Earlier this year, an opening in Human Resources and a subsequent unsuccessful search for an associate director prompted us to carefully evaluate HR structure and operations. Three key strategies for advancing a more impactful HR organization emerged as a result of this review: (1) automation and streamlining of major processes; (2) building proactive collaborative partnerships between HR professionals and the campus community; and (3) greater focus on learning and development.

A new HR structure will support these strategies by focusing effort and expertise within two functional teams: HR Operations and HR Partners.

HR Operations Team—Compensation, Benefits, Technology
The HR Operations Team will be responsible for compensation, benefits, onboarding processes, and all HR technology systems. Gary Johnson will lead the HR Operations team as the director, HR operations, continuing his significant efforts in these areas. This team will advance the strategy of automating and streamlining major processes, such as benefits administration. The group will also be working to support efforts around compensation analysis, benefits design, and onboarding.

HR Partners Team—Recruitment, Engagement, Development & Employee Relations
The HR Partners team will be dedicated to issues of recruitment, employee engagement, professional development, performance management, employee relations, wellness/work-life programs, and employee recognition. This team will counsel managers and leaders on workplace trends and best people practices—with a focus on professional development and employee engagement. The team will also be responsible for policies and programs aimed at sustaining a positive, inclusive, fair, and supportive working environment.
The HR Partners team will be led by a director, HR partner services. This position was reconfigured from the prior associate director position and is currently posted. This position, as well as the director, HR operations, will report directly to the chief administration officer.

In the coming weeks, we will share more about these initiatives and the structure within Human Resources. The proposed HR organizational chart can be found on the Employee tab of blueView on the Human Resources channel. Watch for more details about the HR team roles in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Venessa Macro at 271-3962 or venessa.macro@drake.edu.

—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

This summer, important work will begin on elevating and energizing the Drake University brand. A stronger branding effort is necessary in order to better tell the Drake story, and to help boost prospective student inquiries, alumni engagement, development efforts, and other facets essential to institutional growth and success, including campus pride.

University Communications, the Office of Admission, and the Office of the President partnered on a competitive review process during Spring semester. Within the past few weeks, the University selected and hired 160over90, a creative agency with extensive expertise in consumer branding and higher education. To learn more about how 160over90 will approach its work with our institution, watch this short video prepared by the firm following its pitch presentation.

In the coming weeks, the discovery phase will get underway, beginning with focus groups and involving diverse perspectives from across campus. That step will be followed by a blend of quantitative and qualitative research designed to better understand how key audiences in the metro and across the region perceive the Drake brand. These findings will inform how the Drake brand should evolve, and help shape the strategy for elevating the University’s brand heading into the next academic year and beyond.

Look to OnCampus in the months ahead for periodic updates on this initiative.

—Dave Remund, University Communications