Tag: Build

Seven strategies to build global learning community at scale
In higher education, your relationship with learners shouldn’t end when their program does. If fostered correctly, they’re applying the knowledge they gained, sharing their experiences with their personal and professional networks, and staying engaged with your institution.

Strengthening your relationships post-program will not only enhance the learning experience and create a sense of belonging, but inspire lifelong learning and repeat engagement, build awareness in a competitive education landscape, and transform your learners into your brand’s biggest advocates.

Building a vibrant community is vital for maintaining these post-program relationships. In a survey by the community marketing platform TINT, 73 percent of consumers reported having a positive opinion of brand communities, while 84 percent said the community surrounding a brand impacts their feelings about it.

Many online learning providers must battle the misperception that community-building and networking only happen in person. At Harvard Business School Online, we launched our Community in 2018 to provide online learners the chance to connect off-line by forming chapters worldwide. Over the last six years, we’ve expanded to nearly 40 chapters and more than 650,000 members from 190 countries. And importantly, we’ve evolved beyond in-person meetups to also host virtual events and discussions through our Community platform.

If you’re interested in building a global community at scale, here are seven tips to consider.

Tips for Building an Engaged Global Community
1. Find Your Superusers Early
Start by identifying your most active, engaged learners. Perhaps they’re always the first to comment on their peers’ responses and provide feedback. Or maybe they’re sharing their certificate and learning experiences on LinkedIn, taking multiple programs, or promoting your school and proactively addressing questions in Reddit threads. Determine your engagement metrics and use them to spot your superusers early.

Programs should offer multiple connection points throughout the experience. HBS Online offers networking opportunities before, during and after courses. Anyone can join a public chapter to learn more about the brand and build knowledge. Once enrolled and upon course completion, they’re added to different private discussion boards and gain access to exclusive networking opportunities.

The earlier you integrate community into their experience, the faster they’ll become familiar with it and the more engaged they’ll be over the long term—helping you more easily surface your superusers.
1. Transform Your Superusers Into Brand Ambassadors
Communities are stronger when everyone is involved. Once you’ve identified your superusers, empower them to be brand ambassadors. Provide ownership of the community experience to keep them invested and committed to fueling its success. In turn, you can scale faster by delegating some of the event and community management.

Our chapters are run by chapter organizers—volunteers who’ve taken at least one HBS Online course and been vetted by our team. These volunteers are responsible for hosting an event a quarter and posting on their chapter’s discussion board.

This structure enables us to grow our Community globally and offer in-person and virtual events and networking opportunities throughout the year. Our learners forge real-world connections while our chapter organizers gain experience they can add to their LinkedIn profiles and résumés.
1. Provide Them With Helpful Tools, Training and Tactics
To help your learners become brand ambassadors, equip them with the right tools, tips and training. Onboard them to your community software, develop documentation and responses to frequently asked questions, and regularly host training sessions to explain new and existing platform features.

Data is another powerful tool. Track which conversations garner the most engagement or the events with the highest registrations, and share those insights with your community leaders. It will provide a jumping-off point and help them build stronger networking opportunities and relationships.
1. Establish and Share Clear Guidelines
During onboarding, share clear brand guidelines and expectations with your community leaders, including:
- Your community’s goals and objectives
- What their role entails and how to refer to it
- How they should attribute your brand, and if/when they can leverage your logo
- Your social channels and any campaign hashtags
- Examples of effective content, whether a social post, forum discussion or event
- Specific brand style guidelines
By providing this material, you can empower them to be stronger advocates and alleviate branding concerns as you grow and scale your community.
1. Highlight Achievements and Incentivize Advocacy
For your community to be successful, it needs to be mutually beneficial. Your learners are likely juggling their education alongside various personal and professional commitments. Acknowledge their time spent volunteering.

At HBS Online, we share our praise in various ways, including dedicated learner profiles, Community engagement and recognition badges, social media callouts, a monthly Community-focused newsletter where we promote upcoming events and achievements, and free tickets to and dedicated recognition at our annual hybrid learner conference, Connext.

Consider how you can leverage gamification to encourage engagement or incentivize your community leaders to promote your brand. Perhaps you gift them exclusive swag if they hit certain engagement metrics or welcome them to beta-test new products. Determine what works best for your institution, but ensure you’re meaningfully saying, “Thank you.”
1. Give Your Community Meaning
Purpose fuels passion. Find ways to make your community something your learners are proud to participate in. Survey them to discover how they view your community and the value they derive from it and leverage those insights to create programming aligned with your institution’s mission.

Six years ago, HBS Online introduced the Community Challenge to empower our learners to enact global change. Through the challenge, we collaborate annually with a nonprofit and ask for a pressing issue facing their business. We then share that problem with our learners, who gather worldwide to develop and pitch solutions. Over the years, they’ve tackled topics like food insecurity, climate change and education access while applying the business knowledge gained through our courses and fostering teamwork globally.
1. Create an Internal Support System
For any of these community efforts to take off, you need buy-in from senior leadership. Without it, you’re unlikely to get the necessary tools and resources to grow an engaged community. Communicate the value to your institution’s key stakeholders and provide them with the talking points to advocate for the initiative organizationwide since you’ll need support from multiple teams—like tech, program delivery and marketing—to make this work possible.

If feasible, having a dedicated community manager can also help supercharge your efforts. That employee can provide a safe space for your community leaders, give them a direct point of contact, listen to and enact feedback, and ensure brand guidelines and expectations are met.

Build Lifelong Relationships

Your learners are your higher education brand’s most valuable asset. They can provide insights to help you develop new programs, advocate on your brand’s behalf, build awareness and drive repeat engagement.

To foster lifelong learning, you must prioritize building lifelong relationships. Is your institution missing out on a competitive advantage?

Lauren Landry is the director of marketing and communications at Harvard Business School Online, overseeing its organic marketing strategy, brand messaging, Community and events. Prior to joining HBS Online, she served as an associate director of content marketing at Northeastern University and as a reporter and editor covering higher education and start-ups for the likes of BostInno and Boston Magazine.
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February 4, 2025
How to Build a Dynamic Student Enrollment Plan That Thrives Amid Change
Key Takeaways:
- Evolving student enrollment strategies require proactive, data-informed approaches that adapt to demographic shifts, economic pressures, and market dynamics.
- Real-time metrics and prescriptive analytics enable institutions to refine recruitment strategies, address challenges quickly, and optimize enrollment outcomes.
- Flexible tools and predictive modeling help mitigate disruptions, align team efforts, and support personalized student engagement.
- Continuous refinement ensures institutions can navigate uncertainties, maintain competitive student enrollment plans, and prepare for future challenges.
Higher education is in constant flux, primarily driven by student demographic shifts, economic pressures, and rapid technological advancements. For institutions to stay competitive in this environment, student enrollment strategies must evolve. By embracing a consistent, data-informed, and adaptable enrollment management approach, institutions can navigate current and unforeseen uncertainties and meet their enrollment goals.

A Forward-Looking Approach to Enrollment Strategies

Traditional enrollment strategies often rely on rearview analyses, evaluating successes and missteps only at the end of an enrollment cycle. However, the dynamic nature of student recruitment today demands a more proactive approach. Institutions must adopt prescriptive analytics to “look through the windshield,” using real-time data to understand how current strategies are performing and make adjustments on the fly. This forward-thinking approach allows enrollment managers to:
- Identify what is working and what needs refinement during the current recruitment cycle.
- Test potential strategies against historical data to predict their effectiveness before implementation.
- Address emerging challenges quickly, such as unexpected FAFSA delays or shifts in application behavior.
- Develop broad tactics to adapt to changes throughout the enrollment cycle as well as adjust to shifting dynamics with individual students.
Such adaptability requires not just access to the right data but also the tools and expertise to act on it effectively. The combination of robust technology platforms, such as Liaison’s predictive analytics tool Othot, and experienced partners who understand the nuances of higher education can make all the difference. By integrating analytics and expert guidance, institutions can respond to challenges with precision and agility.

Data-Informed Metrics for Strategic Refinement

To optimize their student enrollment plans, institutions must evaluate specific metrics at each stage of the recruitment process. This means aligning data evaluation with the student journey, focusing on key performance indicators (KPIs) that matter most at each stage:

· Search phase | Metrics such as inquiry volume, lead conversion rates, and source effectiveness provide insight into initial interest in the institution and the success of outreach efforts.

· Application phase | Metrics such as application volume, completion rates, and demographic trends help institutions understand the reach and appeal of their efforts.

· Yield phase | Yield rates and admitted student feedback provide insights into how students perceive the institution’s value.

· Enrollment phase | Deposit rates and engagement tracking reveal which admitted students are likely to matriculate, enabling targeted follow-ups.

Different variables also emerge during the cycle that require immediate action. For example, when unexpected disruptions such as a sudden change in application deadlines or a major shift in funding policies occur, enrollment leaders must have the tools and knowledge to not only pivot their strategies to address the issues at hand but also effectively predict the results of those changing approaches in real-time. This requires a flexible data infrastructure that can accommodate real-time adjustments.

Overcoming Challenges Through Continuous Adaptation

Flexibility is a nonnegotiable trait for enrollment management teams. The new realities of a post-pandemic world, declining high school graduating classes, and a highly competitive marketplace are significantly challenging existing strategies. The pressure to meet enrollment goals often comes with internal changes—such as staff turnover or shifts in leadership priorities—and external pressures like economic downturns or new legislation.
- Turnover and continuity | Staff turnover can disrupt institutional momentum, particularly when strategies are person-dependent rather than system-driven. Tools such as Othot provide consistency by embedding critical data insights and processes into the institution’s framework, reducing the impact of turnover and fostering a culture of data-informed decision-making.
- Adapting to unexpected variables | Challenges like sudden changes in funding or board directives require immediate adjustments. By leveraging “what-if” scenario modeling, institutions can simulate the impact of potential changes and make informed decisions quickly.
Strategies to Increase Student Enrollment

Strategic flexibility can make the difference between hitting enrollment targets and falling short. Institutions can take several steps to continuously refine their strategies:

1. Monitor trends in real-time | Stay ahead of shifts in student behavior by regularly reviewing metrics such as engagement rates, application trends, and deposit patterns.

2. Incorporate scenario planning | Use predictive tools to simulate how changes in funding, messaging, or outreach might impact enrollment outcomes.

3. Align collaboration across teams | Align data and strategy efforts across departments to create a unified approach to enrollment management.

4. Personalize student engagement | Tailor communication based on individual student data, ensuring that messaging resonates with their unique needs and interests.

By integrating these strategies into their student enrollment plans, institutions can adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining a steady focus on meeting their overall long-term enrollment goals.

Staying Ahead in a Dynamic Environment

Continuous refinement isn’t just about meeting immediate needs—it’s about preparing for the future. Institutions that embrace adaptability, leverage data strategically, and invest in both technology and expertise are better positioned to succeed in today’s competitive higher education market.

Whether it’s managing the challenges of staff turnover, responding to external pressures, aligning all your enrollment tools at hand, or identifying the most effective ways to engage prospective students, institutions must prioritize flexibility and innovation.

With Liaison’s advanced tools and expert partnership, institutions can confidently navigate the complexities of data-driven enrollment management and set the stage for sustained success. Contact us today to get started.

About the Author

Craig Cornell is the Vice President for Enrollment Strategy at Liaison. In that capacity, he oversees a team of enrollment strategists and brings best practices, consultation, and data trends to campuses across the country in all things enrollment management. Craig also serves as the dedicated resource to NASH (National Association of Higher Education Systems) and works closely with the higher education system that Liaison supports. Before joining Liaison in 2023, Craig served for over 30 years in multiple higher education executive enrollment management positions. During his tenure, the campuses he served often received national recognition for enrollment growth, effective financial aid leveraging, marketing enhancements, and innovative enrollment strategies.
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January 28, 2025
How Provosts Can Lead Digital Transformation to Build a Institution
Tune In To Our Audio Blog

Introduction: The Role of Provosts in Digital Transformation

As a Provost or Vice Chancellor, we know your roles and tasks are tough in the evolving digital landscape. You are the cornerstone when it comes to maintaining academic excellence while creating a future-ready environment that meets the changing needs of your stakeholders, especially the students!

The world out is competitive, hence building an agile, student-centered campus is not just a goal—it’s a necessity for engagement, success, and the general well-being of your university. We have interacted with provosts across the globe who have underlined the need to drive digital transformation in colleges and universities. With the help of this blog, you should be able to navigate digital transformation with ease and be more empowered to improve the overall experience of students at your institution and bring about significant change.

8 Crucial Provost Leadership in Universities

Key Data & Insights on Digital Transformation in Higher Education

It’s time for provosts to face the digital reality that is consuming higher education. More than 60% of colleges are making significant investments in digital projects, according to a recent EDUCAUSE survey, which is a positive development. The bad news is that almost 50% are encountering obstacles. They are being held back by reluctance to change, limited funding, and the challenge of integrating cutting-edge new technologies with antiquated systems.

Cloud Adoption

Beyond Just a Fashion Now let’s discuss cloud computing. The statistics are positive: 65% of colleges have adopted it, indicating a major change in the way higher education functions. This isn’t just a trendy term either. You simply cannot afford to overlook the advantages of cloud computing, which include increased collaboration, cost savings, and flexibility.

Effect on Engagement of Students

Let’s now discuss what actually counts: student involvement. Institutions that use automation and artificial intelligence are witnessing an astounding 30% increase in student retention and overall satisfaction. However, embracing technology isn’t enough on its own. The goal is to completely change the way that students learn by designing individualized learning pathways that genuinely meet their needs. If you could use these resources to raise student achievement and learning outcomes, just think of the effect it would have on your campus.

Contented Teachers and Staff

A Crucial Factor in Success What about your staff and faculty? According to JISC studies, the implementation of a digital campus management platform increases satisfaction by 25%. This is not merely a figure; rather, it is an indication of a more contented and effective work environment where employees collaborate easily, have less work to do, and enjoy coming to work every day. In order to support these changes and create an environment where creativity flourishes and faculty members feel empowered to give their all, provosts play a critical role.

Examine the data below to get a clear idea of how satisfied faculty and staff are using digital tools. This is a call to action, not just information, in your opinion. Your faculty are clamoring for support for remote learning, seamless technology integration, and more efficient workflows. Don’t ignore the areas that require attention, though, such as the development of digital skills and the time set aside for training. These upgrades may have a significant impact on how your organization responds to the digital revolution.

Key Challenges Faced by Provosts in Digital Transformation

Provosts, we know the digital transformation journey is complex, and you’re juggling more than most. Let’s break down the major challenges you’re likely facing.

Legacy Systems: Stuck in the Past?

You’re not alone if outdated systems are holding you back. Nearly 70% of campuses still use obsolete software, making modern tools hard to integrate. It’s like trying to force a square peg into a round hole — you need seamless solutions, and we’re here to help.

Resource Allocation: Balancing Innovation and Budgets

Balancing innovation with tight budgets is tough, right? Almost 60% of provosts are facing the same challenge. But strategic investments today can secure long-term success.

Data-Driven Decisions: From Info to Action

Got data but struggling to use it effectively? You’re not alone. 75% of leaders want better tools for analyzing student performance. The right technology can help turn data into action, and we’ve got the solutions.

Student Engagement: Meeting Digital Expectations

Students demand more than just lectures — they want interactive, hands-on experiences. By adopting innovative strategies, you can boost retention. It’s time to reimagine your classrooms and empower students.

Faculty Adoption: Overcoming Resistance

Faculty resistance to new tech is a real barrier, with 50% of educators concerned about adopting new tools. The answer? Create a supportive environment with proper training and clear benefits.

How Creatrix Campus Can Help: Solutions Tailored for Provosts

Simplified Campus Management

Imagine working in a higher education setting where every aspect of campus administration is streamlined into a single, cloud-based platform. By assisting you in getting rid of outmoded procedures and never-ending paperwork, Creatrix Campus frees up time for you to concentrate on what really matters—improving academic innovation and student success.

Data-Based Perspectives

We are aware of how important it is to base decisions on current, usable information. With the aid of advanced analytics and business intelligence tools from Creatrix, you can transform complicated data into insightful knowledge. This provides you the self-assurance to take on obstacles head-on and make choices that will advance your organization.

Untiring Student Lifecycle Administration

Overseeing the student journey shouldn’t seem like a difficult undertaking, from admissions to graduation and beyond. A complete student lifecycle solution that streamlines each step is provided by Creatrix. We make it easy for you and your students, whether it’s increasing student engagement or expediting enrollment.

Enhanced Academic Task

We are aware that one of the trickiest jobs you have on your plate can be faculty management. You can make sure that resources are maximized and that faculty members have more time to concentrate on what they do best—teach and mentor students—with Creatrix’s Faculty Workload Management.

Stress-Free Compliance with Accreditation

Maintaining compliance with accreditation requirements is crucial, but it can be very demanding. You can relax knowing your institution is adhering to all relevant regulations with our automated compliance tools, all without adding to the administrative workload.

Flexible and Cost-Effective

We are aware that money is tight, but Creatrix allows you to avoid making any sacrifices. Our solutions ensure you get the resources you need without breaking the bank because they are not only scalable but also built to grow with your institution.

Real-World Success Story: Dublin Dental University Hospital

Leading dental school in Ireland since 1899, The Challenge DDUH was doing well in patient care and dental education, but what about their curriculum management? Not in that way. Faculty were being slowed down and it was becoming more difficult to guarantee student success due to the manual process of mapping courses and tracking learning outcomes. They required a method that would simplify these processes without making them more difficult.

What was required by DDUH

The DDUH faculty was looking for more than a simple update. To make their jobs easier and more intelligent, they needed a single platform where they could simply map out their curriculum, monitor progress, and access reports instantly.

Creatrix Campus: The Salvation
- We offered DDUH a tailored Curriculum Management solution that satisfied every requirement:
- Faculty members could see exactly where they were and where they needed to go with the help of a tool called visual curriculum mapping.
- Data-Driven Insights: Accessible reports that ensure each choice was supported by reliable data.
- Personalized Dashboards: hassle-free, role-specific views that kept teachers informed and responsible.
The End Results
- DDUH saw improvements right away after deploying Creatrix, taking only half the anticipated time to complete:
- 50% Quicker Execution: No more fees, no delays—just quick, seamless integration.
- Improved Teaching Quality: Faculty could devote more time to students and less time to administrative tasks.
- Smarter Operations: With streamlined procedures and transparent results, the organization as a whole became more efficient.
Conclusion: Drive the Role of Provosts as Pioneers of Change with Creatrix Campus

You are leading your organization’s digital transformation as a provost. Real change can be sparked by your leadership, not just in the way your institution runs but also in the way students learn and achieve. You can empower your faculty, reduce complexity, and enhance student outcomes with Creatrix Campus—all while adhering to regulations and staying within budget. Together, let’s rethink what is feasible and establish a progressive, prosperous organization. You can make that happen with your leadership.
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September 24, 2024
Three Questions to Help You Build a Better Workplace Culture — Annual Conference Takeaways – CUPA-HR
by CUPA-HR | October 18, 2023

Culture was at the heart of the three keynote events at CUPA-HR’s 2023 national conference, which took place recently in New Orleans. Our keynote speakers asked thought-provoking questions that resonate with higher ed HR’s mission. Engaging with these questions can help you boost employee engagement, promote a culture of inclusivity and strengthen collaboration with your campus colleagues.

1. Are You Creating an Ecosystem of Opportunity?

Organizations with strong learning cultures tend to have significantly higher retention rates.

In her keynote presentation on employee retention, business strategist and author Erica Keswin pointed out that the days of climbing the same corporate ladder for 50 years are long gone. Organizations are flatter, which means you need to get creative to give people opportunities to move not only up, but sideways, helping them gain new skills and find new pathways for their careers. Instead of thinking “ladders,” Keswin said, think “lilypads.”

She also encouraged attendees to talk about employee learning opportunities early and often, beginning with their onboarding programs! Managers should be talking regularly with employees about what skills they want to learn and giving them the opportunity to learn with no strings attached.

The mission, values and priorities of higher education have learning at their core, and that culture of learning is a value proposition higher ed is uniquely positioned to provide as an employer. Make it work to your advantage by prioritizing learning and opportunity for all employees.

Another key takeaway from Keswin’s presentation was the importance of being a “human professional” and checking in with your team on a regular basis. She shared the story of a company that starts team meetings with a quick check-in called “Pick Your Nic.” Referring to a popular meme of Nicolas Cage images representing different feelings (happy, relaxed, excited, focused, stressed, meh, etc.), each person picks the Nic that represents how they’re feeling that day. The goal isn’t to address the responses in the meeting, but rather to give the team leader the opportunity to take a pulse and to give team members the opportunity to be seen and heard.

You’ll find more retention strategies in Keswin’s new book, The Retention Revolution: 7 Surprising (and Very Human!) Ways to Keep Employees Connected to Your Company. And be sure to check out the article “The Higher Ed Employee Retention Crisis — and What to Do About It” in the fall issue of Higher Ed HR Magazine.

2. Are You Treating Diversity as a Problem to Be Managed or a Value to Be Cherished?

When it comes to creating and sustaining a more inclusive culture, Princeton professor and religion scholar Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr. prompted attendees to consider a question: Do you view diversity as a problem to be managed or a value to be cherished?

Through a problem-solving lens, we might see diversity as a series of goals to be met and obstacles to be overcome. Through the lens of a cherished value, on the other hand, we are more likely to see every situation as an opportunity to expand and celebrate diversity of people and ideas. A problem-solving lens divides “us” from “others,” while a value-based lens sees diversity as constitutive of who we are, as a people, a country and an institution. Instead of envisioning inclusion as something undertaken in response to a mandate or in compliance with a law, what if diversity was seen as key metric of an institution’s success?

The data support the positive impact of diversity on metrics like productivity and creativity in the workplace, and Glaude urged higher education to also view diversity as an integral part of its core identity and a reflection of its regional or national reach.

To see how your institution compares to others when it comes to composition of your workforce and pay equity for employees, see the results of CUPA-HR’s signature surveys.

3. Are You Ramping Up Retention Efforts in Your Most Vulnerable Departments?

Retention and recruitment were on everyone’s mind at CUPA-HR’s annual conference. The closing panel discussion brought together leaders in student affairs, campus facilities and IT and provided insights on how HR can partner with these campus constituencies to support a culture of belonging. Here are a few of their recommendations:

Provide training opportunities.

John O’Brien, president of EDUCAUSE, which represents IT professionals in higher ed, stressed the importance of career pathways to support employees’ desire to grow in their careers.

Noting that “supervisors will make or break us,” Lander Medlin, president and CEO of APPA, which serves the needs of facilities professionals, stressed the critical role that supervisor training has on retention and workplace culture in facilities, where the aging of the skilled craft workforce has posed unique recruitment and retention challenges, and all areas.

Ensure employees feel they belong and are valued.

No matter their role on campus, employees want their opinions to be heard and valued.

Kevin Kruger, president of NASPA, the association for student affairs administrators in higher education, noted that millennial and Generation Z employees especially want to feel cared about at work and to believe their opinions matter. Today, as all student affairs professionals find themselves on the front lines of the mental health crisis, they need supervisors who have the skills to meet them where they are and to create a culture of belonging.

Medlin seconded the importance of feeling heard when it comes to job satisfaction. She would ask supervisors this question: Are you a coach and mentor, or are you a boss?

Offer job flexibility.

Some campus jobs don’t easily lend themselves to remote work, but that doesn’t mean institutions can’t build in flexibility, which CUPA-HR found is a key retention factor.

For example, facilities employees might take advantage of a compressed workweek, with employees having the option to work four 10-hour shifts.

Since student affairs professionals often work outside of a typical nine-to-five day, there’s room for remote work. In fact, students might prefer to meet with student affairs professionals remotely.

If year-round remote work isn’t a possibility, seasonal flexibility might be. When students are off campus during holiday and summer break, your staff might be able to work from home.

See employees as a strategic asset (and pay them accordingly).

The three areas represented by the panel — IT, facilities and student affairs — are among the most vulnerable to turnover and recruitment challenges on most campuses. How can HR lead the way in creating a culture that positions these employees as strategic assets? The panel offered these suggestions, based on their unique perspectives:
- O’Brien encouraged satisfaction surveys. Find what’s working well and replicate it.
- Kruger recommended streamlining job searches, posting salary ranges, and focusing on internal pay equity and livable wages.
- Medlin asked conference attendees to help us help you. How we treat people matters, and HR leads the way in building that culture of belonging.
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October 18, 2023
Build Psychological Safety and Fun Into the Workplace to Reduce Overwork and Burnout – CUPA-HR

by CUPA-HR | September 28, 2022

In the wake of the Great Resignation and talent recruitment challenges, heavy workloads have led to stress and burnout for some employees. One way higher ed HR pros can help identify sources of stress and mitigate burnout is by considering employees’ work environments. Are invisible pressures placed on employees, causing team members to downplay or hide their concerns about heavy workloads, or can employees be honest about their concerns and feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work each day? How would employees describe the atmosphere where they work? Are levity and humor weaved into the workday, or is the lack of levity contributing to feelings of being overwhelmed?

In the recent CUPA-HR virtual workshop, How to Manage Unmanageable Workloads, presenter Jennifer Moss explained how building psychological safety and bringing the fun back to work can reduce the impact of overwork and burnout. So what is psychological safety, and how can HR integrate it and the elements of fun and play into the workplace?

Increase Psychological Safety

“Psychological safety is the ability to reveal one’s true self and opinions without fear that doing so will lead to negative repercussions in terms of reputation, career, status or relationships with others,” explains Why Psychological Safety Matters Now More Than Ever, an article in the Spring 2021 issue of Higher Ed HR Magazine. Teams with high psychological safety see more open conversations between team members and managers about their work. They feel comfortable sharing honestly because they know they won’t be punished simply for doing so.

Read the article to learn how HR pros can elevate psychological safety in the workplace by attending to systems and structures, supporting employees to forge connections, and fostering a learning orientation.

Bring Back the Fun

Although HR has much serious work to do, leaders can look for opportunities to incorporate fun, where appropriate. The application of fun and play has been shown to reduce stress and feelings of burnout while also improving creativity and productivity in working environments. Having fun at work has shown to have a positive impact on employee morale, engagement and camaraderie, all of which collectively have an influence on an organization’s culture. Here are some ideas to bring back the fun and stimulate play in the workplace.

Encourage Humor

Similar to incorporating more fun into the workplace, there are also plenty of benefits to weaving humor into the workplace. This element of work is sometimes considered non-essential but has many emotional and physical benefits that make us happier and healthier at work. Humor builds trust in relationships; a culture where it’s okay to admit failure; and happier, healthier employees. Learn how to conduct a humor audit to analyze where your workplace humor went right and ways to use it more effectively.

Related resources:

Health and Well-Being Toolkit (CUPA-HR members-only toolkit)

How to Bring the Fun at Work (Higher Ed Workplace Blog)

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September 28, 2022
Tools to Build a Harassment-Free Higher Ed Workplace – CUPA-HR

by CUPA-HR | March 30, 2022

Sexual violence is a multi-faceted and difficult topic. Higher ed institutions either enter the conversation before an event of sexual violence has occurred or after it has occurred, leaving the institution scrambling for answers to the campus community as to why it happened in the first place.

As part of upcoming Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April), we’re highlighting some CUPA-HR resources that share first-hand experiences from some higher ed institutions and the strategies and trainings they’ve used to respond to and approach the topic of sexual violence on campus.

Strategies to Create a Harassment-Free Workplace

In an article in the spring 2020 issue of Higher Ed HR Magazine, UMass Lowell detailed how they addressed concerns about a sexual harassment complaint the university received several years prior that spurred anger among students, faculty and staff. Questions were raised as to how decisions were made following the violation, whether the sanctions were sufficiently severe and what steps were taken to mitigate risk of recurrence.

In response, the chancellor convened a task force to review the university’s Title IX policies and procedures, educational efforts, culture and climate, and communications on these issues, and to make a set of recommendations to the executive cabinet for future improvements. Read the full article to learn about how the task force practiced transparency, built trust among the community and key themes that emerged in the recommendations from the task force: A Matter of Trust: Strategies for Creating a Harassment-Free Workplace

Impactful, Engaging In-Person Sexual Harassment Training

While training alone isn’t the answer to creating a harassment-free environment, it certainly should be part of an institution’s broader strategy. However, in order to make an impact, the training must be engaging, insightful, interactive and relatable — and sitting at a desk clicking through an online training module or watching a video about workplace harassment is anything but engaging. With an in-person training approach, participants can ask questions, engage one another in dialogue, and connect to the content, making the messaging more likely to stick.

Explore the benefits of and barriers to in-person sexual harassment training, as well as examples of interactive in-person training activities in the article A Thoughtful Approach: How to Conduct Impactful, Engaging In-Person Sexual Harassment Training.

Additional Sexual Harassment Resources

CUPA-HR’s Title IX and Sexual Harassment Toolkit is a great place to check out what other institutions are doing to mitigate sexual harassment and misconduct. The toolkit highlights sexual harassment and reporting policies, trainings and other tools for HR pros.

By tapping into these resources, higher ed institutions can positions themselves as those that prioritize prevention over reaction when it comes to sexual violence on campus.

Related resources:

How Institutions Are Leveraging Partnerships and Education to Address Sexual Harassment and As

4 Ways to Mitigate Risk Related to Sexual Misconduct and Harassment on Campus

Sexual Harassment Resources

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March 30, 2022