Staff: Provide additional feedback on campus climate during upcoming focus groups

Case Western Reserve staff can amplify and add to their observations about the university during focus group conversations that start next week. The sessions are designed to build upon information staff provided in an online survey administered just before the beginning of the semester. Working in collaboration with the Staff Advisory Council, university leaders launched the effort to learn more about how staff view their current experiences—and what steps the university can take to improve and enhance them. The staff sessions are open to anyone who wishes to attend and offer additional context and/or specific suggestions about how the university can address staff concerns and suggestions. They are as follows:

• For SAC representatives only: Monday, Nov. 3, 1-2 p.m., Crawford Hall, Room 720
• Open meeting for staff: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Biomedical Research Building (BRB), Room 105
• Open meeting for staff: Thursday, Nov. 6, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Ford Auditorium located inside the Allen Memorial Library Building

Participation in the online survey powerfully illustrated the staff’s willingness to share thoughts and recommendations. Not only did 1,175 staff respond overall, but hundreds offered additional comments for every question that allowed open-ended remarks. In addition, the majority of staff indicated that they felt they university had created momentum and maintained a sense of community over the past five years. “The Staff Advisory Council deserves enormous credit for its leadership in advocating for a survey and encouraging colleagues to participate,” Vice President for Human Resources Carolyn Gregory said. “And staff themselves showed how much they care about Case Western Reserve and making it a better place to work.” Staff urged university leaders to provide additional training opportunities for those who want to increase and expand their skills to qualify for other positions within the university. They also called for development of a more current job classification system, as well as specific career ladders. Among staff’s greatest concerns was compensation, which they felt had grown less competitive over time. They recommended the university work to reduce non-salary expenses to increase the university’s raise pool. Finally, they recommended increased management training for their supervisors and increased recognition opportunities to help convey to staff that the university’s values their efforts. Some of the survey’s other results include:

• A majority of staff said they have the work environment, tools and training they need to do their jobs (69, 89 and 86 percent, respectively).
• A large majority of staff (78 percent) believe the university has enhanced the diversity of its faculty, staff and student populations over the past five years, and an even higher percentage (82 percent) believe the campus climate regarding diversity has improved.
• A large majority (83 percent) say they believe that the university values wellness as an element of its success.

To provide more feedback, please attend one of the focus groups Nov. 3, 4, or 6.