UF’s Academic and Professional Assembly receives Human Resources Innovation Award

Aida Mallard, The Gainesville Sun
·2 min read

The University of Florida’s Academic and Professional Assembly (APA) has received the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) 2022 Human Resources Innovation Award for its “Warm Welcome” project.

The HR Innovation Award recognizes innovative thinking in higher education HR, especially models that can be adapted for use on other campuses. CUPA-HR made a $5,000 contribution to the University of Florida in recognition of the award.

Recognizing a gap in the sense of belonging felt by new staff at their large institution, the volunteer-led APA began thinking about ways to better foster inclusion and belonging on campus while also creating a stronger connection between staff and leadership.

“Our staff wanted to feel welcomed, valued and inspired, and they wanted to break the silos that tend to plague higher education,” said Honey Langford, HR Generalist II, in her nomination of the project.

In designing a welcome experience, the APA board engaged in deep thinking and purposeful decision-making. Their goals were to officially welcome new staff, to foster a sense of belonging and community among all staff, to offer inspiration from leaders and to spark connections.

The inaugural “Warm Welcome” took place in the fall of 2019 and was an in-person event which included involvement and personal stories from the president, vice president of HR, chief diversity officer and a college dean.

The first “Warm Welcome” received great feedback and the APA was successful when pivoting the event to a twice per year Zoom experience following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The virtual format allowed the event to reach a broader audience and proved even more accessible to more staff. Today, the “Warm Welcome” alternates from in-person to virtual while continuing to allow new colleagues to see the “human” side of a large institution.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: UF’s Academic and Professional Assembly receives Human Resources award