Good Afternoon, Colleagues!

We are excited to share an important update to the institutional staff engagement work. After our call for committee volunteers from the campus community, we are happy to report that we received over 70 nominations from across every division! Taking into account individual preferences and trying to balance the various working groups, the rosters are now complete and this phase of the work will begin in earnest after the November break. While we could not effectively accommodate everyone who self-nominated or was nominated by a colleague, please know that there will be plenty of opportunities to participate as we continue to mine the survey data and establish new initiatives for the college. As a reminder, here are the four working groups:

• Supervisor Development Working Group: Charged with creating a baseline professional development program for supervisors and managers
• Career Advancement Working Group: Charged with identifying and understanding our current state, enhancing development opportunities and clarifying steps for career advancement
• Staff/Faculty Relationship Working Group: Charged with exploring and finding ways to minimize the barriers between faculty and staff and improve the relationship
  

• Well Being Committee (already in progress): Dedicated to fostering a supportive and healthy work environment that enhances the physical, mental, and emotional well being of all employees. Charged with developing and advancing B Well programs and initiatives that promote balance, engagement, and overall well being across Bates. This committee will meet monthly at first and then shift to a bi-monthly or quarterly cadence.

I want to extend great appreciation to the members of each of the four groups– your energy and commitment to a Better Bates Together ensures that we will accomplish our goals in the coming months and continue to move the institution forward. 

Thank you as well to the newly formed Steering Committee and members of the HR team for their enthusiasm and willingness to help us guide this important work. They will be intricately involved in establishing the working group structure, providing resources, facilitating discussions and ensuring that timelines are met. Those assigned to chair a working group will reach out to their cohort over the next several days to schedule a kick-off meeting prior to winter break.

Finally– thank you to all of you who inquire or are curious about the staff engagement process and are ready to support our endeavors. When we work together, we achieve great things.

Patty

Patricia Rooney, SHRM-CP; PHR
Assistant Vice President for Human Resources