Message from the Vice Chancellor

 

As the present now 
Will later be past 
The order is rapidly fadin'. 
And the first one now 
Will later be last 
For the times they are a-changin'.

 - Bob Dylan

 

There are few truisms more true than "nothing stays the same."  Change is certainly blowin' in the wind here at CUNY and in our city.  We have a new interim Chancellor; very soon we'll have a new mayor.  Several of our long-serving Presidents are taking well-deserved retirements, old colleagues are finding timely ways to use their talents around the University, and new partners are joining us as administrations are formed.  And even though Allan Dobrin insists that no one likes change except wet babies, this is a good thing. Yes, change is good!  Once the dust settles, as it always does, we'll find that our mission is intact and perhaps our purpose has even been clarified and sharpened by being re-visioned by those with a new and different perspective.

Working with new people can be intriguing, stressful, inspiring, occasionally intimidating, and almost invariably exciting.  Learning to "read" colleagues and understand what makes them tick is an art that not enough of us practice.  I myself have a number of new senior-level employees - see the sidebar! - and in fact, the number of my total staff has grown significantly as the payroll centralization project has progressed.  The resulting influx of new ideas and theories and practices has sometimes seemed more like cacophony than orchestration.

With that in mind, I recently held a retreat for my senior staff to practice the art of working with people whose methods and thought processes differ from theirs. The first step was to understand our own personal work styles.  We were introduced to the DiSC method by Ouida Vendrys of Resolution Management, Inc.  Each person underwent a personal DiSC analysis that determined what methods, priorities and preferences best described his/her work style.

To give a quick synopsis, the "D" in DiSC stands for Dominance, and a "D" personality is usually direct, results-oriented, forceful and strong-willed.  The "i" stands for "Influence," characterizing a personality that is outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic, lively and high-spirited. "C" or Conscientious workers tend to be analytical, reserved, precise and systematic, while an "S" or Steadiness individual is patient, even-tempered, accommodating and tactful.

Needless to say, all DiSC styles are equally valuable, and every individual is a blend of all four styles, but most tend strongly to one or two.  I myself am a "DC," a combination of dominance and conscientious traits.  (Surprised?)  My team learned about each other's DiSC profiles and gained an understanding of how each other's work styles and priorities can actually help us connect better and build more effective work relationships.  The workshop was entertaining, enlightening and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.  We came back to the office with a new appreciation for each other's unique contributions, and a sense of how by connecting with each other, we fill gaps and create a cohesive whole out of many separate parts.

Connecting is becoming more and more important in our increasingly scattered CUNY universe.  The Central Office alone is now dispersed among seven locations.  One can easily lose focus in these situations, especially if we begin to feel isolated or detached from the University community.  Technology can only take us so far - indeed, sometimes technology becomes just one more piece we have to manage.  We have to pay attention to the personal connections between workers, supervisors, managers and administrators, and keep relating our work back to the essential tasks of supporting our faculty and educating our students.

If we can accomplish that, then the inevitable changes currently sweeping across our University can be used as a force for renewal and rejuvenation.


 

 

 

 

 

Gloriana B. Waters

Vice Chancellor

   

 

 

For more information on the DiSC process, go to http://www.discprofile.com/whatisdisc.htm.    

 

In This Issue
Fall Training Series with PDLM
New Faces at OHRM
CUNY Campaign Kick-Off
Everybody Asks Raymond
Diversity Briefs: Microaggressions
CUNY Recruitment Survey
OHRM Issues New Personnel Orders
OHRM "Spotlight on Achievement"

"Fall" into Leadership and Technology Training in October with PDLM 


OHRM's Office of Professional Development and Learning Management (PDLM) kicks off its 2013-2014 training year with a series of special learning opportunities for CUNY employees.  These courses have been designed to help staff in various job groups achieve expert knowledge in the use of office technology and increase their professional proficiency. Read More >>   

 

New Faces at OHRM


Michael Collins and Harold Andrieux 
Michael Collins has joined the Office of Recruitment & Diversity, and Harold Andrieux is the newest member of OHRM's HR Strategic Planning & Technology unit. Read More >>

CUNY Campaign Kicks Off with "The Power of 1"


Vice Chancellor Gloriana Waters, Chair of the 2013 CUNY Campaign for Voluntary Giving, launched this year's effort with a reception on September 27, 2013 for the campus coordinators, dubbed CUNY's "Charitable Champions."

Noting that this is the CUNY Campaign's 30th year, Vice Chancellor Waters celebrated the fact that over three decades, University employees have contributed millions of dollars to help their college communities and the New York community.
 Read More >>

In Memoriam: Miguel Lopez 


 
OHRM lost a dear colleague when Miguel Lopez passed away on October 2nd following an illness.  A longtime member of the staff of Central Office Human Resources, Miguel was with City University for more than 28 years, touching many lives with his expertise in payroll.  A native of Puerto Rico, Miguel will be remembered by his friends and co-workers as a kind, generous and compassionate person with tremendous spirit.  He will be missed.
Raymond F. O 'Brien
Everybody Asks Raymond

  About HEO Overtime and Compensatory Time 

   

Q.    Are employees in the Higher Education Officer series entitled to overtime pay?

A.    Some employees in the Higher Education Officer (HEO) series are entitled to overtime pay at the rate of time and one-half; others are not.  Eligibility for overtime pay, which arises from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), depends on an employee's specific job duties.  Generally speaking, employees in the titles Assistant to HEO and Higher Education Assistant will be eligible for overtime pay, while employees in the titles Higher Education Associate and Higher Education Officer will not be eligible, but this is a general rule only and there are exceptions.  Each job template in CUNYfirst designates whether the position is exempt or non-exempt from overtime under the FLSA.

Q.    What is the FLSA requirement regarding overtime?

A.    The FLSA requires that non-exempt employees be paid at the rate of time and one-half for hours actually worked beyond 40 hours in the employees' established work week.

Q.    Are employees in the HEO series entitled to compensatory time for hours worked beyond their 35-hour work week?

A.    Employees in the HEO series who are represented by the PSC are entitled to compensatory time for hours worked beyond the 35-hour work week under the terms of the "HEO Compensatory Time Agreement." Such additional time must be authorized in advance in writing by a supervisor designated by the College President. 

Q.    What happens if a person in the HEO series is eligible for overtime pay after 40 hours because he/she is non-exempt under the FLSA and is also eligible for compensatory time because he/she is represented by the PSC?

A.    In such a case, the employee would receive compensatory time for the hours assigned and approved between the contractual 35 hours and 40 hours and would receive overtime pay at time and one-half for hours actually worked over 40 hours in the work week.  Read More >>

Jennifer S. Rubain
Diversity Briefs ... from the Office of Recruitment and Diversity
 Microaggressions: The Little Things that Hurt

As we embark on a new academic year, I want to extend best wishes to you for a productive, engaging and rewarding term.  As you work diligently to create an environment where students, faculty, and staff thrive, you certainly understand the benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion.  A commitment to these values helps to ensure that all members of our community feel valued, appreciated and respected. 

Those of you who handle discrimination complaints know that people often complain about comments or actions from supervisors or peers that make them feel devalued and unappreciated.  Some of these behaviors have a name:  microaggressions.  Microaggressions are brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults, according to Professor Derald Wing Sue of Columbia University's Teachers College. (Sue et al., 2007)

These subtle forms of discrimination can be deeply ingrained in our society.  In fact, often the person who commits a microaggression actually intended the comment to be a compliment and is totally unaware that it was viewed by the recipient as insulting or demeaning.  Hidden biases, assumptions or stereotypes can intersect with our multiple identities to impact on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, age, religion, etc.
 
Internalized hurt and humiliation may result from these encounters, and the effects of microaggressions are cumulative, impacting one's morale and self-worth, potentially leading to anxiety, shame, depression and other health issues.  In the workplace, this may result in lack of engagement, absenteeism, lost productivity and turnover. (Sue et al., 2007).

Microaggressions in the Workplace   

Awareness of the overall negative effects of microaggressions has become increasingly important, especially in a diverse workforce.  In order to foster an atmosphere of inclusion where all feel valued for their contributions, it is important to become familiar with the occurrence of microaggressions so that we can offer corrective measures. Silence may imply tacit approval of inappropriate behaviors.

Here are some examples of microaggressions that may be found in the workplace: Read More >>

CUNY Recruitment Effectiveness Customer Survey  

  Anne Chamberlain, University Director for Talent Acquisition

CUNY's success in recruiting and hiring is influenced by the experience of candidates during the search process.  Many people, consciously or not, make decisions based on their first impressions, and many share these impressions with others, sometimes even in social media and other wide-ranging outlets.  While we do not have control over how candidates respond, we can attempt to project the best possible impression, one that reflects CUNY's mission and values.
  
We wanted to get a sense of candidates' experiences in the recruiting and hiring process -particularly those who accepted a CUNY position - and also learn a bit more about them (for example, how many relocated to take a job with us).  This past spring, the Office of Recruitment and Diversity (ORD) undertook a survey of CUNY employees in selected titles, previously employed at CUNY or not, who had taken a new position as a result of a search process.  We invited nearly 700 individuals who took full-time positions in Faculty, HEO series, Classified Managerial, College Laboratory Technician, and Classified Information Technology titles between May 2012 and May 2013 to complete an on-line survey in which we asked questions about the search process.  We had responses from nearly 40% of those we invited. This article provides an overview of some of our most interesting findings.

Characteristics of Participants

Individuals selected for CUNY positions often had previous experience with the University, suggesting both a high level of internal career mobility and a high value placed on CUNY experience in the recruitment of faculty and staff.
  • 48% of faculty had some prior CUNY work history (32% adjuncts, 5% substitutes, 4% administrators, and 7% graduate assistants)
  • 43% of non-faculty had held a previous job at CUNY
Many individuals also had experience as CUNY students (23% of appointed faculty, 41% of non-faculty).  43% of faculty and 9% of non-faculty relocated to take their position at CUNY.

Information Sources

CUNYfirst/TAM and campus websites were the most common sources for information about position vacancies for 88% of faculty job-seekers and 63% of non-faculty.  The next most common source of information was direct communication with an individual already at CUNY.  When they consulted internet job boards other than CUNY's, candidates tended to concentrate on a few large sites, especially The Chronicle of Higher Education, HigherEdJobs.com, and Indeed.com, and did not rely on niche or specialty job sites. Read More >>

OHRM Issues New Personnel Orders for Classified Titles 

One of OHRM's responsibilities is to regularly review the University's existing classified titles and job specifications to make sure they're up-to-date, are assigned appropriate and current responsibilities, and require appropriate qualifications.  Our review often involves discussions with campus and University executives and includes sharing the proposed changes with the union representing the classified title.  In addition, the Vice Chancellor has the responsibility to create new classified titles and abolish old titles as appropriate.  Whenever OHRM creates, revises and/or abolishes classified titles and job specifications, a "Personnel Order" is approved by the Vice Chancellor and promulgated to the campuses.

OHRM has issued the following five Personnel Orders thus far in 2013:

PO 2013-01: Created hourly versions of Nurse Practitioner Level 1 and 2.

PO 2013-02: Clarified earlier Personnel Orders that created hourly versions of Administrative Superintendents of Buildings and Grounds.

PO 2013-03: Created the new classified title Software Developer - PeopleSoft.  This full-time and hourly title was specifically created for new vacancies.

PO 2013-04: Created hourly versions of Computer Systems Manager, Levels 1 - 8.  Previously, only Computer Systems Manager, Level 1 had an hourly version.

PO 2013-05: Revised the Project Manager job specification duties and qualifications to be up-to-date.  The title's pay ranges and levels were not affected.  Read More >> 

"Spotlight on Achievement" Shines on OHRM Staff 

On Thursday, September 26th, Vice Chancellor Waters recognized three OHRM staff members who were nominated by their supervisors or colleagues for making significant contributions to the operations of the Office of Human Resources Management, and whose work was deemed to exemplify aspects of OHRM's core values and goals of customer C.A.R.E. (Courtesy, Attention, Responsiveness, Empathy), teamwork, leadership, integrity, initiative, and innovation. 


Those recognized included Rosanna Lew of the Executive Unit, John Conway of Central Office Human Resources, and Denise Olivares of the Office of Recruitment and Diversity. 

 

From left: Rosanna Lew, John Conway, Vice Chancellor Waters, Denise Olivares.
About Us
The CUNY Office of Human Resources Management is responsible for developing and maintaining the University's human resources program. From talent acquisition through retirement, we provide guidance on best practices and required procedures that enable the University to manage its diverse workforce.  We ensure compliance with the CUNY Board of Trustees' policies and procedures, governmental rules including affirmative action and equal opportunity employment, as well as with the University's collective bargaining agreements. OHRM administers employee benefits and professional development programs for University staff and oversees the administration of CUNY's Civil Service obligations.  
 

Our Mission:  To provide strategic, consultative and effective human resources services that promote organizational success, individual achievement, inclusiveness and excellence.

 

Our Vision: OHRM will serve the University community by embracing the dual roles of transaction and transformation in response to the current and emerging needs of the University and its workforce.  It will become a model for human resources as internal consultant and problem-solver; it will provide expertise and leadership to enable the campuses and the University to achieve their goals while complying with pertinent HR policies and regulations.  In all matters, OHRM will carry out its duties in a manner that is respectful, knowledgeable, and that reflects the highest standards of inclusiveness and excellence.   

 


A quarterly newsletter published by
The City University of New York
205 East 42nd Street
New York, New York 10017

Editor
Eileen Hawkins

HR Electronic Media Manager
Sheraine D. Gilliam

 

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