Two RCC leaders recently shared the college’s work with community college peers across the country. President Randy Weber and Jamee Harrington, vice president of People, Culture and Safety, each wrote an article for Innovatus, the magazine of the League for Innovation in the Community College.
The two articles cover different topics, but both start in the same place: the people who work here.
Beyond the budget
In “Beyond the Budget: Rethinking Resources in the Community College,” Weber writes about lining up money, people, facilities, technology and partnerships behind the mission instead of chasing more funding. He describes how RCC changed its guiding question from “What can we afford?” to “What best advances our mission?” and how that change shaped decisions like the move to zero-based budgeting.
He also calls employees and community partners the college’s biggest multiplier. He singles out the annual microgrant program, which lets employees apply for up to $10,000 for projects that support college goals, as the source of some of RCC’s best ideas.
From orientation to connection
Harrington’s article, “From Orientation to Connection: Reenvisioning Onboarding as an Institutional Strategy,” tells the story of Welcome to Rogue. The yearlong onboarding program grew out of employee engagement survey results, which showed employees needed a stronger connection to their colleagues, the college and its mission.
Since it launched in 2023, the program’s 12 monthly sessions have brought new employees together across campuses for tours, conversations with executive leaders and time to get to know each other. It’s paying off in retention. Employees who attended at least half the sessions stayed at a rate of 88%, compared with 75% for employees who didn’t take part. Harrington credits the leaders, subject matter experts and longtime employees who show up to share what they know.
You’re part of these stories
If you’ve presented at a Welcome to Rogue session, applied for a microgrant or helped a new colleague find their way around campus, these articles are about your work too. Give them a read and pass them along to your team.