Purdue creates Future of Work Project Team and solicits campuswide feedback
To: Executive Vice Presidents, Chancellors, Vice Presidents, Vice Chancellors, Vice Provosts, Deans, Directors, and Heads of Schools, Divisions, Departments and Offices
From: Jay Akridge, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Diversity
Bill Bell, Vice President for Human Resources
Michael B. Cline, Senior Vice President for Administrative Operations
Chris Ruhl, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Date: June 7, 2021
Re: Purdue creates Future of Work Project Team and solicits campuswide feedback
Over the past year, how organizations operate day to day has changed dramatically, and Purdue is no exception. As President Daniels stated in his recent video, the University innovated and found alternative ways of getting work done. While some activities need to return to their previous operating arrangements, we want to reimagine how to support an increasingly mobile and virtual workforce while maintaining or enhancing service levels, flexibility and collaboration. Additional guidance on future work locations was provided in the letter we shared on March 29.
To ensure a successful outcome, the University has created a Future of Work Project Team to develop new workplace strategies that meet the needs of our evolving workforce. These strategies will support the health, wellness and performance of faculty and staff; attract and retain faculty and staff; support our residential learning experience and research enterprise; improve customer service; and allow for space optimization.
Members of the Future of Work Project Team will be:
- Rob Wynkoop, associate vice president, Auxiliary Services
- Jay Wasson, associate vice president, Physical Facilities
- Kim Pearson, chief administrative officer, Administrative Operations
- Nathan Manges, director, Real Estate
- Michael Gulich, senior director, Campus Planning, Architecture and Sustainability
- Amy Boyle, senior director, Human Resources
- Dwight Snethen, executive director, End User Experience
This team will be guided by an Executive Oversight Committee:
- Bill Bell, vice president, Human Resources
- Michael B. Cline, senior vice president, Administrative Operations
- David Hummels, dean, Krannert School of Management
- Nancy Marchand-Martella, dean, College of Education
- Theresa Mayer, executive vice president for research and partnerships
- Chris Ruhl, treasurer and chief financial officer
As a first step, the project team wants to hear directly from leaders and employees about the current workplace environment –– what works, what doesn't and where there are opportunities for new ideas.
In the coming weeks, we will seek feedback from the campus community through three different opportunities. The input we receive will help form our future strategy and ensure its success by aligning our operational and workspace needs.
- Group departmental interviews— Leaders from all major departments will be invited to participate in 60-minute interviews. We will conduct more than 30 of these sessions to ensure a wide base of feedback. Expect to see calendar invitations and more on this in the coming days from Rob Wynkoop, associate vice president of Auxiliary Services.
- Workplace experience survey— Employees (faculty, staff and graduate staff) on the West Lafayette campus will be invited to give feedback regarding work patterns, location flexibility, culture and collaboration, and technology. This is an opportunity to provide constructive, candid and anonymous feedback. Please encourage employee participation throughout the survey period.
- Employee focus groups— These will take a deeper dive into the survey results. We will conduct 12 focus group meetings covering a variety of career streams and levels.
In the fall, the project team will offer additional opportunities for faculty, staff and students to provide feedback.
We’ve seen the value of rethinking the future of work at Purdue during the past year. Your participation, and the participation of your employees, is essential to the success of this endeavor in the long term. The steps we take now, together, have the opportunity to transform how the University operates going forward — increasing flexibility, finding the right balance between virtual and in-person work and creating more opportunities for collaboration.