Contemporary Practices in Higher Education
Human Resources
College Business Management Institute
Sam Connally
VP for Human Resources, University of Louisville
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Learning Objectives
Understand the role of Human Resources in
university administration.
Recognize “comfort zones” in managing
change and the importance of continuous
process improvement.
Understand constituent roles in process
improvement.
Distinguish between inductive and deductive
reasoning in development & application of
HR policy.
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Learning Objectives
Understand difference between rule-based
and judgment-based decision making.
Understand Campus Managers’ Role in
effective HR administration.
Explore contemporary practices in HR
administration.
Learn to become a more informed consumer
of HR services in your institution.
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HR’s Role in University Admin
Every university has a vision and a mission.
Every vision or mission requires people to
bring it to life.
HR’s role is to help campus administrators:
 Recruit
 Retain
 Recognize
 Reward
..... Top Quality Faculty & Staff
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HR Priorities & Strategies
 HR is a service unit whose purpose is to help
the institution achieve its mission.
 We must recognize that faculty and staff are
the University’s #1 asset and should be
Human Resources’ #1 priority.
 We must align our services with the
academic, research, and service mission of
the University.
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HR Priorities & Strategies
 HR should move from a “rule-based”
approach to a “judgment-based” approach to
HR. and evaluate our services through the
eyes of our customers.
 HR staff should advise, but we should not
direct. We should serve, but not regulate. We
should “look for ways to say yes,” with
multiple levels of review (cascading up to the
chief HR officer) before we say no.
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HR Priorities & Strategies
 HR staff should share our knowledge and
judgment, but without supplanting
managers' judgment for our own.
 We must maintain appropriate internal audit
and accountability mechanisms and satisfy
external stakeholder requirements, but do so
in the least intrusive manner possible.
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Managing Change
Comfort
Zone
Panic
Chaos
Change
Higher Education has
Changed a lot
In the past 20 years.
Have you?
Creativity
Has your HR department?
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Constituent Roles in Customer Service
• Individuals who
actually perform
the service.
• Individuals or
entities who have
a vested interest
in how the service
is performed.
•Individuals who
consume a service
directly.
Service
Providers
Customers
Stakeholders
Beneficiaries
• Individuals who
benefit from a
service, but who
do not consume it
directly.
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Goal of Service Excellence
Goal of Service Excellence:
 Meet or exceed your customer’s
expectations!
 Not the expectations of beneficiaries,
stakeholders, or service-providers.
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Policy Development / Application
• Policy development entails inductive
reasoning. Moving from the particular to
the general.
• Policy application entails deductive
reasoning. Moving from the general to the
particular.
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Policy Development / Application
Writing a policy is like connecting
the dots, but without the
numbers.
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Policy Development / Application
So, if it looks like a duck &
walks like a duck, it must be
“Advanced Leave.”
Applying a policy is like
asking the question, “How
does this dot fit in?”
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Policy Development / Application
Work evolves. Policies must evolve as well.
It doesn’t look much like a duck after all.
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Case Study – Advanced Leave
Paradigm Shift in HR Admin
JudgmentBased Approach
Rules-Based
Approach
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Manager’s Role in HR Admin
 Decide what outcome you want to
accomplish.
 Apply policies to facts on the ground.
 Apply common sense and use your best
judgment.
 Seek advice and counsel, when
appropriate.
 “If it doesn’t make sense, it’s probably
wrong.” … or at least it could be improved.
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Recruitment Strategies
Learning Objectives
Recognize constituent roles in recruitment.
Recognize opportunities to align
recruitment process with mission.
Avoid pitfalls in advertising positions.
Treat your candidates with appreciation.
Understand the role of market & equity in
setting new hire salaries.
Recognize common myths about the
compensation process.
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Constituent Roles in Recruitment
Who are the customers?
Applicants?
Hiring Officials?
Why does a recruitment function exist
within an college or university?
Employment Security Commission vs.
College or University Employment Office
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Constituent Roles in Recruitment
• Departments
• Hiring Officials
• Employment
Coordinators
• Unit Business
Managers
• Trustees
• Regulatory
Agencies
Service
Provider
Customers
Stakeholders
Beneficiaries
• Selected
Candidate
• Non-selected
Candidates
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Design Process around Customer
Research is UNLV’s #1 Goal.
New AVP-HR to VP-Research:
How can Human Resources help support
the University’s research goal?
How the hell should I know, Sam? You’re
the HR guy. You tell me.
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Historical Recruitment Model
PI Obtains Research Contract/Grant
PI Requests Budget Authorization (5-10 Days).
PI Writes Job Description (5-10 Days).
HR classifies position (10-30 Days).
PI Writes Ad, HR Recruits (10-15 Days).
PI Selects Candidate. (10-15 Days).
AwardBudgetJDClassifyAdRecruit
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Recruit First Recruitment Model
PI Obtains Research Contract/Grant
PI Writes Ad, HR Recruits (10-15 Days).
PI Writes Job Description
HR classifies position
HR Requests budget authorization
PI Selects & Hires Candidate.
AwardRecruit …..
 Classify & Authorize
 Select & Hire
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Advertising Strategies
Market your institution, not just your job.
Describe principle duties.
State minimum requirements.
Clearly distinguish preferred qualifications.
Focus on KSA’s, not just E&E’s.
It’s ok to have a bit of fun:
UofL seeks a Director of HR Admin …
Higher Ed has changed a lot in 20 years …
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Position-Specific Ads
1x2 Column In”
Occasional Ads
$1,000 per ad
Department’s
election
8% of total
vacancies
$55,000 per year.
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Institutional Ads w/ Pos. Titles
2x6 Column In”
52 Weeks / Year
$1,500 per ad
$125 per job
100% of total
vacancies
$80,000 per year
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Treat your candidates with care.
Treat your candidates with care. They are
your supply chain. Market your institution,
not just your job.
Describe principle duties.
State minimum requirements.
Clearly distinguish preferred qualifications.
It’s ok to have a bit of fun:
UofL seeks a Director of HR Admin …
Higher Ed has changed a lot in last 20 years …
Hire People Who Fit, then Pay them Well.
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Salary at Hire
UofL Policy 1798 – 2010
Hire at minimum.
Exceptions require HR approval.
New Hires up to Mid-Point; Promo’s up to 8.0%.
UofL Policy 2010 – Present
Based on facts & data.
Linked to market value.
Consider internal equity; but not bound.
Reasonably documented.
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HR Case Study – Salary at Hire
Retention Strategies
Vision of a Great Place to Work
The University’s vision reflects a mandate that
the University of Louisville become a
“preeminent metropolitan research university”
by the year 2020.
Faculty and staff give life to our vision and are
the means by which we fulfill our teaching,
research, and public service mission.
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Vision of a Great Place to Work
Faculty contribute to student success in the
classroom, generate knowledge through
research and creative endeavor, and translate
knowledge into practical solutions that improve
the lives of the citizens of our city and state.
Staff employees help make this work possible,
both in providing direct support to our academic
and research activities, as well as through the
myriad ways their work supports University
operations.
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Vision of a Great Place to Work
Making faculty and staff concerns a priority is
what our Great Places to Work Initiative is all
about.
The University is committed to a continuing and
systematic evaluation of work life issues – in
collaboration with the Faculty Senate, Staff
Senate, CODRE, and COSW – to improve the
quality of work life at UofL.
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Assignment of Responsibility
To ensure continuity in our GPTW Initiative, the
Provost has assigned responsibility for cochairing the GPTW Initiative to the institutional
officers with operational responsibility for
policies and practices that most directly impact
the work life of faculty and staff.
Sam Connally
Vice President
for Human Resources
Tracy Eells
Vice Provost
Faculty Personnel
Mordean Taylor-Archer
Vice Provost
Diversity & Int’l Affairs
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GPTW Steering Committee
Chairs & Co-Chairs of GPTW Committees
Chair or Vice-Chair of Faculty Senate
Chair or Vice Chair of Staff Senate
Chair or Vice Chair of Commission on Diversity
& Racial Equality
Chair or Vice Chair of Commission on the
Status of Women
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Chronicle of Higher Education
Great Colleges Survey
Chronicle of Higher Education Great Colleges to
Work For Survey is Scorecard Metric for GPTW
 2020 Goal: Improve Overall Employee Satisfaction
from 62 to 75.
 2012 Goal: Improve from 62 to 65 in 2012
 Improve participation rate from 40 to 50%
Included Classified Staff in addition to Faculty &
Professional Staff.
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Campus Climate Initiatives
Promoted Chronicle Great Colleges Survey as
key metric for UofL GPTW Initiative.
Promoted UofL Campus Climate Survey to
supplement GPTW Survey.
Hosted Community Ice Cream Socials on
Belknap & HSC (with over 2000 participants).
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Campus Climate Initiatives
Summer Outdoor Film Series and Fall Family
Picnic at Shelby Campus (2500 participants).
 Office of Ombuds established & funded.
Received commitment for President / Provost to
host campus-wide Open Forums each semester
to enhance internal communications.
Received commitment for HR to review / reenergize employee suggestion and employee
recognition programs.
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Health & Wellness Initiatives
Expansion of Health Plan Subsidy for Get Health
Now Participants increased from $240 to $480/yr.
Premium for on-campus health initiatives waived.
Level health plan premiums for four years!
Health Management Program Highlights
Disease Management Program Highlights
Elder Care Workshop Series 2011-12
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Health & Wellness Initiatives
Expanded health plan subsidy for part-time
employees from $108/mo to 50% of FT subsidy.
Early adoption of Age 26 for children to remain
on employee’s health plan.
Early adoption of women’s reproductive health
care as preventive care (no co-pays, deductibles,
or co-insurance).
Adoption of 2 ½ month extension on Flexible
Spending Accounts (thru March 15).
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Family Friendly Policy Initiatives
Expansion of Shared Leave Program for Staff
Employees (320 -> 480 hours).
Expansion of Parental Leave Program for Faculty
& Staff from three to six weeks funded through
Health & Wellness Program.
Suspension of tenure clock for birth or adoption.
Increased maximum point-in-time leave accrual
from 44 days to 66 days for staff employees to
promote leave use & avoid loss of leave.
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Family Friendly Policy Initiatives
Added domestic partners and their children to
Family Medical Leave eligibility.
Modified FML policy to permit two employees to
each take 12 weeks FML on birth or adoption
(instead of sharing 12 weeks).
Recognized child birth as qualifying event for six
weeks Short Term Disability (for all employees).
Added three months health insurance to Short
Term Disability program (6 months total).
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Professional Development Initiatives
Supported HR commitment to create Staff
Development Program (with two FTE).




Introduction to Supervision
Customer Service Excellence
Performance Management Training
Disciplinary, Grievance, & Appeal Training
Supported initiative by Office of Faculty
Personnel to provide leadership training to
academic department chairs & other academic
leaders.
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Professional Development Initiatives
Faculty Grievance Policy revised.
Staff Disciplinary, Grievance, & Appeal policies
revised.
Staff Performance Evaluation form revised &
campus-wide training underway.
Unit Business Manager training developed &
implemented campus-wide.
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Total Rewards Initiatives
Supported President’s scorecard goal for all UofL
faculty & staff salaries to average 100% of market
value by 2020.
 Faculty increased from 90% to 91.0% since 2009
 Staff increased from 90% to 93.7% since 2009
Restoration of merit funding in 2011-12
 3.0% for Board appointed administrators; faculty with
regular appointments; and contract faculty.
 3.0% for Staff earning $40,000 or more.
 $1200 (4.0%) for Staff earning less than $40,000.
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Total Rewards Initiatives
Received Provost’s commitment to faculty salary
equity study in 2011-12.
Received Provost’s commitment to staff salary
equity study in 2012-13
Received approval and $10,000 funding to
develop “Total Rewards” website for employees.
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A Time for Celebration
and Setting New Expectations

GPTW Status Report presented to
Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, CODRE,
COSW, HRAC, Unit Business Managers,
VPs, and Academic Deans Council.

GPTW Newsletter Launched Spring 2012

Campus-wide solicitation for suggestions
to GPTW Committees to help set our
strategies for the next two years.
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Recognition Strategies
Learning Objectives
Distinguish between recognition strategies.




Length of Service
Individual Performance
Team Performance
Institutional Performance
Share examples of recognition programs.
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Service Awards Program
Service Awards Program
 Multiples of 5 years beginning at 10
 Luncheon program with Deans & VPs
 Service Award Gift (Value based on years)
 Recipients may bring guest.
 Remainder of day off.
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Celebrating Individual Performance
UofL Today
 Faculty & Staff Accomplishments
 New Faculty Profiles
Staff Award of Excellence
Faculty Teaching Excellence Award
Faculty Research Excellence Award
Intel USB Port Inventor
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Celebrating Team Performance
Oregon State University
 Total Quality Improvement Teams
HR Forums
 Faculty Orientation
 Service Awards Program
 Open Enrollment
HR Constituency Reports
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Celebrating Institutional Performance
Make the connection between
individual and team performance and
achieving institutional outcomes.
I’m Card Proud to Work at UofL …
…Cause I Help Make it Happen!
Excell UofL Video in Orientation
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Reward Strategies
Learning Objectives
 Understand strategies to promote market
competitive salaries.
 Understand strategies to promote salary
equity.
 Dispel popular myths regarding individual
compensation.
 Share UofL “Total Rewards” Estimator
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Constituency Roles in Compensation
• Departments
• Hiring Officials
• HR Staff
• Unit Business
Managers
• Trustees
• Regulatory
Agencies
• Taxpayers
Service
Provider
Customers
Stakeholders
Beneficiaries
• University
Community
• Employees
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Market Analysis
HR will provide data to help you make sound decisions.
 We should pay for jobrelated knowledge, skills
and abilities; not
education & experience.
 Salaries will be connected
to market rates.
 Salaries should achieve
market competitiveness
over time.
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Internal Equity
• Compare salaries of
positions with similar
responsibilities
• Informs, but does not
bind, decision making
• During analysis of a pay
change or through periodic
study.
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Authority Guidelines
 HR should advise; but not
direct.
 Department exercise
primary discretion.
 VPs & Deans approve
“exceptional” salary
decisions.
 EVPs approve Range “EX”.
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Busting Myths in Compensation Practices
Myth or Fact?
We should hire people in at the minimum of the
salary range.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: MYTH
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Myth or Fact?
If employees see someone working in a position
that they think is similar to theirs, their pay
should be exactly the same as the other person’s
pay.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: MYTH
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Myth or Fact?
Salary decisions should be supported by facts
and data.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: FACT
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Myth or Fact?
If a position requires 3 years of experience and
we hire a person with 8 years, their salary
should be higher than midpoint of the grade.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: MYTH
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Myth or Fact?
If a person’s workload increases and they are
doing more of the same work, the department
should ask for an in-range adjustment.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: MYTH
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Myth or Fact?
The job description should only include
information about the position, not the
person in the position.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: FACT
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Myth or Fact?
We should pay a person based on market rate of
their position.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: FACT
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Myth or Fact?
Positions with the same title should be paid the
same.
A = Myth
B = Fact
Answer: MYTH
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Learning Objectives
 Understand strategies to promote market
competitive salaries.
 Understand strategies to promote salary
equity.
 Dispel popular myths regarding individual
compensation.
 UofL Total Rewards Estimator
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Best Practices in SACUBO
As a University Administrator, your goal is to
Recruit
Retain
Recognize
Reward
….. Top Quality Faculty & Staff
How do you propose to do it?
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www.louisville.edu/hr/itemsofinterest
Sam Connally
sam.connally@louisville.edu
502-852-3698
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