MEMORANDUM
To: Deans, Directors, Chairs,
and Department Heads
From: Charles R. Bantz, Chancellor
Date:
Subject: Allowing Employees Time for Class Attendance
As you know from my installation address and the doubling initiative that was
recently undertaken, I am calling for increased efforts to continue building
IUPUI into a place that is even more attractive to/supportive of students and
research faculty, while also meeting the need for work/life balance for all
persons at IUPUI and serving as a model for the community. In the business world one might say that I am
seeking to give IUPUI a competitive advantage.
Empowering our employees is a key
part of this strategy. We can’t change
the status quo and gain a competitive advantage without creating a vibrant
workforce. Employee development serves
as a cornerstone for building and maintaining a successful workforce and I
think that, at an educational institution such as ours, it is incumbent upon us
to model the importance of professional development by making it a seamless
part of the fabric of everyday life at IUPUI.
That’s where you come in. I am asking that you give increased
recognition to the fact that our employees are our best resource by:
·
Encouraging employees to take
advantage of the educational opportunities our campus offers.
·
Allowing employees the flexibility
to pursue their development needs whether that’s individual seminars, workshop
series, credit classes or noncredit courses by allowing them to have a flexible
schedule, whereby they can take a class during the day and make up the hours on
other days of the week.
Although the IUPUI Human Resources
Administration Work/Life program is currently working on guidelines to make use
of flexible work options easier, the policies that allow you to offer your
employees flexibility are already in place.
I strongly encourage you to discuss flexible schedule options with your
staff members who wish to continue their education but require some adjustments
in their work schedules to do so. As
employees achieve academic success, we can expect knowledge, skills and
abilities to expand and confidence will grow.
Individual work units and the campus as a whole will be poised for
higher levels of success.
Educated
employees are the kind of workers that will give your department and IUPUI a
competitive advantage. We cannot afford
to waste any resources, least of all the resources that those who are motivated
to pursue professional development can offer as we build an even greater
IUPUI. The benefits of better employee
retention, higher morale and a more knowledgeable and creative staff are
benefits that we must capitalize on.