Author: nashm

In early 2023, UW-Green Bay will be facilitating a faculty & staff climate and engagement survey.  UW-System coordinated a climate survey for students in 2021, but a concurrent faculty and staff survey was ultimately postponed due to COVID.

We appreciate your participation in taking the upcoming survey and encouraging peers to complete the survey as well. With that in mind, please see below for some frequently asked questions regarding the 2023 Faculty & Staff Climate and Engagement Survey:

Why should I complete the climate and engagement survey?

It is important to make your voice heard so that the institution can better understand the faculty and staff experience. Assessing campus climate and employee engagement is critically important to support strategic planning, faculty & staff recruitment/retention, and professional development activities. By capturing faculty and staff perceptions of diversity and campus climate issues (among other topics), we can better understand employee needs and what we can do to improve the experiences of all employees here at UW-Green Bay.

When will the survey be distributed?

The climate and engagement survey will be distributed starting on January 31, 2023 and collection of survey responses will continue through March 9, 2023.

What survey instrument will be used?

The determination has been made to utilize the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA (or HERI) surveys for faculty and staff. While a couple of other survey options were considered, the HERI survey was chosen because it is so commonly used (allowing us to utilize comparison groups), the questions asked especially in the faculty survey go well-beyond climate (i.e. pedagogical practices, research & service, faculty experience, etc.), and UW-Green Bay has utilized the HERI survey multiple times in the past so we have consistency in historical reporting.

Will all employees be invited to participate?

All active, professional employees at the time of distribution with an appointment of at least one semester will be invited to participate. Student employees and graduate assistants will not be a part of this survey since those populations were invited to participate in the 2021 student climate survey.

Will all employees get the same survey?

There is a separate survey for faculty and for staff. Employee whose responsibilities are primarily instructional (tenured/tenure-track faculty, instructional academic staff in teaching professor titles, and temporary/part-time lecturers) will be invited to complete the faculty survey. Those whose primary responsibilities are non-instructional will be invited to complete the staff survey.

How will I get the link to the survey?

The actual request to participate with the link to the survey and reminders during the collection period will be sent from HERI directly from the following email addresses: 

• • Faculty Survey: HERIFacultySurvey@DataRecognitionCorp.com 
  • Staff Survey: heri@vainc.net  

About a week prior to the January 31^st distribution date, all employees will receive a communication from HR which will prepare them for the information they can expect to receive from HERI.

How long will the survey take to complete?

In their administration materials, HERI has communicated that if all questions are answered, the survey will take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.

Can I complete the survey on paid work time?

Yes, the survey can be taken on work time, and supervisors are encouraged to work with employees to set aside time for survey completion.

Are any of the questions required?

Every question on the survey is optional, so you can refrain from answering anything that may make you feel uncomfortable.

Are my responses confidential?

The HERI survey is confidential. You will not be asked identifying information including name or address. HERI will request your email address for potential follow-up surveys, however if you answer “no” your email address is not retained. Even if answering “yes”, your email address will not be linked to your survey results in any form. In the HERI-provided sharable reports, any item with fewer than five respondents will be suppressed in order to protect confidentiality. For more information about HERI confidentiality, please see https://ucla.box.com/v/FAC-Confidentiality-Privacy

How will response data be handled by UW-Green Bay?

The Senior HR/AA Officer will receive a data file of responses, however the data will not be attached to email addresses and may only be used for statistical analysis and reporting of aggregate information, not for the investigation into specific individuals. Before receiving the data, the Senior HR/AA Officer will certify compliance with HERI’s confidentiality agreement, which states that nobody at the institution will use the data to investigate any individual responses. The Senior HR/AA Officer will generate any requested reports in aggregate so as not to inadvertently disclose the identity of respondents, and data will be stored in the secure, restricted HR drive.

When will the results be published?

We expect that HERI reports will be released in the late summer of 2023. For information about HERI’s data reporting, please see https://ucla.box.com/v/FAC-Data-and-Reporting.

What happens after we get the climate study results?

In order for a climate and engagement survey to be meaningful, there must be recognition of the results and recommendations for action as warranted. Both leadership and the work group are committed to continuing the survey process into the fall to include a period of time in which recommendations for action based upon survey results can be considered.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

You are welcome to contact anyone on the climate and engagement survey work group. Members include:

• • Melissa Nash (HR)
  • Stacie Christian (University Inclusivity & Student Affairs)
  • Courtney Sherman (Academic Affairs)
  • Kristin Bouchard (Marketing & University Communications)
  • Devin Bickner (Resch School of Engineering, UC Chair)
  • Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges (Psychology, Faculty Representative)
  • Kate Farley (Library, Academic Staff Representative)
  • Kim Mezger (Academic Affairs, University Staff Representative)

 

 

Last year, JCOER approved a 2021-2023 pay plan for UW System employees, which provides a base rate increase to all eligible employees of 2% in FY22 and 2% in FY23. At this time, the Office of Human Resources is taking measures to prepare for the second 2% pay plan increase for eligible employees, which will be effective on January 1, 2023.

During the next month, we will be determining which employees are eligible for pay plan under the UW-Green Bay Compensation and Pay Plan Policy. Eligible employees for the proposed FY 2022 pay plan include faculty, academic staff, limited, university staff, and university staff project appointments in ongoing positions with a budgeted FTE of 50% or greater. Pursuant to the UW-Green Bay Compensation and Pay Plan Policy, SYS 1278: UW System Pay Plan Distribution Framework, and other publicized guidelines, the following list represents employees who would be ineligible for pay plan:

1. 1. Employees paid from provisional, non-budgeted salary lines, including all temporary appointments and positions less than 50% FTE.
   2. Employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Respective pay increases for pay plan will be negotiated separately through the CBA.
   3. Employees currently under a performance improvement plan (PIP).
   4. Employees with performance which does not merit eligibility for pay plan, per their most recent performance evaluation.
   5. Ongoing employees with three-months of service or less as of the effective date of pay plan (those with a start date after 9/30/2022).
   6. Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited employees without a current Outside Activities Report (OAR) on file
   7. Employees who have not completed required campus compliance trainings. Required trainings include:
      1. 1. Sexual Harassment (Title IX) (Required every three years)
         2. Information Security Awareness (Required annually)
         3. Mandated Reporter (One-time training required at time of hire)
         4. Injury and Illness Prevention (EDU) (One-time training required at time of hire)
         5. FERPA Basics (One-time training required at time of hire)
         6. Tools for an Ethical Workplace (One-time training required at time of hire)
         7. Campus Security Authority Training (required annually for employees designated as Campus Security Authority (CSA) only)
   8. Supervisors who do not have completed, up to date evaluations on file and OAR forms approved for all of their direct reports. The performance evaluation periods to assess for FY23 pay plan are as follows:
      1. 1. University Staff: 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021 (and probationary evaluations as applicable)
         2. Non-Instructional Academic Staff / Limited:  7/1/2020 – 6/30/2021 (and 6-month evaluations as applicable) – please note that we are using last year’s evaluation due to the AS/LI evaluation calendar change
         3. Faculty / Instructional Academic Staff: 2020-2021 Academic Year (these annual evaluations were due in early spring, 2022)

In order to be eligible for the proposed pay plan, required trainings, OAR forms, and performance evaluations must be complete by November 30, 2022.

During October and November, the HR Office will be sending reminders to employees any missing training and/or performance evaluation requirements. You will only receive emails from our office if you are missing something. Please make sure to be looking out for these emails over the next month. Our timeline of communications is outlined below:

Week of October 17th	Initial Communications Blog post announcing Pay Plan Information for FY2023 and inclusion in HR Connect newsletter. Direct email from UWGB HR to employees who need to complete trainings, evaluations, or OAR forms prior to November 30, 2022 Tracking spreadsheets sent to Dean/Division Leaders
Week of November 7th	Reminder Communications Direct email from UWGB HR to employees who still need to complete trainings, evaluations, or OAR forms prior to November 30, 2022 Updated tracking spreadsheets sent to Dean/Division Leaders
November 28th	Final Reminder Communications Final direct email from UWGB HR to employees who still need to complete trainings, evaluations, or OAR forms prior to November 30, 2022 Updated tracking spreadsheets sent to Dean/Division Leaders
November 30th	Deadline for completion of trainings and return of evaluations and OAR forms
Late December/Early January	UW Shared Services will send out notices to employees communicating their individual pay plan increase.

If you have questions about the FY 2023 pay plan, please feel free to contact Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu or (920) 465-2390.

 

In an effort to ensure that the Employee Handbook remains up-to-date, Human Resources has consulted with Academic and University Staff Governance representatives to document needed revisions to the Employee Handbook for Academic and University Staff Employees. Prior to this, the most recent update to the Handbook occurred in early 2019. Updates included revising links for UW System policies, aligning handbook language with previously-communicated UW System and UW-Green Bay policy and process changes, and ensuring that the handbook aligns with recent projects such as T&TC and biweekly payroll.

As a reminder, the UW-Green Bay Employee Handbook for Academic and University Staff contains helpful information for all University Staff and Academic Staff employees, including referential policies, campus information, and various resources. Employees are encouraged to review the information contained within this handbook. Acknowledgements are only required of new employees, so there is no further action needed by employees at this time. 

Each year, all faculty, academic staff, and limited appointees with appointments of half-­time or more are responsible for reporting Outside Activities (according to Board of Regent and UW System guidelines, UWS Chapter 8.025, and the Wisconsin Administrative Code).

Additionally, we ask University Staff to read the Code of Conduct (RPD 20-22) and all employees to read the policy on Employee Relationships with Educational Loan Lenders RPD 13-4.

Similar to last year, requests and notices will come to employees from UW-Shared Services (UWSystemHR@uwss.wisconsin.edu), and eligible employees will submit their OAR form online through their My UW Portal.

On or around April 4, all employees required to submit an Outside Activity Report (OAR) will receive a message from UW System with instructions to complete the OAR. The OAR will need to be completed by the employee and approved by the supervisor. Following the initial notice, employees will receive reminders throughout the month.

Please see below for additional information:

• • Employee tip sheet for submitting OARs: uwservice.wisconsin.edu/docs/publications/outside_activity_reporting_tipsheet.pdf
  • Supervisors will receive a notification when they have an Outside Activity Report ready to approve. Tip Sheet for approving OARs: uwservice.wisconsin.edu/docs/publications/hr-review-oar.pdf
  • All OARs must be completed/filed and approved by April 30, 2022.

For more information about OARs (including helpful videos), please see the UW System Conflicts of Interest and Outside Activities website.

The Code of Conduct and Employee Relationships with Educational Loan Lenders policies will also be delivered to your mailboxes from uwsytemhr@uwss.wisconsin.edu during the month of April with a reminder to familiarize yourself with these policies.

If you have questions while using the process or need technical support, please contact serviceoperations@uwss.wisconsin.edu.

Resources relevant to this message include:

• • Conflicts of Interests and Outside Activities web page
  • Outside Activity Reporting, Ch. UWS 8, Wisconsin Administrative Code 
  • Code of Ethics, SYS 1290
  • Guidelines for Reporting Outside Activities Under UWS 8.025
  • Code of Conduct, Regent Policy Document 20-22
  • Institutional and Employee Relationships with Educational Loan Lenders, Regent Policy Document 13-4

As communicated by the UW-Green Bay Information Security Officer via email earlier this spring, the UW System Office of Information Security is finalizing a process to comply with SYS 1032, Information Security: Awareness which states, “Employees must be enrolled in supplemental phishing training following three failed phishing simulations within a given calendar year”.

Monthly phishing simulations will be conducted by UW System. If you reply to the email, open an attachment, or click on any links or images within the email, you will be considered ‘phished’ for that campaign.  If you are phished three or more times within a given calendar year, you will be enrolled in a short, supplemental phishing training that will need to be completed within 30 days of assignment. This training consists of a short video that should take users less than 10 minutes to view and complete.

Employees that are enrolled in the supplemental training can expect to see an email from: securityawareness@lists.wisconsin.edu.  The email will provide a link to complete the supplemental awareness training. Once enrolled, you will receive email reminders periodically until the training is completed.  Employees that fail to complete the training will be re-enrolled monthly until supplemental training is completed. Failure to take this supplemental training within 30 days of assignment may result in additional campus actions, up to and including network account suspension.

If you have questions about this campaign or other IT Security policies and practices, please contact GBIT Information Security at security@uwgb.edu.

As part of the Title & Total Compensation Project (T&TC) employee-manager conversations in Summer 2021, supervisors and employees started to collaborate on developing revised UW-Green Bay position descriptions. This winter, the Office of Human Resources is coordinating a collection and review of those updated UW-Green Bay position descriptions.

At this time, we ask that an updated position description be signed and submitted for all non-instructional Academic Staff/Limited employees no later than March 25, 2022. Please see here for instructions on creating the new position description utilizing the UW-Green Bay Position Description Library.

University Staff position descriptions will also be updated in accordance with this timeline as a part of the US performance evaluation process. This process does not impact Faculty or Instructional Academic Staff.

Should you have any questions about the position description development process, please contact Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu.