Throughout 2017, we will be using the alphabet as a novel way to unpack the many concepts of arts administration. Please join in. Thank you to the following arts administrators for adding ideas to the project:

• Ashley Thorndike-Youssef, Now Next Dance
• Fernando Maneca, BAX | Brooklyn Arts Exchange
• Hillary Kooistra, Abraham.In.Motion
• Kathryn Humphreys, Hubbard Street Chicago
• Katie Kruger, Shawl-Anderson Dance Center
• Liz Hitchcock Lisle, Shotgun Players
• Phyllis Haskell Tims, University of Utah (retired)
• Rebecca A. Ferrell, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Sarah Crowell, Destiny Arts Center
• Tammy Cheney, Lines Ballet

Arts administration relates to work at dance centers, arts councils, arts education programs, companies, and college programs. Please read on to explore the many and varied topics within arts administration. While not every topic applies to every setting, we hope that you will still find one or two ideas in the post that are useful and applicable to your particular setting. Please feel free to add ideas and links in the comments section below.

The letter H:

• Healthy organizations
• Hot topics
• Human resources
• Healthcare

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Let's unpack, consider, and reflect upon each one of these words. Even before reading further, you might want to take the list of 4 ideas here and simply journal for your organization. What do these words and phrases mean to you at your organization?

• Healthy organizations
• Hot topics
• Human resources
• Healthcare

Healthy organizations

Some big questions are:

What does “healthy organization” mean for your site?

What is a “healthy work environment?”

Which comparable organizations/schools/companies do you perceive as healthy? Why? Which ones do you view as unhealthy?

List 3 strengths that make this happen for your organization; list 3 areas of growth, or aspirations, for your organization.

Hot topics

Which topics are “hot topics” in the field right now? Consider this nationally, in your state, and locally. Are there conferences, forums, and online opportunities for dialogue and support?

Human resources

Many nonprofits and dance companies do not have an official HR Department or HR Manager. So, the question becomes then….Who manages some of these key tasks and topics? One person or several people? The topics vary widely and include:

• New hire paperwork, for staff members and independent contractors
• New employee orientation
• Benefits and employee perks
• Vacation hours, sick hours, PTO (paid time off), jury duty, bereavement
• Workers comp matters
• Sexual harassment trainings, policies, and grievances
• CPR, first aid, and AED training
• Health insurance
• Employee interpersonal issues, discussions, and mediation
• Documenting incidents and complaints
• Employee manual
• Salary comparisons and adjustments
• Sabbaticals

Here are a few related articles if HR is on your mind:

https://www.danceusa.org/ejournal/2012/11/25/employee-relations-basics-lessons-learned-in-dance-usa-s-institute-for-leadership-training

https://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/nonprofit-organizations-and-human-resources-management.html

Healthcare

At the moment of publishing this blog post, healthcare in the United States is in a tenuous position.

For dancers and teaching artists, healthcare is of utmost importance. Whether your organization provides a full benefit package, or a stipend per employee towards their health insurance, thank you for considering the benefits for your employees.

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