Given the many long-term initiatives and planning that have unfolded since he began as president, Dr. Ramon Torrecilha has sought more direct feedback from the campus community through two new efforts this semester. The first is this semester’s “60 Minutes with the President” sessions that have been organized by years of service. The second is his commitment to spending more time on main campus.
“We have held three 60 Minutes sessions so far and it has been interesting and valuable to see the themes of feedback and concerns that have come up when you pair faculty and staff with similar years of service,” said President Ramon S. Torrecilha, Ph.D., who explained that much of the feedback on the University’s strengths and opportunities for improvement is similar to issues that surfaced during the information gathering portion of the recent strategic planning process.
As announced by the Advisory Committee on Strategic Planning last academic year, culture is an area of focus for Westfield State’s Strategic Plan. According to President Torrecilha, many of the initiatives that will operationalize the Plan are aimed at improving culture and employee satisfaction.
“What I heard loud and clear in all of the 60 Minutes meetings so far is that there needs to be more engaging interactions from my office and senior administration with all campus constituents,” said President Torrecilha, who said he and his Cabinet continue to find ways to be more accessible and visible on campus.
The President explains that having his Office not located on main campus poses challenges. Although moving the Office the President to main campus has not been feasible to date, President Torrecilha is holding more meetings and carrying out his schedule in Ely Hall for two days each week, when possible. “For the weeks when travel for fundraising, board commitments, and other university business does not keep me away from Westfield, I have designated Mondays and Wednesdays to spend on the main campus,” he said.
President Torrecilha has already seen a difference in the first month of this semester. “More time invested on campus means more exposure to the University’s most relevant issues and happenings. So far, the increased impromptu conversations with students and others while simply walking across campus more, have provided valuable feedback.”
The “60 Minutes with the President” sessions that are still accepting RSVPs (via email to jbeal@westfield.ma.edu) are:
Wednesday, March 20: For employees with three to five years of service;
Wednesday, March 27: For new employees and those with up to two years of service; and
Wednesday, April 3: For students.
President Torrecilha welcomes ongoing feedback at president@westfield.ma.edu