Staff Council represents, informs and educates staff employees by serving as a liaison between employees and 麻豆影院 campus, University system and State administration. We also recommend proposals to the administration that are designed to improve morale and advocate for the rights of staff employees.听 We are pleased to continue our Employee Spotlight series to highlight the diverse stories of our employees. This spotlight focuses on Jason Shelton, Senior Employee Relations Consultant in the Division of Human Resources.
What is your job title and the nature of your role here at CU?
I am a senior employee relations consultant in Employee Relations in the Division of Human Resources. My role is to advise supervisors and employees on leave issues (Family Medical Leave, Parental Leave and disability benefits), Performance Management (evaluations) and disciplinary issues 鈥� on one hand, how to help people become better employees and supervisors, on the other hand helping supervisors set clear expectations and hold employees accountable for these expectations. I鈥檝e worked at CU for over 18 years. I started out in the Office of Admission where I worked with Student Ambassadors and visit programs. Next, I moved to Academic Advising where I advised Open Option students. While advising, I studied for my law degree at the University of Denver. My interest in law led me to explore the administrative side of the university and I eventually made the transition to my current office in Employee Relations.
What is your educational and professional background? What led you to CU?
I grew up in Littleton [Colorado] and attended high school where the majority of my peers went to CU. At the time, ironically enough, I absolutely refused to go to CU and practically begged my parents to go out of state. Fortunately, I had a great college experience at Princeton University and better still, my east coast experience helped me appreciate what Colorado had to offer. After a brief stint in graduate school in North Carolina and a terrible Dilbert-like job in the mortgage industry, I was offered the opportunity to work at CU, fell in love with 麻豆影院 and have been here ever since.听听听
I鈥檝e always had a passion for the college experience. Ever since I was little, I鈥檝e always loved the idea of university life and the energy that a college campus brings. So, I think that鈥檚 always been sort of like my driving goal.
What do you find inspiring or gratifying in your work?
I love the problem-solving aspect of my work. People come to Employee Relations because they have a problem or issue that they need to talk through or simply can鈥檛 solve themselves. I鈥檓 a helper and I actually enjoy taking on difficult issues.
[Also], it is incredibly rewarding to be able to have a positive impact on people鈥檚 lives. Particularly in the leave area when an individual has been met with devastating, often health-related, news regarding themselves or a loved one, they鈥檙e immediately faced with job decisions, insurance companies, medical issues, [and] benefits. In our role, we often find ourselves in the center of things in an attempt to make things go as smoothly as possible [and] hopefully provide a bit of stability. We do care 鈥� and the vast majority of the time we can make things better.
Our department as a whole is going through a big period of transition. [We] just hired a new Chief Human Resources Officer and we鈥檙e actually looking to really revamp what we do. For now, we鈥檙e just starting in on new initiatives, but we have a lot of鈥ew energy and that鈥檚 always exciting to be a part of that.
CU-麻豆影院 has that new 鈥淏e 麻豆影院.鈥� branding identity initiative to highlight the positive impacts and achievements of the university (鈥淏e Innovative,鈥� 鈥淏e Together,鈥� etc). How would you fill in the blank?
I suppose as someone who works in Human Resources, I鈥檓 almost obligated to say 鈥淏e Resourceful.鈥� Still, 鈥渞esourceful鈥� was one of the first words that came to mind.听 There are so many great resources on this campus, people to help work through a problem, to help you be more productive in your work or research, or even just to help you try something new. I would say that you really never have to be alone in this town or on campus, and I鈥檝e just been so pleasantly surprised about what鈥檚 out there as information and who is available and willing to help.
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