Dear CHASS Staff and Faculty,

Today, I am writing to share updates on my commitment to staff success. 

With the advice of the CHASS Strategic Staffing Task Force, I am pleased to announce immediate investments in a number of areas critical to our valued staff. 

• Recruitments: CHASS Human Resources is actively recruiting several new positions to meet College-wide needs in graduate studies support, finance, and payroll. Be on the lookout for these recruitments: 
  • Graduate Student Services Lead
  • Divisional Financial Administrative Officer
  • Harvest lead liaison exclusively dedicated to CHASS
• Staff Recognition: Effective March 11, we relaunched the STAR Awards. I invite colleagues and leaders to nominate staff for their exceptional work. The deadline is next Monday, March 25.
• Reaffirming My Commitment to Hybrid/Remote Work Guidelines: Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer Alex Najera has approved my request to roll out multiyear agreements for hybrid and remote work schedules. Details will be provided to employees and their supervisors at the end of the spring term.

Background, Outcomes, and Insights

As I learned early in my candidacy for my job, the burdens on our staff can be significant. CHASS has been understaffed for quite some time, and the strains of the pandemic have made things even more challenging. Since my arrival in Riverside in September 2021, I have listened to the challenges our staff professionals face in their jobs, careers, and lives. 

In direct response to these conversations and insights from the 2023 Faculty Executive Committee’s Climate Survey, I called for the creation of the CHASS Strategic Staffing Task Force, charged last October.

During these past six months, the Task Force has run a comprehensive survey, organized an in-person town hall attended by nearly 100 CHASS employees, and conducted interviews and consultations with union and non-represented members of the College. In partnership with AVC/CHRO Najera, the Task Force looked at staffing levels and workloads. It explored the reasons behind the unease and churn that accompanied that most challenging transition from remote to in-person campus operations. The data and insights gathered have mapped out several immediate needs and some easy wins. The Task Force also has its eye on long-term opportunities for staff success. I am grateful for the work to date, and I invite you to find the time to express your thanks for the work of your peers.

The CHASS Strategic Staffing Town Hall presentation, shared at the February 28 Town Hall, provides additional information about the Task Force's work.

Some key findings from the Staff Support Survey

A total of 112 CHASS employees completed the Staff Support Survey, and 88% of respondents self-identified as staff. Among staff respondents, 40% have been with us less than 4 years. 

Some findings from our staff respondents include:

• 77% are adequately trained for their position
• 69% are content with their job responsibilities
• 80% are content with their supervisors and the critical roles they play 
• 89% know how their role contributes to the mission of their unit 
• 84% know how their role contributes to the mission of the College
• 82% are actively contributing toward the mission of the College

There is strong evidence that a critical majority of our CHASS staff are actively committed to CHASS and feel empowered to advance our mission. Our early-career staff have reason to see their future in the College. 

Yet unbalanced workloads, underresourcing, and overly narrow career tracks negatively impact morale. The survey signals that:

• 70% consider leaving CHASS due to compensation
• 65% consider leaving CHASS due to being overworked
• 59% consider leaving CHASS due to a lack of career advancement opportunities

These are discouraging figures that reflect real problems. 

A Path Forward

Even before the CHASS Strategic Staffing Task Force was created, we were making modest gains in staff positions and career opportunities. Our remote work policy gave CHASS a competitive edge in retention. It was my pleasure to approve $25K seed funding for the CHASS Staff Scholarship, announced last July. Since July 1, 2022, the CHASS HR team has successfully filled 80 staff positions for a total net gain of 12. Our most recent investments include:

• Impact23 financial system support
• Core HR operations in recruitment, employee relations, and professional development 
• Finance and administration in English, Philosophy, and History
• Assistant Dean for Student Success 
• Administrative support for the new Department of Black Study and the Department of Society, Environment, and Health Equity

These are important down payments on staff success, but they are not enough. It’s my resolve that we continue to hire and build, even in a tight fiscal climate. 

Long-Term Solutions

Based on the CHASS Support Survey results and feedback from the town hall, the Task Force is now considering recommendations on additional investments that I envision to include: 

• Additional administrative and transactional support for the units with the greatest needs
• Contracts and Grants support
• Additional support for the unique needs of the visual and performing arts, as well as laboratory-based research and instruction
• Staffing the facilities, academic personnel, and information technology workgroups to meet the needs of a College that grows in size, footprint, and ambition.

I look forward to receiving updated recommendations later in the academic year. You may share your feedback directly with CHASSHR@ucr.edu.

I appreciate the opportunity for our staff to have a substantive and participatory voice in matters of climate, mission, and resource allocation. I recognize those happy moments at the staff holiday party or expressions of appreciation for a well-earned comp day following Commencement may not reflect the harsher realities of work in our offices, labs, and studios. I am nonetheless proud to work alongside so many Highlanders who believe in CHASS, and I am grateful for the progress to date in making the College a better workplace for staff professionals. 

I look forward to returning to you with additional updates at the State of the College in Fall 2024. 

For now, happy spring!

Sincerely,
 

Daryle Williams
Professor and Dean
College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences