Photo by Christopher Gannon.
Position: Program manager, Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence
Years at ISU: 7
Contact: 294-5634, srenfro@iastate.edu
What strengths do you bring to your role as Professional and Scientific Council president?
I think the biggest strength I bring to this role is my experience. The lessons I've learned and the information I've gathered along the way help me see the big picture, and as a result, I can help my team make a connection between concepts and people that might not otherwise have been realized.
What are your top priorities during your presidency?
The council itself went through a collaborative process and identified seven priorities. There's a couple I feel very passionate about, and one is supervisor training. We need more robust supervisor training because the employee experience begins with the supervisor. More effective supervisors will be impactful immediately. Council has begun collecting information from other institutions about the types and scope of supervisor training they offer, and I think that's going to allow us to make really effective recommendations in the upcoming year.
The other area I feel really passionate about is getting professional and scientific employees involved at their local department or unit level. There are some existing councils and structures in place, but we're hoping to build out a framework for employees to be more involved and form a couple more college-level or unit-level councils. I think that gives them a voice. It helps them have more ownership in what's going on in their area. And it helps us all make better decisions at the end of the day.
What challenges do P&S employees face this year?
Giving their best in the face of an enormous amount of change. Every day we're challenged to be more resourceful, more innovative and more positive in the face of an astounding amount of change happening at Iowa State. Specifically, I think the upcoming change in our enterprise system, talking about how we are going to approach institutional effectiveness or improve service delivery, and the classification and compensation review that's currently underway -- all of those will come to fruition for professional and scientific employees in the upcoming year.
What should your constituents know about P&S Council?
I think constituents should know that being involved in council is worth your time. Professional and Scientific Council is a place to contribute your skills and talents, and the work we do is incredibly impactful. And I think the work we do can also challenge your skills and give you the opportunity to utilize a different set of skills you might not be able to fully develop in your current position. Together we can help shape the future of our institution.
How can the council help demonstrate the value of Iowa State?
Professional and Scientific Council brings together employees from across the institution and illustrates our ability to collectively work toward unique solutions, engage in conversations and utilize each other's strengths. I think that really demonstrates the value of what Iowa State is about.
