Town Hall Q&A
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions ahead of and during the town hall hosted on April 6, 2022. The following questions include those asked during the town hall, as well as those that were submitted but not able to be addressed due to time constraints.
Compensation and Total Rewards
Q: What role will managers play in the delivery of adjustment information to their direct reports?
All employees will receive a letter from Human Resources, whether they are receiving an adjustment or not. At the time of this writing, department AVPs and Deans have been made aware of upcoming adjustments for employees within their units. AVPs and Deans should work directly with directors, supervisors and managers to plan for and help to communicate the information.
Q: What is the process if employees feel their adjustment is not what they expected?
Understanding that an employee’s job description on file may no longer accurately encompass actual work performed, employees who feel their adjustment does not appropriately reflect their work should meet with their direct supervisor to raise these concerns. Supervisors should then agree on any changes to the current job description, aggregate recommendations from within their unit and schedule a follow up meeting with Human Resources.
Q: Will we see the full results of the compensation study in regard to how we compare to other institutions?
Compensation statements will be mailed to each and every employee, regardless of whether or not they have been identified for an adjustment. This statement will include the identified salary range for their individual position, which was determined based on market research and information from other institutions, as well as where their pay falls within that range. Employees with specific questions regarding their individual position and range should initiate a conversation with their immediate supervisor.
Q: As a Jesuit, Catholic institution, can we update our family leave options to be more in line with encouraging family growth? For example, a better maternity/paternity leave policy that is truly equitable rather than equal? Daycare credit/partnerships for Regis University students, faculty and staff?
Our family medical leave (FML) and parental leave policies were updated in Fall 2021 to allow an employee to use all available sick leave while on approved FML – the current policy is listed below:
Birth of a child – once the 6 or 8 weeks of disability ends, employee can now use available sick leave for the remaining weeks of family medical leave (an additional 4 or 6 weeks).
Care of a child (to include newborn, adoption or foster care placement) – increased the parental leave to allow an employee to use up to 12 weeks of available sick leave (an additional 10 weeks) for the full 12 weeks of family medical leave.
In either instance, employee can still use vacation if their sick leave is exhausted. If their vacation is exhausted or they are not eligible for vacation, this time can be taken as unpaid time.
The previous policies allowed employees to use sick leave for any other type of family medical leave. The policy will now allow the usage of sick leave to include birth or care of a newborn or adopted child in the first 12 months (entitlement expires 12 months after birth, adoption or placement).
Additional questions regarding this policy should be directed to Human Resources.
Research Faculty
Q: Dr. Riley, you've previously talked about creating/adjusting some faculty positions to be more research-focused with additional support for grant writing and research efforts. Specifically with the departure of the director of CSRE, what is the current status of that plan? Any idea when faculty will be able to apply for one of those positions?
With thanks to Chris Roberts who has done incredible work as the Director of CSRE for many years, we now look ahead to re-envisioning this role to facilitate research and scholarship across the university. A personal priority of Dr. Riley, the current goal is to have positions open by July 1, 2022. We will be reaching out to both faculty and staff for their input on this important initiative. If you have suggestions and or ideas regarding this position please reach out to the Office of the Provost via provost@regis.edu.
Sustainability
Q: I would love for Regis to continue to explore increasingly being "green." Limiting the use of single-use plastic bottles, exploring solar options, increasing the number of EV charging stations...are there thoughts about this or plans?
Sustainability initiatives are absolutely a priority for the university, both now and for our future. We are proud that our new synthetic turf athletic fields, with no need for watering, will save over 5 million gallons of water each year and eliminate the need for 6 hours of weekly mowing. The stadium lighting that was installed was chosen in part due to reduced energy usage. In addition, we are exploring ways to utilize renewable energy across campus, and a group of employees from across the university meet regularly as part of the Regis Sustainability Network to discuss additional ways in which we can better care for our planet. Regis is committed to Pope Francis 'Laudato Si' focused on caring for our common home. We are at the beginning stage of exploring alternative sources of energy to meet the needs of our campus.
Staffing and Morale
Q: Many of our campus departments are understaffed, with people across the University performing the duties of two or three full-time positions for extended periods of time. How do you plan to address staffing shortages short-term and long-term?
We recognize that we will not achieve our institutional goals without adequate staffing levels. One of the main goals of the Organized for Success initiative is to evaluate our current organizational structure and provide recommendations for how we can more effectively and efficiently utilize our human resources. A faculty, staff and student survey will be deployed by April 30, 2022 to solicit feedback as to what needs to change and what needs to stay the same so that we can be successful in the long term.
We also encourage you to work with your department leaders to identify gaps that need to be filled in the short term. Faculty and staff who feel there is an immediate need for new positions to support enrollment and retention should work with their department head, in concert with human resources to submit these requests to their respective cabinet member.
Q: What are the institution's short term and long term plans for Athletics regarding staffing, additional facility upgrades and overall dedicated resources?
Regis University’s Athletics Department is staffed to the minimum standards for the Rocky Mountain Athletics Conference (RMAC). We realize that we are stretched and have submitted staffing proposals with the FY23 budget. Our plan is to finish the new state-of-the-art fields with a scoreboard, etc. We hope the floor of the Berce Athletics Center is finalized soon as we welcome our youth camps and Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer.
Q: Compensation study aside, what efforts are being made to increase employee morale? Summer Fridays seemed like an effective, low-cost way to raise employee spirits, are things like that in consideration?
We are so grateful to be resuming campus and employee life and events. Just as we are revitalizing student activities, we are exploring opportunities to bring faculty and staff together in the spirit of fun and comradery. We have a few events scheduled over the summer and plan to start in earnest at the beginning of the academic year.
What will you do to support employee morale for those who do not get a compensation adjustment?
We are ensuring that supervisors have the readiness to have conversations with employees who are not getting a compensation adjustment and those whose morale may be low for other reasons.
Q: Will the annual employee recognition ceremony be brought back and if so, when?
Yes! This is planned for Fall 2022.
Facilities
Q: Student retention and enrollment has been a concern for quite some time, but there is also a lack of space on campus for classrooms, student groups, study groups and meetings. Can you address our lack of options for expansion for these groups, as well as choices to prioritize leasing space to outside organizations to generate revenue?
The Events Support Policy established in 2014 and revised in 2021 defines and prioritizes accommodations and support for all types of events held on campus. Official University events take precedence over all others and include academic and mission-related functions, followed by business-related revenue-generating events and finally private events scheduled by faculty, staff, students or alumni for personal purposes or for individual business ventures. External groups hosting conferences, meetings or activities also fall into this category.
Q: With more restrictions in neighborhood parking, can Regis accommodate more students and staff parking on campus? Would there be a consideration for a reduction in parking fees, as it can currently be cost-prohibitive.
There are approximately 500 parking spaces left unfilled on campus daily, most in Lot #6. Community members prefer to park closer to the center of campus and so elect not to take advantage of the open spaces. Regis is not considering a reduction in parking but also has not increased parking costs since permits were instituted.
Q: Is the final price tag known for the construction of the new athletic fields?
The overall cost of the new fields is ~$2.8M. Shea Homes and Shea Family Charities paid for more than half of the expense. Regis University's obligation will be helped by the deal with Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer. Arrupe Jesuit High School also contributed to the overall cost with the help of their benefactors.
Q: What is the plan for Regis Square, specifically the empty locations? Is there any conclusive plan regarding it's future use?
The empty locations result from our work with tenants making them aware of our plans. Regis Square will be demolished to make way for Regis Village. We are working with land planners, our community and the City to find the appropriate zoning designation for future development. We hope to break ground in 2024.
Q: Is there any consideration currently underway for moving the bookstore back to main campus?
There are no immediate plans to move the bookstore back into the center of campus; however, as Regis Village evolves, we will need to consider a new location. We will explore a number of options.
Student Engagement and Experience
Q: I'm curious about the process for the total withdrawal forms that students turn in. Who reviews those forms, and are we holding ourselves and each other accountable for the reasons students choose to withdraw from Regis?
A number of offices review the form. In Student Affairs, the dean of students (DOS) reviews it for functional purposes related to leave processes and other operational issues. However, when a student states a specific reason for withdrawing the DOS will forward that information to the appropriate office and department. These forms are also now being shared with the Office of the Provost. We are setting up a system to review and tabulate the information so that we can use the data to inform our practices both inside and outside the classroom. There are some concerns about the form itself and the limited menu of options from which students can choose. This is something that will be reviewed in the Provost's Office during the summer and any necessary amendments made. Student Affairs is also instituting student surveys. This will allow us to get feedback from our students before they choose to withdraw from Regis.
Q: In talking about Nordstrom prices warranting a Nordstrom experience, can you please speak to the motivation behind the dissolution of Student Services?
This was a decision made to shift to a student success and student coaching model. It is currently still being reviewed and adjusted for effectiveness and efficiency. We will continue to explore the best ways to serve our students under the new model.
Q: Can you speak a bit more to some characteristics of the Nordstrom Experience that you envision for our students, and is part of that vision extending that experience to our student's parents and families?
Nordstrom, a family-owned company, is known for providing excellent customer service and loyal, repeat customer base. This is in large part due to the company’s training and commitment to its employees. Regis University aspires to deliver an improved customer experience for students and families and, in so doing, recognizes that we need to improve the resources, training and experiences for our faculty and staff. All in all, this will allow us to improve in applications, enrollment, student and employee retention, our brand and our reputation.
Q: For years, internationalization has been listed as a priority on the university's strategic planning documents. Where are the current conversations on that topic?
The university’s efforts around internalization lead to a reimagining of the student study abroad program. As we begin developing the new strategic planning framework, it will be interesting to see how this topic emerges in our plan. We are exploring other options within ODEIE to facilitate and to grow the study abroad program.
Q: As we seek to re-ignite our identity and what sets Regis apart from other universities, is there a desire to remain strong in our identity as a Jesuit Catholic University? If so, what could it look like, as a whole, to positively promote this identity and not be bashful about it? If not, why not?
For the past 6 months, we have been actively engaged in developing a branding capstone project including actions and outcomes. At the core of this project is our Jesuit Catholic identity. All colleges and functions will hear about how we plan to unify and share our identity and brand with pride and without compromise.
Regis reflecting our Jesuit Catholic identity in the way it develops its financial plan. While most colleges and universities craft their budgets through active negotiation, Regis, through discernment, crafts its budget as a rearticulation of its mission.