More than 300 Seton Hall employees registered for Employee Field Day, a new initiative designed to strengthen campus connections through the university’s strategic plan.
The event, held on the green from noon to 2 p.m on Oct. 15, was organized under SHU’s strategic plan, “Inspiring Great Minds to Greater Purpose, 2025-2030.” Strategic Plan Committee 5-3 oversaw the event, which invited faculty and staff to participate in lawn games and competitions, while connecting with colleagues outside their usual work environments.
Sandra Henao and Ghana Hylton, co-chairs of Strategic Plan Committee 5-3, said turnout exceeded their expectations.
“We aimed for 100 participants, and over 300 employees have registered,” Hylton and Henao said. “People here at the university are excited for a chance to connect in such a casual, fun way.”
The organizers said they were pleased with the response and may consider holding a similar event in the spring.
“We are thrilled that this has resonated,” Hylton and Henao said.
Beyond social activities, the committee is working to improve employees’ experiences by making workplace resources and procedures easier to navigate.
“We plan to streamline employee procedures, make policies more accessible and complement Human Resources' great work onboarding new employees,” Hylton and Henao said. “We are making the tools and resources that our employees need to accomplish their jobs more transparent, efficient and easier to find.”
Mary Balkun, director of faculty development and a member of Strategic Plan Committee 5-3, said the event offered an opportunity to establish traditions that bring employees together outside formal university functions.
“The faculty and staff generally do not mix in this kind of way other than at the end of the year holiday party,” Balkun said. “This allows us to do stuff that allows us to create new traditions.”
Balkun said employees helped prepare for the event by purchasing snacks and setting up activities. She added that opportunities for in-person connection have become increasingly valuable after years of increased virtual interaction. She attributed a lack of interdepartmental engagement to reduced onsite hours.
Jonathan Farina, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said face-to-face interactions can help colleagues better understand one another and work across departmental boundaries.
“Since COVID, we have been more screen oriented,” Farina said. “It’s easy to quarrel with other divisions on how they do business through one thing or another. When you get to know another person you get to collaborate with them and understand where they are coming from.”
Farina said SHU’s size allows the university to offer a wide range of academic programs while maintaining a strong community. He has developed friendships with colleagues in the Stillman School of Business, the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and the College of Nursing.
“We are the right size for that community,” Farina said.
Other faculty in attendance said they look forward to events that offer a break from their daily routines. Joseph Huddleston, an associate professor of diplomacy and international relations, said he regularly participates in campus activities.
“I always sign up for stuff like this,” Huddleston said. “We are gonna have lawn games; I saw the weather was great, I knew I wasn’t gonna back out.”
Huddleston said the event offered a chance to meet employees from other departments, noting that he connected with employees from the Financial Aid Office.
“Any university has it where departments don’t interact with each other,” Huddleston said. “[It] helps people get to know each other even after years of just working in the same place.”
Father Brian Muzas, an associate professor of diplomacy and international relations, appreciated the opportunity to step away from his regular responsibilities.
“I welcomed the opportunity to stop, take a break, regroup and move forward," Muzas said.
He also emphasized the importance of building relationships beyond employees’ academic departments.
“It helps build team spirit across [the] university,” Muzas said. “Even in academic units, it’s important to reach out and foster friendships and relationships with other academic and non-academic people.”
Adding to that, Robert Fisher, a faculty member from Walsh Library, said the event was particularly valuable for library employees, who may have limited opportunities to interact with colleagues in other departments because of the isolating nature of their work.
“We are very insulated and we don’t get a chance to interact with different departments,” Fisher said. “[It’s a] great chance to come out and get some fresh air, have fun with coworkers.”
Despite those departmental divisions, Fisher said employees share a common purpose: supporting students and the university community.
Fisher described community as a sense of belonging that extends beyond employees’ immediate professional responsibilities.
“[Community] means a strong sense of togetherness, even if we don’t work together every day,” Fisher said.
Niall Stavros is a writer for The Setonian’s News section. He can be reached at niall.stavros@student.shu.edu.
