Message from Craig
The Spring part of the academic calendar is - in a word, ok more than one -
just flat out busy
. The event calendar is full; we’re busy wrapping up one fiscal year, planning the next, and self-assessments and performance reviews need completion; all while still performing day-to-day functions at a high level.
That said, I also happily associate Spring with the terrific Models of Excellence program; celebrating its 20th anniversary! (This incredible accomplishment deserves a Models of Excellence!). What I love about Models of Excellence is the display of achievements across so many different professional disciplines, and the cheering sections created to honor award-winning colleagues. Cheering colleagues are on my mind as I write this.
We all must acknowledge the impressive effort underway to launch Workday@Penn on July 1. Commonly referred to as Human Capital Management, Workday is an industry-leading, cloud-based platform we are using to transform our business systems with modern technology. Our Penn community depends on a broad array of services such as: faculty affairs, benefits administration, payroll, staff recruitment, paid time off tracking, and much more, and once completed, Workday@Penn simplifies complicated processes; resulting in more efficiency.
I am a fan of collaboration and teamwork, and the team of Penn leaders across Budget and Management, Finance, Human Resources, Provost, and ISC are leading this project while modeling collaborative behavior. I respect this team for their diligence and leadership, as we are all invested and dependent on this initiative succeeding.
Getting to July 1 requires a lot of our attention and discipline, and I am encouraging you to focus on the fact that change is coming. Well known existing processes will change. It is well documented that most people don’t like change. I too find it intimidating. Yet, as our world pivots to new tools,we should all be learning new systems and procedures to stay sharp. Change is an opportunity for growth; while teaching us to be more flexible.
Thanks to our Human Capital Management leaders for leading us through this change, and thanks to all of you for your amazing work this Spring (and all through the year) to keep Penn operating successfully. You remain the backbone of our globally renowned institution
Best,
Craig
