Information Alert: New Grad Hourly Pay Rate for AY2013/2014

Ron Puskarits, Director of Compensation

For the 2013/2014 Academic Year (AY 13/14), the minimum rate for Grad Hourly students is $19.96 per hour. The new minimum rate is effective September 29, 2013 to provide sufficient time for the campus to review Grad Hourly employee staffing and for implementation.
The UIC HR Service Center will increase all current Grad Hourly rates to at least this minimum effective September 29, 2013. If you wish to give an increase beyond this rate, please submit an HR Front End transaction. Also, you may process rate increases for other Grad Hourly jobs (already above the new minimum) as appropriate for your unit.

Further information regarding Graduate Minima can be viewed at link listed below:
http://www.hr.uic.edu/newgradpay2013_2014/

Please contact Ron Puskarits at puskarit@uic.edu with any questions.

HR Information Alert: AVSL Usage Reporting

By now, units should have begun entering AVSL usage into the Banner form PEALEAV for the August 2013 reporting period (covering the time period from 8/16/12-8/15/13).
All updates must be entered into the system no later than September 5, 2013. The balances will appear the October/November earning statements for academic professional and faculty.

Please note: all colleges/units who are currently using the electronic AVSL system will not need to complete these steps. This is strictly for those colleges/units who currently do not use the AVSL system. The balances will appear the October/November earning statements for academic professional and faculty.

Organizational Complexity Overwhelms Many HR Leaders

Inability to cope with compliance, new technologies can undermine daily operations
Online Staff, Society for Human Resourch Managment (SHRM)

More than half of HR leaders responding to a recent survey strongly agreed that their role has required them to manage increasing levels of complexity in recent years, and that they feel ill-equipped to cope, according to results released July 18, 2013, by global talent management firm Lumesse.
In an independent survey of 1,293 HR leaders from across the globe, 52 percent of respondents strongly agreed that the complexity of their jobs has grown significantly. The survey, conducted by Survey Shack for Lumesse, a developer of talent management software, also found that 61 percent reported feeling overwhelmed by it and that 52 percent said they did not have the ability to fully cope with it. Read More.

Calendar of University Holidays and Religious Observances, Autumn 2013 through Summer 2015 Posted

In planning ahead for the academic year, it is helpful to remember that many religious groups make up our campus community. The UIC Senate Policy on religious holidays (approved May 25, 1988) is below:

"The faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago shall make every effort to avoid scheduling examinations or requiring that student projects be turned in or completed on religious holidays. Students who wish to observe their religious holidays shall notify the faculty member by the tenth day of the semester of the date when they will be absent unless the religious holiday is observed on or before the tenth day of the semester. In such cases, the students shall notify the faculty member at least five days in advance of the date when he/she will be absent. The faculty member shall make every reasonable effort to honor the request, not penalize the student for missing the class, and if an examination or project is due during the absence, give the student an exam or assignment equivalent to the one completed by those students in attendance. If the student feels aggrieved, he/she may request remedy through the campus grievance procedure."

 A few reminders are noted below to help guide faculty in respecting religious observance while maintaining academic standards and requirements:

·         Outline course obligations, dates, and foreseen calendar of examination(s) as early as possible.

·         Instruct students to inform you of any conflicts in accordance with the policy detailed below.

·         There may be accommodation requests neither dictated by calendar dates nor foreseen at the beginning of the semester as contemplated by the stated Senate Policy. In such cases, students should be informed that they should request an         accommodation as soon as they become aware of the need.

·         Students should not be required to supply verification of their attendance at religious services in order to qualify for an accommodation.

The University Holidays and Religious Observances calendar can be found online at   http://www.uic.edu/depts/oae/docs/ReligiousHolidaysFY20132015.pdf.  The list comprises national holidays recognized by the University as well as religious days of special observance that may prohibit a person from performing work. Please keep in mind this list is not exhaustive.

If you have questions, please contact Donn Kamm, Assistant Director in the Office for Access and Equity, at 312-996-8670 or visit our website at http://www.uic.edu/depts/oae/.

Lean Six Sigma Certificate Program Registration Available

Albert Schorsch III, Associate Dean, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs

Program Overview

This 8-day Certificate Program is led by an outstanding team of Lean Six Sigma experts. The learning methodology for this Lean Six Sigma Certificate is a highly interactive process, which will include: instructor-led discussion, personal assessment of skills, group exercises, case studies, operational action plans, and Lean Six Sigma.

This program includes tools that can be applied immediately. Homework assignments will require implementation of the new skills using the Lean Six Sigma strategy and structure.

The course sessions will take place on Wednesdays, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Dates of attendance include September 4, September 18, October 2, October 16, October 30, November 13, December 4, and December 18. You must attend all 8 sessions to complete the certification.

Cost: $650.00

Location: CUPPA Hall, Room 110 (see below for directions)

Registration:  https://hrnet.uihr.uillinois.edu/dart-cf/sessions/index.cfm?act=ListClasses

Information Alert: Protection of Minors Policy - Updated

Maureen M. Parks, Executive Director and Associate Vice President of University Human Resources

July 17, 2013

The University of Illinois Protection of Minors policy and the corresponding FAQs have been updated and are available on the University HR website.  While the intent and principles of the policy remain the same, the revisions provide clarity about who is required to cooperate with investigations of alleged child abuse/neglect, and the process to report such instances. The policy also clarifies the campus’ responsibility to establish a background check policy and the individuals for whom background checks must be conducted. Furthermore, definitions are now included within the policy.

Ramadan 2013 Celebrated During July and August

Arwa Naji

Human Resource Assistant Manager

Pablo Rajczyk

Business Administrative Associate

Every year, 1.5 billion Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan (رمضان‎ in Arabic), which is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, called the Hijri calendar. For Muslims, the month is spent as a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement and increased devotion and worship.

Like all Islamic months, Ramadan begins after sighting the crescent moon. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the Earth’s movement around the sun, the Islamic calendar is lunar based. In a lunar cycle months drift each year by 11 to 12 days, explaining why Ramadan is celebrated at different times every year. In 2013 Ramadan began at sunset on July 8^th and will end on the evening of August 7^th. In 2014 observances begin on June 28^th and end July 27^th.

Use On-Going Dialogue to Drive Employee Job Performance

Kim Morris Lee,  Director, Organizational Effectiveness

Check-ins between managers and staff or between department chairs and faculty can become a structured dialogue centered on the key performance measures and the resources needed to support staff and faculty in achieving success at UIC.  What actions can be taken across all employee groups, Civil Service, Academic Professionals and Faculty to foster engagement and workplace high-performance?

The Value of Diversity: Leadership and Organizational Commitment

Ladan Nikravan, Diversity Executive 
July 15, 2013

An organization’s diversity strategy will fall flat if its leaders aren’t committed to the broader norms of the practice.

The Diversity Value Index (DVI), the Human Capital Media Group’s benchmarking program, has five dimensions. This article addresses the third one, leadership and organizational commitment. To fully realize diversity and inclusion’s (D&I) value, an organization’s leadership and workforce must be committed to driving and executing a D&I strategy that results in measurable organizational value.

How Human Resources can Ease Leadership Changes

Smooth onboarding by Human Resources gets incoming campus leadership off to good start

Carol Patton .University Business, June 2013

Chances are, your institution is or may soon be recruiting for leadership positions, such as president, chancellor, or vice president. At Alfred University (N.Y.), for example, the search is underway for a new provost, and within the next five years, the institution plans to recruit two vice presidents and a president, says Mark Guinan, HR director at the private university, which supports approximately 1,000 employees and 2,300 students.

Retirements are a big factor to consider. The 2012 American Council on Education study of American college presidents covered the gradual rise of presidents’ ages over the years. In 1986, 42 percent were 50 years of age or younger while 14 percent were 61 or older. But in 2011, 10 percent were 50 or younger and 58 percent were 61 or older. The report noted that the anticipated wave of retirements could even cause a temporary leadership shortage.