History of cHOP

Recognizing the potential in integrating faculty and staff professional development and well-being initiatives into a comprehensive framework to promote a thriving organization,  SIU School of Medicine established the Center for Human and Organizational Potential (cHOP) in 2018. cHOP was designed via collaboration with others throughout the organization with the mission to “create an environment for inclusive partnerships to unleash individual and organizational potential to learn, thrive, and excel” and a vision of “personal and professional potential realized for all.”

cHOP utilized three key concepts as it developed and grew: 

  1. Diversity, equity, and inclusion principles
  2. Organizational change management strategies
  3. Self-determination theory (SDT) to cultivate a more stimulating, inclusive, and learning-oriented environment, thereby enhancing employee engagement, innovation, and commitment

According to SDT, faculty and staff have three basic psychological needs–autonomy (agency in the decision-making that affects one’s work), competence (capacity to do the work well), and relatedness (sense of belonging within the organization). Meeting these needs promotes well-being, intrinsic motivation, and affective commitment  and SDT can transform leadership styles, management practices, and organizational policies that not only align with strategic objectives but also promote a resilient and adaptive organizational culture SDT can also be a tool for fostering organizational excellence, offering a scaffold upon which enduring and effective organizational structures and cultures can be built, leading to sustained organizational success and employee well-being. 

cHOP strives for comprehensiveness by dedicating equally emphasized pillars of intervention to wellness, leadership, professional development, and organizational change management. We aim to dismantle hierarchy by fostering learning communities inclusive of all organizational members, which cHOP aims to do via programming that incorporates faculty and staff into discussion-based, small-group gatherings with both short-term and longitudinal durations. 

cHOP has continuously expanded our services since 2018. 

Some examples include:

  • REVAMP Newsletter to provide information, resources, inspiration, and an opportunity for connection
  • Created and launched a longitudinal leadership development program called Accelerate
  • Implemented a longitudinal early career faculty development program called BOOST
  • Rolled out mini-grants that anyone in our organization can apply for (up to $1000) for projects and initiatives related to growth, development, and wellness.
  • Developed a cadre of well-trained coaches available to anyone in the organization.
  • Assumed responsibility for the biennial employee engagement survey
  • Collaborates on Supervisor Series Trainings
  • Work with units and departments to create mission and vision statements 
  • Education on a wide variety of topics related to wellness, professional development, and leadership, etc…
  • Re-initiated Faculty Affairs for SIU-SOM
  • Worked collaboratively to improve and update the promotion and tenure policies and practices so they are more equitable and inclusive
  • Engaged with constituencies throughout the organization to enhance a culture of equity, inclusion, and belonging. 
  • Debuted a financial planning series, initially focusing on retirement
  • Launched a podcast