Front-line service providers can be the origin of customer's perceptions about an institution, and these initial perceptions can color subsequent interactions. To improve customer service, institutions need to offer training and recognition for providers. Characteristics of effective service and providing effective training are discussed. (MLW)

Successful human resource strategic planning at colleges and universities requires that: (1) outcomes contribute to the bottom line; (2) the plan is linked to the institution's long-term strategy; and (3) the plan is simple to understand and follow. Staff retreats are essential and should involve environmental analysis, departmental analysis,…

Some practical approaches to implementing preretirement education programs for personnel at public research universities are offered, based on a program developed at Ohio University. Preretirement program goals are to educate employees about the critical components in retirement planning and to provide unbiased and impartial resource information…

College and university strategic planning works best when staff performance appraisal and development are used together to bring about both organizational and individual change. However, these must be more than bureaucratic exercises unrelated to daily staff management. Individual staff must be able to see themselves as important in carrying out…

Differences in men's and women's communication styles affect their interactions with each other. Organizations must be flexible enough to recognize situations in which traditional male values of competition may be most functional and those in which more collaborative, female strategies are more appropriate. Personnel training can help ensure that…

The evolution of an award-winning Total Quality Management (TQM) program for administrative and academic staff development at Oregon State University is chronicled. Special attention is given to application of TQM for faculty and corporate interaction, instructional improvement, and curriculum development. Special challenges for implementation of…

Human resource professionals who find themselves charged with selecting and conducting employee training are advised to use adult learning theory to develop effective programs. Tips for facilitating adult training sessions, questions to address before designing a training program, and pointers for successful flip chart use are offered. (MSE)

Kennesaw State College (Georgia) has developed initiatives to enhance leadership and team-building skills of classified employees. The programs include a staff leadership training course, open to 20-24 employees annually, and the Staff Training and Orientation Program (STOP) to provide new employees with information about the institution in an…

A staff development program at California State University at Long Beach trains faculty and other personnel to participate in earthquake-related search and rescue operations on campus if needed. Vendor-trained staff members prepared a campus training program in emergency operations, fire suppression and protection, casualty assessment, urban…

The two major cultures existing on a college campus, collegial/scholarly and administrative/corporate, can operate counterproductively. Campus human resource professionals have a role in reconciling the two cultures through orientation programs for new faculty and staff, promoting social and intellectual interaction of personnel, and communication…

This article argues that college and university personnel in technical positions may be a good source of potential managers, provided the institution creates opportunities and development processes to support the transition. Crucial factors include employee career motivations, institutional support, and existence of and training in management…

In response to campus demands for decentralization at the University of Florida, personnel services turned more of the hiring process over to campus administrators. The new, decentralized system, facilitated by an electronic employment system, expedited the hiring process and gave departments more discretion in interviewing and selection. The…

In an era of rapid technological advancement and an economy in transition, colleges and universities must struggle to keep up with change. College human resource personnel will be instrumental in helping employees cope with technological challenges and increase productivity, and this will require taking a long-range perspective of personnel…

Either losing or winning an employment discrimination case can be financially devastating to a college or university. A prevention plan includes: changing the attitudes of individuals throughout the institution; reviewing policies and practices; fostering better communication; encouraging cooperation between administrators and human resource…

Planning and management strategies used in the private sector have practical applications for higher education in a period of systemic and organizational stress. Promising strategies include organizational delayering; employee empowerment; boundless thinking, problem-solving teams; accelerated processes; quality management and improvement; and…