Reimagine Staff

Align Staff for the Future of Work 

 The pandemic forced a majority of the university’s staff members to work from home for nearly two years. During that span, COE and university staff developed online processes and used online conference tools to effectively perform their duties and serve their constituents remotely. A return to on-campus learning required a large portion of COE staff to also return to campus to serve the students’ and organization’s needs. 

However, in recognition of the resulting paradigm shift in workplace habits, COE will explore telecommuting and hoteling for certain staff. In the interest of achieving increased efficiencies, COE will also implement a ticketing system to track IT and facilities work requests. 

Recommended Actions: 

• Explore telecommuting and hoteling for certain staff, as appropriate to maintain the college mission. 

• Implement a ticketing system to track IT and facilities work requests to increase efficiency and transparency. 

Enhance Pathways for Personal and Professional Achievements

When state budgets were slashed, funds for staff professional development became scarce. Previously, a large number of COE administrative staff attended the CSU Academic Resources Conference to share information with colleagues and learn about the latest policy and procedures changes. However, that number declined as budgets became lean. A dedicated Staff Professional Development Fund would serve as an important first step in creating a culture of continual learning. Staff members could apply for funds to take a course or attend a conference. Acquiring new skills could also potentially lead to staff obtaining higher positions. Increased opportunities for professional development and promotion were among the staff suggestions during COE’s Fall Convocation Retreat. 

Recommended Actions: 

• Establish a Staff Professional Development Fund for conferences and training. 

• Establish an Outstanding College of Engineering Staff Award. 

• Work with COE/campus/unions on salary increases, bonuses, stipends, and a staff early-retirement program. 

Design a Culture of Collaboration and Community 

The university conducts extensive orientation meetings for new employees, however COE has not adopted a formal onboarding process for new staff and student assistants. In addition, there is no central repository for processes, policies and resources information needed to function effectively within the COE. Effectively communicating important information to new employees would boost collaboration and efficiency and create a sense of community. There is also potential for technical staff to benefit from collaboration. A spring Staff Social will further reinforce connections between employees. 

Recommended Actions: 

• Increase transparency and communication of processes, policies, and resources. 

• Create an onboarding process to orient new employees and assistants when they join our community. 

• Explore ways to improve collaboration among technical staff. 

• Hold a spring Staff Social to encourage interaction in a more relaxed and fun environment.