Please see below for updates and announcements from the Office of Human Resources.
Important Dates and Deadlines
November 30: Tuition Remission applications due
December 4: All Supervisor’s Meeting, 1:00 – 2:30pm, Emerson Suites
December 10: December Commencement, 10:00 am, Athletics and Events Center
December 14: President’s Holiday Gathering, 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Emerson Suites
December 15: Cash Award applications are due
December 23 – January 1: Winter Break
January 10, 2024: Welcome Back Winter Luncheon, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm, Terrace Dining Hall
Human Resources Organization Changes: From Business Partners to Consultants
Nearly three years ago, we implemented the HR Business Partner model with the intention of “building stronger campus relationships and providing consistent and enhanced customer service.” In doing so, HR Business Partners were assigned to specific divisions and departments “as the primary point of contact for all of your HR needs.” As we continue to assess HR effectiveness, and as a result of the feedback we received from our HR effectiveness survey and group feedback sessions, we are excited to announce the following changes to our HR organization structure.
Effective November 2023, we have already begun to shift from our HR Business Partner model to a specialized Consultant model. Whereas the HR Business Partner model provided division/department-specific support, the Consultant model will provide direct support for specific HR programs, to better streamline HR processes across the College. Our consultants include:
- Benefits & Work/Life Consultant: Julie Tinkham provides guidance and services that support employee benefits, leave management, and work/life initiatives.
- Employee Relations & Training/Development Consultant: Kimberly Lieb provides guidance and support for employee relations, performance, training, and professional development.
- Recruiting & Employment Consultant: Amy Overstrom provides guidance and support for recruiting and onboarding programs, search committee support, and the candidate experience.
- Assistant Director for Payroll and Student Employment: Jenn Brown provides key payroll support as well as guidance and support for all things student employment.
In addition to our HR Consultants, our new Workforce Strategy & HR Technology Team will support our HR systems, analytics, and compensation programs. This team includes:
- Lead, Workforce Strategy & HR Technology: Jackson Short provides support and strategy for IC HR Cloud, people analytics, and compensation and workforce planning.
- HRIS Analyst, Total Rewards Programs: Megan Escobar provides support for benefits, payroll and timecard technology, and data in IC HR Cloud and beyond.
- HRIS Associate, Talent Programs: Brynn Fielding provides support for recruiting, performance and talent, and training technology, and data in IC HR Cloud and beyond.
Please refer to this link to find information about who to contact for each HR service, or this link to view the complete HR staff directory. You may also visit us on the Garden Level of the Peggy Ryan Williams Center.
Updates to Flexible Work Plan Policy
In Ithaca College’s ongoing commitment to the promotion of healthy work/life integration, we have updated the Flexible Work Plan Policy to provide additional information and guidance. The revised policy includes updated options and definitions of Flexible Work Plans, Travel Policies for Hybrid and Remote Flexible Work Plans, and position and employee suitability criteria for eligibility. The update also includes information on review and non-continuation of a Flexible Work Plan. All existing Flexible Work Plans will be required to be resubmitted and approved by supervisors and respective Vice Presidents no later than January 2, 2024. We are currently finalizing the revised Flexible Work Plan application and will share its location online as soon as it is ready for use. Once the resubmitted Flexible Work Plan has been approved, it must be reviewed by the employee and the supervisor every 6 months. However, more regular check-ins are recommended throughout the approved Flexible Work Plan period to ensure the plan continues to meet the needs of the department and of the college. The complete updated Flexible Work Plan Policy can be found here.
All Supervisor’s Meeting
Join Title IX and the Office of Human Resources in a conversation on the importance of establishing healthy boundaries with students and colleagues when power dynamics exist on Monday, December 4th from 1:00 – 2:30 pm in Emerson Suites. This session will be offered in person only. A session will be offered at a later date for supervisors who are fully remote.
New York State Mandatory Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Training
As part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a workplace free from sexual harassment, we require all employees and affiliates working with our students, faculty, and staff to complete a New York State mandated training. As mandated by New York State, this training must be completed annually. On November 15, 2023, all employees who had not yet completed the training for fiscal year 2023-2024, were issued the “NYS Mandatory Preventing Harassment and Discrimination Training” in IC HR Cloud. The training is self-paced and will take most employees about one hour to complete. You do not need to complete the training in one session. You may save your progress at any time. Once your progress has been saved, you may exit the training, and return to it later. If you have any questions about the training, please contact the Office of Human Resources. The mandatory training must be completed by December 31, 2023.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE TRAINING
HR Help Desk @ Your Service
The HR Effectiveness Survey and the Staff and Faculty HR Feedback Sessions provided HR with valuable insights about our accessibility, our availability, and our responsiveness. Based on these insights, we are happy to announce that beginning in January 2024, HR is joining IT’s Team Dynamix Client Portal, with a ticketing system and Knowledge Base, to provide you with a more streamlined way to access HR services and knowledge. The HR Help Desk will include: - HR Home page in TeamDynamix that will promote HR services, knowledge articles, and points of contact.
- HR ticketing page through the “Services” tab in TeamDynamix, with tickets for general help and questions, as well as all HR forms in one place.
- HR Knowledge Base, with helpful information, references, and job aids for understanding and managing all HR processes and policies.
The HR Helpdesk will not replace other touchpoints, such as our phone line, in person and virtual consultations, and the HR website. Instead, the HR Help Desk will enhance our services, and provide our constituents with a more streamlined way to reach us. In the coming weeks, we will communicate more information about the HR Help Desk through Intercom. In the meantime, if you have questions about the HR Help Desk, please contact humanresources@ithaca.edu.
New Faculty Retirement Incentive Program
Ithaca College is offering a voluntary program to eligible faculty members of the College that will provide an incentive for committing to a future retirement date by December 31 two years before the faculty member plans to retire. The faculty member who elects to participate in this program will enter into an agreement with the College to retire at a specific Retirement Date and to be paid 30% of the salary they received for their final full academic year of teaching while on a leave of absence in the final semester prior to the Retirement Date. A complete summary of the new Ithaca College Faculty Retirement Incentive Program can be found here.
IC HR Calendar
Want to stay in the know on important dates for the College? The IC HR Calendar is available to all campus Outlook users and provides details about important payroll deadlines, HR events, holidays, campus closures, and more. Please refer to the information in this article to learn how to add the IC HR Calendar in Outlook, and to learn about the information included on the IC HR Calendar.
New IC 403b Contribution Limits for 2024
Effective January 1, 2024, employees may contribute up to $23,000 annually into their IC 403b retirement accounts. Employees who are age 50 and older may contribute an additional $7,500 “catch up” contribution beyond the $23,000 for a total of $30,500. To make changes to your IC 403b retirement account, log into TIAA at: https://www.tiaa.org/public/tcm/ithaca, contact TIAA by phone at 1-800-842-2252, or request an appointment with a TIAA Consultant here.
New Employee Orientation for 2024
We are happy to announce that we have made some changes to the new employee orientation schedule based on your feedback. Starting January 2, 2024, the new hire orientation will now be held every Monday*. Sessions will continue to be held from 9:00 am – 11:00 am in G052 PRW.
We made this change to benefit both managers and new employees. By having the new hire orientation every Monday, managers will be able to plan their new employees’ first day. New employees will also have a better start to their week, as they will get to know the company culture, policies, and benefits on their first day. This will help them to integrate faster and more smoothly into their teams and roles. We believe that this change will enhance the quality of our onboarding process and increase the satisfaction and retention of our new hires.
*When a holiday falls on a Monday, orientation will move to Tuesday.
Staff Council Corner
- Please share your insights on the Performance Review Process:
Staff Council, in collaboration with HR, formed a “Redefining Performance Review Committee” to inform improving the performance review process.
To achieve this goal, the committee asks staff to complete a brief survey. Your feedback will be confidential, and your responses will only be used for the purpose of improving our performance review process.
-The deadline for completing the survey is December 15th.
-The survey should take 10-20 minutes to complete.
-Contact Samm Swarts, Staff Council Member, with any questions.
- Staff Council will be reaching out early December to staff in areas with current or upcoming vacancies to solicit interest in serving on Staff Council. Elections will be held late December. Please think about serving! If your area does not have a vacancy, and you are still interested in serving on Staff Council, please email staffcouncil@ithaca.edu. They often need staff to serve as “at-large” members for areas with vacancies.
- Staff Council is looking to expand participation on some of their committees to any staff member, not just those serving on Staff Council. Click on the Committee interest form to show your interest. They are not asking for any commitment at this time but are looking to gauge interest. Please contact Staffcouncil@ithaca.edu with any questions or concerns.
IC Warm Welcome!
Ayree Coletti
Joshua Clapp
Stacey Daugherty
Alex Frey
Julie Gerg
Matthew Herbert
Olivia Haring
Dana Lee
Marissa Scott
Michele Sherman
Hillary Soule
Jackie Stanton
Eleanor Kay
Sandy Kelley
Ashley Troutman
Tyler Oxley
Jonathan Zareski
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