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Show New personnel head wants innovation f v j , By WAYNE LANGPAP Chronicle SHiff The goal of the Department of Personnel at the University is to be an extension of the Administration's Ad-ministration's objectives. So says George A. Higgins the newly appointed director of the University Personnel Services. Mr. Higgins points out that the actual employment function is but a small part of any personnel department. tt: : ...1 . 1.4-. important department of the University because it is felt in every other area of the school. "No other department affects so many other departments or so many personal lives." As director of the 23 Personnel Services staff members, Mr. Higgins becomes the University's Univer-sity's highest ranking black employee. He has been assistant director of the California Institute In-stitute of Technology Industrial Polotinna Center nTOpram , ivir. niggma, wiiu o mai position was at San Fernando Valley State College in California, believes in management by objectives. He asks of his own staff that they not only do the regular routine of their jobs, but that they be problem solvers and innovators as well. He feels that this philosophy will make his department a "results-oriented operation" The position of director of Personnel Services entails the administration of a total of 4,000 staff employees. Among Mr. Higgins' duties other than employment are supervision of equal opportunity employment, employee relations, a wage and salary division, personnel research, benefits, and implementation im-plementation of a new program of employee training. Mr. Higgins feels that the personnel department is the most director of the Bureau of Industrial In-dustrial Relations . at the University of Michigan, director of the San Fernando Valley State College Office of Educational Services, and assistant personnel administrator of the University of Michigan Medical Center. Mr. Higgins says he hopes to increase both minority and female employment on campus. He feels that these groups have been relegated to subordinate positions and that they deserve at least an opportunity to upgrade their positions. The Detroit, Mich., native sees the everpresent lack of funds and the need to enlarge his staff as minor obstacles to his goals. He predicts that the changes that will take place in higher education in the next five years will present his department with one of its toughest jobs. Mr. Higgins says that the GEORGE A. HIGGINS... . . . director of Personnel Services employment situation at the University is much like it is everywhere. His office prints a weekly list of job opportunities that is posted in most of the main gathering points on the campus and is usually printed in the Chronicle. The new director was educated at the College of the City of Detroit, Wayne State University, and the University of Michigan. Besides being an administrator at both the California Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan, Mr. Higgins has worked in private industry, taught and conducted numerous seminars dealing with employee relations. His background includes in-cludes public relations, industrial management and basic personnel per-sonnel experience. |
