minorities hired into faculty and staff ranks must continue. Faculty development and mentoring programs are in place and will provide opportunities for faculty members to obtain focused training and experience in international research, diversity, laboratory management, fiscal skills, and other areas relevant to leadership.  Some staff development programs are also in place, including programs that foster networking, mentoring, and training.  Through the collaborative efforts of several university offices, new faculty and staff programs have been proposed that will further enhance programs already in place as well as initiate new programming opportunities.      

Strategies:

• Develop workforce plans and strategies that seek to recruit, promote, and retain a qualified, diverse, and engaged workforce.
• Continue efforts to recruit and retain women and underrepresented minorities in staff positions and in instructional, research, and A/P faculty ranks.
• Design and implement a comprehensive Leadership, Management, and Supervisory Development Program for faculty and staff.
• Ensure that necessary accommodations and support services are provided for faculty, staff, and students with disabilities.
• Provide a professional development program that nurtures leadership, addresses programs related to succession management and mentoring, and provides other avenues where information can be exchanged among peers in similar positions/roles.
• Continue current recognition programs for accomplishments and develop new opportunities for recognition.

Health and Welfare

Goal III. Promote the health and welfare of the university community.

Virginia Tech has been considered one of the region’s employers of choice for many years, primarily due to the benefits package and work/life policies that have been provided to employees. Over the past several years, however, the university has not kept pace with industry standards in these areas. The university’s Employee Benefits Committee identified the gap in income protection for short-term disability as the most urgent benefits issue for research faculty. Options should be explored to address this deficiency. The establishment of the dual career coordinator is having a positive impact, and further investment is needed to address additional requests. Availability of quality childcare for employees as well as graduate students continues to be an issue of concern. Virginia Tech is among the major universities looking at family-friendly policies. There is no doubt that future competitiveness requires attention to these issues.

Strategies:

• Establish programs that address critical gaps in benefits coverage and employee services.
• Establish family/work-life policies that are comparable to the programs at other major public universities.
• Continue to promote and provide preventive services (i.e., vaccinations and health screenings) to the university community.
• Continue to make investments in graduate student health insurance.

Human Resources

Goal IV. Establish comprehensive and responsive human resources programs and services.

To fully support the growing needs of our staff, Human Resources (HR) must become a strategic partner with colleges and administrative units. This will require a greater focus on services aligned with the needs of the units and require a different level of HR expertise and new service delivery models. The restructuring act will provide greater flexibility over a number of HR program areas while creating greater complexity with the administration of two systems for non-faculty employees. Workplace issues have become more complex and sensitive as the university faces changes in leadership at all levels, workload pressures, and a more diverse community. Additional resources are needed to facilitate more effective management and coaching, to conduct workplace/climate assessments, and to design interventions to promote a healthy and productive workplace.  

Strategies:

• Enhance employee relations services and coaching to improve successful movement into management positions.
• Ensure consistent and effective application of faculty and staff performance evaluation processes.
• Facilitate the use of technology and continuous improvement methods to streamline university programs and processes.

Diversity and Mutual Respect

Goal V. Foster a diverse and inclusive community that supports mutual respect.

With adoption of the Principles of Community, the university articulated its commitment to create a truly diverse and inclusive community and provided a guide for improving the university climate for all people. Virginia Tech will draw on the collaborative efforts of many offices, including Multicultural Affairs, Equal Opportunity, Provost, Student Affairs, and Human Resources, in building the capacity to recognize and value differences, to sustain the positive momentum that we have experienced, and to continue supporting positive interactions among diverse populations.

Strategies:

• Establish and support programs that enhance campus/workplace climate, safety, and community.
• Implement sexual harassment and non-discriminatory training for all faculty and staff.
• Increase diversity training opportunities to continue to improve cultural awareness and foster a welcoming university climate for all visitors and members of the university community.
• Engage in partnerships with alumni, emeriti faculty, business, and government partners that advance the opportunities for learning and working in collaboration with diverse and cross-cultural communities.

Quality and Service

Goal VI. Continue to promote an efficient administrative culture that promotes a commitment to quality and service.

Competing resources require that administrative operations continue to look creatively at developing new strategies for gained efficiencies. Further, as technological advancements are enhanced, processes should be streamlined.  Attention to all customers, whether they are students, campus visitors, faculty, or staff, are a priority, and improved customer service should be incorporated into enhancements as they are made.

Strategy:

• Promote innovative administrative processes that initiate and take action on suggestions and proposals for enhancing quality, improving cost effectiveness, streamlining operations, and/or improving customer service.

Performance Metrics

Performance Metrics per the Higher Education Restructuring Act

• Percentage of turnover as an indicator of staff stability and staff satisfaction compared to the average percentage turnover rate trend with College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) – Human Resources (HR).
• Internal transfers/promotions as a percentage of total number of hires as a measure of the extent to which the institution hires or promotes from within compared to the percentage rate with CUPA-HR benchmark.
• Average number of days to classify new positions or reclassify a staff position as a measure of effectiveness of the classification process compared to the percentage rate with CUPA-HR benchmark.
• Average number of days to hire staff, from recruitment posting to the candidate’s acceptance, compared to trend data against baseline average in 2005-2006 or average over past three years.
• Compliance with restructuring act election provisions.

Performance Metrics per the University’s Affirmative Action Plan

• Faculty by race/ethnicity and gender
• Staff by race/ethnicity and gender