California State University Northridge continues to grow as a destination workplace. Human Resources played a vital role by welcoming 796 new employees during the 2016-17 fiscal year, and by increasing the services it provides to the campus community.
Annual Benefits and Wellness Fair
Each fall, Human Resources provides employees with a Benefits and Wellness Fair as a way to get ready for Open Enrollment. Employees learned about the numerous on and off-campus health and well being resources available. To accommodate the growth in exhibitors and participants, and to communicate the Healthy Matadors message, Human Resources moved the location of the fair to the Student Recreation Center. 
Employee Assistance Program | LifeMatters
Working with our partners at Empathia, the Employee Assistance Program provided by Life Matters facilitated on-campus workshops such as “Eldercare: Emotional Challenges for Caregivers,” “Respect in the Workplace,” and “Respectful Communication” to faculty and staff. HR continued to promote both live and recorded webinars offered by LifeMatters to faculty and staff.
Home Grown | The University Fee Waiver & Reduction Program
HR also promoted career and professional development for employees - particularly through the University’s Fee Waiver and Reduction Program. This program allows eligible employee members to “learn while they earn,” and attend classes at CSUN or other CSU campuses for greatly reduced rates. CSUN employees who want to complete a bachelor’s or graduate degree, enhance job skills, or even prepare for a future career, are encouraged to participate in this program. This great benefit can be passed to employee's eligible dependents. Last year, 946 employees took part in the fee waiver program. To date, 1,360 members of CSUN's current employees are "Home Grown" in that they have earned a degree from CSUN which makes up 33% of our faculty/staff population!
Employee Enrichment | Healthy Matadors
Striving to provide a robust wellness program, HR reestablished the CSUN Wellness Affinity Group (CWAG) in November 2016. The group’s goal is to collaborate and promote A Culture of Healthy Matadors both on campus and at home. As a team of wellness champions, the group partnered with the campus community to identify, utilize, and promote wellness and self-care programs and services on campus. As part of the continued efforts for well being, the Working Mom’s Brown Bag Lunch Group added campus presenters in September 2016 to facilitate such topics as Nutrition, Investing, Art Therapy, and Stress and Sleep. In Spring 2017, CWAG hosted Walkability Wednesday on March 8th, which was led by President Dianne F. Harrison. Over 60 employees walked together stopping at information tables staffed by all wellness entities and ended with a celebration at the Wellness Garden. In May 2017, the American College Health Association’s “pilot” National Faculty and Staff Health Assessment was distributed to all employees. Results from this survey have potential to help improve current wellbeing programs and grant funding for future programs.
Employee Recognition
On behalf of the University, Human Resources continued to honor and recognize university staff and administrative employees with the 51st Annual Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Award event held in May 2017. Over 270 employees were recognizing over 3,200 year of service to the University! Recipients for the Recognition of Excellence include: Christopher Aston, Presidential Award; Heather Cairns, Leadership Award; Bridge to the Future, Design and Implementation Team, Jolene Koester Team Award; Samir Hamawe, Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award; Don Foster, Merit Award; William Krohmer, Merit Award; Carolina Franco-Ardaghi, Merit Award; Julie Hunter, Merit Award; Blanca Plascencia, Merit Award; Susan Krikorian, Merit Award; and Vahram Shemmassian, Alumni Relations Award.
