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| Four Share Secrets of UC Success
From: University Currents Date: May 26, 2000 By: Eric Lose Phone: (513) 556-1805 Archive: Campus News All four have "moved up the ladder" at UC, climbing to success in different ways. But all four point to some of the same factors in helping them to achieve their dreams of advancement: taking advantage of the educational opportunities UC offered them, a lot of extra hard work and personal attitude. The four UC employees shared their stories of professional achievement as part of a panel presentation titled "Our Journeys" at a human resources workshop earlier this spring. Currents also interviewed them to get more details about their secrets to getting ahead.
Tony Balzano found that education was the key he needed to unlock the doors of advancement at UC. Balzano began at UC in 1964 as a plumber. He said, "I was a building trades plumber with AFL-CIO. UC was a municipal university then, and after I had been here a number of years, I was promoted to a building trades manager." Balzano wanted to keep moving up, so he enrolled in evening college. He went to school full time at night while working full time during the day. "I graduated cum laude in four years. The only time my wife ever saw me was on the weekends when I was at home studying." After receiving his degree in 1984, Balzano became assistant director of Facilities Management; a few years later he was promoted to associate director. Balzano has never been the type to sit around and take it easy. He said, "I'm retired, but I still work two days a week for the department as a consultant." Bev Upton, a technology manager, started at UC in 1970 as a typist. Upton found out early on that it was advantageous to work beyond her job title. She said, "I was a typist, but my boss wanted me to learn how to program so I could help some of the students and assist with consulting work."
Upton took advantage of educational opportunities offered to employees of UC and took a Fortran class in 1971. She said, "Students started coming in and asking questions and I was able to answer them. Eventually I got this idea that maybe I had a little more of an aptitude for programming than you would have ever considered for just being a typist."
Upton said she continued with her programming education in evening college while working on her bachelor's degree in another area. "I ended up with an associate's degree in information systems and a bachelor's degree in real estate." In 1974 Upton requested and later received a transfer to central programming support. "They said since I didn't have any true experience, they were going to transfer me but I was going to keep my typist title." She worked as a programmer while still classified as a typist, but after four or five months, she was formally reclassified as a programmer. Her message to those wanting to get ahead is simple. "So far as I'm concerned, the best way to get ahead, to progress, is to work outside your title. "It was always when I said, 'I know this is a little different, but can't I do this?' Someone would allow me to do it." After finishing her degrees, Upton worked for UC for several years traveling as a consultant. When that job ended, she found herself back in the office itching for more work and new challenges. Her boss assigned her to coordinate a new project that was getting under way. Upton said, "I was a junior programmer, but before I knew it I was running the project. All the senior programmers were working on the program code and design and my boss needed someone to coordinate their efforts. "There again, I was working at a lower job title, and one day they promoted me because I was doing the job. It seems like that has happened over and over in my progression. I was doing a job above my title, they would recognize it and give me a new title." Alecia Trammer started at UC in August of 1989 as a temporary word processing specialist. Eventually she was hired into the university as a staff assistant for the College of Nursing and Health and the continuing education department.
As soon as she was hired, Trammer began taking advantage of the educational opportunities offered at UC. "My whole focus was human resources when I started as a word processing specialist. I knew that HR was where I eventually wanted to be. I also knew I had to pursue a bachelors degree to move up. "The same month I was hired," said Trammer, "I enrolled in classes and pursued my bachelor's degree in personnel administration and management while continuing to work full time and maintain a household for my family." Trammer worked hard and looked for opportunities to advance. "While still a staff assistant at the College of Nursing and Health, I moved from continuing education over to Student Affairs. "I wanted the new position to gain experience. I had the opportunity to advise students about academic requirements and help them through the process of adjusting to being a student at UC." Trammer was nearing completion of her bachelor's degree when another opportunity presented itself. "There was an opening for a representative in Human Resources. Because I had done academic advising, had attended career fairs and met the scholastic requirements, I was hired." After completing her bachelor's degree, Trammer's manager retired and she was given the opportunity to serve as the Director of Employment Services on a temporary basis. Trammer said there was no magic formula for her success. She said getting ahead involves "having a focus of where you want to go, then finding out how you can get there. Then start pursuing, start taking the steps. "What's key, you have to have a goal, pursue it as soon as you can and always do more than what's asked of you. Maintain positive relationships, encourage others to achieve and remember the ultimate source of your strength and accomplishments." Jamie Toran started at UC in 1984 as a custodial worker and today he serves as director of building services in Facilities Management.
Toran said he began taking evening college classes and decided that he had to develop a positive attitude if he wanted to get ahead. He became a union president and set out to develop a good working relationship between the union and the university.
When he began to look for advancement opportunities within the university, he applied for the director's position, but "they gave it to another guy. He quit four months later; I reapplied and was hired for the job." Three UC staff members provided guidance and served as "beacons of light" for Toran - the late Frank Harris (a labor leader), Eugene Ferrara (assistant vice president for Public Safety) and Jim Tucker (associate vice president for Administrative Services). In addition, Toran has followed three "essentials" to his personal progress:
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