Talent

F. Elizabeth Nicholson became the Interim Senior Director of Operations in July 2024. Nicholson has more than a decade’s worth of experience in academic libraries through expanding roles that have developed her expertise in several areas, including campus partnerships, library finances and facilities, strategic planning, talent management, and teaching in libraries.

As chief of the Operations division, Nicholson’s portfolio for the Hesburgh Libraries includes analytics, data, and insights; facilities and spaces; finance and budget; project management; strategic planning; and talent. She oversees dynamic and effective teams to provide a strong foundation for organizational effectiveness.

In her role, Nicholson collaborates with library and campus partners to enact key service, space, and resource decisions to benefit Hesburgh Libraries users and employees. Hallmarks throughout her experience have been a commitment to clear organizational communication, consensus-building around library and institutional goals, and creating affirming environments in which colleagues may see the value they bring to the organization.

Since joining Notre Dame and the Hesburgh Libraries in September 2021, Nicholson has served as the unit head for User Education & Engagement. In this leadership role, she collaborated with library faculty and campus faculty to develop creative and innovative ways to foster research and information literacy skills for undergraduate students to accelerate academic success. She also served as strategic planning implementation project manager, leading the advancement and communication of organization-wide goals, objectives, key results, and sustainers.

Prior to joining Notre Dame, Nicholson served as an instructional services librarian at North Central College (Naperville, IL).

Nicholson holds a Master's of Library and Information Science from the University of Missouri, an M.A. in French & Francophone Studies from The University of Iowa, and a B.A. in French and International Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University. Her current research interests include strategic planning in academic libraries, person-centered management, and organizational culture in academic libraries.

Reporting to the Director, Michelle administers the Libraries’ human resources and payroll functions, including recruiting and hiring activities, preparing and managing employee records, and guiding managers and supervisors on University personnel policies and procedures.

Hiring

• Faculty: Support Faculty Search and CAP committees.
• Faculty: Coordinate the reappointment and promotion process.
• Staff: – Work with supervisors to post and recruit for staff positions.
• Staff: Fill temporary and summer employment positions.
• Students: Point of contact for students interested in library employment; refers students to supervisors with open positions in their departments.

Payroll

• Coordinate Ultra Time hourly payroll for the Libraries.
• Work with Payroll Services to resolve questions and concerns regarding hourly, semi-monthly, and bi-weekly payrolls.
• Ensure accurate pay for employees who are on FMLA leave or Worker's Compensation.

Human Resources

• Point of contact for Human Resources-related policy questions or issues.
• Work with Human Resources to ensure accurate documentation and tracking of FMLA issues.
• Work with Risk Management to ensure timely documentation of Worker's Comp related issues.