Role Clarity Across Campus

A modern HR model works only when ownership is clear. Defining who owns, who advises, and who executes reduces duplication, strengthens compliance, and improves the employee experience. 

Clear role definition ensures the right expertise is applied at the right time—reducing confusion, strengthening equity, and allowing leaders to focus on their core academic and operational missions while HR provides expert, centralized support.

These services are owned and administered by OHR to ensure consistency, compliance, operational efficiency, and an equitable employee experience across the institution.

Function
Talent Acquisition

HR Responsibility
Recruitment strategy, position advertising, applicant tracking system, offer process, pre-employment screening, employment compliance

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Function
Employee Relations

HR Responsibility
Employee relations consultation, workplace investigations, conflict resolution, policy interpretation, performance coaching support

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Function
Employee Accommodations & Absence Support

HR Responsibility
FMLA, PFML, ADA accommodations, Workers' Compensation, Sick Leave Bank, leave administration and compliance

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Function
Benefits Administration

HR Responsibility
Benefits enrollment, life events, retirement, wellness benefits, benefits education

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Function
Compensation & Classification

HR Responsibility
Position classification, compensation analysis, salary administration, market reviews

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Function
HR Compliance

HR Responsibility
Employment law compliance, HR policies, labor law updates, audits, record retention

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Function
HRIS & Personnel Administration

HR Responsibility
Personnel transactions, employee records, HR system administration, reporting

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Function
Employee Engagement

HR Responsibility
Employee recognition, engagement initiatives, employee surveys, culture initiatives, well-being programming

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Function
Organizational Development

HR Responsibility
Leadership development, learning programs, professional development strategy, succession planning

These services are delivered collaboratively between HR Business Partner’s (HRBPs) and departments. HRBPs provide expertise, guidance, tools, and oversight, while departments remain actively engaged in decision-making and implementation.

Function
Workforce Planning

HR Strategic Partner
Workforce planning consultation

Department Leadership
Identify staffing needs and operational priorities

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Function
Recruitment

HR Strategic Partner
Lead recruitment process and advise on best practices

Department Leadership
Participate in interviews and hiring decisions

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Function
Performance Management

HR Strategic Partner
Provide coaching, tools, and policy guidance

Department Leadership
Conduct evaluations, provide feedback, manage performance

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Function
Employee Development

HR Strategic Partner
Recommend learning opportunities and career pathways

Department Leadership
Support employee growth and development plans

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Function
Organizational Change

HR Strategic Partner
Change management support and communication planning

Department Leadership
Implement operational changes within department

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Function
Employee Engagement

HR Strategic Partner
Design institution-wide engagement initiatives

Department Leadership
Encourage participation and reinforce positive culture locally

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Function
Retention Strategies

HR Strategic Partner
Analyze trends and recommend solutions

Department Leadership
Address department-specific retention opportunities

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Function
Workforce Analytics

HR Strategic Partner
Provide data, dashboards, and insights

Department Leadership
Use data to inform department decisions

These responsibilities remain with individual departments because they are closely connected to daily operations, supervision, and service delivery.

Administrative Support

  • Department scheduling 
  • Office operations 
  • Budget administration 
  • Purchasing and procurement 
  • Department correspondence 
  • Records management (non-HR records) 

Employee Supervision

  • Daily supervision 
  • Work assignments 
  • Time and attendance approval 
  • Scheduling
  • Operational coaching 
  • Performance feedback 
  • Probationary evaluations 
  • Employee recognition at the department level 

Department-Based Onboarding

  • Workspace preparation 
  • Technology and equipment requests 
  • Department orientation 
  • Job-specific training 
  • Introduction to team members 
  • Local procedures and workflows 
  • Department expectations 

Student Employment

  • Identification of student staffing needs 
  • Student recruitment (within HR guidelines) 
  • Student hiring requests 
  • Student onboarding 
  • Student supervision 
  • Student scheduling 
  • Student performance management 

Academic & Operational Functions

  • Faculty workload assignments 
  • Course scheduling 
  • Program operations 
  • Student support services 
  • Academic advising 
  • Department strategic planning 
  • Operational decision-making 

Department Culture

  • Team meetings 
  • Department communications 
  • Local recognition activities 
  • Team-building initiatives 
  • Department-specific engagement efforts 

Guiding Principle

HR
Owns institutional HR programs, compliance, systems, and enterprise-wide employee experience.

Departments
Own daily operations, supervision, service delivery, and local employee support.

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HR
Provides expertise, consultation, and centralized services.

Departments
Partners with HR to implement people strategies within their units.

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HR
Ensures consistency, compliance, and equity across the institution.

Departments
Ensures operational excellence and employee success within the department.

 

Decision Framework

  • Is it a compliance, legal, policy, benefits, or employment administration issue? → HR owns it. 
  • Is it about managing people, improving teams, or organizational effectiveness? → HR and the department partner together.
  • Is it part of the department's daily operations, student services, or employee supervision? → The department owns it.

HR has enterprise accountability for:

  • Policy interpretation and compliance oversight (federal/state law, collective bargaining agreements, institutional policy)
  • Leave administration and workplace accommodations (centralized intake, case management, documentation, and determinations)
  • Compensation structure and classification standards
  • Talent acquisition processes and systems
  • Employee relations guidance and risk mitigation
  • HR systems, data governance, and recordkeeping
  • University-wide engagement strategy and workforce analytics

In these areas, HR sets standards, ensures consistency, manages risk, and serves as the institutional authority.

HR partners with leaders to support:

  • Workforce planning and organizational design
  • Performance management and corrective action
  • Change management
  • Conflict resolution and team effectiveness
  • Retention and engagement strategies
  • Succession planning and leadership development

In these areas, leaders make operational decisions. HR provides guidance, options, and risk-based recommendations.

Departments and leadership retain responsibility for:

  • Day-to-day supervision and performance management
  • Operational staffing decisions within approved structures
  • Budget management and funding allocations
  • Setting priorities and defining role expectations
  • Supporting employees in connecting with HR resources (e.g., referring leave or accommodation matters to the centralized team)
  • Ensuring operational continuity during employee absences

Leaders own outcomes for their units. HR supports them in achieving those outcomes effectively and compliantly.

  • HR owns employment compliance standards, classification guidance, and pay structures.
  • Departments manage hiring decisions, scheduling, supervision, and performance.
  • Centralized processes ensure consistency while maintaining operational flexibility for departments.

HR partners closely with Academic Affairs while maintaining clear ownership boundaries:

  • Academic leadership owns recruitment decisions, tenure and promotion processes, workload assignments, and academic performance standards.
  • HR owns compliance, employment policy interpretation, compensation administration, leave and accommodation case management, and employment documentation.
  • HRBPs serve as strategic advisors to academic leaders to ensure decisions align with policy and institutional standards.
  • HR owns enterprise onboarding processes, employment documentation, systems entry, and required compliance training.
  • Departments own role-specific onboarding, integration into the team, training on unit procedures, and performance expectations.
  • HR provides tools, templates, and guidance to ensure a consistent and welcoming experience across campus.