February

Longtime higher education professional serving as interim director of EOO

Cynthia Hier takes over Office of Equal Opportunity and will serve as Title IX coordinator.

By Ariel Peele

February 5, 2018

Cynthia Hier is serving as the interim director of the Office of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator at MSU Denver. In addition to the many duties Hier is handling, she is also assisting in the transition of the recruitment, hiring and talent acquisition process from the Office of Equal Opportunity to the Office of Human Resources.

Hier worked in EO and HR positions for many years in higher education in Colorado, including long stints as the human resources director for the Colorado Community College System and for the Auraria Higher Education Center. “We are lucky to have someone with Cynthia’s experience in higher education and with a strong connection to the Auraria campus to help us with this critical role,” said Deputy General Counsel Nick Stancil.

President Davidson says the transition of recruitment, hiring and talent acquisition from the from the Office of Equal Opportunity to the Office of Human Resources aligns a significant portion of workforce planning and the employee lifecycle into Human Resources. The Office of Equal Opportunity will continue to be focused on overall equal opportunity, affirmative action reporting and investigating claims of discrimination. EO and HR will work together and with other appropriate University offices to assess hiring goals and outcomes.

“Having the full spectrum of HR processes under one umbrella should allow us to have a more informed and connected approach,” said Director of Human Resources Josh Mackey. “For example, information we gain from our successes or challenges with attracting employees will inform compensation and benefits practices…at the same time, workplace priorities and culture elements should inform job design and recruitment strategies.”

Hier will remain as interim until a permanent director is hired. The position was posted for several months and closed at the end of January. The goal is to hire a permanent director by the end of March.