Forum Post
As we strive to recruit and retain high-quality faculty and staff at WSU, I urge the consideration of two impactful policies – tuition waivers for dependents of employees and facilitated access to campus childcare.
Many peer institutions offer tuition remission benefits for dependents of faculty and staff. This is a powerful recruitment tool, as the cost of college is a major financial concern for many working families. Providing this benefit would give WSU a competitive edge in attracting top talent. Gonzaga University currently offers free undergraduate tuition for children and family of faculty. Implementing a similar policy at WSU would aid immensely in faculty retention.
Additionally, supporting faculty and staff in securing quality childcare would demonstrate WSU’s commitment to being a family-friendly workplace. New faculty with young children often struggle to find care and navigate long wait-lists. Developing a partnership between the College and WSU’s Children Center to reserve priority spots for new hires would alleviate this burden during a stressful transition period. It would allow faculty to better focus on their work and hit the ground running at the start of each semester.
As both a recruitment and retention strategy, I believe tuition remission and facilitated access to on-campus childcare would provide high return on investment. They are impactful levers to support faculty and staff while also enabling WSU to stand out from peer institutions. I encourage your strong consideration of these proposals and am happy to discuss further. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Response
The Faculty Senate Executive Officers have been notified of this forum post and will respond back once more information becomes available.
Comments
This would be a powerful recruitment tool. I would also suggest not charging us for parking to come to work as well.