Staff are invited to provide feedback on the draft Professional Staff Service Charter.

A memorable service experience – be it terrific or terrible – has the power to change your mood, your day, your outlook. And, at a place like Macquarie University, a single service interaction can even change someone’s future.

When lives are potentially transformed through our day-to-day work at the University, it is important we have a shared understanding of what impactful service looks like.

This is why a new Professional Staff Service Charter has been developed. The Charter aims to align professional staff on the core service principles we aspire to deliver, as Nicole Gower, Vice-President, Professional Services, explains.

“Over the past few years, we have put significant focus on our service delivery model,” Ms Gower says. “Now we are building on the strength of our model to define the core principles of what exceptional service looks like at Macquarie.

“Through this Charter, we distinguish Macquarie as an organisation that genuinely puts those we serve at the centre.”

Informed by diverse perspectives

Work on the proposed Charter and the definition of our core service principles began in 2022, driven by a dedicated group of colleagues representing a broad range of faculties and portfolios. Consultation with customers and stakeholders informed an early draft which was presented for feedback at the Professional Staff Leadership Conference in December.

Now, the broader University community is invited to have their say. All staff, both academic and professional, are invited to view the proposed Professional Staff Service Charter and complete a short survey to provide their input.

Defining our service mission and principles

The proposed Professional Staff Service Charter defines the role of our professional staff, finding commonality across different professional roles to support a collective sense of identity. Our service mission is at the centre, defined by an important promise: We put (YOU)^us at the heart of service delivery – with trust, accountability and care.

The core mission is surrounded by four service principles and what each of these mean in practice:

• Empowerment: We seek to empower our customers and each other
• Agility: We are agile and adaptable to meet the evolving needs of our customers
• Clarity: We strive for clear, simple and seamless services
• Partnership: We deliver the best services when we work together

From draft to day-to-day

Following consideration of staff feedback and finalisation of the Charter, focus will move to implementation. David Ward, Chief People Officer, says the Executive Group and Our People Program Board are determined to see the Charter go well beyond a “document that just sits on the shelf”.

“We are looking for the principles of the Charter to be firmly embedded in all our key people processes including the way we recruit, recognise and develop staff,” Ward says.

“In doing this, we recognise there may be differences in how our service principles are applied in practice across the University. We are keen to work with local areas to actively consider what the principles mean in their day-to-day work and the best ways to bring these to life.”

Feedback on the proposed implementation of the Charter is welcome as part of the staff survey.

Share your views

To provide your feedback, read the proposed Professional Staff Service Charter linked below and complete the survey by close of business Wednesday 15 February.

• Proposed Professional Staff Service Charter
• Survey