Whitworth 2021

Goal 7: Invest in Whitworth's employees and support a culture of continuous improvement

Whitworth is a learning organization that values its employees and strives to equip them to advance the university's distinctive mission. Whitworth will recruit and retain highly qualified and diverse Christian staff and faculty members, and will offer competitive compensation and professional development that help employees pursue excellence in their vocations.

Objectives:

Recruit and retain a highly qualified faculty and staff that reflect the university's commitments to its mission, excellence and diversity.

Equip supervisors and academic leaders to thrive in their work advancing Whitworth's strategic vision and institutional effectiveness.

Enhance employee training and development to equip employees to pursue excellence in their vocations, continuous improvement of the university, and the integration of their Christian faith into all facets of their life and work. Whitworth strives to sustain a campus environment in which at least 90 percent of employees report that Whitworth is a superior place to work.

Spotlight: Charley Cahill

When Whitworth hired Charley Cahill, in January 2011, he brought 27 years of information technology experience in higher education to his new job as an information systems analyst. Cahill admits thinking that he was in for "just another training session" when he signed up for Whitworth's New Employee Orientation (NEO) program. But he came away from the program feeling "really tied in to the university community and the mission."

The purpose of the NEO program is to support new staff and faculty members through their first year of employment, with an initial orientation and three followup sessions that cover everything from human resource policies and benefits to Whitworth's history, health and fitness opportunities, and vocational discernment. "What NEO did for me was accelerate the acclimation process so I could really settle in and feel comfortable with the environment at Whitworth," Cahill says. "I really enjoyed the session on Whitworth's history. It provided a sense of belonging to something larger than myself as I relate to Whitworth's rich heritage. Many staff people aren't frontline service providers to students, so it gives us a sense of ownership in the mission of the university."