Campus Announcements

The four working groups composed of senior staff members and led by VP/Deans have been working on their respective areas of staff engagement. A more in-depth update will be provided at the May 8 All Staff meeting, but the groups wanted to let the Reed community know how their work is progressing before that time.

Communications: Hugh Porter and Milyon Trulove

A draft of a change communications worksheet for decision-makers has been presented to the VP/Deans and will be presented to the full senior staff on April 23. The worksheet emphasizes the flow of communication to include informing supervisors of changes ahead of time, when possible, to ensure they are prepared to talk with their direct reports about changes happening at the college. The goal is to have the worksheet out to decision-makers by early May.

Compensation: Lynn Valenter

Annual review form and merit process

The working group surveyed all Reed staff in February and received more than 200 responses. We have developed draft forms and FAQs to be shared with staff shortly. We will receive input, consider changes, and submit to the president’s staff for approval, targeting to publish in May for the next review period. This documentation is being developed to improve transparency and communication around the merit award process.

Career and experience internal review

The human resources office, with guidance from the Compensation Advisory Team, has completed the identification of job groups eligible for review. HR and managers reviewed staff members’ relevant work experiences, including both internal and external experiences. Outliers were identified and recommended increases were developed and included in next year’s budget—pending budget approval by the Board of Trustees—and are anticipated to be effective July 1, 2024. In some cases, individuals with long experience were already being compensated appropriately (e.g. through pay evaluation requests, ATB increases, former pay practices), so some, but not all, highly experienced employees will be receiving experiential increases. Pay compression (where a less experienced employee was making the same or more than more experienced colleagues) was the most-identified driver for experiential pay increases.

Total reward compensation

HR is working with a vendor to develop a twice-yearly distribution of total rewards statements to staff. Statements would include base pay, 403(b) retirement contributions by the college, medical and dental benefits, taxes, vacation and sick accruals, and holidays, including administrative days. This will make visible the total compensation package provided to staff.

Banner (formal classification) vs. working title standards

The Compensation Advisory Team completed the definition of Banner titles by division. We have done a demo with an organizational chart tool that is being reviewed for compliance. This will enhance promotional opportunity visibility.

Supervision and Management (Professional Learning): Kathy Oleson & Phyllis Esposito

The Supervision and Management (Professional Learning) group recognizes the complexity of creating a sustainable and accessible professional development system for all staff members. To support the success of the flexible work and compensation initiatives, the initial focus of the supervision and management working group is equipping supervisors and managers with the skills and knowledge to lead effectively in these new models. College-wide implementation of these initiatives hinges on empowered supervisors who can guide and support staff as they navigate these changes.

The path toward a sustainable professional development culture requires collaboration and ongoing refinement. The supervision and management working group will work with key stakeholders over the next two months in order to develop a specific set of recommendations for consideration by early June. These stakeholders include Reed staff at all levels who provide leadership in the following committees and working groups.

Goals of working group collaboration:

• Compensation Group: Discuss how professional development supports staff retention and aligns with overall compensation strategies.
• Flexible Work Group: Determine how professional development for supervisors and managers can further enhance the success of flexible work arrangements.
• Supervisors Breakfast Group: Present recommendations, gather feedback, and ensure initiatives directly support leadership development needs.
• Staff Handbook Committee: Collaborate to support onboarding of new supervisors and managers, ensuring transparency and accessibility for all staff members.

Workplace Flexibility: Karnell McConnell-Black

Over recent months, the Workplace Flexibility Working Group has diligently convened every two weeks to deliberate upon the conceptual underpinnings guiding the formulation of an initial workplace flexibility policy. Our overarching aim of these meetings has been to construct a policy framework that empowers both staff and their supervisors to embrace flexibility tailored to job specifications and department/office needs. The working group has delineated several pivotal objectives steering the crafting of the policy:

• Maintain student-centered focus and prioritize the needs of students
• Support employee work-life balance and engagement 
• Increase the ability of the college to maintain business continuity and respond quickly to unexpected future events
• Reduce negative impacts on college resources and the environment

The current iteration of the proposal is structured into distinct sections, each offering transparent guidelines for both staff and supervisors. These sections encompass eligibility criteria, types of flexible arrangement options, the request and approval process, protocol, work standards expectations, and stringent adherence to pertinent laws and regulations.

We have actively solicited and integrated considerations through a submission form distributed during the February All Staff meeting and subsequent follow-up from supervisors to offer their considerations. Additionally, consultations have been conducted with the VP/Deans, senior staff, and the quality of life committee to garner insights into the draft proposal. The working group is thoughtfully addressing this feedback to refine the proposal in order to begin the development of a comprehensive supervisor's toolkit for seamless implementation. Further refinement will ensue through continued engagement with supervisors to solicit additional feedback on the supervisors toolkit.