Work/life survey results, action plan announced

By Susan Wittstock, onCAMPUS staff

A survey conducted late last summer by the Presidential Commission on Staff Development and Work/Life found that staff had concerns about the competitiveness of salaries and wages and about limited opportunities for career advancement, but had high levels of satisfaction with respect to the challenges their jobs offer, the opportunities they have to learn and grow, their work schedules and the support for personal/family responsibilities received from their immediate supervisors.

The Office of Human Resources has formulated a Fiscal Year 2003 Action Plan for Work/Life and Professional Development designed to address the survey findings and provide direction for efforts to assist employees in achieving work/life balance. The plan outlines steps for improvements to University policies to help create a culture conducive to employee satisfaction and commitment.

"Right now, the work/life support we offer is somewhat fragmented. We can improve, not only in terms of coordinating and administering the benefits currently offered but in expanding the breadth and depth of our work/life programming," said Executive Vice President and Provost Edward J. Ray. "Even with limited resources, there are many positive steps Ohio State can take which could have a high impact on the quality of life for our faculty and staff."

In spring 2000, President Brit Kirwan appointed 30 staff members to the commission, which was formed under the auspices of the University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC) and the Office of Human Resources. A random sample of 6,356 nonbargaining unit and non-hospital staff was selected in August 2001 to take the survey. The survey had a 66 percent participation rate, with 4,181 staff taking either the Web or paper versions.

The survey was similar in scope to previous work conducted by the Commission on Faculty Development and Careers, and to the CUE, G-QUE and I-QUE studies of students, but is the first comprehensive survey at Ohio State to focus entirely on staff.

WFD, a national consulting firm, that also worked with the commission to formulate the survey questions, compiled the results.

The findings have several implications for Ohio State's ability to retain staff.

"At the crux of the study, what they found is that work/life support, professional development and career advancement opportunities have a strong correlation to commitment and retention," said Gabrielle Reinicke, consultant/project leader for human resources administration and co-chair of the commission with Jamie Mathews-Mead. Mathews-Mead, director of MBA career programming for the Fisher College of Business, was the 1999-2000 chair of USAC.

Staff who reported strong levels of satisfaction with work/life support, career advancement and professional development opportunities had commitment levels almost double those of employees who said they had low levels of support. Employee commitment also was statistically correlated to predicted retention rates.

"Based on the data, by improving work/life support and career and professional development, you not only improve the work environment for employees, but you also can improve commitment, and thereby, improve retention," Reinicke said. "Committed employees are the ones who have a strong, personal attachment to the institution, the ones who are willing to go the extra mile."

WFD has conducted similar surveys with 25 companies, and benchmarked Ohio State's results against others in its database. Ohio State's commitment score of 7.9 was slightly below average when compared to the benchmark companies.

"Salary and wages were the greatest source of dissatisfaction," Reinicke said. Sixty percent of staff reported dissatisfaction with their salary and wages.

Thirty-four percent of staff reported dissatisfaction with advancement opportunities, and 22 percent with benefits.

"The survey indicates that people are feeling relatively good about their professional development opportunities, but they aren't sure how to translate that into advancement in their jobs," Reinicke said.

The results also showed that although many staff reported that they have flexibility in their work schedules, access is unevenly available across the University, depending on staff job responsibilities and the employing unit, department or college.

"Flexible work schedules are the most valued work/life program offered, but only about half of staff use them. We found that less than half of staff are even aware of other options, such as a compressed workweek or telecommuting," Reinicke said.

The survey asked staff to indicate their satisfaction with 10 aspects of the work experience. Areas of greatest satisfaction were as follows: 80 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their work schedule; 76 percent with the challenge of the job; 74 percent with their immediate supervisor; 72 percent with the ability to balance work with their personal life; 71 percent with opportunities to learn and grow; and 70 percent with job security.

Satisfaction and dissatisfaction levels cut across gender, race and job classifications. "Overall, there weren't necessarily significant differences among different groups of employees, such as civil service and administrative and professional," Reinicke said. "Family situations had a much bigger impact on how staff feel about their ability to balance work/life. Individuals who had a spouse who did not work or who worked part time reported a better balance."

WFD's unabridged report on the survey findings totaled more than 300 pages and contained an immense amount of detailed data.

"The hard data is here now, so instead of just guessing, we can move forward with targeted programs that we know will positively impact the work/life environment," said Larry M. Lewellen, associate vice president for human resources.

Presentations outlining the survey's findings and recommendations for action were made to Kirwan and Ray, the Planning Cabinet, USAC and other staff and faculty leaders during the week of May 13.

The FY03 Action Plan has Kirwan and Ray's support.

"This is not a new initiative. Professional development and career advancement are key elements to the Diversity Action Plan and the Academic Plan. Both plans acknowledge the importance of employee job satisfaction to Ohio State's aspirations to become a world-class university," Ray said.

The FY03 Action Plan, which is scheduled to be updated in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, is organized into four key areas: leadership; communications; training, tools and programs; and partnership with units.

"Phase one of the leadership area of the action plan builds on the value the provost places on addressing these issues as mechanisms to effectively implement our academic and diversity plans," Lewellen said. "It calls for clarifying the leadership structure and establishing a business case for work/life and professional development efforts in terms of productivity, morale, commitment to organizational success and retention. I'd say that the survey and its findings already established the business case, so our next step is to communicate it."

Proposed leadership initiatives include sponsoring a similar work/life survey of faculty and forming a faculty and staff work/life advisory group.

"We want to establish a full-time position within the Office of Human Resources to lead the planning process and coordinate implementation and communication efforts across the University," Lewellen said.

Communication strategies suggested in the plan include creating a Web site for work/life resources and regularly publishing updates of actions being taken as a result of the study in print and multimedia outlets.

Training plays a large role in the proposed implementation of work/life initiatives.

"We plan to develop a training program for HR professionals and managers to inform them of available resources, particularly in support of flexible work arrangements. As part of that process, we'll be establishing clearly defined guidelines and procedures to assist managers in creating a balanced work environment," Lewellen said.

"All colleges and units will participate in discussions about the survey results this coming year," Lewellen said. "The Office of Human Resources is prepared to provide consultation as colleges and units evaluate the particular needs of their employees."

A copy of the commission's report is available on the Web at www.ohr.ohio-state.edu/wl/home.htm.

Trustees adopt presidential profile

The University Board of Trustees on June 7 adopted a profile of the qualities, skills and characteristics desired in the next president of the University. An excerpt of the profile text follows.

As the flagship educational institution in the state of Ohio, Ohio State provides uncommon value to the state, the nation and the world. ... The University has committed itself in a new era of growth and progress to becoming one of the top 10 public institutions of higher education in the nation and to becoming an international model for what a land-grant institution can be in the 21st century. ...

Ohio State seeks a proven academic leader who shares this vision and these aspirations for excellence, relishes challenges, and embraces change as a tool for improvement and brings her or his own perspective and energy to the exciting task of enabling the University to achieve its great potential.

Ohio State requires a president with exceptional personal qualities, six of which stand out as critically important:

• Exemplary integrity, trustworthiness and wisdom. The president must inspire trust, respect and credibility.

• Superb interpersonal and communicative skills. The president must enjoy interacting with a broad range of people both within and outside the University, from students, faculty and staff to legislators, government officials, business and community leaders, and alumni and donors throughout the world; be articulate in various settings with diverse audiences; convey persuasively a vision of research, education and service that is capable of inspiring and motivating others.

• Breadth and depth of intellect. The president must be a person of extraordinary intellect and intelligence. This leader should have a demonstrated commitment to scholarly achievement and should understand scholarship from various points of view. The president should be a strategist who can see the dynamic implications of varied problems, can think beyond problems to solutions, and can understand the impact of solutions on the lives of people who will be affected by those decisions.

• High level of energy. The president must be endowed with great energy and a positive attitude that will inspire others to work at similar levels of intensity.

• Tenacity and judgment. The president must have not only a vision well-grounded in the goals and aspirations of the University, but also a strong will that will enable the implementation of those goals and aspirations in the face of competing priorities. The president must also have the will to seek counsel, to listen to and weigh advice, and to make decisions.Ê

• Self-confidence. The president must possess and project the qualities of leadership required by the position of heading one of the leading public universities in the nation. This sense of self must be clear and evident, while at the same time conveying an awareness that the institution and not the person is the priority.

Ohio State requires a president who has a demonstrated record of success in a number of areas, most notably in:

• attracting and retaining highly talented people;

• building teams in ways that produce high-yield results;

• strategically managing high achievement in an environment of change;

• creating, sustaining and enhancing diversity;

• enabling the growth and development of internal leadership; and

• generating resources effectively with external constituencies.

For more information related to the search, visit the Web at www.osu.edu/presidentialsearch/.

Distinguished University Professors 2002

Saif, Thompson receive faculty honor

Ohio State has bestowed its highest faculty honor, designation as a Distinguished University Professor, upon two researchers who have earned international acclaim for their scholarship. The 2002 honorees are Linda J. Saif, a professor in the Food Animal Health Research Program and veterinary preventive medicine at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster, and Lonnie G. Thompson, professor of geological sciences and a researcher in the Byrd Polar Research Center.

At the University's Board of Trustees meeting June 7, Executive Vice President and Provost Edward J. Ray granted each recipient the title and an annual budget of $10,000 for three years to support their academic work. They also automatically become members of the President's and Provost's Advisory Council.

Up to three faculty may be given the title of Distinguished University Professor each year, and, counting this year's recipients, only 26 professors have received the title since it was first awarded in 1987.

Linda Saif

"Both Professor Saif and Professor Thompson received their doctorates at Ohio State and have spent most of their careers at the University. More than 25 years later, they are both internationally recognized and respected for the impact that their pioneering research has had on the body of knowledge in their disciplines," Ray said. "Their students are incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from them, and their colleagues and the University are very proud of their extraordinary accomplishments."

Distinguished University Professors continue their regular program of teaching; research, scholarly or creative work; and service. They are nominated by their colleagues both at Ohio State and internationally. Evaluators from outside the University are invited to assess the quality and significance of each nominee's academic accomplishments.

Saif is the first Ohio State researcher not based on the Columbus campus to be recognized as a Distinguished University Professor. She is known nationally and internationally for her work on enteric animal diseases -- those relating to the digestive system, and specifically the intestines -- mainly rotavirus and calicivirus. Certain strains of the viruses can cause gastrointestinal illnesses in humans, especially children.

In support of her nomination, one colleague -- a member of the National Academy of Sciences -- wrote that "Dr. Saif is the world's foremost authority on the immune response of newborns to intestinal infections." A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention section chief added, "Dr. Saif is by far the most outstanding virologist and immunologist in the research field that deals with gastrointestinal viruses in animals and humans."

Credited with discovering the potential for enteric viral infections in animals to infect human populations in epidemic proportions, Saif also is recognized for extending the discovery process from the basic molecular biology of the virus to the interaction of the virus and host, to understanding how the host eliminates the organism, and to developing methods for detecting the organism.

Saif has garnered more than $14 million in research grants throughout her 30-plus-year career. Current research projects include immune response to the rotavirus, DNA vaccines, enteric pathogens in oysters, pathogenesis of human caliciviruses, and effects of nutrition and waste management technologies on pathogens in animal manure.

"It's a real privilege to have Dr. Saif on our staff," said Bobby Moser, dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences and vice president for agricultural administration. "This is the kind of research that the college is trying to promote -- people working on the cutting edge who can bridge that gap between applied and basic research. Dr. Saif can do that and that's unique." Added Glen Hoffsis, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, "Linda Saif É has contributed enormously to our understanding of disease mechanisms and immunology in both humans and animals."

Lonnie Thompson

Thompson's work in using ice cores drilled from remote, mountaintop glaciers to unravel global climate histories for thousands of years has earned him numerous prizes and accolades, especially in the past year. Among them, he recently was named one of America's Best Scientists by Time magazine and the Cable News Network, placing him in a prestigious group numbering fewer than two dozen.

Those supporting his Distinguished University Professor nomination reinforced Thompson's importance to the field. A Columbia University peer noted that Thompson "is arguably the most productive scientist in the earth and environmental sciences today" and that he "ranks in the top five most influential scientists studying the history of the Earth's climate system."

Others noted that Thompson has become a leading national spokesman on the subject of global climate change and one of the most respected voices in the world on related policy issues, as well as a scientist whose work will influence the future of the planet and all of its inhabitants.

Thompson has spent more than two decades drilling ice cores from mountaintop ice caps throughout at least seven countries and returning them to the University for analysis. Those cores contain stratigraphic records of climate that can extend back hundreds of thousands of years. Understanding the pattern of ancient climate can provide insight into the changes that are occurring throughout the world today.

This spring, he led his 45th expedition, this time traveling to an Alaskan glacier to capture evidence of ancient weather dating back thousands of years. The work to drill and collect ice cores from the glacier was completed during the first week of June. Thompson and his research team have undertaken similar missions to ice fields and glaciers in Peru, Bolivia, Antarctica, Greenland, Kurgyzstan, China, Africa and the Russian Arctic during the last quarter-century. The cores they have returned to Ohio State's Byrd Polar Research Center paint a picture of climate across the millennia, with the oldest dating back 600,000 years.

-- By Emily Caldwell, Earle Holland of Research Communications and Candace Pollock of FAES communications and technology

Herbers appointed dean of Biological Sciences

Executive Vice President and Provost Edward J. Ray has recommended to the president the appointment of Joan M. Herbers as dean of Ohio State's College of Biological Sciences, effective Sept. 1 through June 30, 2007. Upon President Brit Kirwan's request, the University's Board of Trustees approved the appointment June 7.

Herbers has served as chair of the Department of Biology at Colorado State University for the past nine years. Prior to that, she was associate dean of the Graduate College and professor of zoology at the University of Vermont.

She has been a visiting scientist at the University of Edinburgh, honorary visiting fellow at the University of New South Wales, as well as Michener Lecturer at the University of Kansas, and the recipient of career advancement and postdoctoral fellowship awards from the National Science Foundation.

Joan Herbers

Herbers' research, which has been supported by numerous grants from the National Science Foundation, focuses on the evolution of social organization, and her primary teaching areas are animal behavior, ecology and evolution. She has also taught introductory biology for nonmajors and first-year seminars. She received her Ph.D. and master's degree from Northwestern University, and holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Dayton.

The Office of Academic Affairs conducted a national search to seek applications for the dean position. "The combination of Dr. Herbers' administrative experience and strong record of research set her apart from other applicants," Ray said.

Under her leadership at Colorado State, the Department of Biology helped establish a Center for the Life Sciences, reformed the university's life sciences core curriculum, renovated research space and garnered state funds for a new instructional laboratory facility. "With these credentials, I am convinced that Dr. Herbers is the right person to provide the leadership necessary to advance the college's ambitious agenda as part of the University's Academic Plan," Ray said.

Herbers said that Ohio State enjoys an excellent reputation in the life sciences. "The breadth of research, teaching and outreach programs in the college is truly impressive. This opportunity to work with the faculty in the college and colleagues across campus is extremely attractive," she said.

The provost recently announced the creation of an ad hoc committee to examine the configuration of Ohio State's colleges of arts and sciences, which includes the College of Biological Sciences. Herbers looks forward to this review as a means to strengthen the University's national standing in those core disciplines.