Human Resources

MANY PEOPLE HAVE stopped watching the evening news. Why bother? More corporate greed. More stocks plummeting. More people losing their jobs, homes, or life savings. There’s the occasional “nearing the end of the recession” headline thrown in, but budget struggles have caused a number of layoffs on campuses.

TIGHTER BUDGETS. CUTS TO PROGRAMS. LAYOFFS. Frozen salaries. The list goes on and on as to how colleges and universities are being affected by the country’s recession.

VIRTUALLY EVERY HIGHER ed institution offers some type of employee retirement program along with a handful of optional workshops on retirement-related topics. But is that enough?

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE secretary who fell asleep at work, facedown on her computer keyboard? Or maybe you heard about the employee who broke down crying in his manager's office, admitting that he needed help for a problem he had been hiding for months-his addiction to alcohol. 

SINCE WELLNESS PROGRAMS were introduced to the workplace more than 30 years ago, colleges and universities have offered employees a variety of free health perks and programs ranging from weight loss coaches and gym memberships to self-help classes.

THE CONCEPT OF MENTORING in the workplace is certainly nothing new. Employees have been guiding other workers for centuries. But what's different today is how such programs have evolved at higher education institutions, helping employees succeed in all aspects of their career.