100-Day Report - University of Nebraska Omaha

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction/Executive Summary 1
II. Strategies to Address Findings 2
III. Data Used to Determine Direction 3
Focus Groups Comments 4
Online Survey Results 5
100‐Day Report Briefing 6
IV. Next Steps 7
Appendix 8
Focus Group Survey
Other Data 9
Focus Groups Types and Invitees
Additional Inputs – Faculty Salary Report
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2
1 INTRODUCTION/
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction/Executive Summary
Please find attached the 100‐Day Report, summarizing the input given during
the information‐gathering process.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to the development of this report,
as well as the many individuals who contributed by responding to surveys,
attending focus groups, and reacting to the data provided in the initial report.
The purpose of the process and the report was to set aside time while I was
new to the system to collect fresh observations about
a. The strengths and weaknesses of the Human Resources office and the
entire UNO human capital function,
b. Opportunities for improvement, and
c. Emerging issues affecting our current and future workforce.
During this process, I conducted 21 focus group meetings, met individually with
30 people, culled more than 250 pages of statistical data, put in countless hours of
research on topics affecting our workforce, and examined our expenditure of dollars to
support our workforce.
Key Findings
The key findings of the report include:
A. Changing Demographics
1. Our rapidly aging workforce and increased reliance on temporary staff and
adjunct faculty may pose a significant threat to our institutional knowledge
unless there are good succession plans in place, and well documented
procedures to institutionalize policies, procedures and management practices.
2. We must increase our efforts to improve the diversity of our workforce if we are
to mirror the changing demographics of Nebraska. We will need to take
advantage of retirements in upper‐level administration and management when
they occur because there is low turnover once these positions are filled. We must
examine our workplace to insure it is an inviting atmosphere to a more diverse
applicant pool.
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B. Health and Wellness
3. Our employer cost of Health Insurance has increased 199 % over the last eight
years and it will continue to rise unless UNO can significantly reduce claims and
improve the health of its employees. We must engage employees to improve
participation in preventive and wellness activities, as well as invite their help in
holding down medical costs through active consumer strategies.
C. Productivity/Efficiency
4. We will need to adopt and embrace strategies which increase the productivity
and efficiency of our current staff and faculty. Given the current financial
conditions affecting our state and local economies, we will not have the resources
to hire more staff or faculty.
5. Our current performance evaluation system must be revamped to increase
participation, ease use of the system, and provide a basis for planning employee
goals and objectives.
6. The job description system needs to be updated, placed online and continuously
reviewed for accuracy and relevance.
7. The quality of the supervision and management must be improved through
diligent hiring, increased training, a leadership agenda focused on employee
value, performance, coaching, measurement techniques, and improved
employee/manager communication.
D. Regulatory Compliance
8. Given increasing public and legislative scrutiny of the expenditure of state tax
dollars, UNO must educate its faculty and staff to improve its stewardship of
state dollars. Education programs should be adopted which will provide
information on the cost of UNO operations and engage employees in a
partnership to hold down growth of the budgets and maximize resources.
9. Given the rapidly changing regulatory environment for employers, the HR office
must improve the education and information to managers, offer additional
training, and better monitor compliance to avoid penalties.
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E. Employee Recognition
10. To achieve UNO’s desired results, faculty/staff need to feel more valued and
appreciated. Recent surveys indicate employees feel that managers and
supervisors do not create an atmosphere that enables employees to do their best
work. UNO needs to improve and develop training opportunities for staff and
with an emphasis on a culture of mutual respect to agreed‐upon values,
innovation and outcomes. UNO needs to improve its faculty/staff recognition
programs.
F. Communication
11. UNO employees need to be engaged and aware of desired results, strategic
objectives and college events and activities. HR must encourage communication
at all levels of the organization and facilitate employee briefings, publish
educational brochures, hold educational seminars, as well as provide an
employee newsletter and an HR Web site to enhance understanding.
G. Value Added Service
12. Annually, HR needs to conduct a customer satisfaction survey to evaluate the
products and services offered by the Human Resources office to insure that HR is
meeting the needs of its constituents. Based on the data collected, HR needs to
improve the quality of products and services provided, especially
manager/employee communication, Web site FAQs, and online job descriptions,
and improve the process of classification and hiring to meet customers’ needs.
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2 STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS
FINDINGS
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Strategies to Address Findings
Strategies for addressing the compelling issues facing UNO including the
following:
A. Changing Demographics
HR Provide annual one‐hour training program on Generational Differences.
HR Continue the Pathways to Harmony program.
HR Target recruitment efforts for positions that are identified in the EEO
report as underutilized.
B. Health and Wellness
HR Implement Blue Cross blue Shield Health Risk Assessment (HRA) for
employees.
HR Work with U‐wide HR directors and central office personnel to modify
current workers compensation agreement with the state to focus more on experiencerated
premiums.
HR Increase involvement in U‐wide wellness committee and health insurance
committee.
HR Provide educational programs in conjunction with F.A. Richard &
Associates (FARA) and Health, Physical Recreation and Recreation (HPER) on topics
related to avoidance of workers compensation claims – i.e., proper lifting, stretching,
ergonomic office design.
HR Provide educational programs on consumerism and prescription drug
use, weight reduction, hypertension, stress and obesity.
HR Provide marketing materials on walking, posting distance measured,
calories burned, etc.
HR Provide participation incentives for wellness contests (weight loss,
reduced blood pressure).
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HR Provide recognition for good attendance.
HR Provide exercise samplers at break rooms, in office buildings outside
HPER.
HR Provide a regular wellness Fit Notes* in UNO Enotes.
C. Productivity/Efficiency
HR Adopt a new performance evaluation tool that is tied to online job
description system.
HR Provide ad hoc reports to managers/supervisors on attendance as well as
counseling tools to assist managers with employee counseling sessions.
HR Continue to monitor performance evaluations completion with a goal of
improving the percentage of employer‐completed evaluations by 5 %.
HR Provide annual training program and resources for managers and
supervisors on the following topics:
~ Performance Evaluation 101 (In Progress)
~ Coaching for Improving Employee Performance
~ Documenting Performance Problems and Performance Improvement
~ Writing Clear Expectations, Setting Goals, Measurement
D. Regulatory/Policy Compliance
HR Provide training program and templates to help document policies,
procedures and practices. (In Progress)
HR Provide regular updates on labor laws issues, employment strategies and
workforce data.
E. Employee Recognition/Leadership
HR Develop a leadership library in UNO Library and encourage leaders to
contribute by identifying materials leaders should read.
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HR Develop an online library of reference materials on subjects that
leadership identifies as key KSAs for managers and supervisors.
HR Develop training programs and a management certificate program for
managers and supervisors.
F. Communication
HR Continue the Budget 101 program.
HR Communicate Budget Financial Facts
HR Provide educational programs on business management concepts – ie,
productivity measures.
HR Communicate the Chancellor’s Leadership Values.
HR Publish quarterly newsletter
G. Value Added Service
HR Provide an annual workforce report
HR Provide annual customer satisfaction survey
HR Provide annual employee engagement survey
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3 DATA USED TO DETERMINE
DIRECTION
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4 FOCUS GROUP COMMENTS
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Data Used to Determine Direction
FOCUS GROUP SURVEY COMMENTS
Those who attended focus groups and others from across the university spectrum
were invited to complete a survey to help identify the current condition and perceived
needs in human resources services. In all, more than 200 were offered the survey and
nearly three dozen responded. Of those, about one third completed the survey as part
of a group in their work areas.
A compilation of the responses received follows. Duplicate answers to the same
question were not repeated in this report.
1
What data could we provide for you that would help you manage UNO’s
workforce?
‣ University‐wide data is very interesting and helpful. Similar data for our college would
be helpful in strategic planning, budgeting, planning for succession, etc. From a dean’s
office perspective, I would be especially interested in the following:
a. How We Get the Work of the University (College)Done
b. UNO (College of Education) Employee Characteristics (only a portion of this
needed)
c. Performance evaluation by college
‣ Our office would like to work with the HR office in coordinating reporting so that our
‘official’ fall counts of faculty and staff are used where appropriate and where it is
important that our numbers match.
‣ Information on how compensation is decided
‣ Salary information for comparable positions in the community
‣ Updates on changes in system, state and federal laws and policies with an explanation
of implications for UNO employees
‣ Education history; previous work history; sick and vacation leave earned/taken on a
monthly basis; training attended
‣ Quarterly Turnover Rate Report
‣ Information on employee demographics, particularly related to years of experience at
UNO and age (potential retirement in future years). Would help with succession
planning.
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‣ Data on the impact of training and education in developing skill set and how these
additional skills influenced changes (improvements) in productivity. Compare groups
who developed new skills versus groups who did not develop additional skills.
‣ Survey results showing employee knowledge of the University’s mission, goals and
objectives; their understanding of what they do and how it correlates to supporting the
goals and objectives of the University.
‣ Data obtained from employees on the effectiveness of their manager/supervisor in
providing information related to how their work correlates to supporting the goals and
objectives of the University.
‣ An electronic receipt when paperwork (such as PAFs) has been entered onto the system;
the receipt should summarize all of the data submitted on the PAF such as FTE and the
number of hours per week the employee should work; I had an incident where an
employee was working 27 hours per week and should have been working 27.6; it
happened because of the way the PAF was entered; if this had been provided in a
summary, we might have caught it.
‣ Ability to submit and view previous PAFs online; it would be nice to stop copying and
storing PAFs in files.
‣ The 100‐day report was outstanding…it gave tremendous insight. I think other
information that would be useful would be models of other programs we might want to
consider using on different areas of change…i.e., succession planning.
‣ An on‐line database that would easily provide processes and answers that may or may
not be commonly asked questions. A few suggestions would be processes and
questions on employment and unemployment, what is the liability of the College or
department for unemployment, procedures and documents needed for filing written
warnings, processes, steps and documentation needed when hiring or terminating
someone from their position, etc. I know many of these things are in the works or have
been initiated.
‣ If we could have the end date of employment on the ID card, that would be very helpful
to our department; or, state permanent, part time or temporary. When we are issuing
the parking permits to the faculty and staff, we need to know if the individual is
permanent or temporary. This will determine how they are able to pay for their permit.
It is available on SAP; however, after office hours, when our service counter is still open,
this determination cannot be made.
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2.
What workforce strategies should we focus on to improve productivity?
‣ I think each college is in the best position to identify ways to increase
productivity/innovation.
o Add Technology (we’re currently working on several initiatives in this area)
o Improve training / increase skill capacity (needs to be job specific and at the
college level)
o Clarify expectations and instructions (tighten up some of the job descriptions)
o Match people better with positions
‣ First, ensure that everyone is working according to a work plan and that they are
accountable to a supervisor who also is responsible for making sure that staff have
useful work to do.
‣ My top three strategies to focus on would be:
o Matching people better with the position;
o Providing a more supportive work environment; and,
o Reducing sick leave taken (a more‐encompassing wellness program).
‣ Management effectiveness training
‣ Improve and expand employee skill sets (use as an incentive for more pay; e.g.,
“Teaching Buffaloes to Fly” that Ralph Stayer of Johnsonville Sausage fame
implemented).
‣ Provide the right tools and support to ensure success (goal/objective achievement)
‣ Match employees skill sets better to the type of work they will be performing. Provide
adequate training on the skills needed to be successful.
‣ Provide clear expectations and instructions; tie activity and measurements to mission,
goals and objectives of the organization. Let people see how what they do supports
these goals and objectives.
‣ Manage effectively/Match people better with positions—some employees at the
University seem to be less helpful than others; they want to do as little as possible, don’t
want to entertain new ideas, and push off as many responsibilities as possible to other
departments; some have been here such a long time even though they are not fulfilling
their job duties.
‣ Add technology—my department would benefit if our front desk could receive text
messages from students (especially helpful to deaf students).
‣ Provide Supportive work environment—there are some employees who do not work as
a team but rather insulate themselves and prevent progress/collaboration.
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‣ The best way to improve productivity is to create a supportive environment where
people feel free to express ideas and suggest better ways to do things. This is not the
case in many departments at UNO.
‣ Because we are facing budget cuts, monetary compensation is not going to be an option
but perhaps offering non‐monetary incentives from time to time such as: an afternoon
at Joslyn, having lunch with the Chancellor or the head of your department, an
afternoon game of golf, a CWS ball game, leaving an hour early, etc. Just some
thoughts. A happy worker is a productive worker!
‣ Reward employees who do not abuse sick leave.
‣ Reduce turnover with higher pay scale.
‣ We should give some type of compensation to employees that do not abuse their sick
leave. Also, I would like to see some type of compensation when employees do not
have a large amount of medical claims. Possibly there should be two levels of premiums
for employees: lower premium for those who do not turn in more than $(amount to be
determined) of medical claims and everyone that has over that amount must pay a
higher premium to help support their many claims.
‣ Provide supportive work environment – I feel that with the budget cuts and the
economy the way it is today, the University should focus on a “family friendly work
environment.” With the younger workforce, benefits of flexible work schedules will be a
hug benefit to employees. This would also help reduce turnover and reduce sick leave
taken. A few large corporations are known as the “best places to work” due to their
family supportive atmosphere.
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3.
How would you rate the quality of the products and services that HR provides?
a. Recruitment : Selection
b. Employee Reward and Recognition Programs
c. Talent Management : Training
d. Student Employment
e. Employee Communication
f. Creating a performance driven culture
Recruitment: Selection
‣ Very good
‣ Good
‣ HR support recruitment of staff is very good.
‣ All new hires are rated the same without considering their past experience.
‣ Excellent
‣ My experiences have been positive. Good to excellent
‣ Hit and miss
‣ For Staff: Applicant’s paperwork sent to all applicable open positions.
‣ Medium – Not because our system to recruit is inadequate, but I believe we are possibly
limited due to the salaries offered. Perhaps this will change with the changing economy.
‣ Above average
Employee Reward and Recognition Programs
‣ The whole 'employee of the month' program seems veiled in mystery. What are the
criteria? How does one get nominated? How does one get chosen? I think I read where
the staff advisory council is taking over the Employee of the Month program? Only time
will tell how that turns out for all of us. I've not seen a 'Manager of the Month' or 'Year'
program, or if there is one, it certainly doesn't seem to get much attention or publicity.
The 'years of service' program seems especially viable compared to everything else.
Everyone likes being able to chose some 'token' to compensate for the time they've
spent at UNO, although most of them would probably prefer a bonus or a raise that is
comparable to the public sector.
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‣ A five‐year stretch for recognition seems rather lengthy. While five years may be good
for gift giving, I think each year may warrant some type of recognition. Something as
simple as a list in e‐notes or a list posted in the HR window, or maybe a thank you letter.
None of which is necessary, but either might add to morale, pride and the feeling of
appreciation stemming from the effort time taken to do these things.
‣ Need to provide employees options (what motivates them and are these types of
programs gaining the results we desire)? Some like the recognition, some want money
or time off, some like to attend a dinner or lunch, and some do not want the notoriety.
These things are difficult, but certainly if years of service or monthly recognition is a big
deal in the eyes of administrators then that should be conveyed to employees.
‣ Nice but we have done it this way for all 21 years I have been here; rather boring.
‣ Years of service – more practical gifts
‣ If we are to focus on performance, our awards should reward this instead of longevity of
service.
‣ Reserved parking is great.
o Reserved tickets to sports events would be good.
o Maybe utilize and recognize some of these groups during the Durango Days—
first week of classes, holiday reception, maybe a Thanksgiving reception‐‐‐
thankful for‐‐‐which would balance some the spring activities.
‣ Rewards should be offered in real and tangible benefits or monies. I got a 5‐year service
award and was able to pick from a few cheap items in a catalog. While this was a nice
gesture it had no impact on me. Monies or tangible benefits (like parking, or HPER
locker, or HPER pass) would be better than a silly little gift/gesture.
‣ The years of service program is really costly and given the economic environment, I am
not sure it is worthwhile. The employee of the month/year is nice but very few people
are recognized and only ones who have supervisors who are willing to nominate. I wish
I had some good suggestions. With the current economic environment, most people are
just happy to have a job. Maybe recognition is not as important as it might be in better
times.
‣ Because there are many, many people recognized for years of service, I would limit the
individualized speeches, gift giving and hand shaking at the Service Award Luncheon.
Again this is just my opinion, I certainly don’t mean this in an unkind way but the length
of time does seem to get a bit long.
‣ Clarification of Employee of the Month Program. Add perfect attendance program.
‣ Above average
‣ Employee of the Month should be notified no later than the first day of the month that
they are honored.
‣ Any type of recognition is good. I feel that more “good job” comments are needed.
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Talent Management
‣ Good
‣ Above average
‣ Most training that we take advantage of is technical – and offered by ITS. Perhaps there
needs to be some coordination of training so that ITS training is recognized on
employee’s records (perhaps this is already happening?). There has been an effort, I
believe, for HR to record in personnel records the training that staff have received?
‣ I had to seek out people to train me on various things.
‣ Nonexistent
‣ It appears to me that it's totally up to departments and managers to do this. Does HR
keep track of the training, seminars, etc that UNO employees attend?
‣ Good
‣ Good. Have not utilized all the training opportunities that perhaps I should have in the
past.
‣ Good. I have attended some in the past.
‣ Training is lacking; it is very difficult to know what person is responsible for various
duties at UNO; it has taken me years to figure out who to call for help when it comes to
HR, Facilities, IT, etc.;
‣ Not so good for staff.
‣ Average
‣ Could always use more
‣ Medium to high
Student Employment
‣ Student employment is problematic because so many of the students who apply are
only international. Is there some way to recruit more of our non‐international students
to campus jobs? The procedure is OK. We need to pay more attention to student job
descriptions so that students who are work‐study eligible in community‐service type
jobs are correctly reported in Financial Aid. I have talked with the Sr. VC about our need
to accurately recognize work‐study students doing community service or community
service support. This needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
‣ I have always received prompt responses with questions/issues.
‣ All experiences I've had with student employment have been top notch so far.
‣ Great
‣ Above average
‣ This was a relatively good experience, although the student did not work out as well as
could be expected. But not sure that’s HR’s fault. Moderate to good.
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‣ Sufficient. I use this a lot; it is a chore to post a job and to close a job; it’s difficult to
review applications because of the awkward, block formatting; students are always
applying who are not qualified; I have found some great students but it takes a lot of
interviewing, emails and hiring paperwork; there is a lot of repetition in the new hire
packet—could that be pared down? Could it be completed online?
‣ Limited…and needing to expand in scholarships and fellowships
‣ Seems to work pretty well.
‣ Medium. I would ask for feedback from the students that are employed here. It’s a
fairly easy process to hire the students but are they getting what they are needing or
expecting from us.
Employee Communication
‣ Good
‣ OK
‣ E‐notes is wonderful but there have been programs that I believe my own family could
have benefited from that I knew nothing about. Interdepartmental communication is
not good unless you have a relationship with someone in another department.
‣ Average
‣ Good
‣ Above average
‣ This is always a challenge and needs constant attention.
‣ Very poor; I recently received notice that one of my employees would have their next
paycheck docked by $1400; very little reason was given and no solutions or options
were presented; I had to do all the digging and homework to get the answers; the
responses I got used HR terminology that I was not familiar with which led to more
questions/confusion.
‣ Average
‣ There can never be enough communication.
‣ As with most offices that are, at times, understaffed, unfortunately we focus on the
work and sometimes don’t share the information with others that should be involved.
Creating a performance driven culture
‣ I’m not sure this is a good descriptor for the work of universities. I would prefer
“Creating a Culture of Outcome‐Driven Innovation.” I think HR provides the supportive
framework for this to happen, but this is not the “product or service for which HR
provides.”
‣ Performance is important but so is improvement and the opportunity to step up and
offer changes. Technology and tools continue to evolve and if employees are matched
to the right job, they are usually good employees. So it is important to communicate as
a campus with our employees so that they feel included and challenged in their jobs.
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‣ Don't really see it.
‣ Non‐existent
‣ Above average
‣ Again, not sure what you mean here. From my observations of working at UNO for 8+
years, I cannot say our 'culture' is performance driven. I've seen folks given raises far
and beyond what others get annually mainly to 'catch them up', whatever that means,
and not always for exceptional performance. I've also seen what I feel is 'fat' and too
much under‐utilization of many employees to say we're performance‐driven.
‣ Good
‣ Not sure this is strictly HR’s job. This should be the responsibility of every
manager/supervisor and employee in the organization. Also needs to be driven from
the top down. Should be a clearly stated component of the strategic plan.
‣ Raises are so uniform because of budgets it is hard to create this kind of culture.
‣ Hit and miss; if the Employee Evaluation is used properly, it creates a performance
driven culture; however, this depends largely on the supervisor and if they truly use it as
a tool.
‣ Fair
‣ Not so sure this is happening.
‣ My opinion only, but I believe that there is not consistency with regard to processes and
everyone being held accountable for completion.
‣ Needs improvement
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4.
From your experience, how competitive do you think our pay and benefits
package is in relation to our peers? If not, why?
‣ VERY competitive benefits package. Pay package is not competitive enough.
‣ Competitive and benefits are average.
‣ Competitive compared to other institutions. Retirement and health may be a little
better in corporate settings, but the job stability outweighs that difference in my mind.
‣ Peers as far as other clerical/office staff, I am not sure because I don't know what others
make or how the pay scale goes for different levels. As far as other staff such as
managerial professional, I think it stinks. The amount of time that we (office/clerical)
have to be here to receive the sick and vacation benefits that they have is ridiculous.
‣ In our area salaries are not comparable simply because the dollars do not exist. We
continue to reduce the cost of supplies and other resources so that we have more funds
for salary and we stress the fact that we provide other benefits such as a positive work
environment where people can develop new skill sets.
‣ If I were to compare the compensation for my career field with that of counterparts
outside the university setting, we are grossly underpaid. That said, however, our
benefits package is among the better in comparison to other companies I've worked for
or been associated with.
‣ Our pay depends on the taxpayers of Nebraska, and they like getting bargains. The
talent we attract could (normally) do much better on the 'outside' if the opportunities
were there. All the money that is being touted as a so‐called 'surplus' in the state, and it
seems we're being nit‐picked on every little thing and being scared daily about the
whole budget process for the University system. I've not seen this much uneasiness for
nearly 5 years, and quite frankly I think it's totally uncalled for.
‣ Pay not competitive, especially when experience is not considered for some of the
positions.
‣ From what I understand of peer institutions, we are somewhat behind the curve. I
know the BOR wants us to be at the mid‐point of peer institutions on salary and I think
UNO is probably fairing a little better than other campuses in this area. However, if you
mean compared to other local/regional employers that we compete with for qualified
candidates for our positions, then I think we are behind them on salary and benefits.
Makes it tough sometimes to compete; however, the atmosphere (colleagues and
students) is what keeps many of our good people here.
‣ Pay is not high but work environment is great.
‣ It is respectable in my field.
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‣ It seems that some of our peers both public and private make more money, but we do
have relatively good benefits with two levels of pay into our 401k and the NU credits.
‣ The stats demonstrate where things are.
‣ Poor. A colleague in my dept. just took a lateral job (same position & rank) at SDSU for
10K more than UNO was paying them. How does Brookings, SD, come up with more
salary than UNO? Brookings is a small town of 20K people and SD has more state
institutions than NE; I just don’t understand why. Especially since this person replaced a
long‐time full professor here at UNO, which means that UNO saved about 40K per year
in hiring this newer faculty. I have researched my similar positions within the region and
consistently I am at the bottom of my peers. Our cohort of young faculty in my dept. all
talk about this fact that UNO is well below what our peers are making; it is regular
conversation among us, and most of us are looking at other opportunities or are open to
other opportunities even though we like the Omaha area & UNO. UNO should not be a
stepping stone for new faculty, but with the current salaries that is what it has become.
It has become a first job for new faculty for peanuts. Work a couple years to get
experience then move on to better paying colleges and universities.
‣ We are limited with regard to monetary resources and it’s difficult to stay competitive
but the university does offer many benefits that outside businesses and companies do
not have with regard to education.
‣ Because of NU Values, I think we are closer to our peers, and the benefits package is
above average.
‣ Pay is below our peers. In the Security Department, the pay is at the lowest end of the
peers and they have high responsibilities for the security and safety of the whole
campus community. Benefits are above average to our peers.
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5.
If you worked with HR on an employee/staff/faculty employment issue, how
satisfied were you with the resolution of the matter?
‣ Historically, I’ve been very pleased when working with HR on employment issues.
‣ I have only re‐classified a position and established a new position – both processes
worked well and there were no problems.
‣ It seems that the job descriptions of department and college secretaries are created and
then forgotten. At my previous institution, these descriptions had to be reviewed and
updated as needed every three years. I found this exercise useful since job duties for
secretaries can change over time.
‣ I have always received prompt responses from HR. I have had issues with end dates in
the past, but that is it.
‣ We had an employee who was not able to succeed in his job. We worked with Mary
Sweaney and Sharon Ulmar who were wonderful assistance to us.
‣ I have not had this opportunity.
‣ Very Satisfied with H.R. on staff issues.
‣ I have found HR to be very helpful and supportive when employment issues have arisen.
They have always been willing to provide good advice and verify that we were doing
things properly. No complaints.
‣ It depends on who you are working with in HR; Mary Sweaney and Sharon Ulmar have
been wonderful!
‣ Many times I have been disappointed because I had to follow up and ask a lot of
questions to get the information I need; sometimes I get referred to someone else in
the dept. or they use HR language that I’m not familiar with. I really have to push to get
any suggestions/solutions from HR.
‣ It’s very confusing to fill out PAFs.
‣ Very satisfied
‣ The minor challenges have always been very satisfactorily resolved.
‣ I have only worked with Benefits, and they did a great job.
‣ In my opinion, this has been a strong suit for HR and while employment issues for us
have been rare, we have always been advised well with regard to procedures and what
we need to do regarding documentation.
‣ I have worked with HR in the past few months on a personnel issue and I am very
satisfied with the help I received from HR.
‣ Very satisfied
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6.
How would you rate our ability to live up to the values we have set for the
Dept.?
a. Be worthy of trust
b. Provide a valued service
c. Be efficient
d. Be responsive
Be worthy of trust
‣ Good
‣ There is probably some distrust, but that may go with the territory.
‣ Very high
‣ Good
‣ Above average
‣ My experiences have been very positive and I would rate the department good to
excellent.
‣ All employees I have had contact with have been good.
‣ Operate in a transparent manner as much as possible.
‣ Excellent
‣ High
Provide a valued service
‣ Good
‣ HR performs an important function for the campus and could do more in helping with
communication and training, but I can’t offer specific ideas.
‣ Have an open door policy and create some new ways employees may honestly
communicate with the option of remaining anonymous. IE, suggestion box.
‣ Excellent
‣ High
‣ Above average
Be efficient
‣ Good
24

‣ At times it seemed to take a while to get things done (positions filled) in a timely
manner, but that may not have been all HR’s responsibility. Generally, I believe that the
department has lived up to its values.
‣ Ensure the office staff are working within their strengths and operating in an objective,
courteous, consistent and sincere manner.
‣ Excellent
‣ Above average
‣ Things are improving with restructuring.
Be responsive
‣ HR has been responsive. Mary Sweaney answers to nearly all questions I have.
‣ Keep employees informed of new developments and address issues as they arise.
‣ Excellent
‣ Good
‣ Above average
25

7.
What is your impression of our customer office environment?
‣ It has been very good.
‣ It has improved greatly recently with more attention to space and a welcoming
environment.
‣ Great. Stella Watts is wonderful.
‣ The recent changes are terrific. HR is the front door to the campus for potential
employees and needs to present a positive, welcoming image.
‣ Since I know most of the folks in HR, it's hard for me to be objective, since I merely
wander in and find who I want to talk to. Perhaps that should change. Perhaps you need
to 'close off' the reception area from the rest of the offices to provide better security
and privacy. You seem to have a lot of wasted space in the center of the facility.
‣ Friendly and professional
‣ Pleasant and welcoming
‣ Satisfactory, pretty typical educational institution setting
‣ Fine
‣ Feels like I’m coming in the back door, not the front.
‣ Front desk should have a lower counter so as to be welcoming to individuals who use
wheelchairs
‣ You have a gem in Stella Watts at the front desk. She's very courteous, knowledgeable,
resourceful and ready to assist in any way she can.
‣ Excellent
‣ The environment is welcoming and helpful. I don’t know if I can provide an unbiased
opinion because the “right people” have always been chosen for the reception staff and
they have great customer service skills and are always very professional and helpful.
‣ Welcoming and helpful
‣ Professional and friendly
‣ Great
26

8.
How well do we keep you informed on Labor Laws, immigration and the HR
policies and procedures?
‣ My own fault that I’m not better informed.
‣ The Web site is good. Central Administration / Board of Regents policies are accessible.
‣ Many of the processes or policies have not been provided in writing; thus, when
questions arose our staff had to call HR to get answer which, in some areas, was not
consistent. The first step toward improving this is the creation of the Web page with
UNO policies on it.
‣ Not very well, or at least from my point of view. That may be because I'm not the
'business office' of the department; I'm guessing those folks do get more information.
To the general public? I don't recall getting any information on labor laws or
immigration, HR policies and procedures, other than in the 'Red Book' we all get. It
seems it's up to us to find what we want and need. HR does not seem to be very
proactive in these areas.
‣ We are very much well informed.
‣ I try to stay as current as possible on HR policies, but do defer to the HR staff for help in
this area. I do not follow the intricate details of labor laws but know enough to ask
questions when issues arise.
‣ I usually find out about HR policies after I have broken them.
‣ I don’t recall being informed about immigration or labor laws specifically.
‣ There are some workshops, but usually not applicable.
‣ With my brief encounter in this area and the importance of it, I would say there are
opportunities and the process should probably be centralized.
‣ Average
‣ Much of this type of information is/was difficult to access and was not documented,
making it difficult when specific situations arose. It appears to be changing, as I am
seeing much more information on your Web site.
‣ Informative seminars are offered on these issues.
‣ Human Resources seminars are very informative.
27

9.
What can we do to improve the diversity of our workforce and create a more
welcoming environment?
‣ Compensation is likely the key to improving diversity in our workforce.
‣ Continue to help us all understand the importance and value of diversity.
‣ Recruit and hire more African Americans
‣ Continue to provide diversity training, which is very helpful. We strive for ethnic and
gender balance in applicant pools but I am not sure that is the case in all departments.
Possibly publishing a dashboard or report card that shows data such as the diversity
data in the 100‐day report would help raise awareness and change behavior.
‣ A department that does not have any minorities should be looked into.
‣ UNO could provide a more visible presence at local/regional recruiting events. Part of
our problem is that we do not turn over employees in certain areas all that much,
therefore, open positions are not always available for new hires. However, the campus
sensitivity to diversity is positive and programs in place help to reinforce an open and
diverse campus. Yet in these areas there is always room for improvement.
‣ Continue efforts to have an open process.
‣ Make sure Web site and online application are compatible with screen readers
‣ Use committees to make hiring decisions; committees should be made up of a diverse
group of people.
‣ Somehow, capture excellent students in our graduate programs; keep them on at UNO
as employees after graduation.
‣ When searching for applicants, include criteria that addresses their abilities and
experiences with working with diverse groups or in diverse environment, not just cut
and dried qualifications such as education, etc.
‣ It appears you are in the process.
‣ I think we have a welcoming diverse environment.
‣ I feel UNO has a good diversity of the workforce.
28

10.
In your previous work experience have you had an exceptional relationship with
an HR office? What made it an exceptional service?
‣ Exceptional service has been provided frequently. I have personally needed advice,
input and/or problem solving. They have been responsive in a timely manner,
knowledgeable and friendly.
‣ My experiences have all been good. The individual who is informed and helpful makes
all the difference. I appreciate the receptionist greatly.
‣ They were courteous, prompt and if they were unaware of an answer they would find it.
‣ Information was easy to locate, updates on processes and policies occurred regularly
and in several formats (brown bags, website etc.), assistance with personnel functions
such as hiring and firing was timely and professional; managerial and quality
improvement training was available.
‣ Just about the same.
‣ Yes, I have – Seems to be driven off of clear and concise communication.
‣ HR provided timely and topical information on issues related to personnel management
and new techniques for creating a more effective and productive work environment. In
addition, the department offered many programs and workshops to improve skills and
managerial capabilities for supervisors.
‣ Yes. The HR manager was genuine in her effort to see that the employees were being
treated in a fair and consistent manner. You could depend on her listening without
prejudging and then going through the proper channels to verify information before
taking action, while managing to balance employee/employer and company.
‣ It was responsive to needs, visible to employees—people could connect names,
functions and faces—I would say UNO is very close.
‣ HR has always been there for my needs. If I needed advice on personnel issues, help to
write a warning, termination letter, hiring advice, etc.
‣ Yes. Personnel were very informative and supportive on employee issues.
29

11.
At UNO, HR does not serve as a full service HR administrative service for faculty.
Why is this? And do you have any interest in changing this relationship?
‣ I have no interest in changing HR to a full‐service HR administrative service facility.
‣ Academic Affairs carries out the important functions related to faculty. I have never
been at a campus where faculty appointments or issues were handled in an HR office. I
believe faculty may usually prefer to deal directly with academic administration, but HR
can provide services and workshops that can greatly benefit faculty. They need to be
invited and welcomed, but not forced to attend HR planned events or workshops.
‣ I think it is because academic affairs handles faculty. It's confusing to me because I
sometimes forget what needs to go to HR and what goes Academic Affairs.
‣ No interest in changing at this point
‣ Do not know!! I suppose it might be worth looking into.
‣ Not sure how a “full‐service HR administrative service” from our current HR structure
‣ Departments need to hire their own faculty because they know what they need in an
instructor, and the personalities of new faculty need to mesh with current faculty.
‣ Interesting... The faculty are unionized and are pretty much protected due to tenure. I
think something about this relationship needs to change if they are in an
administrative/managerial position because they will have to deal with
managerial/office/service staff who are served directly by HR. This would seem to
create a need to have some type of guidelines and procedures in line with HR policies
and procedures that the administrator/manager must adhere to in order to effectively
evaluate, motivate, grow and promote the staff member. Maybe something like this
could be written into their job description as part of their administrative/managerial
duties.
‣ The relationship should not change between HR and faculty. HR should have a minimal
role in administering faculty. Faculty, by nature, are self‐directed and often work
beyond the confines of a 40‐hour work week. Faculty professional needs differ greatly
from staff. We have a collective bargaining agreement that establishes the workplace
conditions and terms for faculty and HR could potentially undermine that agreement.
Part of the Jeffersonian ideal of faculty is that they are integral to the decision making
process that guides the University. HR does a fine job with practical concerns such as
administering health benefits, etc., but that should be the extent of their involvement.
‣ Faculty are unionized on our campus. No.
‣ I feel it should be full service to faculty and staff. It does not make sense the way it is
now, and confuses most faculty applicants.
30

12.
What emerging workforce issues are you concerned about?
‣ I continue to be concerned about our ability to attract an ethnically diverse faculty that
provides our students with a broad range of perspectives and experiences. We work
diligently on this within our college; however, it continues to be a challenge. I also
believe we need to plan strategically within our college to prepare for succession at the
staff, faculty and administrative level. The data referred to in item #I would be helpful in
doing so.
‣ There are various forces at work here, including an aging workforce and technology
demands put on staff that seem to be growing. I don’t know what the trends are, but
anticipate that as the workforce changes with retirements, institutional culture will
change. I hope we continue to articulate the culture and history of the institution so
that we maintain an identity that is vital and key to our Omaha community. Our
relationships have created a lot of good will that helps build support for this campus in
more challenging times.
‣ Students probably need more assistance in working on campus. It can be a burden to
have to teach a student everything from A to Z about the workplace when they only
work a few hours during the week. They learn a lot by osmosis and observation, but we
could all do a better job preparing our students for the workforce as they work for us.
Online tutorials about our office environment for clerical positions might help. Perhaps
academic affairs could offer up information all students should know about working in
an academic/research environment – of course, many are being mentored by faculty. I
wonder what other campuses around the country do to help student workers be
productive?
‣ Training and the need to be bilingual
‣ With talk of further budget reductions and the faculty union continuing to lobby for a
pay raise percentage above what the state will provide, I would expect that union
organizers will view UNO staff as an opportunity. If the job market continues to get
tighter, staff will stay but morale could be a problem as they are asked to do more with
little increase in compensation.
‣ I'm a baby boomer but I get along pretty well with all age groups. If I had to choose one
issue, however, it would be the Gen Y and later employees who seem to feel they are
owed something just for showing up to work, and who are not penalized when they
don't.
‣ Would downsizing be based on seniority or performance?
‣ The aging workforce and the impact of “Baby Boomer” retirements on the workforce
‣ The lack of sufficient succession planning in our organizations
31

‣ The fact that employees leave an organization because of their managers (biggest
reason for turnover). We need to do a better job of preparing managers for
generational differences in the workforce.
‣ Understanding the “new” employee graduating from college today and what they
expect from their career and employer, and how it balances with life away from work.
(More management education and training).
‣ Are we, as an institution of hiring learning, preparing our graduates with the skills and
knowledge to allow them to be successful in their career and productive as citizens in
our communities?
‣ Do employers recognize the value the university can provide related to educating the
future workers and re‐educating the current workforce on the skills needed to be
competitive and succeed as we move forward in the 21 st Century?
‣ Continue to explore flexibility in area of hours, job sharing, and working from home
where practical.
‣ Aging of population and related rise in health insurance costs
‣ The economy and anticipated reductions in programs/services at UNO
‣ Keeping all of our jobs during this time of budget crisis.
‣ The technology demands on employees’ time. There is a need to develop some layers
and processes so we are optimally utilizing the qualifications of personnel.
‣ Too much lip service is being paid to workplace wellness but there are no incentives for
staff to work out during the day. Staff should be provided more options to arrange their
day to accommodate workouts. Family and other obligations often make this difficult
after work or on weekends. The escalating costs of access to the HPER building is a real
concern. Most staff members who work out regularly have fewer sick days and cost the
University less in health insurance payouts. Some incentives like a few hours off or
reduced fees for HPER would pay off in the long run for both the employee and the
University.
‣ It may be time to take another look at the NU Value system for evaluating Office/Service
and Managerial/Professional staff. Competencies are fine but it would be nice to
actually evaluate employees on the tasks they accomplish. You have to try to fit task
accomplishment into a competency which can be done but is more difficult and not as
informative to the employee. I also find the rating system difficult. It is better than 1‐5,
but every supervisor uses different criteria for “meets” or the categories above and
below “meets.” What’s wrong with “satisfactory” or “needs some improvement”?
‣ UNO being able to sustain the benefits that they offer and what, if anything, will be
offered to future retirees
‣ The possible very large turnover that may happen, seeing the age of the current faculty
and staff.
32

‣ My concern is that the university is growing and we are reducing employees.
‣ Reorganizing departments and giving more responsibilities to staff without additional
compensation causes stress in the work place.
33

5 ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS
34

ONLINE SURVEY RESULTS
An online survey offered to about 280 employees provided the following data:
1. Of 47 respondents to the online survey, the majority rated the overall customer
service between 3 and 5. Reception and Benefits received the most top (5) ratings.
Please rate the quality of customer service in the following areas with 1
being the least and 5 being the highest.
Answer Options 1 2 3 4 5
Response
Count
Reception 1 0 4 8 31 44
Recruitment/Employment 0 1 7 15 19 42
Diversity/EEO 1 0 5 18 16 40
Benefits 1 2 3 15 24 45
Payroll 0 1 6 18 18 43
HRIT 0 1 9 7 7 24
Student Employment 0 1 15 5 13 34
answered question 45
skipped question 2
1 2 3 4 5
Reception 2% 0% 9% 18% 70%
Recruitment/Employment 0% 2% 17% 36% 45%
Diversity/EEO 3% 0% 13% 45% 40%
Benefits 2% 4% 7% 33% 53%
Payroll 0% 2% 14% 42% 42%
HRIT 0% 4% 38% 29% 29%
Student Employment 0% 3% 44% 15% 38%
2. All respondents said the HR office is welcoming and accessible.
How accessible and welcoming is the HR office?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very accessible and welcoming 45.7% 21
Accessible and welcoming 50.0% 23
Average 4.3% 2
Not very accessible and welcoming 0.0% 0
Unaccessible and unwelcoming 0.0% 0
answered question 46
skipped question 1
35

3. 82 % of respondents said that the HR office members are easy to reach.
How easy is it to reach members of the HR office?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very easy 34.8% 16
Easy 47.8% 22
Average 17.4% 8
Difficult 0.0% 0
Very difficult 0.0% 0
answered question 46
skipped question 1
4. Communication between HR and customers was rated average or above.
How timely is the communication between you and HR?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very timely 39.1% 18
Timely 45.7% 21
Average 15.2% 7
Untimely 0.0% 0
Very untimely 0.0% 0
answered question 46
skipped question 1
5. 78.9 % of 38 respondents said they are getting timely data to properly manage
their workforce.
Are you getting the right kinds of data to properly manage your
workforce?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Yes 78.9% 30
No 21.1% 8
answered question 38
skipped question 9
6. 93 % of respondents said HR does an average or above average job of keeping
them informed about policies, procedures and laws.
36

How well informed does HR keep you about policies, procedures, and laws
that govern the workforce?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very well informed 11.1% 5
Well informed 48.9% 22
Average 33.3% 15
Not very informed 6.7% 3
Very uninformed 0.0% 0
answered question 45
skipped question 2
7. 83 % of respondents said that HR does an average or better job of providing tools
for staff development, while 16 % said HR does that job poorly.
How well do you think HR provides tools for staff development?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very well 9.3% 4
Good 51.2% 22
Average 23.3% 10
Poor 11.6% 5
Very poor 4.7% 2
answered question 43
skipped question 4
8. 98 % of respondents gave the quality of the candidates received for interviewing
an average or higher score.
How satisfied are you with the quality of candidates received for
interviewing?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very satisfied 26.7% 12
Satisfied 44.4% 20
Average 26.7% 12
Dissatisfied 2.2% 1
Very Dissatisfied 0.0% 0
answered question 45
skipped question 2
9. Four of every five respondents gave the NU Values system an average or higher
rating regarding the system’s usefulness, and one in five said it was not useful.
37

How useful is the classification/NU Values system in determining pay
equity?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very useful 2.3% 1
Useful 32.6% 14
Average 44.2% 19
Unuseful 18.6% 8
Very unuseful 2.3% 1
answered question 43
skipped question 4
10. Nearly half of respondents said UNO’s compensation and benefits package is
average. 31 % said it was competitive and 20 % said it was not.
How competitive do you think your compensation and benefits are
compared to other companies?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very competitive 8.9% 4
Competitive 22.2% 10
Average 48.9% 22
Uncompetitive 20.0% 9
Very uncompetitive 0.0% 0
answered question 45
skipped question 2
11. 84 % of respondents said payroll staff keeps them well informed about schedules
and deadlines.
Payroll keeps you well informed about schedules and deadlines
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 31.8% 14
Agree 52.3% 23
Neither agree nor disagree 13.6% 6
Disagree 2.3% 1
Strongly disagree 0.0% 0
answered question 44
skipped question 3
12. None of the respondents said the employee recognition system is very effective.
78 % rated it average or better, while 21 % gave it poor marks.
38

How effective are the employee recognition programs?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very effective 0.0% 0
Effective 28.6% 12
Average 50.0% 21
Not effective 19.0% 8
Very ineffective 2.4% 1
answered question 42
skipped question 5
13. 95 % of respondents said HR provides an environment that helps UNO
employees achieve the UNO mission, with 50 % rating it above average.
How well does HR provide an environment which helps UNO employees
achieve UNO’s mission?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very well 14.3% 6
Well 35.7% 15
Average 45.2% 19
Poor 4.8% 2
Very poor 0.0% 0
answered question 42
skipped question 5
14. 62 % of respondents said UNO’s environment promotes healthy lifestyles.
UNO’s environment promotes healthy lifestyles.
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 13.6% 6
Agree 47.7% 21
Neither agree nor disagree 27.3% 12
Disagree 11.4% 5
answered question 44
skipped question 3
15. Of 42 respondents, 26 % said that they are familiar with the process of filling out
a worker’s compensation claim.
39

If needed, you are familiar with the process of filing a workman’s
compensation claim?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 4.8% 2
Agree 21.4% 9
Neither agree nor disagree 31.0% 13
Disagree 31.0% 13
Strongly disagree 11.9% 5
answered question 42
skipped question 5
16. 93 % of respondents said that faculty, staff and students are accepted regardless
of their gender, disability, race, sexual orientation or ethnic background.
Faculty, staff, and students at UNO are accepted and respected regardless
of their gender, disability, race, orientation, and ethnic background.
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 50.0% 23
Agree 43.5% 20
Neither agree nor disagree 2.2% 1
Disagree 4.3% 2
Strongly disagree 0.0% 0
answered question 46
skipped question 1
17. 45 % of respondents said that staff are treated with the same respect as faculty.
Staff members are treated and respected the same as faculty.
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 11.4% 5
Agree 34.1% 15
Neither agree nor disagree 20.5% 9
Disagree 18.2% 8
Strongly disagree 15.9% 7
answered question 44
skipped question 3
18. 29 % of respondents rated the HR forms and tools provided for performance
evaluation as effective.
40

The forms and tools provided for performance evaluations are very
effective.
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 2.1% 1
Agree 27.7% 13
Neither agree nor disagree 42.6% 20
Disagree 21.3% 10
Strongly disagree 6.4% 3
answered question 47
skipped question 0
19. 84 % of respondents said that UNO prepares students to work in a diverse
workplace.
UNO prepares students to work in a diverse workplace by offering diverse
curriculum and programs.
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 22.2% 10
Agree 62.2% 28
Neither agree nor disagree 13.3% 6
Disagree 2.2% 1
Strongly disagree 0.0% 0
answered question 45
skipped question 2
20. 89 % of 38 respondents said they are either satisfied or very satisfied with the
resolution of employment matters brought to HR.
If you have visited HR for employment related issues and/or problems,
how satisfied were you with the resolution of the matter?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very satisfied 34.2% 13
Satisfied 55.3% 21
Somewhat satisfied 10.5% 4
Unsatisfied 0.0% 0
Very unsatisfied 0.0% 0
answered question 38
skipped question 9
21. 53 % of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the policies and procedures
manual provided to students is useful.
41

I believe the policies and procedures provided to student employees and
supervisors are very useful.
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Strongly agree 9.3% 4
Agree 44.2% 19
Neither agree nor disagree 39.5% 17
Disagree 4.7% 2
Strongly disagree 2.3% 1
answered question 43
skipped question 4
22. 57 % of 42 respondents rated the HR Web site as easy or very easy to navigate.
How easy is it to navigate the HR website?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very easy 9.5% 4
Easy 47.6% 20
Average 38.1% 16
Difficult 4.8% 2
Very difficult 0.0% 0
answered question 42
skipped question 5
23. Of 44 respondents, 52 % rated the location of HR forms online as average.
How easy is it to locate HR forms online?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very easy 13.6% 6
Easy 31.8% 14
Average 52.3% 23
Difficult 0.0% 0
Very difficult 2.3% 1
answered question 44
skipped question 3
24. 37 % of 46 respondents said they use the Employee Self Service system very often
(frequently).
42

How often do you use Employee Self-Service?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Very often 37.0% 17
Often 17.4% 8
Occasionally 26.1% 12
Rarely 10.9% 5
Never 8.7% 4
answered question 46
skipped question 1
25. Of 41 respondents, 30 said they used the ESS most frequently to visit NUFlex
Enrollment, 29 reviewed paycheck information; 28 checked leave information.
What parts of Employee Self-Service do you use? (select all that apply)
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Leave information 68.2% 28
Leave request 53.6% 22
NUFlex Enrollment 73.1% 30
Participation Overview 48.7% 20
FSA Claims 12.1% 5
Paycheck Inquiry 70.7% 29
Bank Information 41.4% 17
Tax Withholding (W4) 29.2% 12
Employee W2 26.8% 11
Changing address 31.7% 13
Travel 19.5% 8
Employee Scholarship 39.0% 16
My Staff 21.9% 9
answered question 41
skipped question 6
26. Respondents ranked the rising cost of health care (40) and tight budget (40) as
the most important emerging issues, followed by pay and benefits (37), wellness
(33) and aging workforce (32).
43

Please rate the importance of the following emerging workplace issues with 1
being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
Answer
Options 1 2 3 4 5
Response
Count
American with
Disabilities Act
2 8 16 12 9 47
Aging workforce 5 1 9 16 16 47
Tight budgets 1 1 5 10 30 47
Holding down
cost of health 0 1 5 9 31 46
insurance
Workplace
diversity
2 6 17 15 7 47
Employee
wellness
1 3 10 18 15 47
Competitiveness
of pay/benefits
1 0 8 20 17 46
Cost of staff
development
2 5 21 10 9 47
answered question 47
skipped question 0
1 2 3 4 5
American with
Disabilities Act 4% 17% 34% 26% 19%
Aging workforce 11% 2% 19% 34% 34%
Tight budgets 2% 2% 11% 21% 64%
Holding down
cost of health
insurance 0% 2% 11% 20% 67%
Workplace
diversity 4% 13% 36% 32% 15%
Employee
wellness 2% 6% 21% 38% 32%
Competitiveness
of pay/benefits 2% 0% 17% 43% 37%
Cost of staff
development 4% 11% 45% 21% 19%
27. 95 % of respondents got news about what is happening at UNO from eNotes. 72
% said in separate questions that they read eNotes daily on the Internet.
44

How do you get your news about what is happening on campus? (Mark all that apply
from 1 to 11 with 1 being the most frequent and 11 being the least frequent)
Answer Options 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Response
Count
eNotes 23 1 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 11 42
Omaha World-
Herald
2 1 3 0 4 1 3 6 4 5 2 31
Other People 4 11 4 2 2 0 0 2 3 2 1 31
Televsion 0 2 3 1 3 2 5 4 2 6 4 32
Gateway 0 0 0 4 2 5 4 2 4 5 2 28
Newspaper 1 3 2 0 1 5 4 2 7 1 3 29
Meetings 3 7 7 2 5 4 1 1 1 3 2 36
Radio/KVNO 2 5 1 4 0 1 3 2 3 6 5 32
Flyers/Billboards 3 2 5 3 5 4 2 3 0 3 1 31
Other 2 0 0 3 3 3 4 2 2 1 6 26
Website 1 5 6 10 3 3 3 2 2 1 0 36
answered question 44
skipped question 3
28. Employees got their information on work assignments from a variety of sources,
with their supervisor – directly or via email – ranked highest.
How do you get information about your unit, workload assignments, and the university’s
goals and values? (Mark all that apply from 1 to 9 with 1 being the most frequent and 9
being the least frequent)
Answer Options 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Response
Count
Directly from supervisor 17 2 2 2 0 1 1 3 9 36
E-mail from other UNO offices 2 3 10 4 5 1 4 2 0 31
From supervisor via e-mail 4 13 4 1 0 1 1 8 2 33
Bulletins and informational e-
mails
1 1 2 8 8 7 1 0 1 29
Customers 0 3 2 3 3 3 5 1 7 27
Website 0 0 6 3 7 7 5 3 0 30
Assignment System 3 1 1 0 0 2 2 7 6 22
Other 2 3 0 1 1 0 6 5 5 23
Other office members 3 4 3 3 6 4 3 2 1 29
answered question 42
skipped question 5
29. Rolled into #27.
30. Rolled into #27.
31. During a campus emergency, the majority of respondents get their information
from two sources offered, with 46 respondents marking 75 total choices.
45

During a campus emergency (inclement weather, power outage, etc.)
where do you turn to for information?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
www.unomaha.edu 33.3% 25
campus weather/information phone line 5.3% 4
e2campus text alerts 28.0% 21
TV or radio 33.3% 25
answered question 46
skipped question 1
32. 93 % of respondents visited www.unomaha.edu.
Do you visit www.unomaha.edu?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Yes 93.5% 43
No 6.5% 3
answered question 46
skipped question 1
33. 57 % of respondents have viewed or listened to a photo slide show at
www.unomaha.edu .
Have you viewed or listened to the photo slide show, audio or video
features at www.unomaha.edu or on the eNotes web page?
Response
Frequency
Response
Count
Answer Options
Yes 57.4% 27
No 42.6% 20
answered question 47
skipped question 0
46

6 100-DAY REPORT BRIEFING
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7 NEXT STEPS

IV. Next Steps
‣ Put final revisions of 100‐Day Report on HR Web site.
‣ Send notice that 100‐Day Report Web site is on‐line for feedback.
‣ Meet with Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance to determine support for
strategic steps.
‣ Hold follow‐up meetings with key stakeholders as necessary.
‣ Establish priority listing of strategic steps.
‣ Formalize implementation plan.
‣ Measure and monitor completion of strategic steps.
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8 APPENDIX

Survey Questions for HR 100-Day Report
Thank you for taking time to look at the survey questions below and provide some input
for our 100‐Day Report process.
Please send your replies to me at mkanderson@mail.unomaha.edu – I look forward to
hearing from you.
Mollie Anderson
EAB 205, Ext 43664
1. What data could we provide for you that would help you manage UNO’s workforce?
2. What workforce strategies should we focus on to improve productivity? (See chart)
3. How would you rate the quality of the products and services that HR provides?
a. Recruitment : Selection
b. Talent Management : Training
c. Student Employment
d. Employee Communication
e. Creating a performance‐driven culture
4. What are your comments about how to improve employee reward and recognition programs
(Years of Service, Employee and Manager of the Month/Year, etc.)?
5. From your experience, how competitive do you think our pay and benefits package is in relation
to our peers?
If not, why?
6. If you worked with HR on an employee/staff/faculty employment issue, how satisfied were you
with the resolution of the matter?
7. How would you rate our ability to live up to the values we have set for the Dept.?
a. Be worthy of trust
b. Provide a valued service
c. Be efficient
d. Be responsive
8. What is your impression of our customer office environment?
9. How well do we keep you informed on Labor laws, immigration, and the HR policies and
procedures?
10. What can we do to improve the diversity of our workforce and create a more welcoming
environment?
11. In your previous work experience, have you had a exceptional relationship with an HR office?
What made it an exceptional service?
12. At UNO, HR does not serve as a full‐service HR administrative service for faculty. Why is this?
And do you have any interest in changing this relationship?
13. What emerging workforce issues are you concerned about?
141

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9 OTHER DATA

Other Data
Focus Groups Types and Invitees
UNO Administration Leadership
John Christensen
Nancy Castilow
B.J. Reed
Terry Hynes
John Fiene
Harmon Mahrer
Wade Robinson
Deborah Smith‐Howell
Steve Bullock
Rita Henry
Bill Conley
Joe Huebner
John Amend
Jim Welch
Stan Schleifer
Tim Kaldahl
UNO Administration Staffs
~ Staffs of the above administrators
UNO New Employees
Jeanette Solberg, Advisor, Inter'l Studies & Programs
Rene Erlandson, Dir. of Ops, Criss Library
Ken Zeiger, Enrollment Specialist, Financial Aid
Charles Bibbs, Groundskeeper I, Grounds
Lesa Perry, Manager, Int'l Studies & Programs
Lisa Tedesco, Transfer Tech Consultant, NBDC
Desdemona "Demi" Treat, Secretary Specialist, HPER
Anthony Bolan, Clerical Asst. II, Student Affairs
Ann Oatman, Business Mgr., Athletics
143

Cody Haner, Campus Security Officer, Security
John Hobbs, Software Engr., ISQA
Michael Galloway, Food Tech I, Food Services
Michael Obbink, Asst. Controller, Finance
David Ahlers, Dir. of Athletics, Athletics
Katey Goebel, Staff Secretary, College of Educ.
Dan O'Dell, Web Coordinator, Academic & Student Affairs
Denise Peterson, Bus. Mgr. - Maverick Village, Student Affairs
Aaron Bomar, Bldg. Service Tech, Facilities
Teonne Daye, Webmaster, Criss Library
Char Riewer, Coord. - CADRE, College of Educ.
Kellie Pickett, Advisor, Grad. Studies
Timothy "Tim" Struck, Jr., Facilities Op II, Facilities
Victoria "Vickie" Carlisle, Office Manager-Inst. Collaboration Sciences
Sebastian Torres, Custodian-Student Center
Michele Roberts, Associate Athletics Director
Tina Helmers, Enrollment Specialist II-Financial Aid
John Bentzinger, Campus Security Officer
Rochelle Startks-Legon, Food Tech III-Food Services
Jennifer Rock, Budget Assistant-Business & Finance
Teonne Daye, Webmaster-Criss Library
Stephanie Gaa, Clerical Assistant II-Dean's Office-Arts & Sciences
Lyndsie Hayes, Secretary III-Psychology
Stephanie Viola, Library Asistant-Criss Library
David Brown, Computer Tech II-College of Public Affairs & Community Service
Olga Echevaria, Supervisor-Custodial Services
UNO Hiring Managers
Jolene Adams
Marcia Adler
Nita Armendariz
John Bartle
Candice Batton
Melvin Clancy
Joseph Kaminski
Alice Villone
Michael Schmidt
Lowell Neuhaus
Edward Johnson
Deb Brozak
Felicia Dailey
Gary Duff
Merry Ellen Turner
Janice Fink
Thomas Frette
Ann Fruhling
Matthew Galardi
Lucy Garza
Sarah Grieb
Robert Graham
Sue Bollich
Dean Hayes
144

Vida Hill
Robert Hoffman
Allison Junker
Lanyce Keel
Mary Kate Clark
JoAnn Kratky
Marie Lee
Jeremy Lipschultz
Joseph Price
Kathy Menke
David Meradith
Joyce Messick
Sue Minnini
Gina Hotaling
Larry Morgan
Becky Murphy
Hayley Patton
Gayle Peterson
Karen Ressegieu
Marti Rosen-Atherton
Christy Tilford
Barb Treadway
Sheryl Croghan
Rhonda Sheibal Carver
Marla Smith-Hester
Sara Woods
Marsha Vance
Sandra Walling
Jim Welch
UNO Student Employees
Allen, Courtney
Ashmore, Andrew
Atuluku, Sunday
Beachler, Morgan
Beckner, Kyle
Black, Danielle
Blackmore, Jeff
Boeselager, Margaret
Brennan, Kelly
Brogren, Sarah
Brown, Lazell C.
Burton, James
Cifuentes, Anamaria
Davis, Vernon
Davlatov, Ismatullo
Desimio, Samantha E.
145

Dozark, Jessica L.
Edionseri, Richardson
Etzrodt, Christina
Faltin, Sarah
Furumi, Tenshi
Garcia, Roger
Gosch, Sarah E.
Hellman, Blaine E.
Hochstein, Sarah
Hong, Eunah
Jones, Maria
Kalekar, Lokeschandra
Kielion, Scott
Koch, Zachary A.
Kowal, Nikki L.
Kulkarni, Aditya
Kumari,Meenakshi
Lempka, Matthew
Martin, Stephanie F.
McBride, Clinton
Mogari, Badr
Muller, Rachel
Murray, Scott
Nguyen, Randy
Nurton, Bianca
Ott, Cari
Palermo, Sara
Pothula, Prashanth
Reagan, Mark
Rogers, JaShawn
Schmitt, Ryan C.
Seo, Minjae
Sharif‐Kashani, Ali
Shin, Hae Su
Swett, William
Toshmatov, Aziz
Vazquez, Edward
Wallace, Tanisha
Warnke, Julia
Wood, Amy J.
Wragge, Nathan
146

UNO Faculty Senate
~ Full Membership
UNO Staff Advisory Council
~ Full Membership
UNO Cross Section of Employees
Lanyce
Christy
Richard
Marti
Teresa
Joe
Gary
Edward
Becky
Betty
Karen
Dave
Marcia
Deb
Marsha
Alice
Sharon
Linda
Tom
Bill
Pat
Janet
John
Rita
David
Keel
Tilford
May, Jr.
Rosen‐Atherton
Carlson
Huebner
Repair
Johnson
Brown
Channel
Ressegieu
Daniels
Adler
Burchard
Vance
Villone
Larsen
Mannering
Frette
Swanson
Gillenwater
Padrnos
Leed
Henry
Drozd
147

First Name
Last Name
Sara
Woods
B.J.
Reed
John
Langan
Loree
Bykerk
Angela
Eikenberry
Richard
Duggin
Kenneth
Geluso
Mary Lynn
Reiser
Nancy
Edick
Karen
Falconer Al‐Hindi
Donald
Baum
David
Volkman
Mary
Lopez
Phyllis
Adcock
Sharon
Hofschire
Laura
Grams
Jeffrey
Olsenholler
Frances
Addy
Diane
Andrew
Joseph
Caniglia
JoAnn
Carrigan
Hugh
Cowdin
Donald
Dendinger
Raymond
Guenther
Jeanne
Harrington
Robert
Mathis
Marguerite
McGill
C. Raymond Millimet
Bonnie
Pedrini
Joyce
Redman
Sharon
Schneidewind
Dale
Stover
Dan
Sullivan
David
Sutherland
Karen
Todd
Larry
Trussell
Beverly
Walker
148

Blaine
James
Dorothy
Bruce
Robert
Ward
Wood
Patach
Horacek
Schmidt
149

Additional Inputs – Faculty Salary Report
UNO School of Public Administration
Faculty Salary Study
Academic Year 2007-2008
April, 2008
Faculty of the School of Public Administration conducted a study of faculty salaries with the goal
of maintaining UNO’s position nationally in the field of public administration. The National Association
of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) accredits Master's programs such as ours.
NASPAA has 254 member institutions, 158 of which (including UNO) are accredited. In the recently
released 2008 rankings, the UNO School of Public Administration placed 27th overall and 15th among
public institutions. The School competes for leading scholars with the best programs in the nation.
The data below are the result of a special study from Institutional Research and Information
Management at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater (IRIM). IRIM conducts an annual faculty salary
survey of state institutions nationwide; for 2006-2007 the survey included 127 institutions. The School of
Public Administration salary committee chose 39 of these as useful market comparables from the U.S.
News rankings (using these criteria: large MPA program, some with a doctoral program, focus on public
administration/management). Of these, IRIM had data available for 17 institutions in the specific U.S.
Department of Education job classification for public administration. These 17 show considerable
diversity in geographical location, high and low cost of living areas, and known high and low salary
scales. Two of them are tied with UNO in the U.S. News rankings, 4 are above UNO, and 11 are below.
The results of the special study show substantial negative differences between UNO and the
averages for the peer schools at all ranks. The survey we performed a year ago using 2005-2006 CUPA-
HR (College and University Professional Association for Human Resources) data yielded seven
comparable schools and showed significant departures from the mean and median for full professors but
not associates and assistants. (The CUPA survey of 2005-2006 salaries showed a $23,076 negative
difference between the UNO and CUPA means for full professors; UNO associates were $2932 above the
CUPA mean and the one assistant was $3326 below.) This year’s larger pool of comparables from the
IRIM survey shows negative differences between the UNO and IRIM means at all ranks, with the
smallest difference at the associate level, a moderate difference at the assistant level, and a large
difference at the full professor level. These findings suggest significant concerns about recruitment and
retention.
Shown below are the institutions included in the study, a summary of results, and differences
between UNO salaries and the Oklahoma averages by rank. The Oklahoma survey includes department
chairs and others with administrative assignments provided they teach at least one-half time (excluding
summer teaching), and it likely includes named professorships, so the UNO equivalents are included in
our study. No compensation paid during the summer is included in the survey or in the UNO figures
given below. During AY 2006-2007 (excluding summer), one faculty member (Williams) was paid a
program chair stipend of $5000 and one faculty person (White) had a professorship with a stipend of
150

$5000. Stipends for the Urban Studies and MPH programs, and for the Nebraska Clerk’s School, were
paid in summer.
Stipends and professorships are somewhat different in AY 2007-2008. Three program chair
stipends (MPA, Urban Studies, PhD) are paid during the academic year (the MPH stipend is paid during
summer), four faculty (Box, Krane, Reed, White) have professorships with stipends, and one faculty
member (Reed) has a stipend for the Nebraska Clerks’ School that is paid in summer. However, the IRIM
data and the UNO figures used in this study are only from AY 2006-2007.
Institutions included in the study
Auburn University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida State University
Georgia State University
Louisiana State University
Ohio State University
Portland State University
Texas A & M University
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Georgia
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Maryland at College Park
University of Missouri at Columbia
University of New Mexico
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
West Virginia University
151

Results for PA faculty (salary figures in dollars)
Rank UNO avg average high low N #inst
Professor 87,536 117,750 195,783 72,369 77 16
Associate 77,510 81,484 131,125 53,570 50 16
Assistant 68,726 98,892 45,531 59 14
New Asst 57,250 67,020 80,000 50,000 11 7
Difference between UNO and surveyed schools
Professor: $30,214
Associate: $3974
New Assistant: $9770
152