I am excited to share an important update with you regarding the ongoing employee engagement work led by our Human Resources team.

After several months of collaboration among dozens of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ colleagues (click here for full list), the third phase of the employee engagement initiative has been successfully completed. 

Together with support from Rankin Climate, the four subcommittees (Supervisor Development, Career Advancement, Staff-Faculty Relationships, and Employee Wellness) have developed several key recommendations in response to the staff survey feedback. This work is inclusive of diverse points of view and experiences, concrete survey metrics, and the continued desire and commitment to create a Better ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Together. 

The list of recommendations is extensive—you will find it by clicking here. I will highlight a handful that we will move forward in the coming academic year:

• Launch a comprehensive supervisor professional development program this fall
• Enhance the performance development process, reviewing position descriptions, clarifying job responsibilities, and outlining measurable goals 
• Structure consistent opportunities for networking, peer learning, and the sharing of best practices
• Expand the Ombuds Program to better support all employees 
• Create a formal recognition program that celebrates employee achievement
• Introduce a wellness ambassador program

Other recommendations specific to the Staff-Faculty Relationships committee have been presented to our new vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, Joanne Roberts, for her review and feedback before we announce the more complex initiatives related to that work.

Thank you to everyone who made this work a priority. It is crucial to the success of our college, and I deeply appreciate your time and energy in service to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community. Thank you for staying involved and informed as we continue to strive toward a Better ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Together.

Warmly,

Garry

Garry W. Jenkins, President, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

I want to thank you for taking the time to complete the employee engagement survey. Nearly two-thirds of our core staff responded, a rate that compares quite favorably with institutions of similar size.

The collected data is now being analyzed, and the results will be shared with employees in late May. After receiving and reviewing the results, the next step will be to create an action plan based on the feedback you provided.

This important survey will tell us a lot about what the college is doing well, and where we need to do more, to create and sustain an open, inclusive, and equitable work environment at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. I am very grateful for your contributions to this effort, and for making ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ better, together.

Sincerely,

   Garry

I write to follow up on my message of February 6 and invite you to complete the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ campus climate survey. You may find the survey here at . 

It should take about 20 minutes to complete the survey, and I encourage you to answer all questions as frankly and thoroughly as possible. Your responses will give us important insight on how you view the current working environment at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and how we can make improvements to enhance engagement and well-being.

Be assured that all of your answers will remain confidential and the results will be reported in group form only. You will not be identifiable as an individual. While your participation in the project is voluntary, I hope you will take the time to help us improve and transform ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in a
positive direction.

This research has been reviewed and approved by the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Institutional Review Board. Additional information about the project is . 

Please complete the survey by Friday, March 29.

Thank you very much, in advance, for your participation in this project.

All my best,
   Garry

Garry W. Jenkins
President, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College

As you know, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is in the midst of a process of working to better understand the sense of well-being and engagement among the members of our staff. An Employee Engagement Working Group has been active since last fall, and the next step in its work will be a survey designed to give each member of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ staff an opportunity to say how you view the current working environment at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and what you think we can do better to facilitate engagement and well-being. 

While completion of this survey is entirely voluntary, I strongly encourage you to participate, and to do so with thoughtful consideration and candor. Your responses will be completely confidential, and all survey results will be reported in group form only, with no identifying detail. 

This project is being led by Rankin Climate, an independent firm with over 20 years of experience in campus climate assessments, and has been reviewed and approved by the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College Institutional Review Board. The results will better enable us to successfully meet the needs of our community.

More information about this project may be found here.

I will be in touch again on February 27 to share a link to the survey. Thank you, in advance, for contributing to this important initiative for our campus community.

All my best,

   Garry