Applicable certification/licensure requirements are listed in all posted job descriptions. These requirements are set by the department. In some cases, job candidates are required to possess the certificate/license before the position can be offered. In other cases, the University will assist the applicant in obtaining the certificate/license. Each department is responsible for making sure that employees within the department maintain appropriate certifications/ licensures.

Professionals in each academic department determine the characteristics and skills needed by potential faculty and staff. Key requirements are written into job postings and used for applicant screening. The interview process focuses specifically on service interests and capabilities, core values, willingness to use technology, and department/unit KQIs, and, in the case of faculty, teaching effectiveness, demonstrated or potential to develop a record of scholarly activity, and fit based on the curricular needs of the department.

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Northwest recruits, hires and retains faculty and staff through a bottom-up process that includes the following steps:

1. A request with supporting documentation is submitted to a Cabinet member.
2. A formal job analysis is conducted and a job description is developed.
3. The position is advertised on the web and in appropriate media (e.g., The Chronicle) including those targeted at underrepresented groups.
4. Applicants are screened by a search committee to ensure adequate academic and professional qualifications.
5. Finalists are interviewed on campus to ensure compatibility with our core values and competencies.
6. A thorough orientation to the culture and SSPP is required and mentoring is provided.
7. In addition to annual evaluations, in the case of tenure-track faculty a formal three-and five- year comprehensive review is conducted to ensure integration into the culture and satisfactory progress toward tenure.

Faculty are recruited nationally, while staff are recruited regionally or locally. Faculty interviews are extensive (typically 1 to 2 days) and include assessments of the candidate in both formal (classroom) and informal (interview) settings. The candidate screening team, which includes faculty members in the department as well as student representation, asks for input from everyone – including students via a survey – with whom the candidate interacts. While specific interview schedules differ by academic department, most departments require candidates to teach a classroom of Northwest students. The screening committee and chair recommend to the Dean regarding the selection. After consultation with the Provost, the Dean communicates to the chair if the position offer is authorized. The University makes every attempt to recruit a diverse faculty and staff that includes minorities, foreign born, and those from urban as well as rural settings and people of all ages and religious beliefs, thus attempting to ensure that a range of perspectives and ideas are represented.

Retention has been sustained above the national average, and most turnover is precipitated by retirements rather than relocation. Both staff and student employee performance reviews (related to core values of institution/unit) are conducted annually with the goal of identifying strengths and areas for improvement to develop the employee’s talent, to maintain/enhance employee satisfaction, and to ensure work requirements are met.

Northwest recruits and hires faculty it believes will make significant contributions toward meeting the mission and vision of the institution. Thus, our goal is talent development. In addition to the annual performance evaluation/review conducted for all employees, each tenure track faculty member works with the chair and academic dean to review his/her progress during both the 3rd and 5th years of the tenure track employment. Criteria addressed are those included in the faculty performance evaluation process and outlined in chapter two of the Northwest faculty handbook. These include Teaching, Scholarship, Student Support, and Service. A letter from the dean to the faculty member summarizes progress made and outlines areas for continued emphasis/attention. The faculty member also receives feedback from other senior faculty in the department regarding his/her progression toward tenure.

Planning for Succession and Continuity of Operations is a plan that establishes basic policy and assigns specific responsibilities to the Board, President and incumbents of senior-level positions to ensure smooth succession and minimal disruption when changes in leaders occur. As part of the annual review process, Cabinet members discuss with the President a succession plan for their area, and the President reports this information to the Board.

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Because one of our core values is that we collaborate and work together to accomplish our goals, we believe in shared governance and cross-functional teams. Nearly all teams include a cross-section of the Northwest family, although only faculty make decisions on some teams (e.g., those related to curriculum and student academic issues). For example, the Computer Users Group is composed of staff from all administrative departments. This cross-functional team is critical when decisions regarding student computing services need to be made (e.g., issues related to race-ethnicity IPEDS reporting, posting of directory information, FERPA policies). In addition to increasing informed decision-making, the team serves as a primary mechanism for dissemination of information and training related to computing services. Additionally, the primary function of the Leadership Forum—a monthly meeting attended by all senior administrators, deans, academic chairs, and directors—is to communicate information, ideas, and provide training. The Leadership Forum and other venues promote organizational learning, innovation, and high performance.

Ethical behavior is reinforced and enforced in a variety of ways. First, when Northwest recruits and hires faculty and staff, we search for people who are consistent with our core values of caring about one another and of being open and ethical. In other words, our culture expects and cultivates honesty and mutual respect for one another. Second, Northwest publishes and disseminates throughout the campus community a handbook entitled Northwest Missouri State University Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines. The handbook provides an overview of the institutional commitment to a non-discriminatory work environment. Northwest’s Director of Human Resources serves as the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) officer. An EEO committee is appointed each September 30th to review Northwest’s policies for compliance and to assist the EEO officer with dissemination of information. Third, each of the employee handbooks addresses the important topic of professional ethics, and workshops related to these issues (e.g., sexual harassment, FERPA, Sunshine Law, academic integrity, EEO policy) are provided during the New Faculty Orientation, during Leadership Forum, and through other workshops, as needed/appropriate. Fourth, Northwest’s comment card system can be used to report breaches of ethical practices. Finally, faculty experience peer review of their scholarly/creative activities and of their teaching.

In the event ethical breaches do occur and disciplinary action is warranted and/or recommended, then faculty have the right to appeal via the Faculty Hearing Committee. The purpose of the Faculty Hearing Committee is to ensure the consistent, fair, and valid application of the rules and regulations related to promotion, tenure, termination, or suspension for any conflicts of interest during the contract period.

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In addition to the methods described in 4C4, Northwest uses three mechanisms to determine training needs.

Common workforce identified learning needs. A formal workforce needs assessment identified common needs such as customer service, ethics, computer skills, etc. All leaders are surveyed annually during Leadership Forum. Specific job-related skills are identified in work units by supervisors and individuals. Faculty and staff (including the employees of service partners) also can enroll in Northwest courses at no cost in pursuit of further education.

Transfer of knowledge from departing faculty and staff. Policies for capturing and transferring information important for sustaining operations at the departmental level are developed by the SSPP. When appropriate, new employees job shadow before the departing employee leaves.

Reinforcement of new knowledge and skills on the job. Depending upon the complexities associated with the changes being driven by the application of new knowledge, tailored training is provided to ensure smooth adaptations and transitions. Complex software changes involve training trainers who then train their fellow employees. Innovations or the adoption of new instructional technology often involve a series of small workshops. Updates to the emergency response plan are reinforced through regular table-top exercises and simulation drills. Coordinated homeland security training involving regional first responders is conducted at least annually. General reinforcement of the value of innovation is accomplished through Faculty Showcases, award presentations, etc.

HR organizes appropriate training into an annual plan for approval by the Cabinet and follows up with regular evaluation. Participant satisfaction, supervisor satisfaction, measured learning, and impact on performance are tracked.

Northwest’s Culture of Quality is predicated on McGregor’s Theory Y concept. Faculty, staff and student employees are empowered and encouraged to interact horizontally and vertically without direct influence from administrators. This collaboration is driven by our culture core values, and the communication it motivates employees to be innovative and engage in activities that result in continuous quality improvement of the institution’s systems.

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Faculty. The Faculty Handbook delineates the evaluation process for faculty. Faculty are evaluated in four areas: teaching, scholarship/creative works, university service, and student support. At the beginning of each academic year, faculty submit their professional development plan to the department chairperson. This plan delineates the activities in which the faculty member will engage; faculty assign weights to each of the performance areas, within a limited range, which provides the basis for the annual evaluation by the department chairperson. While teaching is weighted more heavily than the other three areas, some faculty may apply greater weights to scholarship/creative works during one year and a greater weight in university service another year. Students also evaluate faculty teaching behavior using “student opinionnaires” at the end of each course. These scores are shared with the faculty (after grades have been submitted) and with the department chairperson; if the student evaluations suggest a teaching problem, the chairperson will work with the faculty member to create a development plan. These student evaluations also become part of the department chair’s annual evaluation of the faculty member, of the 3rd- and 5th-year reviews, and of the portfolio for promotion and for tenure. Student evaluations of faculty are aggregated and shared within the academic department, which assists in driving improvement and innovation at the departmental level.

Staff and student employees. Staff and student employee evaluations focus on performance relative to the core values. Each evaluation system, as mentioned in the table below, encourages individuals to set and attain high goals. Because these systems are tied directly to foundational statements, the focus on students, stakeholders, organizational goals and action plans is apparent. Performance evaluations are discussed between the superior and the subordinate and cover areas for possible improvement and innovation.

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Northwest uses a market-based compensation system that attracts and retains top-quality faculty and staff. We use national salary data for all work groups, targeting 90-110% of appropriate market medians. This results in an equitable target for compensation while being financially responsible to taxpayers. Student learning and development have become the expected standard, not the rewarded exception. In addition, Northwest recognizes excellence through a variety of mechanisms:

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Key factors that affect engagement and satisfaction are derived from the key requirements of faculty, staff and student employees. The Faculty Senate adopted their key requirements and annually measure performance against those standards. Similarly, the Support Staff Council benchmarked Sprint and Access Investment Services before adopting the Noel-Levitz survey. Key factors for student employees resulted from a Marketing Research class survey of student employment practices at our 41 peer institutions.

Annual department visits allow two-way, small-group communication with senior leaders. During these visits, faculty, staff, and student employees can apprise senior leaders of factors that positively or negatively affect their engagement and satisfaction. Faculty, staff, and student employees annually complete satisfaction surveys that focus on the key factors important to each group. The faculty and student employee surveys are locally developed with input from those groups. The staff survey is nationally normed. All are reviewed annually to ensure they remain relevant and produce actionable data. All faculty, staff and student employees have ready access to Comment Cards. These cards allow direct communication between an individual and the President. Employees can voice opinions and concerns about issues that affect satisfaction and engagement. The President’s Office responds to each of the 1,000+ cards submitted each year. Results from these three systems are tabulated, analyzed, and correlated with each other annually and presented to the Cabinet for review.

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Northwest has three main mechanisms by which workforce health, safety, and security are ensured and improved. First, University Police: Northwest operates a fully-functional, regionally-alignedUniversity Police Department. University Police Officers offer educational opportunities for students, faculty, and staff relative to the work environment. University Police collects information relative to the Clery Act and publishes safety-related information on the department’s website. Our Director of University Police is a recognized expert in emergency response protocols and regularly trains police, sheriffs, and FBI agents.

Health and Safety Officer: A designated expert works closely with Department of Natural Resources, EPA, and other regulatory agencies to ensure adherence to regulations and overall workplace safety. The Health and Safety Officer works with departments to offer workplace safety education. He also works closely with Northwest’s Health and Safety Committee to identify areas of concern and opportunities for improvement. He works with students to increase their awareness of safety issues through a variety of venues including a fire actually staged in a mock dorm room.

BE WELL Program: The BE WELL program is a health promotion program free for university employees. The Office of Human Resources (e.g., health assessment results), Wellness/Health Center (e.g., flu shots), Be Well newsletters, provide paid access to fitness center, and Student Crisis Intervention all contribute to trying to develop a more healthful workforce. In addition to providing physical and mental health services to students, the Wellness Center also provides health-related education to the workforce with an emphasis on holistic health. Federal grants have been received for suicide and substance abuse prevention training. The Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (HPERD) Department provides the space, supervision, and equipment for all campus fitness centers and programs, MOERA outdoor recreation programs and services, the aquatic center, and campus recreation facilities and programs, all at a reduced price for university employees. Each area is staffed and available for members in any category (faculty, staff, students, community, and visitors). Faculty and staff may receive free personal training (either individual or within a small group). All full memberships include both equipment access, as well as, free personal training and free group exercise classes on a first-come, first-served basis. Faculty and staff may choose from three price packages, one of which is an equipment only option for $40 per year. MOERA offers two 50' climbing areas; team building areas; 3 trap shooting overlays; canoes, kayaks and a sailboat for rental; a small observatory; target and field archery areas; and other facilities to support education, service, and/or research. All on campus groups (students, faculty, and staff) are eligible for reduced rates.
These three groups also contribute to the refinement of a University emergency response plan that addresses legal constraints, response, and communications issues and protocols. The plan covers violent acts, fire, severe weather, and pandemics.

A Healthier You. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City introduced this program to help improve total health and well-being.  A Healthier You is a service provided on the Blue Cross Blue Shield website that allows you to set a course for better health and stay on track to maintain your long-term health goals. Visit www.bcbskc.com and click on Health & Wellness to learn more about this benefit.  Because the Office of Human Resources is focused on improving the overall health and well-being of the Northwest Family, we have decided to participate in onsite health programs offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City and Well*Life at Work.

Nutri-Wise. Nutri-Wise is an eight-week program to improve health through three key principles:  1) building a solid foundation of nutrition knowledge; 2) learning real-life strategies to improve nutrition and physical activity; 3) motivating through realistic goal setting.  Each week a different nutrition topic is covered including food groups, serving sizes, physical activity, good vs. bad fat and cholesterol, energy balances, cravings, meal planning, eating out wisely, and healthy cooking.  Each class lasts one hour.  Participants receive a workbook, and must complete 6 out of 8 courses to move onto the next class offered, Nutri-Wise: High Gear.

Nutri-Wise:  High Gear. Nutri-Wise: High Gear is a four-week class that builds onto the knowledge learned in the Nutri-Wise program.  Participants complete a personalized nutrition analysis, learn about sugar and sodium in foods, learn to read labels wisely, and learn to prepare healthy meals in under 30 minutes.

Nutri-Wise:  Weigh to Go! Nutri-Wise: Weigh to Go! is for those seeking a structured, individualized, and effective weight loss program.  This class provides participants with specific meal plans to promote gradual and consistent weight loss.  Six weekly group gatherings create a support group to help participants in successful weight loss, then continued education is provided with four monthly follow-up sessions.

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See answer to question 4P8.

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