Annual Update and Reviewer’s Comment
Development of a Strategic Human Resources Plan for the
University
Category 4-Valuing People
Timeline
Planned Project Kickoff
10-01-2009
Target Completion
06-30-2010
Title
Status
REVIEWED
Updated
Reviewed
09-13-2010
10-03-2010
Created
02-17-2010
Last
Modified
10-03-2010
Project Accomplishments and Status
This action project focused on development of a comprehensive human resources (HR) plan that
aligns with the University's strategic plan. The project goals and progress to date within each
goal are listed below:
1) To conduct an environment scan and identify emerging issues for employees and
administrators that should be addressed as components of an HR plan.
To collect feedback from internal constituents, DSU regularly administers the Campus
Quality Survey to all faculty and staff. The Human Resources Committee, with
representatives from each employee category, analyzed data from the 2009 administration of
this standardized survey to identify areas in human resources that were an opportunity for
improvement. The Committee then developed a short, online survey to obtain additional
feedback from faculty and staff related to the 10 HR areas that were identified as needing
improvement. Employees had the opportunity to select their top priorities and to provide
written, confidential feedback on methods to improve these areas. Over 150 comments were
received and reviewed.
2) To determine the top priority issues/areas for growth within the University as identified
in the environmental scans and ensure institutional commitment and support for those
priority issues.
The specific focus areas of the HR Strategic Plan were identified by reviewing the data
from several sources (e.g. Campus Quality Survey, locally-developed survey, focus
groups). In addition to the internal data, members of the committee conducted a brief external
environment scan which included an analysis of positions, job markets and a comparison of
HR strategic plans, if available, from the five other SD regental institutions. The HR
Committee selected two main focus areas with three specific objectives in each area.
3) To develop action items that address the priority issues identified and ensure that these
action items support the University’s strategic initiatives.
The HR Strategic Plan Focus areas are directly linked to the University’s Strategic Plan with
two main foci: 1) increase recognition, reward and respect for DSU employees in their job 2)
increase transfer of timely and relevant information across the campus and departments.
DSU’s Planning Council approved the HR Strategic Plan in July 2010. During the faculty/
staff orientation week in August, the President shared an update on each action project with
the entire campus. A Phase 2 Action Project (Implementation of the HR Strategic Plan) was
approved by the Vice Presidents’ Council and will be submitted for review by the Planning
Council this month for consideration of submission to AQIP in October.
Review:
It is clear that DSU has made great strides toward accomplishing this Action Project,
including gathering and analyzing data, and that the University is ready to move on to
Phase (2) which will focus on implementation. This is an important project because it
focuses on how to support personnel in their employment at the University. DSU has also
demonstrated responsiveness to recommendations made in the System Appraisal
Feedback Report by developing an Action Project that specifically aligns with AQIP
Category (4) Valuing People. Furthermore, by developing a Strategic HR Plan that aligns
with the Institutional Strategic Plan and gathering input from a broad range of
stakeholders, the University has demonstrated commitment to upholding the principles
imbued in AQIP Category (8) Planning Continuous Improvement and Category
(9) Building Collaborative Relationships.
Institution Involvement
The Human Resources Committee, responsible for development of the HR Strategic
Plan, was a subcommittee of members of DSU’s Planning Council (deans and directors
of all the functional units.) The HR group provided regular updates to the Planning
Council at their monthly meetings. To keep the campus informed, the minutes of
Planning Council are distributed to all faculty / staff via e-mail. The HR Director
solicited feedback from a series of focus group participants (15 employees participated,
representing each of the employee categories on campus), with particular attention given
to the data from the Campus Quality Survey. Progress on the HR Plan was also discussed
at various employee training sessions, meetings and retreats with stakeholders.
Review:
As part of its initiative, DSU has secured input and feedback from various constituent
groups and employs means for disseminating information across the campus. As DSU
moves toward implementation of the HR Strategic Plan (the Phase 2 Action Project), the
institution might consider seeking broader representation on the subcommittee that
oversees the project. DSU might be able to avert the possibility of losing employee
involvement and buy-in, mentioned under "Project Challenges," by securing a
broader range of representatives on the team that will be overseeing the Phase 2 Action
Project. While it is advisable to seek continued support and involvement from the
Planning Council membership, other employees and stakeholders might also provide
valuable input and oversight.
Next Steps
A second action project associated with implementation of the HR Strategic Plan has been
approved by the Vice Presidents’ Council and will undergo review later this month by Planning
Council for possible submission as a new AQIP Action Project in October 2010.
In the first step of the new action project, the HR Committee will develop specific action
steps under each project objective, set metrics for measurements for each action step, and
develop timelines for implementation. The action steps will be communicated to the faculty /
staff as they are developed to build support and involvement. The project will include a
communication plan, which will be shared with all staff and students through a series of
informational meetings to solicit feedback on the plan.
Review:
As this project unfolds, it is apparent that the University is determined to accomplish its
initial goals. Establishing and implementing a communications plan will support the
University's endeavor to secure buy-in during the second phase of the project.
As this initiative continues to move forward, the University should take opportunities to
revisit and reconsider how this project continues to align with the strategic plan in order to
avoid potential deviation and lose of direction
Resulting Effective Practices
The HR Committee solicited feedback from employees of all employee classifications: career
service, faculty and administration. The Committee meetings were well attended and
provided the institution with an opportunity to review data with the various employee groups
and to solicit feedback from them. The HR Committee provided regular updates to Planning
Council relative to the goals, objectives and decisions of the committee, so the directors /
deans could update their respective units. Publication of the Planning Council meeting
minutes via all staff e-mails provided additional opportunities for employees to comment on
the plan during the developmental stages.
Review:
DSU has demonstrated that it is focused on promoting the need for inclusiveness and keeping
the channels for disseminating information and gathering feedback open at the University.
These practices specifically support the goals of this project.
Project Challenges
It is a continuous challenge to get employee involvement and buy-in. The Committee will be
challenged to ensure that the follow up action project (and the action steps for each objective
in the follow up action project) will be developed using the SMART model and that the steps
will help the institution meet its overall goal of better campus communication and better
recognition of employees. The HR Plan is a living document and will need to be modified to
meet the changing needs of the University. The campus will need to develop processes and
procedures that are clearly documented and that support the University’s desire to value its
employees.
Review:
This project is specifically focused on making improvements that will impact employee
satisfaction at the University. In fact, the employee makes an investment in their own future
by supporting this effort. Continually communicating and reinforcing this point will help the
University to secure a wide range of support. It is clear that the University is aware of the
challenges that accompany transitioning from development to implementation of a plan and
is prepared to be responsive to the changing needs of its constituents which is consistent with
the Agility Principle of High Performance Organizations.