All About HERC

Informational Breakfastand

Fall MeetingNovember 3, 2009

What is a HERC?

• HERCs are partnerships among higher education and affiliated institutions in a geographic region that work cooperatively to promote dual-career and diversity hiring

• HERCs offer the largest and most comprehensive, free higher education job board in the world

www.stlrherc.org

• The purpose of the Saint Louis Regional HERC is to promote dual-career and diversity hiring at member institutions.

• A vital feature of the Saint Louis Regional HERC is its website that lists all faculty, staff, administrative, executive, and research job postings at member institutions.

Dual-career challenge• Partner status of full-time faculty

86 percent are partnered 72 percent are members of dual-career couples 36 percent are members of dual-academic couples 63 percent of academic couples work within the

same general field of inquiry 83 percent of women scientists and 54 percent of

men scientists (in academic couples) are partnered with another scientist

(Schiebinger, Davies Henderson, & Gilmartin, 2008)

Diversity challenge

Educational Level Attained

2005 American Community Survey Age 25 and older

United States

STLR HERCRegistered Job Seekers as of 12/31/08

From Diversity as a Sustainability Initiative 2008 CUPA-HR PresentationPresented by: Sabrina Brown, Director of Human ResourcesRobert Rodriguez, Esq. Director of Affirmative Action, Diversity and ComplianceBoth of City University of New York, City College

Associate Degree

11%

High School46%

Bachelor Degree

27%

Master's Degree

11%

Ph.D/Other Pro.5% High School

19%

Associate Degree

9%

Bachelor Degree

29%

Master's Degree

33%

Ph.D/Other Pro.10%

Race & Ethnicity Distribution

White 68%

Other

Ethnicities1%

Asian 4%

Black 26%

Hispanic 1%

Hispanic 3.5%

Black 5.5%

Asian 8%

Other

Ethnicities 2%

White 80.8%

STLRHERC.ORG Registered Job Seekers

Faculty in US2005 Chronicle of Higher Education

From Diversity as a Sustainability Initiative 2008 CUPA-HR PresentationPresented by: Sabrina Brown, Director of Human ResourcesRobert Rodriguez, Esq. Director of Affirmative Action, Diversity and ComplianceBoth of City University of New York, City College

HERC History & Development

• The HERC concept originated in Northern California in 2000 as a response to:– “spousal/partner employment opportunities

increasingly becoming a key part of successful recruitment and retention in higher education;

– shrinking resources in the area of faculty, staff, and executive recruiting;

– a need for institutional collaboration in addressing these issues.”

HERC National Scope

• 11 regional HERCs in the United States representing over 500 public and private colleges, universities, teaching hospitals and research institutions

– Greater Chicago - Northern California– Metro NY & So. Connecticut - Southern California– Michigan - St. Louis Regional– Saint Louis Regional - Upper Mid West– New England - Upstate New York– NJ/Eastern PA/DE

Current Member Institutions

Barnes Jewish Hospital Saint Louis Community College

Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Saint Louis UniversityEast Central College Southern Illinois University at

Edwardsville

Fontbonne University Southwestern Illinois College

Harris-Stowe State University University of Illinois at Springfield

Lewis and Clark Community College University of Missouri

Lindenwood University University of Missouri-St. Louis

Missouri Botanical Garden Washington University in Saint Louis

Saint Charles Community College

Saint Louis College of Pharmacy

Member Benefits

• Increases institutional visibility• Supports a dual-career search function and resource

to spouses and partners of faculty and staff• Generates electronic user alerts• Promotes the region• Provides cohesive marketing materials• Allows for cost-effective and efficient posting of ALL

jobs

Member Benefits

• Broadens employment outreach and increases diversity in applicant pools through national exposure and strategic partnerships

• Encourages the sharing of recruitment and retention best practices

• Creates institutional synergy & encourages resource sharing

• Provides comprehensive usage statistics for member institutions

Data Collection/Measurement Tools

The HERC programs are committed to quantifying success. Several measurement tools have been developed including:

* General web statistics * User exit survey* Per campus web statistics * Per job statistics* Top referrer statistics * User demographics

What Members Say…

"Since helping to found the HERC in our region, Washington University has enjoyed many benefits from the program. The Saint Louis Regional HERC has helped Washington University in efforts to recruit and retain faculty and staff. The HERC website gives us another valuable tool we canoffer when spouses or partners are looking for employment opportunities. It also helps demonstrate that Washington University is committed to addressing work/life challenges, increasing diversity on our campus and adding to the vitality of our region".

Mark S. Wrighton, Chancellor, Washington University in Saint Louis

What Members Say…

"The contacts that I have been able to make through HERC allowed for a very quick turnaround to collect best practices information from other schools. This material enabled our HR department to go into a facet of a negotiation much better prepared.”

Erik Smetana, UMSL

What Jobseekers Say…

“The thing I liked best about the Saint Louis Regional HERC website is that you can search the whole region, rather than place by place. It made it easy to see if jobs I’m both qualified for and interested in had become available.”

Jennifer Tappenden, Senior Data Control Coordinator, Siteman Cancer Center,

who found her job on the STLR HERC job board

What are Members’ Responsibilities?

• Attend membership/best practices meetings• Post all your jobs on the STLR HERC website• Get involved, share your ideas• Market your affiliation with HERC and its

website on your campus and in your local community

• Pay membership dues on time

Questions?

For more information:Contact Laurel Sgan, Director Saint Louis Regional HERC

hercdirector@wustl.edu 314.935-9206

Tour the Saint Louis Regional HERC web site at:

www.stlrherc.org