October 19, 2006

Guy Miller will retire

Associate VP for Human Resources will phase into retirement, then focus on strategic HR needs

Associate Vice President for Human Resources Guy Miller has announced that he will phase into retirement at the end of the 2006-07 academic year after 15 years of service to the University, it was announced by Eugene S. Sunshine, senior vice president for business and finance.

Miller will then focus on strategic University Human Resources needs. 

Sunshine said, “Guy has made many significant long-term contributions to the University, bringing Human Resources services up to standards of contemporary practice. Under his direction, the University has adopted a market-based compensation system, enabling the University to bring pay practice to competitive levels for staff in the Chicago market and the national private university market.”

Miller oversaw the procuring and implementation of the Human Resource Information System, including the implementation during the last nine years of more than 150 recommendations of the process reengineering committees convened at the outset of the HRIS project. This technology has recently added services in on-line job application and candidate processing. In addition, on-line benefits enrollment begins this year.  

“Starting in the early 1990s, the consultant model for the delivery of human resources services was piloted and has in recent years been brought to maturity under his direction, bringing a Human Resources partner to each school to better address the personal needs of staff and the organizational needs of deans, department heads and supervisors,” Sunshine said. “Most recently, he has led the development of a strategic direction for the University’s health care benefits, enabling faculty and staff as well as the University to contain the rising cost of health care through new programs being offered for 2007. Additionally, advances in training and professional development and in child care and family services have been made under his guidance in recent years, including bringing the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program to the University.”

Miller has worked closely with the University community through the General Faculty Committee and the Staff Advisory Council and through newsletters and policy development with school and department administrators.

An advisory committee will be appointed to help identify candidates for the position, with the goal of having the replacement by the end of this academic year.