UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Tineke Battle, director of human resources at Georgia State University, will become Penn State’s first assistant vice provost for faculty affairs-human resources. Battle will begin her appointment on Jan. 15, 2018.
In her new position at the University, Battle will report to Kathleen Bieschke, vice provost for faculty affairs, and work closely with Mary Beahm, interim vice president for human resources, to support and streamline employee relations and complex human resources matters for academic professionals across Penn State.
Battle has wide-ranging experience working in human resources administration and organizational development at a public research institution. For more than 15 years, at Georgia State, she has specialized in classification and compensation, talent acquisition, employee relations and conflict resolution, and organization development. In her current position, she created strategic talent management programs and oversaw the talent management office, led the implementation of performance management processes and human resources technology systems, established faculty and staff engagement and reward recognition programs, advised on workforce planning, process improvement and equity issues, and more.
“I feel so fortunate that I will have the opportunity to work with Tineke as the first assistant vice provost for faculty affairs-human resources. She will bring a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to this position,” Bieschke said. “I look forward to Tineke’s contributions to advancing Penn State’s and my office’s vision of ensuring that all faculty members at Penn State have every opportunity to be successful.”
At Penn State, Battle will provide expertise to university leadership on academic human resources policies and procedures that support Penn State’s strategic plan, as well as lead strategic human resources initiatives in the areas of workforce strategy, promotion and tenure, and change management. She also will steward inclusion excellence across the University, sponsoring programs that support diversity, equity and inclusion for all academic employees at Penn State.
As assistant vice provost for faculty affairs-human resources, Battle will serve as a key resource on the interpretation and implementation of academic policy matters for human resources' strategic partners, handle complex employee relations issues that are escalated from the colleges, and support adherence with local, state and federal human resources requirements.
“Improving the lives of others is my passion and I am absolutely thrilled about joining the Penn State community,” Battle said. “Meeting faculty and staff members, as well as the teams in the offices of Faculty Affairs and Human Resources, during my campus visit gave me a snippet of the great work Penn State is doing. I can’t wait to get started in helping to continue the University’s efforts to create a motivating and supportive environment for every Penn State faculty member.”
Before her current role at Georgia State, Battle was director of human resources and administrative services and a classification and compensation analyst.
Battle is a member of the College and University Personnel Association for Human Resources and Society for Human Resource Management. She has participated in the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Executive Leadership Academy for Women at Georgia State University. She is certified in a range of human resources topics, including affirmative action, employee relations law, negotiation and conflict resolution, campus dispute mediation, and process improvement, among others.
She earned a bachelor of science degree in sociology from Georgia State and is pursuing a master of education in learning, leadership and organizational development from the University of Georgia.