We recognize and appreciate that people are our greatest strength. We also understand that the workforce is evolving, and people’s needs are changing. HRedefined’s goal is to transform human resources services and support across the system, elevate the well-being and experience of our employees, and prepare USC for the future by upgrading HR systems, processes, technology, and practices.
With the leadership of our steering committee and working group, the HRedefined teams will involve stakeholders and collaborate closely with our consulting partner to develop a modern and efficient HR model and function that supports USC’s unique needs.
Objectives and goals for this initiative will continue to be refined as the working group meets. HRedefined has already identified a few overarching goals to better serve the USC community:
- Make USC a place where current employees and job seekers want to work.
- Improve and find new ways to recruit and retain world-class faculty and staff.
- Improve the employee experience with more responsive, efficient, and personalized HR services.
- Improve and implement innovative practices and solutions.
- Align our goals and services across colleges and units to maximize academic excellence, innovation, and engagement.
The two committees are made up of 20 different faculty and staff members combined spanning 14 different academic and administrative units.
- Rohit Verma, Dean of the Darla Moore School of Business (co-chair)
- Caroline Agardy, Vice President for Human Resources (co-chair)
- Stacy Bradley, Senior Associate Vice President for Organizational Excellence and Effectiveness
- Dagmara Bruce, Director of HR and EEO Coordinator for USC Upstate
- Anna Edwards, Chief of Staff for Student Affairs and Academic Support and Associate Vice President for Student Life
- Kelly Epting, Associate Vice President for Finance and Budget
- Carla Harkness, Director of Employee Development and Special Projects, School of Medicine Columbia
- Jason Lambert, Associate Vice President of Facility Services
- Shannon Means, Vice Provost for Strategy and Innovation
- Belinda Ogorek, Assistant Vice President for Human Resources
- Connie Thompson, Director of Strategic Partnership and Policy Administration for Human Resources
- Dana Woodward, Associate Director of Academic Affairs Communications
- Donna Arnett, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (co-chair)
- Ed Walton, CFO and Executive Vice President for Administration
- Caroline Agardy, Vice President for Human Resources
- Brice Bible, CIO and Vice President for Information Technology
- Julius Fridriksson, Vice President for Research
- Bennie Harris, Chancellor of USC Upstate
- Joel Samuels, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
- Rex Tolliver, Vice President for Student Affairs and Academic Support
- Julian Williams, Vice President of the Office of Access and Opportunity
The model created by the Design team includes four components:
The Expert Teams within Central HR will provide strategic guidance to the USC system and provide centralized
resources related to operations and administration.
An HR Service Center within Central HR will collaborate with HR Business Partners and units to ensure compliance,
complete HR-related transactions, review and enhance processes, among other functions.
The HR Business Partner refers to both a lead HR professional and a function within the unit(s) that the
HR Business Partner (HRBP) supports. HRBP will provide strategic and consultative
guidance to the leader(s) of the unit(s) they support.
The Units will provide input, direction, and serve as partners to the HR Business Partner and
Centers of Excellence in order to advance people priorities within their areas.
The Centers of Excellence, HR Service Center, HR Business Partners, and the Units
will work collaboratively to address needs throughout the employee life cycle.
Key benefits of the HRBP model include, but are not limited, the following:
Institution
- Reduces institutional risk through consistent quality of services
- Greater ability to timely address local demands
- Enables cross-functional skill development and highly specialized resources
- Supports shared vision, mission, and common goals
Leaders
- Provides high-level, strategic HR consultation to guide and support people priorities within the unit
- Provides dedicated HR resources that understand the unique needs of the units they support
- Empowers HR Business Partners to make decisions quickly within University guidelines
HR Professionals
- Creates dedicated HR professionals
- Establishes a strong network of HR professionals across the University
- Provides professional development opportunities
- Creates clear HR career paths within the USC system
As next steps, USC will begin planning the implementation of the new model. The implementation planning effort will involve six teams that will be commissioned to develop detailed plans in the following areas:
- People Team - Outlines aspects of the HR model that involves people
- Process and Policy Team - Leverages currently documented workflows and outlines the detailed processes and policies necessary to implement the new model
- Technology Team - Outlines the technology hardware and software necessary to migrate business processes into the HR model and the technology and automation requirements to improve the efficiency and quality of delivery of various business services and processes
- Facilities Team - Outlines aspects of the physical space elements of the HR model, as necessary
- Financial Team - Outlines the one-time costs associated with implementing the HR model, along with the on-going operational budget of the HR function
- Strategy and Change Management Team - Outlines the information sharing, communication, training, and other activities necessary to build broad buy-in, support, and understanding of the goals, objectives, and purpose of the HR model and an understanding of the timelines, actions, accountabilities, and impacts of the HR model transition on internal resources and campus units
The six implementation planning teams are made up of various individuals spanning academic and administrative units.
- Alicia Bervine, Executive Director for Student Affairs and Academic Support
- Ashley Maciaszek, Chief Financial and Operations Officer
- Belinda Ogorek, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources
- Carla Harkness, Director of Employee Development and Special Projects, School of Medicine Columbia
- Carla Hayes, Director of Human Resources/EOO/Deputy Title IX Coordinator
- Cathy Donnelly, Assistant Director of Organizational Development
- Ciji Tolbert, Director of Classification and Compensation
- Teresa Limpalair, Human Resources Service Teams Director
- Belinda Ogorek, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources
- Carla Harkness, Director of Employee Development and Special Projects, School of Medicine Columbia
- Connie Thompson, Director of Strategic Partnership and Policy Administration
- Myra Segars-Szustak, Human Resources Director
- Philis Best, Facilities Human Resources Contact
- Stephanie Marrs, College of Arts and Sciences' Associate Director of Human Resources
- Teresa Limpalair, Human Resources Service Teams Director
- Tom Terez, Senior Associate for the Office of Organizational Excellence
- Bob Dyer, Director of Information Technology at Palmetto College
- Chris Poore, Senior Information System/Business Analyst
- Connie Thompson, Director of Strategic Partnership and Policy Administration
- Jeff Hostilo, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies
- John Waters, Human Resources Systems Consultant
- Stacy Lee, Systems, Information, and Reporting Manager
- Stan Laraque, Information Technology Manager for the School of Medicine (Columbia)
- Belinda Ogorek, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources
- Ben Galloway, Associate Vice President for Financial Services
- Jason Lambert, Associate Vice President of Facility Services
- Justin Shinta, Director of Special Projects and Initiatives
- Steve Vedral, Director of Facilities Renovations and Infrastructure Construction
- Tena Crews, Interim Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
Professor
- Brad West, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Operations and Budget
- Cam Reagan, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
- Caroline Agardy, Vice President for Human Resources
- Kelly Epting, Associate Vice President for Finance and Budget
- Lindsey Cox, Director of Compliance and Tax
- Liz Niehaus, Vice Dean for Finance & Business Operations
- Caroline Agardy, Vice President for Human Resources
- Cathy Donnelly, Assistant Director of Organizational Development
- Connie Thompson, Director of Strategic Partnership and Policy Administration
- Dagmara Bruce, Director of HR and EEO Coordinator for USC Upstate
- Dana Woodward, Associate Director of Academic Affairs Communications
- Jasmine Hunter, Director of Communications for Human Resources
- Rohit Verma, Dean of the Darla Moore School of Business
- Stacey Bradley, Senior Associate Vice President for Organizational Excellence and Effectiveness
- Teresa Limpalair, Human Resources Service Teams Director
Phase I (completed): The Design Team working group met every three weeks throughout Fall 2024 and designed a new HR model that will elevate HR across the USC system by creating consistency, enhancing strategic HR services, and creating clearer career paths for HR professionals at the system.
Phase II (in progress): The implementation planning teams met every two weeks during Spring 2025 to create a comprehensive plan that allows for the successful implementation of the newly designed HRedefined model in the University of South Carolina System.
View the current progress timeline here.
Leadership, Process and Engagement
The USC HRedefined project is a collaborative system initiative aimed at transforming human resources, enhancing the experience of our people, and positioning USC for future success by modernizing Human Resources (HR) systems, processes and practices.
The goals and objectives of the initiative are to:
- Make USC a place where current employees and job seekers want to work.
- Improve and find new ways to recruit and retain world-class faculty and staff.
- Improve the employee experience with more responsive, efficient, and personalized HR services.
- Improve and implement innovative practices and solutions.
- Align our goals and services across colleges and units to maximize academic excellence, innovation, and engagement.
Like many leading public research universities, USC is navigating real challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining exceptional faculty and staff. The shifting demographics, evolving needs, and rising expectations of today’s workforce have created an increasingly competitive labor market.
In February 2024, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of how our Human Resources team supports our community. This review not only highlighted areas of strength but also underscored the critical role HR plays in shaping the USC experience for faculty and staff. With these insights—and a clear recognition from leadership of HR’s importance—we are embarking on a transformation to elevate and enhance HR services at USC. By doing so, we aim to strengthen our ability to attract, support, and retain the talented people who make our university thrive.
This initiative is supported by University Leadership and led by the Division of Human Resources. The Steering Committee and Working Groups consisted of several leaders from across the Columbia campus and System.
Our new model is designed to bring greater consistency and balance to HR services, strategy, and support across the entire USC community. By building on the strong foundation of our Service Teams, the HR Business Partner (HRBP) approach will ensure that each unit has dedicated HR expertise—tailored to its unique needs and goals.
This model also strengthens alignment and connection across the USC System, helping us work more seamlessly together. For our HR professionals, it means greater visibility, stronger connections, and more opportunities to learn and grow within the university—creating a pathway for professional development while continuing to serve our community with excellence.
HR identified faculty and staff across the university system with expertise in the various planning fields of budget, facilities, technology, and HR processes and policies. We were limited in the number per team, but followed the guidelines of Segal Consulting.
Yes. The Council of Academic Deans was briefed at the project’s outset and again when the new model was selected. Deans and leaders in the first phase are now providing input through meetings with the HRBP Leader, who is also building relationships within supported units. Select unit leaders may take part in the hiring process for the HRBPs.
HRBP Structure
HRBPs were allocated based on discussions and transaction data reviewed by the original Working Group, facilitated by Segal Consulting. Units were grouped to ensure each HRBP can effectively support faculty, staff, and leaders.
The HRBP will determine unit locations in collaboration with local leaders to best support each college, division, or department. Units may be centralized or divided as needed.
This will vary by unit. HR staff with full-time HR responsibilities will transition to the HRBP team. For roles with less than 50 percent HR duties, discussions will determine the appropriate level of HR support.
The HRBPs will report to the HRBP Leader in the Division of HR with day-to-day work coming from the units. Their effectiveness will be evaluated in conjunction with the leaders they support.
The organizational structure will be developed to serve both the colleges/units/division. The structure and levels of HR positions will vary by grouping based on the volume and complexity of work for the college/unit/divsion they serve. Upon assessment of the volume of transactions within the various units, we will staff the HRBP units to support the group’s faculty and staff, as well as the leaders’ initiatives within the college/unit/division.
HR Contacts will remain in their current units. Roles with primarily HR duties will be mapped to updated job descriptions that include delegated work and unit-level decision-making. We encourage HR professionals to review and apply for open positions if interested.
Generally, HR considers the work associated with the student employment process to be more administrative. If someone supports both staff and student workers, we will have to review the positions on a case-by-case basis to make a determination.
Staffing and Position Impacts
Currently, leadership is mapping the market and job titles that will directly correlate to the new positions.
The HRBP leader will work with the leadership of the college/unit/division to determine how best to divide such jobs.
Yes. Unit jobs will shift to align with the new HR service model, with updated descriptions mapped to the revised roles.
The plan is to standardize jobs as much as possible while meeting the needs of each college, unit and division. Core roles will remain consistent, with some positions added or retained to support the new HR delivery model.
We don’t anticipate eliminating jobs; roles will evolve to better serve faculty and staff.
The duties and responsibilities of the HRBP units will reflect the new responsibilities of the HRBP units. Draft job descriptions have been developed for several different levels of HR professions within the units, and they will be perfected as further details are fleshed out.
Professional Development and Growth
The new HRBP structure will allow HR professionals to assess their current skill levels and attend the impending HR Academy, where they will improve upon emerging skills and trends in the HR industry. We encourage our professionals to attend development opportunities that will expand their knowledge and propel their future.
The HRBP will be responsible for the evaluation with input from the day-to-day leaders that the HR Director or Contact serves. It will be a collaborative effort to ensure that this new HRBP unit is meeting the needs of the leaders within the groups they serve, the faculty, the staff, and the student employees.
Tools and Technology
Technology is an important tool in our arsenal. With the integration of ChatGPT, DataCamp courses and the various trainings provided by our Office of Professional Development, we encourage our HR professionals to leverage their access to these tools to supercharge their skills and potential.
HRedefined will play a critical role in supporting USC in becoming an employer of choice, attracting exceptional faculty and staff, and engaging and retaining them throughout their employment journey.
