Current Philosophy:

  1. Inform
    Inform staff of campus happenings and strategic initiatives
  2. Advocate
    Advocate for staff by raising up their questions and concerns
  3. Advise
    Advise Senior Staff, campus committees and others on decisions, ideas or policies affecting staff

Historical Context:

Quality of Life Task Force

The Staff Advisory Council conducted a campus-wide survey in the 2011-2012 academic year. Three priorities and the Staff Advisory Council task force on Quality of Life emerged.

The Staff Advisory Council work is driven by the Quality of Life task force report. SAC remains focused on recommendations appropriate for consideration and possible implementation. Below you will find the overarching themes to this report and our progress.

View our progress

Three prevailing needs:

  1. Increase in salary
    Support a world-class faculty and staff
  2. Additional staffing
    Prioritize staffing growth to support the university’s expansion and commitment to excellence
  3. Professional development and advancement opportunities 

Three themes emerged from the QOL report

Theme 1: Creative Staffing

  • Benchmark Elon’s peer and aspirant schools and assess innovative staffing models
  • Determine opportunities for growth and change
  • Develop creative staffing models for exploration:  Hybrid or alternative work schedules
    • Flexible work scheduling
    • Work on home models/options
    • Compensatory time strategies

Theme 2: Longevity Benefits and Internal Growth

  • Benchmark Elon’s peer and aspirant schools longevity benefits and internal advancement opportunities with respect to Elon’s.
  • Continuation benefits included increasing vacation and sick days, retirement and retiree health insurance, tuition remission and service recognition.

Findings

Overall, Elon’s longevity benefits landed squarely in the middle of the comparison group in these areas, particularly in the areas of sick time, retirement benefits, and tuition remission.

Theme 3: Work/Life Connections and Engagement

  • Research existing Elon programs and opportunities for staff involvement and professional development
  • Programs and opportunities offered by Elon’s peer and aspirant schools.
  • Compare Elon’s offerings to peer/aspirant schools’
  • Advantages of existing Elon opportunities challenges/need for new opportunities

Findings

Elon’s opportunities were not applied consistently, and staff did not have accurate and consistent information about these possibilities.

President’s Recommendations

In responding to the report, the senior staff outlined three-time frames appropriate for the consideration and possible implementation of recommendations from the report.

  • Immediate: within the next year
  • Mid-Term: within the next two to three years
  • Long-term: longer than three years out

 

Immediate: within the next year

Theme 1

Recommendation 3 – COMPLETE

“Review the merit-based salary increase process to ensure consistent application across departments and determine if Elon is best utilizing the salary increase process.” Done

Theme 2

Recommendation 1

“Create and develop additional opportunities for growth and internal advancement through:”

  • Emerging Leaders  program – COMPLETE
  • Mentoring program  – COMPLETE
  • Fellows program – COMPLETE

Recommendation 2 

“Enhance and expand a robust Human Resources entry, evaluation, education, and exit process for all staff. This process should include clear and consistent policy and process development.”

  • Joining Elon  – COMPLETE
  • Performance Evaluations – IN PROGRESS
  • Exiting Elon – IN PROGRESS

Theme 3

Recommendation 1 – COMPLETE

“Revitalize a program similar to the Teagle Grant and Faculty/Staff Forum (latter conducted February 2013).”

  • Learning through Leadership – COMPLETE
  • Growing through Leadership  – COMPLETE
  • Achieving through Leadership – COMPELTE
  • Employee Resource Groups  – COMPLETE
  • Sr. Administrators have committed to the current London program on a minimum of once every three years.   – COMPLETE

Recommendation 2 – COMPLETE

“Create a partnership with Global Study Engagement. Enhance the inclusion of staff in study abroad considers USA opportunities.”

Recommendation 3

“Highlight and further develop opportunities related to service to the broader community.” – COMPLETE

Recommendation 4

“Maintain and enhance Elon’s most successful benefits programs …”

  • Employee Wellness – COMPLETE
  • Cultural Programs- COMPLETE
  • Benefits and Leave Program – COMPLETE (two personal days added)

Mid-Term: within the next two to three years

Theme 1

Recommendation 1

“Create and develop alternative work policies for staff (flex time, hybrid scheduling and work from home options and compensatory time strategies).”

  • Evaluate the summer initiative pilot program from 2013. – COMPLETE
  • Proposal is being developed to present to senior staff  – COMPLETE

Recommendation 2 – COMPLETE

“Work with the PACE Program to train and utilize PACE student workers as office coverage for program assistants and other hourly or essential employees.”

The Temporary Student Employee Program has been established.

Long-Term: longer than three years out

Theme 2

Recommendation 3 

“Develop a Professional Development “menu” of opportunities connected to educational opportunities, certificate supports, certifications/re-certifications, and service to the university community in which all staff can take advantage.”

Recommendation 4

“Develop and support a tuition remission and exchange program for staff to further their education.”