UNIVERSITY STAFF DEVELOPMENT.   Term Paper ID:23881 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Training of faculty & staff, competition for workers, productivity, downsizing, tenure, diversity trainers, evaluations & feedback.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Training of faculty & staff, competition for workers, productivity, downsizing, tenure, diversity trainers, evaluations & feedback. Paper Introduction: Introduction All organizations, public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, face the problem of maintaining a staff that is skilled and knowledgeable in its field. Without ongoing staff development, employees become less productive and are unable to maintain a competitive edge in the market. In corporate settings, the need to maintain a highquality staff is driven by competitive pressure: an educated and skilled work force is more productive than the competition. Ongoing training is seen as an additional benefit by employees, and the presence of staff development programs can help retain high-quality workers. In the academic arena, the competitive pressure is less intense, particularly in those situations where the tenure code is followed. As a result, administrations often pay less attention paid to staff development Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Ward, P. As a result, administrations often pay less attentionpaid to staff development at the university level. Tenure, viewed by some as an obstacle tostaff development, is coming under increased pressure in a number ofacademic environments, and, even where tenure remains intact, the increaseduse of part-time and non-tenure-track instructors enhances the need forongoing staff development. Although efforts to modify or even remove tenure are meeting withstrong resistance from some academicians, the move toward having more non-tenured faculty increases the need for better staff development at theuniversity level. Generally, sabbaticals are self-directed and are not designed tohave formal structure in terms of what the individual is to accomplish.Some analysts have suggested that "directed" sabbaticals with specificgoals associated with the time off could enhance the knowledge base andskills of the teaching staff. While technical skills can be importantin both cases, interpersonal skills can also be a critical part of theeducational worker's abilities. 71. Are teaching evaluation questionnairesvalid? (July 1993). Wibberley, M. As the work forcebecomes more diverse and members of disparate social groups are broughttogether in the academic work place, diversity training becomes anappropriate part of the school's training program. 58). 14. In thesesituations, the employees may receive instruction on how to interpret theresults (similar to the meeting that would take place if the facilitationwere handled one-on-one), and the facilitator may also explain how toaddress concerns raised by the questionnaires. Of course, theuniversity or college must recognize that teaching skills are important andprovide the tools necessary for the instructor to hone the lacking skills. This is particularly true in the settingswhere a professor's expertise in his or her field may not translate to anability to communicate that knowledge in a classroom setting. Rather than emphasizing research andpublication as many institutions currently do, these analysts suggest thatan equal emphasis should be put on helping staff members improve theirteaching ability and the skills required to be a good educator (Weinstein,1996, p. One significant disadvantage of the 3D feedback process is thepersonal bias which may creep into the questionnaire, regardless of thesafeguards taken. In some cases, the determination is made through cooperation witha labor union, which may have negotiated such criteria as part of itscontract. (1994, June). Some students who dislike a particular instructor maysimply respond negatively without carefully considering the question. Conclusion Although institutions of higher learning are not subject to the profitpressure of private industry, they nonetheless compete for high-qualityfaculty members and for high-quality students. Jacobs, R., & Floyd, M. At the same time, the school's own objectives should be takeninto account in order to ensure that the personal needs of individuals arein harmony with the long-term objectives of the institution. Rogers, B. 41-42. 72). Associated with downsizing is re-engineering, which can refer tochanging the workforce to reflect a shift in business strategy. Ongoing training is seen as an additionalbenefit by employees, and the presence of staff development programs canhelp retain high-quality workers. 54-55. 16). H., & Singell, Sr., L. (1995, February 9). Or the university might actively market specific classes tothe business community (as an example), requiring off-site instruction anda new set of guidelines for these "products," such as how to obtainContinuing Education certification for particular courses (Tan, Morris &Romero, 1996, p. Glorioso, J. (1994, October). Similarly, as word spreads thata particular organization has a strong diversity program, it will moreeasily attract and retain high quality workers with diverse backgrounds.In other words, diversity programs can give companies and institutions acompetitive edge in the marketplace (Rynes & Rosen, 1994, p. This can be done through traditional human resourceresponsibilities such as salary surveys and benefits programs, but it canalso involve creating a work environment which answers some of thedifferent needs that today's workers have. (1995, February 9). This is particularlytrue of smaller institutions with there fewer teaching assistantsavailable, where one of the appeals to potential students is theopportunity to study with well-known experts in their field ("TeachingSpires," 1996, p. In this way,for example, an institution might implement a total quality management(TQM) system designed to eliminate the costs when the registrar's office orcashier's office keys data incorrectly. 81). 93-96. Employeeswho find employers which foster diversity are more likely to remain inthose organizations than in situations where the importance that diversityplays in the work place is not recognized. 335-349. Economist, p. 57). Coming around to 36 -degree feedback.Sales & Marketing Management, pp. Flynn, G. Without ongoing staff development, employees become less productiveand are unable to maintain a competitive edge in the market. 54). 61). Such improvements in productivity can come about not only throughtechnological innovation, but also through changing the institution'sculture and the way in which the company conducts business. Carey, R. An appraisal system should be used to determine where staffdevelopment should occur. In the academic arena, the competitivepressure is less intense, particularly in those situations where the tenurecode is followed. The unique setting of the university lends itself to these "soft"benefits; instructors probably cannot telecommute on a regular basis(classes are conducted in person), but other benefits, such as on-sitechild care, can be provided, often by using students as low-cost providers.Graduate and post-graduate students already commonly teach many classes,which enhances the benefit to instructors (although some student groups arecalling for a reduction of this practice); such techniques also increasethe time available for instructors and professors to improve their ownskills in their field (Fischer, 1997, p. Staff Development Tools Staff members outside of the teaching arena can use development toolsthat are being developed for industry as well as those specific toeducational institutions. If a schoolhas to cut back on its personnel roster in order to cut costs, training onhow to increase productivity and maintain morale is appropriate. Higginson, T., & Waxler, R. Evaluations by peers and superiors can overlook the teachingability of an instructor since those performing the rating are likely to beunfamiliar with the classroom performance of the instructor (Barnett, 1996,p. 23-24. Much of the management philosophy that hasbeen developed was developed in the context of manufacturing organizations,where productivity can be measured by how many units are produced in agiven period and what the failure rates of those units are. In other instances, companies have created workenvironments where child care is provided on-site or where employees areable to work from home on occasion (telecommute) so that they are notburdened with traffic and are able to spend more time with their families.These so-called "soft" benefits can have a significant effect on theability of companies to retain employees and can help companies gain andmaintain an edge over competitors who are not as proactive in this area andwho may not recognize the importance of meeting all of an employee's needs(Wibberley, 1993, p. Instead, many schools are taking on part-timeinstructors, and new instructors are finding that they must work withseveral different institutions on a part-time basis in order to make areasonable living (Singell, Lillydahl, & Singell, 1996, p. (1996, Fall). W., & Ellis, T. L., Morris, L., & Romero, J. 8 ). 71). 6). Yet appraisals must be done in order to determine the appropriatetraining needs for specific individuals. If aschool is shifting its focus to become more involved with the community,seminars on marketing and communication are appropriate. Even when development tools aremade available to staff members, the presence of the tenure system mayresult in less participation since little can be done to encourage staffmembers to take advantage of the opportunity. Maintaining the skills of the teaching staff can be a more difficulttask. 67-68. Fortune, pp. The first among these isthat the 3D information is derived not from a single source (such as asupervisor) who is only familiar with one aspect of an employee's job, butrather from representatives of the various stakeholders with which anemployee interacts. In some cases, organizations encourage employees who participatein the program to gather and share with one another what they have learnedfrom the 3D technique, thus building a strong team at the same time thatthe employees become stronger individuals (Jacobs, & Floyd, 1995, p. In both of these situations,additional education is necessary to help overcome these obstacles (Carey,1995, p. 2 ). Sabbaticals are provided to tenured teaching staff to provide themwith the time off necessary to conduct research and publish in theirfields. In addition to determining which individuals would benefit fromspecific training programs, institutions should also consider their ownlong-term goals and objectives to determine types of training appropriatefor a changing culture or changing educational environment. P. This research considersthe importance of staff development in general and how staff developmentcan be appraised and implemented in higher educational settings. D. A 36 -degree turn for the better.People Management, pp. 14). As mentioned above, downsizing is one of the key ways in whichcolleges and universities are able to reduce costs. Changes inattitude after diversity training. Chesser, J. TQM and the team solution. Does 'lean' necessarily equal 'mean'?Personnel Management, pp. Because of this, the university must find ways to attract and retainhigh quality workers. One way to solvethis problem is through the use of diversity trainers, who come to the jobsite and communicate both what diversity is and how it affects theemployees directly. Matching faculty goalsand institutional goals. (1994, October). Sometimes incorporated into a formal performanceevaluation (which typically becomes a part of an employee's permanentrecord), the 3D appraisal is more often used as a developmental tool(Carey, 1995, p. Because of the tenuresystem, many schools are hiring more non-tenure-track instructors toprovide the flexibility of laying off unnecessary teaching staff shouldclassroom size decrease (Chesser & Ellis, 1994, p. 41). For example, artificial intelligence tools canbe used to guide employees working in the registrar's office to train onthe school's computer, and those working in the MIS department can receivetraining which keeps them up to date with the equipment and technology intheir field. This means that managers will be underincreasing pressure to establish diversity programs which recognize thatthe American work force is no longer a homogeneous group of white males,but rather a diverse combination of gender and ethnic groups. 93). Just asmany companies now have operations on a global scale, so universities arenow competing not only on a regional basis, but also on a global basis forboth students and faculty members. Introduction All organizations, public and private, for-profit and non-profit, facethe problem of maintaining a staff that is skilled and knowledgeable in itsfield. (1994, October 17). Become an excellent marketingeducator. What makes diversityprograms work? 56-6 . At the university level, re-engineeringmight include taking a more proactive role in the community and usingcommunity resources to sponsor specific research projects within theinstitution. Any university orcollege should have an evaluation and appraisal program in place for allemployees; such a program should not be tied only to annual payrollincreases, but should instead be used to provide feedback to employees ontheir performance on an ongoing basis. This approach is ideal for evaluating not only non-teaching staff members within a university, but also teaching staff sincethey interact with their peers and students, and the approach can yield awell-rounded viewpoint of the instructor's performance from both aclassroom and a research standpoint. (1997, March 3). The tenure system is itself being called into question, however, andmany institutions are moving away from having faculties made up primarilyof tenure-track members. Questionnaires and appraisal tools can bedifficult to implement and even more difficult to evaluate. U.S. Tan, D. The human resource departmentwould be heavily involved in this process as it would help provide thetraining regarding how TQM works and how it can be implemented effectivelyin a particular school or department (Glorioso, 1994, p. (1994, October). 5. In corporatesettings, the need to maintain a high-quality staff is driven bycompetitive pressure: an educated and skilled work force is moreproductive than the competition. Singell, Jr., L. Journal of Collective Negotiations in the Public Sector, pp. People Management, pp. Once of the most significant changes that human resource professionalshave faced in recent years is the shift away from manufacturing jobs andtoward service organizations. D., Lillydahl, J. Instill other cases, the company may exercise greater discretion andconsolidate some departments (such as business and economics) and eliminateduplicate positions. Teaching spires. Fischer, D. As manyeducational institutions become more active in their communities and as theinsular world of academia comes in increased contact with the world ofcommerce, staff development at this level is an area which must beaddressed by those institutions that will be successful in the long term. When this is the case, the humanresource department can help determine the appropriate training thatexisting employees might need, and it can also help create an environmentwhere the changes are looked upon positively rather than in a negativelight (Allender, 1994, p. These staff members must not only be experts in their field,possibly with strong publishing records, but must also be able tocommunicate that knowledge in a classroom setting. However, the presence of tenure can reduce the incentive forinstitutions to provide ongoing staff training for the teaching members ofthe staff. Staff development for bothfaculty members and staff members is an important part of this competition. 67-73. 68). SecurityManagement, pp. Training & Development, pp. (1996, August 12). Industrial Engineering, pp. This means that educational institutions will not have tohire as many workers in the future in order to maintain a satisfactoryprogram. However, such measures are not available in the service sector;here, companies are interested in providing a high level of customerservice and satisfaction to their clients, but measuring productivitybecomes much more difficult since quantitative methods for doing so are notnecessarily available (Higginson & Waxler, 1994, p. Barnett, L. Offering comments generallyworks only in those situations in which the subject will not be able toidentify which respondent made which comment; such a situation can helpensure anonymity among respondents. This refers to layingoff workers who are no longer needed, either because of declining businessconditions or because the school has entered a new strategic phase in whichinvestments made previously are beginning to pay off. 6 -62. Do you have the right approach todiversity? In some organizations, diversity trainers areconsultants, while, in other organizations, they are added to the staff,and diversity is dealt with on an ongoing basis (Rogers, 1994, p. 33). Using 36 -Degree Appraisal The 36 -Degree Feedback Process (3D) uses questionnaires to gatherinformation about a particular employee from a variety of sources,including managers, subordinates, peers and outside vendors and customers(if appropriate). Developing effective educational workers is also different fromdeveloping manufacturing workers. 335). Improving productivity is one of the key ways in which employers canreduce costs. By providing training appropriate to individual needs and in concert withthe institution's long-term objectives, the school is able to offeradditional benefit to its employees; the employees, on the other hand,improve their personal and professional skills and are better able to helpthe school meet its objectives. 68-75. Marketing News, p. (1994, August). Such training increases the value of existing staffmembers to the institution and increases the benefit that staff membersreceive from being affiliated with a particular institution. Competition is another area which affects staff development. Weinstein, A. In addition, the issue of tenure is one that does notexist in private industry, and the human resources department can work withthe various departments and schools to lay off staff members in a way whichrecognizes the role of tenure and yet concentrates on creating andmaintaining a high quality institution (Singell, Lillydahl, & Singell,1996, p. (1994, September). Since staff members are disincented from leaving theinstitution because of tenure, the benefit of having training funded by theschool in order to keep current in their fields or to improve theirteaching skills becomes less important. 67). Cornell Hotel & Restaurant AdministrationQuarterly, pp. Industrial Management,pp. 23). Importance of Employee Development Cost reduction is a key aspect of competition in today's markets.Colleges and universities, particularly those that are publicly funded, areseeking ways to "do more with less" and to improve the productivity thateach worker contributes to the organization. Much of the informationavailable is anecdotal, with the result that organizations are left tryingto pull together the successful elements of a diversity program withoutstrong research to support their decisions. Selecting a diversity training program.HRMagazine, p. In thisway, respondents can make honest assessments of the subject on a variety ofsubjects and can simply not respond to questions about which the respondentdoes not have personal knowledge. A bumper crop ofinsights. 8 -85. 32-35. As withsimple downsizing, re-engineering often has layoffs associated with it, butit can also require that existing employees learn new skills in order tohelp the institution realize its goals. Is reengineering compatible withtotal quality management? While facilitatorsgenerally discourage employees from being overly skeptical about theresults of the questionnaires, they may help employees (through self-assessment questionnaires) determine where to improve or help explain whythe subjects' own perceptions and the respondents' perceptions may be inconflict. D. At the university level,downsizing and re-engineering might mean implementing a new computerizedlibrary system requiring fewer librarians, or outsourcing the food serviceso that fewer workers are needed on the payroll. The Issue of Tenure Tenure is the lifetime employment situation which many colleges anduniversities provide for their full-time professors and instructors. Once the employee has received the feedback, a formal facilitatingsession may be held for all those participating in the program. 36 -degree feedback can change yourlife. Is HR a weak link in the global chain?HRMagazine, pp. While employers as a whole recognizes that diversity is a way of lifein the workplace, experts do not agree on how to communicate that realityor the ramifications of that reality to the workforce. (1996, September). In this way,staff development can serve as a way in which the needs of both theinstitution and the employees are brought together (Chesser & Ellis, 1994,p. Some questionnaires use only multiple-choice answers, while otherquestionnaires use a combination of multiple-choice answers and commentsfrom the respondents (O'Reilly, 1994, p. This technique is favored in theclassroom setting but can be more difficult to implement successfully whenevaluating nonteaching employees at institutions of higher learning. 83). In either case,downsizing effectively means reducing the workforce, and thus reducing thelabor costs associated with the workforce. (1995, March). Thisdifference means that colleges and universities may have to invest incommunication seminars which focus on how individuals can better relate tostudents and to fellow staff members rather than on honing skills in theirfield (Higginson & Waxler, 1994, p. Personnel Journal, pp. Determining the training needs of the school can be difficult, but, byusing 36 -degree appraisal, individuals can receive a balanced evaluationfrom students, peers and superiors which may point out areas forimprovement. Thetenure code was created more than 5 years ago to protect academic freedom,and it is a strong drawing card for schools who compete with the corporateworld for experts in a particular field. 4-6. HRMagazine, pp. Rynes, S., & Rosen, B. 429-449. 5). Studentquestionnaires which try to measure an instructor's effectiveness can bebiased, based on whether a student expects to have the instructor again inthe future or based on the grade the student expects to receive in thecourse. References Allender, H. O'Reilly, B. 34). Changing Demographics and Staff Development According to analysts, 47.5 percent of the work force will be women bythe year 2 , and 29 percent of the net additions to the work force willbe non-whites (Flynn, 1995, p. At the universitylevel, this can be particularly difficult because two types of employees(teaching and nonteaching) must be considered, and different evaluationtechniques are commonly used for these two groups. A number of advantages are associated with 3D feedback that arelacking in traditional performance evaluations. This is the underlying problemthat managers face when trying to develop a diversity program: littleempirical research can help guide them in setting up a program that will beworth the time and expense that the company will put into the project.Nonetheless, diversity training is an important new role for staffdevelopment. Universitiesshould take advantage of the shift in focus that this transition hasprovided. Overman, S. Thus, if a professor has strong research skills but isconsidered ineffective by his students (resulting in a low level ofquality), the 3D evaluation might point out the problem and give theprofessor the knowledge necessary to work on the problem. 6 ). (1996,Spring). Scholars are free to pursue theirresearch activities and to speak out on any subject without fear ofreprisal, which provides the academic freedom. 2 -22. In addition, wherecorporations can offer higher salaries (generally speaking) thanuniversities and colleges, particularly as schools have increased budgetaryconstraints, corporations cannot offer the lifetime employment clause thattenure provides (Fischer, 1997, p. 431). 5). 33-35. While the most obvious waythat costs can be cut with regard to human resources is through downsizing,other, less severe strategies can be used and which may ultimately prove abetter long-term solution. The lack of empirical information available to human resourceprofessionals faced with developing a diversity program can be asignificant issue for many organizations. For example, some humanresources departments have worked within their organizations to create flex-time, which allows workers to come in at times which better suit theirpersonal situation. (1994, November-December).Communication, commitment and corporate culture. Will changing times change the allocation of faculty time?Journal of Human Resources, pp. Seminars and outside instruction can also be used to keep non-teaching staff members current in their fields, and, of course, theuniversity should take full advantage of its own educational services toprovide classroom instruction at low-cost or no cost to staff members(Garfinkel, 1995, p. Even when competitors are based in thesame country, the reputation of a particular institution can attractinstructors and staff members from other institutions, not to mentionattract students who are drawn by the reputation; in this way, universitiesare similar to global companies which attract workers and customers basedon reputation, as well (Overman, 1994, p. Someemployees may refuse to accept that the questionnaires are accurate or maysimply refuse to modify their behavior. In addition to the legal issues, the human resources department canalso take a role in determining which employees to lay off and which toretain. (1995, October). D. In other cases, a simply seniority process may be used. Assessing Staff Development Needs One of the most difficult tasks associated with staff development inany organization is determining what training is needed. In this way, theschool's long-term goals can be used to form part of the staff developmentplan (Chesser & Ellis, 1994, p. Confidentiality and anonymity for the respondents are key parts of theprocess since the raters need to be able to answer honestly and withoutfear of reprisal from the person being rated (Ward, 1995, p. For example, a student who has completeda course has day-to-day experience with an instructor's classroomtechnique, while a peer might not be aware of how the professor handlesthis task. (1996, August 24). 431). Taking on tenure. News & WorldReport, pp. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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