We recognize and appreciate that people are our greatest strength. We also understand that the workforce is evolving, and people’s needs are changing. HR Redefined’s goal is to transform human resources services and support across the system, elevate the well-being and experience of our employees, and prepare USC for the future by upgrading HR systems, processes, technology, and practices.
With the leadership of our steering committee and working group, the HR Redefined teams will involve stakeholders and collaborate closely with our consulting partner to develop a modern and efficient HR model and function that supports USC’s unique needs.
Objectives and goals for this initiative will continue to be refined as the working group meets. HR Redefined has already identified a few overarching goals to better serve the USC community:
- Make USC a place where current employees and job seekers want to work.
- Improve and find new ways to recruit and retain world-class faculty and staff.
- Improve the employee experience with more responsive, efficient, and personalized HR services.
- Improve and implement innovative practices and solutions.
- Align our goals and services across colleges and units to maximize academic excellence, innovation, and engagement.
The two committees are made up of 20 different faculty and staff members combined spanning 14 different academic and administrative units.
- Rohit Verma, dean of the Darla Moore School of Business (co-chair)
- Caroline Agardy, vice president for Human Resources (co-chair)
- Stacy Bradley, senior associate vice president for Organizational Excellence and Effectiveness
- Dagmara Bruce, director of HR and EEO coordinator for USC Upstate
- Anna Edwards, chief of staff for student affairs and academic support and associate vice president for student life
- Kelly Epting, associate vice president for Finance and Budget
- Carla Harkness, director of employee development and special projects, School of Medicine Columbia
- Jason Lambert, associate vice president of Facility Services
- Shannon Means, vice provost for strategy and innovation
- Belinda Ogorek, assistant vice president for Human Resources
- Connie Thompson, director of strategic partnership and policy administration for HR
- Dana Woodward, associate director of academic affairs communications
- Donna Arnett, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs (co-chair)
- Ed Walton, CFO and executive vice president for administration
- Caroline Agardy, vice president for Human Resources
- Brice Bible, CIO and vice president for Information Technology
- Julius Fridriksson, vice president for research
- Bennie Harris, chancellor of USC Upstate
- Joel Samuels, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
- Rex Tolliver, vice president for student affairs and academic support
- Julian Williams, vice president of the Office of Access and Opportunity
Phase I (completed): Segal interviewed university leadership and stakeholders to assess HR’s strengths and opportunities as well as share recommendations for improvements. A comprehensive assessment report was provided to inform USC’s path forward.
Phase II (in progress): The working group meets every three weeks with the goal of designing ways to modernize and better serve USC faculty and staff as well as find ways to continue attracting high-level talent to the university. With the guidance of the steering committee, the working group’s efforts will determine next steps.
Stay tuned!
The USC HR Redefined project is a collaborative system initiative aimed at transforming human resources, enhancing the experience of our people, and positioning USC for future success by upgrading HR systems, processes, technology, and practices. A steering committee and working group of leaders, faculty, and staff will engage stakeholders and work with our consulting partner to:
- Make USC a place where current employees and job seekers want to work.
- Improve and find new ways to recruit and retain world-class faculty and staff.
- Improve the employee experience with more responsive, efficient, and personalized HR services.
- Improve and implement innovative practices and solutions.
- Align our goals and services across colleges and units to maximize academic excellence, innovation, and engagement.
Like many other large public research higher education institutions, USC is facing significant pressures in recruiting and retaining faculty and staff. The changing demographics, needs, and demands of the workforce have created intense competition in the labor market.
We also learned a great deal about how human resources at USC supports our workforce during an assessment that was conducted in February 2024. The results of the assessment and the understanding by our leadership of HR’s importance, has led us to undertake a transformation to elevate and enhance HR services at USC or risk losing talented faculty and staff to other universities or colleges.
The USC HR Redefined project will be completed over the course of roughly 12-18 months spanning 2024-2025 and will include three primary steps:
- Step 1: Develop a new or re-imagined HR organizational and operational model that aligns to best practices and supports HR Redefined’s goals.
- Step 2: Launch a formal culture and climate initiative within HR, as well as map and re-engineer core HR processes.
- Step 3: Undertake a rebranding of our HR organization and implement the new HR model.
Ed Walton, CFO and executive vice president for administration, and Donna Arnett, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, are the executive sponsors of this project. In collaboration with Caroline Agardy, vice president of human resources, they have commissioned a steering committee and working group to lead this effort.
Committee members and working group members have committed to doing the hard work to re-imagine how HR services are delivered at USC. The working group meets every three weeks with regular updates provided to the steering committee every few months.
We encourage anyone who wants to share their insights, suggestions, or questions to do so through a variety of ways:
- Email us at HRRedefined@mailbox.sc.edu
- Contact a member of the steering committee or working group directly
HR Redefined will play a critical role in supporting USC in becoming an employer of choice, attracting exceptional faculty and staff, and engaging and retaining them throughout their employment journey.
