UT System employees have several employment benefits, but they may not be aware of them.

The UT System Employee Advisory Council met with the Board of Regents on Wednesday to discuss four areas of improvement for the next year. After collecting data representing the more than 83,000 UT System employees across 14 institutions, the advisory council identified four parts of the employee experience the University could improve going into 2020: diversity, professional development, employee benefits and campus safety. Council chair Tilly Clark said she expects actual recommendations that address the four concerns will be made by next November.

“A common goal (for the council) has been sharing best practices to make work environments with UT system more engaging and more productive,” Clark said. “Our vision is to consider initiatives that offer high value at low costs.”

Clark said one issue she would like to cover is the lack of communication that limits employee awareness of resources and employee benefits.

“There were a lot of issues this year (where) the answers are already out there in the UT system world, (but) the employees didn’t know where to find those answers,” Clark said. “The UT System has an amazing package of benefits, and so many employees don’t utilize those benefits to everything they can get.”

Clark said she would recommend similar communication solutions to address campus safety concerns, particularly in light of the shootings that occurred in El Paso and the Permian Basin.

“(The shootings) were not on our campuses … (but it) does create chatter among employees about what our policies are for campus safety,” Clark said.

Clark said efforts to improve diversity would focus on promoting programs in human resources institutions within the UT System to recruit women leaders. She said while it is not the absolute focus, sexual misconduct allegations will be included in a list of interpersonal safety concerns to be provided to UT institutions.