SOCIAL BUZZ A roundup of reactions to posts on @urichmond: What a fine professor and an even finer human. I still remember the first time [Dean Simpson, professor of classical studies] read the first lines of The Iliad in Greek to my class. It was a class that studied The Iliad and The Odyssey in English. Because of him and the passion of his teaching, I became a Greek major. —Tanya Toivonen Morrisett via Facebook
You can draw a direct line from Ralph Adams Cram’s original vision in the early 1900s through to Andrew McBride and Chuck Rogers leadership of Architectural Services in the beginning of this century. The entire team from Architecture to Facilities Management is among the best we have working today, and it shows in their considered improvement of the campus year after year. —Shane Oberholtzer via LinkedIn What an incredibly generous gift and selfless gesture. UofR really does crank out some incredible people. Congratulations to all the future students benefiting from this gift, and to that successful RSB alum with the gigantic heart! —Stephen Payne via LinkedIn, referring to the $10 million gift to support scholarships for students in the Robins School of Business
Every season is more beautiful than the last at UR! —Carole Ann via Facebook [UR] was the first school I toured and the barometer by which I measured every tour that followed. In the end, it was the University Scholars program that made my decision for me, but the setting sure was nice! —Ann Elizabeth Hedges via Linkedin
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Embracing Change
Change ambassadors ensure UR community is ready for Banner HR and Finance replacement The Workday@UR initiative marks a significant transformation of the University’s enterprise resource planning by replacing Banner Finance, Human Resources, and Payroll with the dynamic capabilities of Workday. This sweeping change affects every University community member, necessitating adopting a change management strategy that places communication and training at its core. Driving the strategy is Julie Farmer, director of change management, who joined the University in August. A Prosci-certified change practitioner, Farmer brings extensive experience to the project team. “We all have a role to play in supporting ourselves, our teams, and the University through these changes.” Farmer said. “Our project’s success hinges on how well we support our people to move through the series of changes in processes, tools, systems, roles, etc., and to learn new behaviors needed to do our jobs and utilize Workday effectively.” To orchestrate a seamless move to Workday, Farmer is spearheading a Change Ambassador Network (CAN), comprising 50 to 75 staff and faculty from across the University. The program is a grassroots effort to facilitate communication between departments and the Workday@UR team. CAN will play a pivotal role in testing the Workday system throughout summer and fall, paving the way for a smooth transition when Workday goes live in January 2025. CAN will also serve as a resource for departments seeking guidance on the new Workday system and processes. The Workday@UR team will unveil changes to business processes, policies, systems, and roles in the coming months. Change ambassadors will play a crucial part in disseminating this information and collecting department feedback. Later in the year, the team will offer end-user training and develop comprehensive job aids to ensure everyone is prepared to navigate the new system. “My hope is that when Workday launches, all system users feel well prepared and excited about the possibilities that Workday brings to their day-to-day job functions,” Farmer said. For more information on engaging with the Change Ambassador Network and to stay abreast of Workday@UR updates, please visit the project website at workday.richmond.edu.