St. Cloud State University

Recommendations

Administration Visibility

The location of the Office of the Chancellor is a concern for many faculty and staff participants. The Office of the Chancellor is 80 miles south in St. Paul and many cited that the Chancellor's office should be on or adjacent to the campus. The indication is that the Chancellor is not acculturated and sensitized to the issues of the campus since he is physically removed.

Furthermore, many thought that the President is not accessible to faculty, staff and students. These same group members acknowledged that the president attempts to "make physical contact," but his short-term appearances are not perceived as adequate to instill trust and confidence. Although all members respect and appreciate the hectic schedule of the president, they report that their most important relational quality sought was evidence of mutuality. Most members constructed their relationships via a number of different pathways. They suggested a fluid modality of communication that gives consideration to their growing urgency of mutuality, regard, and inter-campus communication.

Leadership

The recognition of the critical importance of creating a shared vision within and throughout their university; and understanding of the need to develop a strong sense of organizational and self awareness; the ability to create and foster a positive and constructive climate and culture where learning and effectiveness will regenerate itself is vital to the future of the university.

The university leadership will become more effective by taking charge, make things happen, develops and promotes a clear purpose and translates that thinking into reality. Many participants noted that the president and/or administration has yet to issue mission, vision and goal statements for the university. Developing these statements should be conducted using the talents of university personnel fostering "ownership" and accountability.

Currently, university leadership is ill-equipped and insensitive to handle or support the specific needs of faculty/staff of color, thus immediate proactive attention is recommended. Consequently, it is recommended that potential faculty and staff of color should not be hired until administrative action is initiated to foster a conducive and supportive university environment.

Fire several vice presidents and Deans who are known to be marginally effective and non-progressive; initiate an aggressive search to identify vice president candidates with proven track records to replace interim vice presidents who lack decision-making accountability and responsibility. Interim vice presidents who are known to render poor decisions should be given options to solicit input from a president appointed faculty and staff committee in order to facilitate bilateral decision-making.

All vice presidents should be required to hold a PhD degree or it equivalent in order to understand and deal with faculty and staff members who have earned the same. Moreover, it would promote the prestige and image of the university. VPs who have not earned a doctoral degree are not given the same creditability as other doctoral level staff.

Demographic isolation and the reliance on social comparison, looking at self in the social strata to compare self with subordinates, that this isolation seems to motivate in university leaders, area problems because together they cause senior university leaders to ignore, discount or invalidate the voices of those who are closest to the problems – staff personnel. A constant barometer reading of the university climate by university leadership vice the stimulation of an extreme event would rectify the problem of perception. University leaders should reduce the prevalence of their social comparison by using reliable sources of information within the university (i.e., special interest groups of staff and students, Affirmative Action Office, Human Resources, etc.).

Settle all pending legal cases as soon as possible and terminate the university divisiveness the cases have caused.

Administrator Coaching

Executive coaching is recommended for specific university leadership positions. Leadership is situational and there is no one best way. That means the coach and administrator are partners in trying new behaviors, which must be practiced right in front of the organization and all other viewers. There may be some shocks along the way, which facilitate future learning and change. This humbling experience requires an executive who knows oneself well and has the humility to ask for help from others.

Since the noted inter-group tension is largely based in racially context, it is recommended that the coach would be selected on the bases of demographics matching the client. Coach (contractor) would have the requisite requirements including a successful track record in institutions of higher educations or like organizations coaching; diversity and cultural competence training in large organizations/corporations, etc.

The syllabus may include the areas of coaching: communication skills for achieving high levels of productivity and leadership; political clarity and awareness training for leadership effectiveness; lessons for leading teams, individuals and companies through effective change; accountability checks for consistent progress monitoring; how to manage, lead and create loyalty on all levels within an unit/group or organization; creative ways to attract top talent and develop them for leadership; effective use of existing leadership; new and powerful ways to create communication between colleges, departments, and offices (both internally and externally).

Public Relations

One staff member stated, "We never build on the strengths of the university." Thus, pinpoint the university's strengths. Many people spend all their time looking for, analyzing and solving problems. In doing so, they fail to see all the positive factors that are alive and well throughout the university. A key-by-key look at the university will help uncover these hidden strengths. Several suggested forwarding a sincere effort to "preach" the good news of the university to all university personnel. In other words, accentuate the positive aspects of the university by media and through routine meetings. Hire a public relations contractor to initiate and set a long-term strategy of promoting a positive and progressive national image.

Rally support from local business leaders and local SCSU alumni and stakeholders to generate and operationalize a long-term strategy to align university and community in improving the public image of the university and committing to a diversity initiative.

One member mentioned the Appreciative Inquiry approach. "Appreciative Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives a system "life" when it is most effective and capable in economic, ecological and human terms."
How one starts a relationship usually dictates how it proceeds. Likewise, new employee orientations, when conducted at all, tend to cram sessions in which people learn about policies, functions, departments, offices, etc. Yet little is done to get to know new employees aside from a welcome luncheon. It is recommended that new staff be given an opportunity to know the information essential to bring out their best effort. Develop a program to follow-up on employees' perceptions and implemented recommendations periodically.

Establish an Office of Minority Affairs

Identify and hire a vice president committed to diversity initiatives at the university. Caucus of Color should be included in the search committee. Establish and fund an Office for (faculty, staff and student) Diversity. Appoint a provost or vice provost to set up Office of Diversity and related issues to coordinate all activities; this is similar to other universities in the country who are committed to diversity. Identify and hire a vice president committed to diversity initiatives at the university. Caucus of Color should be included in the search committee. Establish and fund an Office for (faculty, staff and student) Diversity. Appoint a provost or vice provost to set up office of diversity and related issues to coordinate all activities; this is similar to other universities in the country who are committed to diversity.

Stereotypes about cultural/diversity/studies also can be nipped in the bud through early exposure to the field, which students now don't encounter until they reach college. Cultural diversity studies have never been introduced into pre-college curricula in many school districts in Minnesota.

University curricula must reach beyond the present tokenism of merely acknowledging race/ethnic and gender observances, to incorporate perspectives on diversity achievement and experience into appropriate studies in history, government, and other social studies classes. Reserving the study of people of color and their concerns for only those students who eventually attend college is a gross disservice to the many young people whose educations end with high school. Human beings when dealing with threatening issues, typically act in ways that inhibit the generation of valid information and creates self-sealing patterns of escalating error". They see people withholding holding thoughts and feelings, speaking with high levels of inference, attributing defensiveness and negative motives to others, and placing the responsibility for errors on others or situational factors.

Standardize Hiring Practices and Implement a Retention Strategy

The personnel who have served on search committees reported that these committees vary in operations. Faculty and staff members recommend standardizing all search committee processes and procedures. Establish criteria (including diversity) for committee membership, committee precepts, formal guidelines and reporting procedures, stated candidate qualifications and background, candidate application management, etc.

As most personnel acknowledged, most universities are not only having difficulty attracting new employees, they are finding it difficult to retain them. It is recommended that SCSU, in order to minimize the loss of valuable employees, implement retention strategies (including utilizing the talents of existing faculty and staff). One immediate action would be listening to employees and recruiting for retention.

Promote Racial Harmony

The cost of discrimination and the "isms' to the university may be summed up as a significant lost of energy, talent, moral and resources. University leadership must take immediate and proactive measures to eliminate racially motivated behavior at all levels of the university community.

Valuing differences refers to systemic, organizational and personal development work (not a program) done to support long-term productivity and profitability. 'Everyone' is different and therefore included in this work, which goes beyond traditionally recognized differences of race and gender, are such factors as functional responsibility, thinking and behavioral styles, life style differences, and so on. The majority of respondents viewed (personnel) differences as assets. They also mentioned that individuals are empowered through personal development and organizations are developed to optimize differences while establishing critical ways in which they want to be the same. When people feel valued and empowered, they are able to build relationships in which they work together interdependently and synergistically. This supports and enhances long-term productivity and intellectual profitability in regard to students.

Review and Emphasize University Diversity Efforts

When an organization installs new technology on the shop floor, rank-and-file personnel are trained in its use via on-the-job sessions to streamline operations, increase production, cut costs, etc. It stands to reason that organizations seeking to build a successful culture of inclusion should adopt an on-the-job training model for diversity. Too often personnel are pulled from their business units to attend a one-day diversity (and/or situational) awareness session and they return to work without a clear idea of how they should behave differently.

Without the opportunity to fully examine beliefs and values and then continue to learn and apply the concepts, little sustained change will occur. When the training event is complete, employees return to their work environments, either positively or negatively charged, with incomplete knowledge or understanding about what will be different.

It makes more sense for an organization to provide natural work groups with shorter, weekly education sessions, led by the same supervisors who already oversee the work group's performance – a process that is like taking the classroom to the workroom. The following are the five steps in the process:

Stripping away stereotypes.
Learning to listen and probe for the differences in people's assumptions.
Building authentic and significant relationships with people one regards as different.
Enhancing personal and professional empowerment (i.e., building on strengths).
Exploring and identifying group differences (and ways of exploring advantages).

That process allows diversity education to become a constant feature of the organization (i.e., institutionalized) – not a flavor-of-the-month or a "car wash" option that slips from memory once training is complete. It also allows organizations to train on-site, as opposed to pulling employees away from their jobs for hours at a time. The idea is to break learning into single topics and explore how each topic – favoritism, clique privilege, discipline, hiring, training, etc – plays out in units/organization. Supervisors are already operational leaders with the organization. As leaders, they should be prepared to teach and inform their subordinates to meet the vision and mission of the organization.

One hour per 40-hour workweek is recommended. It may promote organizational and interpersonal relationships because people are talking and proactively listening to one another. Personnel retain the lesson better because they learn and apply what they learn over the subsequent week. At the end of the each lesson, work groups prepare and action log, a record of how the team will implement the lesson. This process builds accountability into the system. Faculty and staff members become more accountable to each over time.

As in most organizational development evolutions, a minimum of 1-year period is required. In the end employees lean to take personal responsibility or resolving their own issues and overcoming barriers; to speak and listen to each other in respectful, inclusive, effective ways and to solve conflict efficiently with a team. Leaders expand and enhance their leadership skills. The first step toward implementing a "learning communities model" must overcome the notion that this is not legitimate work or added collateral tasks. There is a guilt associated with spending time of soft skills; however, there is real work to be done. But the work team will not be as productive or creative in the absence of an inclusive, respectful, supportive work environment.

Conduct a Cultural Audit Follow-up Study

Follow-up on studies designed to assess or diagnose the university climate. Many participants are aware of at least four assessment or organizational studies, but have not received any feedback or recommendations on rectifying organizational challenges.

Additional findings revealed the importance of two other factors that were identified in this focus group study: the development of an ethos of teamwork which brought together people and departments vital to improving on university processes, and the presence of a competitive spirit which spurred individuals on to meet the many challenges of developing and implementing programs benefiting the students (i.e., customers). Future efforts could produce important new knowledge about the impact of the integration of innovative programs and management of traditional education methods; new patterns of communication between faculty, staff and students through use of existing university modalities; and the importance of faculty and staff compensation and release time for development and implementation of university programs to benefit the SCSU community.

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