During the 2025 Pioneer Perspectives presentation, a stage for the school to present accomplishments to faculty, staff and students, another new location for the Welcome Center was unveiled along with a new dean, the first employee engagement survey in years and a 700% traffic increase to athletic social media since Point Park joined the NCAA were just a few of many discussion topics.
Provost Shari Payne introduced the new incoming dean for the school of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Becky Spritz. On its website, Spritz is listed as the associate provost for Robert Williams University’s Feinstein School of Social and Natural Sciences with expertise in developmental psychopathology.
Last year, it was formally announced that the Welcome Center would be relocated to the inside of the green Online Education Building. Although, in the meantime, to save university money, President Chris Brussalis said the Welcome Center will take a temporary location inside the second floor of Thayer Hall where the JVH Auditorium and the Center for Experiential Narrative Technologies (CENT) are located.
“We’re postponing the green building for a few years,” Brussalis said. “We’re improving the space we need to improve, and we’re going to move [the Welcome Center] there in the short term, and then eventually move [the Welcome Center] to the green building.”
As for the employee survey results, 46% or 228 out of 493 employees participated, according to Natalie Rice, vice president of Human Resources. She was tasked with presenting the survey’s data at the meeting.
The highest rated items were the following topics: “I like the type of work I do” (92%), “My manager demonstrates understanding and flexibility in times of a personal crisis or emergency” (91%), “My managers provides flexibility when working with my schedule” (88%), My manager treats employees with dignity and respect” (86%), “My team works well together” (85%), “My work gives me a sense of personal accomplishment” (83%), “My manager operates in an ethical manner” (82%), “I am motivated to go beyond what is normally expected of me to help the organization be successful” (82%), “I have a good understanding of the university’s total benefits package (medical, dental, vision, retirement tuition remission, etc)” (78%) and “There is open and honest two-way communication between my manager and me” (78%).
Three categories about working at Point Park that employees said were most enjoyable included people/colleagues/students, culture and environment and the work life/schedule.
Although Rice shared several responses from the survey, they were kept anonymous.
One said, “The culture of inclusion and innovations is what brought me here and keeps me here.” Another in the work life/schedule category said, “I most enjoy the flexibility to work remotely without fear of punishment or being ostracized for not being on campus.”
The three categories that employees wanted the school to improve on included communication, compensation and Growth/Development/Training.
One anonymous employee’s response under the compensation category said, “Pay me what I’m worth and actually consider me for full-time positions when I apply for them.” Another response under communication said, “Communication can always be better, I think sometimes university leadership does not communicate exactly what is going on.”
As for Key Drivers of Engagement, the statistics are the following: “I would recommend the university to a friend as a great place to work” (54%), “I believe there is a promising future for me at the university” (53%), “I would stay with the university eve if offers a similar job elsewhere with slightly higher pay” (39%), “I feel valued as an employee” (57%), “I believe the university has a bright future” (52%), “I believe the university is committed to providing superior customer service” (61%), “Senior Leadership supports and practices high standards of ethical behavior” (38%), “I trust the Senior Leadership of the university” (34%), “I am confident Senior leadership can make the decision necessary to ensure the future of the university” (41%) and “I believe there are opportunities for advancement or growth that are relevant to me” (51%).
To increase employee engagement the Human Resources department is launching the High Five Program that offers employees the opportunity to recognize their part-time and full-time employees for a job well done.
Each month, up to four recipients will be randomly selected to win a $50 gift card (subject to taxation).
Additional announcements included Dean Payne announcing a new Institute for Community Engagement which will launch this summer under the direction of Heather Starr Fiedler, chair of the Department of Community Engagement.
With funding, last year the university raised $689,218 on the Day of Giving, totaling $1,995,501 raised year-to-date.
Marlin Collingwood, vice president of enrollment management, announced the creation of a new initiative named the “1933 Society.” The society is meant to represent the university’s founding year and more details will become available during a launch event on April 9.
The Spring Fling will be held in Village Park April 11 where there will be food trucks. The Outstanding Student Awards are on April 17 and commencement takes place April 26 with over 100 graduate and doctoral students and over 450 students who are going to walk, according to Dean Keith Paylo of Student Affairs.
