Accomplishments as Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Employee Relations, California State University System (1981-1985)
The California State University System is one of the largest in the U.S. with twenty-three comprehensive state universities, over 45,000 faculty and staff and a budget of 4.5 billion dollars. I managed a unit of approximately 50 people which served the entire system.
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Successfully led and managed the transition (in one of the largest systems in the U.S.) through initial phases of collective bargaining, established the administrative architecture to manage human resources and labor for all faculty and staff, established operating guidelines with California Governor’s office and state legislature and state agencies.
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Actively promoted decentralization of decision making and enhanced leadership authority on campuses, led discussion arguing that academic systems cannot be managed successfully by top down hierarchies.
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Supported a larger role (and made processes more inclusive and transparent) for student constituencies involved in system wide professional development, human resources, and labor relations; promoted active involvement of California State Student Association (and was recognized by the CSSA for leading these efforts).
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Developed and implemented training and development programs throughout the system in mediation, conflict resolution, progressive discipline, compensation and classification; managed the transition of system autonomy from the state to the university system, supervised the negotiation of all initial collective bargaining agreements.
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Worked successfully with faculty senates to enhance campus autonomy, successfully championed a more decentralized approach to labor and human resources throughout the system.
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Led the review of all executive search processes and established an executive search unit for system wide executives.