New series of system administration Town Halls launches

More than 300 CU system administration employees on Wednesday attended the first in a new series of virtual Town Halls, designed to bring together far-flung coworkers and foster a greater sense of community and belonging.

Leadership launched the series in response to feedback from the Campus Workplace and Culture (CWC) survey. The webinar series will offer information on projects, initiatives and news, with future topics to be chosen in response to feedback from participants. Times and dates for future town halls in 2023 are to be announced.

“This is a result of many months of work and is a direct result of the CWC survey,” said President Todd Saliman, who welcomed attendees.

Felicity O’Herron, chief human resources officer and associate vice president of Employee Services, said two key takeaways from the survey were that system employees sought a greater sense of belonging and opportunities for employee growth and development.

The vision established by the CWC survey says system administration “aspires to be a desirable place to work with a diverse workforce of top talent who are included, empowered and valued. System Administration actively works to develop and maintain an inclusive culture where employees feel a sense of belonging, can find and build community, and are able to meaningfully contribute to CU’s mission and purpose.”

Ashley Eschler, HR training and development program director, delivered an overview of CU system administration – 550 staff members at 19 unique departments – and its leadership. Tackling a “big picture” view of CU, Chad Marturano, vice president and chief financial officer, spoke of CU’s $5.5 billion budget and the resulting $13.3 billion economic impact across the state.

“You are contributing to that greater good,” Marturano said. “You have a role in that and it’s something to be proud of.”

Also offering updates were Danielle Radovich Piper, senior vice president of external relations and strategy, and Judi Diaz Bonacquisti, senior diversity officer. Gwendolyn D’Elia, chair of System Staff Council, invited attendees to provide feedback and suggest topics for future virtual Town Halls.