UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Each year, the University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) convenes in the fall to set its annual goals as a Council.  For the coming year, USAC will focus on organizational change management, defined as supporting people through the transition from current to future states.

This focus builds upon USAC’s inaugural staff summit held in spring 2018 and the feedback the council has received from staff regarding change overload at the University. Sue Cromwell, director of the Office of Organizational Change Management in Finance and Business presented to the council this month to educate USAC members on the concept and practices of organizational change management.

To bolster the council’s prioritization of change management, the USAC sub-committees will spearhead projects related to improved communications about training opportunities at Penn State, enhanced communications to all staff, including with other staff advisory councils across the University, and recognizing staff that support change in its annual staff awards.

USAC also acknowledges the impact managing change can have on mental and physical well-being, so the council will work to share helpful resources. To complement its partnership with the Office of Organizational Change Management in F&B, USAC will also collaborate with Enterprise IT’s Organizational Change Management Office.