Associate Vice-President (Human Resources)
Update 5
6 May 2021
Committee Activity 31 March 2021
After the tendering of a comprehensive RFP for a Search Consultant and submissions from six different national firms, we are pleased to report that we have selected Optimum Talent as the successful bidder.
A contract has been arranged with them starting 1 April 2021. They will help the Search Committee with broadening the search for candidates, gathering applications, initial screening, and providing a short list for interviews. Throughout they will provide assistance to the Committee in process and candidate suitability.
We look forward to working with Optimum Talent, and the lead contact for this engagement Greg Fieger (a University of Regina alum) http://www.optimumtalent.com/
Committee Activity 23 April 2021
After a successful couple of weeks working with the team at Optimum Talent, we have strengthened the job profile, description and ad for the AVP HR position. The new details have been posted on the Optimum Talent website. The website also has a portal for applicants to submit their interest.
We encourage anyone on campus that has suggested candidates to point them to this website (or to our own UofRegina website) and to apply.
Committee Activity 6 May 2021
Our AVP Human Resources Search Committee supported by Optimum Talent continue our sourcing of prospective candidates for the AVP HR role. Our schedule anticipates the Committee reviewing prospective candidates and confirming preferred candidates for Search Committee interviews between mid May and early June. Our current timeline, should all go as planned, would have us completing our first round of AVP HR candidate interviews early June. We know from market feedback that the University of Regina is well respected by prospective candidates so the challenge is to find those appropriately qualified who are also motivated to make a move to the University of Regina because it supports their career aspirations and fits their personal life objectives at the same time.
You are invited to continue referring prospective candidates by referring them to this website (or to our own U of Regina website) and to apply.
Update 4
17 March 2021
Dear members of the campus community,
Meetings of the search committee were held on both the 8th and 16th of March 2021.
Discussion has continued on the nature of the search and the skills and attributes considered critical for the position. Discussions with various stakeholder groups have also been undertaken during this period to gather additional input.
The Committee has extended the search period and will continue to accept applications.
An RFP has been prepared and circulated 17 March 2021 to seek the assistance of a professional talent agency to help with the search. It is expected that a consultant will be selected in the next few weeks.
Kelly Kummerfield has graciously volunteered to defer her retirement date by a month (to end of June) to assist with the transition.
Sincerely,
Dave Button
Vice-President (Administration)
Update 3
3 March 2021
Dear members of the campus community,
A meeting of the search committee was held 1 March 2021 as noted below.
A review of the submissions received so far reconfirmed the commitment of the Search Committee to continue to stress the importance of confidentiality to prospective candidates to ensure the most qualified and senior candidates possible would apply.
As noted in the Policy on Out-of-Scope Senior Appointments Out-of-Scope Senior Appointments | Policy, University of Regina (uregina.ca) and in particular to balance "the need for confidentiality expressed by candidates for out-of-scope senior positions who currently occupy positions elsewhere, and the need for meaningful input into the selection process by those who will work closely with the new appointee" the balance strongly leaned to the need for confidentiality.
In the search for an AVP HR, many candidates come from the local region, and from positions in which their status as a known search candidate in a different organization would damage their reputations. Minoritized candidates can be especially vulnerable when their identities are public. The Search Committee therefore deemed it crucial to keep the search confidential in order to ensure a strong applicant pool and to avoid creating unnecessary professional risk for our applicants.
Opportunities for input will be arranged (if interested after invitation) for groups such as the HR team and HR Direct Reports, the President and Executive team, Student's Union and Union/Faculty Association Leadership. This input will be prior to the screening process and will not compromise applicants' confidentiality.
Sincerely,
Dave Button
Vice-President (Administration)
Update 2
2 March 2021
Dear members of the campus community,
A meeting of the search committee was held 5 February 2021 as noted below
Assisted by an extensive email exchange prior to the first meeting, the Committee discussed the roles, skills, and attributes desired of the successful candidate. Draft Job descriptions and Job Ads were prepared. These descriptions and ads as well as the many different platforms on which the ads would be placed, to as broadly as possible advertise the vacancy, were approved at the meeting.
The bulk of the two hour meeting was dedicated to unconscious bias training, which was agreed by the full committee to be mandatory prior to beginning the search. This training was hugely valuable in framed discussions around potential bias and how the committee would deal with it as a group as well as individually. The principles of equity, diversity and inclusion were strongly established for the search in accordance with University policy. To assist in ensuring high standards in equity, diversity and inclusion, in the job description and ads, they were further tested by putting them through the “Job Ad Gender Decoder”. http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/
Sincerely,
Dave Button
Vice-President (Administration)
Update 1
1 March 2021
Dear members of the campus community,
I am pleased to announce the University has initiated a search for the new Associate Vice-President (Human Resources). A position description is available on the University Careers website:
https://urcareers.uregina.ca/postings/4259
The competition for the position of Associate Vice President (Human Resources) closes on March 7, 2021.
Chaired by the Vice President (Administration), a search advisory committee is in place with diverse representation from the University. Committee members are Danni Kenzle; Emily Grafton; Esam Hussein, Jan Bell, John D. Smith, Kerri Crellin Cormier, and Shannon Dea. The committee will be supported by Nancy Kazeil and Christa Walsh.
Further updates about this search process will be posted on this page.
Sincerely,
Dave Button
Vice-President (Administration)