Task force seeks campus input on affordability challenges

An online assessment is open to faculty, academic staff, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and staff through Feb. The Affordability Task Force, formed as a part of the long-range vision initiatives, is gathering Stanford community input about affordability challenges affecting those who live and work in the Bay Area. An online assessment is open to faculty, graduate students, academic staff, postdoctoral scholars and staff through Feb. There are over a dozen long-range vision initiatives currently underway in the areas of mission and values; supporting the foundation; education; research; and community. The Affordability Task Force is one of the community initiatives, based on ideas submitted as part of the long-range planning process that identified challenges faced by groups within our community. The task force, which has been doing research since last fall on the regional affordability challenges that impact our community, has partnered with a third-party consultant firm to develop and administer the confidential assessment. Elizabeth Zacharias, vice president for human resources and chair of the task force, notes that the assessment is an opportunity to convey what matters: "Our regional affordability challenges present issues that affect transportation, housing, child care and benefits, so we're asking community members for specific input about the personal impact of these issues to directly inform our recommendations." The affordability assessment differs from recent surveys to gather input about the workplace, as the focus is on the preferences and satisfaction community members assign to the programs and plans currently offered.