Browse objectives

Create a positive environment that values collaboration and psychological safety to foster an inclusive culture and achieve a sense of purpose and belonging.

• Create and/or leverage existing programs that become a resource to faculty and staff to develop the skills and competencies necessary for high impact and collaborative teams.
• Uphold psychological safety as a tenant of Rice’s commitment to its employees and develop leadership training programs that intentionally cultivate psychological safety.
• Develop coaching programs for staff and faculty to cultivate growth in their roles and enable future career opportunities.
• Drive technological advancement for enhanced efficiency.
• Establish an innovation fund empowering staff to address workplace challenges.
• Empower employees at every level to innovate and offer solutions to advance Rice’s mission. Ÿ Promote accountability as a highly held expectation at all levels of employment.
• Implement thoughtful recognition programs for employees that incentivize collaboration between staff and faculty.

Create inspiring, productive, flexible, and accessible workspaces.

• Integrate inspiring and accessible workspaces into the campus master plan.
• Care for existing space to enable high-impact work by creating a plan to regularly keep spaces fresh and comfortable with actions such as paint and carpeting.
• Support natural and public art spaces on campus to enhance employees’ physical and mental wellbeing.

Enhance compensation and benefits to recruit and retain the best employees.

• Ensure comparable equity and competitive compensation and benefits.
• Enhance mental health and wellness access for all.
• Provide equitable housing assistance that addresses a wide range of lifestyles.
• Simplify employee life with comprehensive onsite services.
• Pursue corporate partner benefits for employees, from gym memberships to cell phone services.

Ensure all staff and faculty have the support to succeed and flourish through professional development opportunities.

• Establish dynamic leadership training cohorts for managers and academic leaders.
• Create ample opportunities for non-managerial employees to engage in leadership activities across campus (e.g., committee work and task forces).
• Offer tuition assistance and scholarships for degree programs and certifications both at Rice and at other institutions through an accessible program that is financially feasible for all pay levels.
• Provide personalized employee services — including career and financial coaching.
• Offer trainings specifically focused on developing collaboration skills and platforms for information-sharing.