OVPRI's Campus Climate Action Plan

OVPRI aspires to be an organization where everyone feels welcome and included. In collaboration with wider campus climate efforts, OVPRI's goal for the 2023-24 academic year was Strengthening Connections: Teambuilding, Mentoring, and Leadership Development. The action plan crafted to meet this goal resulted in the efforts listed below.

Buddy System

An onboarding buddy provides new OVPRI hires with someone who helps navigate workplace culture, answer questions, address concerns, and provide resources. Ideally, a current employee buddy will meet with their new hire buddy within two weeks of their start date, and then one month, three months, six months, and one year after. The estimated time commitment is 1.5 hours per month. The Buddy System is open to all OVPRI employees, including research core facilities, research innovation services units, and OVPRI centers and institutes.

Inclusive Event Resource Committee

OVPRI aims to foster inclusive events and build connections across OVPRI units. While our executive assistant/event manager is working to incorporate this value into all OVPRI-wide events, we are also happy to announce the creation of the Inclusive Event Resource Committee (IERC). The IERC is charged with reviewing proposals for events from OVPRI units; their goal is to equitably distribute event funding across the OVPRI portfolio, ensure the highest impact for each event, and promote the OVPRI's overarching goals of team building, mentoring, and strengthening connections. Proposals will be welcomed from OVPRI administrative units, core facilities, and centers and institutes. Interested in serving on this committee? Stay tuned for information!

Leadership Development Initiative

The OVPRI Leadership Development Initiative focuses on empowering supervisors. Through quarterly themes and various engagement opportunities, we aim to equip leaders within OVPRI with the necessary tools to drive innovation and excellence. Though participation is required of OVPRI administrative unit and core facility supervisors, trainings are open to all OVPRI employees.

Remote/Hybrid Work Policy

OVPRI strives to be equitable in our expectations around remote and hybrid work. We are working to establish a policy that will apply throughout OVPRI administrative units and may be a useful reference for core facilities, centers and institutes, and others.

Web Accessibility

Accessibility is an important component of all OVPRI website and external-facing communications. Digital resources are available to unit-level content managers, as well as a quarterly training forum. As webpages are updated and redesigned, addressing accessibility of content and materials is a top priority.