Supporting our Staff: Special Message from President Eibeck
Dear Pacific staff:
Pacific's talented and dedicated employees are the heart of our University. Your devotion to our students and your commitment to delivering a superb Pacific experience inspire me every day.
One of our five Institutional Priorities for 2014-2016 is to support staff and faculty development and engagement. The Cabinet and I are committed to giving staff at every level the support and learning opportunities you need to grow professionally and to enhance the service you proudly provide. One of our goals is to improve the culture for staff here at Pacific. We are strongly committed to encouraging teamwork, communication, and professional growth. A great place to work is a place where everyone at every level within the organization feels respected and heard, where people feel their work matters, and where we can depend on one another to help achieve our goals.
Two programs rolling out this fall will help us enhance our culture for staff. First, we will begin providing better support to our managers. Managers, the leadership you provide is critical. Collaborating with your staff, you move the University forward, project by project. In recognition of our obligation to you, we have designed a full day of dedicated training exclusively for managers. The focus is management and leadership development, with an eye toward strengthening your teams. You will soon be hearing more about this learning opportunity from your Vice President or unit leader.
The second program being introduced this fall, which will be a key topic at the manager training, is Pacific Flex, a workplace flexibility program for exempt and non-exempt staff. Staff, we understand that you want jobs that support your personal values, allowing you to be successful as individuals, family members, and community members. Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) are also a proven way to reduce turnover, lower absenteeism, and increase job satisfaction, all of which ultimately serve to enhance our student experience. The success of this program will depend on building teamwork and enhancing communication within our units. Naturally, our first priority must be excellent service to our students and other stakeholders. And, realistically, not everyone will be able to have an FWA. Nevertheless, it is imperative that all staff feel comfortable approaching their managers about this or any other issue, and that we have solid teams that can support one another in all situations. I am excited about the potential that workplace flexibility has for enhancing our culture. You will be hearing a great deal about Pacific Flex in the next few weeks, and we will be holding information sessions for all interested staff.
Another important step in enhancing staff development and engagement is the staff climate survey you took last spring. Save the Date for a meeting for all staff on Thursday, October 15, from 12:30-1:30pm in the DeRosa University Center Ballroom on the Stockton campus to learn about the survey data. This meeting will be webcast.
Thank you for the work you do that makes a difference in the lives of our students.
Best regards,
Pam Eibeck