HRAA REORGANIZATION

Memo from Barbara Butterfield to the deans, directors, and department heads

March 27, 2003

Our current budget reductions have challenged HRAA to examine areas where we can improve our effectiveness and focus resources on delivery of key services. Although this is a difficult time of tough decisions, I am confident that the choices we now make will lead us to a stronger, healthier organization. Our task is largely one of shifting our resources to the areas of greatest priority, allowing us to clearly demonstrate our values through the programs and services of HRAA.

Through this transition, we will keep in mind our most important focus—continuing to deliver quality HR services with strong support for campus units. Our core human resource services support units in their daily business and help keep the University running.

In this reorganization, three important areas will receive additional emphasis. These relate to organizational climate, recruitment, and the effectiveness of our classification structure.

The University’s continuing dedication to affirmative action and institutional climate has led to our commitment to establish an office of institutional equity. The office will be responsible for affirmative action, and the prevention of harassment and discrimination. The new office will merge the responsibilities now held in the Office of a Multicultural Community and the Sexual Harassment Policy Office. Drawing these areas together allows a more coordinated approach to investigations and, more importantly, increased emphasis on prevention. A new senior director, reporting directly to me, will lead the office.

In addition, we will continue to build to full staffing in the Classification and Compensation area. This reflects our focus on creating effective tools to better support unit-based compensation administration. We also recognize the challenges departments face in recruitment. We will continue to invest our resources in focused recruiting, working to build pools of potential employees in hard-to-hire careers.

Even as we are building the important areas described above, we are planning for internal reallocations and reductions in order to meet the challenges posed by the current budget climate. As President Coleman outlined in her March 6 memo to campus, the total proposed cut to the University’s state appropriation is 10% for the coming year. After careful consideration, HRAA is reshaping some of its units to meet these challenges, and the areas affected by our resource shifts are outlined below. Although changes will be effective by July 1, preparatory steps are being taken now.

• The Executive Search area will no longer operate as a centralized department. Hiring units will select external search firms for executive recruitment assistance when needed.
• Career Services will become part of the Professional and Organizational Development area. Free web-based services for employees will be enhanced, and live career-related courses and other face-to-face services will be available on a fee basis.
• Mediation Services will continue assisting clients through an established network of trained volunteer mediators and professional facilitation, but will moderately reduce the level of central staffing.
• Human Resource Development (HRD) will continue fee-for-service operation and will restructure its business processes for self-funding. HR Academy courses will be combined with and managed by HRD.
• The Great Places to Work initiative will transition to Web-based delivery of information resources for units interested in developing locally administered initiatives and fee-based support where consulting on local initiatives is desired.

These changes will result in an anticipated General Fund savings of approximately $900,000 through a combination of cuts in administrative overhead, elimination of open positions, and reallocation of some positions from General Fund support to a self-funding model. A total of 15 staff members in HRAA have received reduction-in-force (RIF) notices. Ten of those notices went to staff who work in a fee-for-service environment because any drop in achieving revenue targets coupled with the planned decrease in General Fund support could result in staff reductions. Additionally, a small number of HRAA staff will be reassigned to enhance effectiveness in high priority areas. HRAA will continue to work with affected staff to help them understand their options.

We may find in time that some areas require adjustments in resources, and I will continue to communicate with you on issues of resource allocation in HRAA. However, if you have questions about these changes, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Barbara Butterfield
Chief Human Resource Officer
Human Resources & Affirmative Action