University Restructuring - HR Update
Updated April 4th, 2008
On May 5, 2008, three resolution outlining the human resource recommendations in support of the Higher Education Restructuring Initiative were approved by University Council.. This represented the last step in the university governance process which will also included review and approvals by the Commission on Staff Policies and Affairs. The resolutions will be presented to the Board of Visitors in August for final approval.
Overview of the Policy Design Teams
As you may remember from previous restructuring updates, a Steering Committee and an Employee Advisory Committee were formed to provide recommendations and goals for the HR systems and strategies to create linkages with the university’s mission, values, and strategic plan. To assist in the Higher Education Restructuring Initiative, Human Resources and the Employee Advisory committee formed policy design teams to review and make recommendations for policies regarding compensation and rewards, performance management and employee relations, and staff benefits and work life issues. The three teams consisted of a diverse group of 8-10 employees each in both staff and managerial roles, representative of the various departments across campus and reflective of the demographic profile of the university. The teams also included expertise in HR practices and legal issues. The teams were comprised of university staff, classified staff, and faculty who supervise staff. A fourth team, consisting of members of the Commission on Administrative and Professional Faculty Affairs and members of the Employee Advisory Committee, developed a recommendation focused on administrative and professional faculty definitions.
Overview of the Recommendation Development Process
The design teams were formed in November 2007 to review current human resource policies, focus group and survey results, and feedback from the Employee Advisory and Steering Committees in order to make policy and practice recommendations consistent with the university’s strategic plan, the provisions of the restructuring authorization, the Principles of Community and best practices in the field. This review did not assume that changes were necessary or warranted, but provided the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of current staff policies and make recommendations that will benefit the university and its employees. The teams developed policy components and general procedures for any new programs and or additions/modifications to our current programs. They also recommended the phasing of changes, with some policy areas identified as priorities for the first year and others deferred for further consideration as time and resources allow. These policy recommendations were reviewed by the Employee Advisory Committee, the Staff Senate, the Commission on Staff Policies and Affairs, and the Steering Committee. Additionally, two information sessions for randomly selected University Staff were held providing information about the recommendations and soliciting feedback.
Overview of the Policy Recommendations
The teams’ recommendations for the first phase of implementation focused on performance management and compensation policies. Their recommendations for performance management included changing to a 4-point evaluation rating scale versus the 3-point scale currently used for all staff, simplifying and automating the performance management process, and providing more feedback opportunities regarding performance. The recommendations for compensation policies include the implementation of a merit pay system for university staff and more flexibility in the in-band and role change salary adjustment processes for university staff. The full resolutions provided to the Commission on Staff Policies and Affairs can be found on the left menu bar of this web page. For more information or if you have questions concerning Human Resource Restructuring, please contact Brian Gittens, Human Resource Restructuring Project Manager at bgittens@vt.edu or 231-3294.
To view the previous updates to this page, please click below:
Restructuring Update - December 20, 2007