Howard Community College is outsourcing its human resources functions to an outside consultant, the latest reshuffling under President Daria Willis, who has faced sharp criticism for her management style and personnel moves.

The college’s Board of Trustees approved a $7.7 million, five-year contract Wednesday night with CampusWorks, a higher education consulting company, to staff and manage the college’s human resources department. The CampusWorks staff will be on HCC’s Columbia campus in full-time roles, according to a college news release.

Transitioning human resources over to CampusWorks “is a sustainable way to address challenges facing several areas of the college, while minimizing disruption,” HCC said in a fact sheet about the change.

The contract began Thursday and runs through Jan. 29, 2030.

Jarrett Carter Sr., a college spokesperson, did not answer specific questions regarding the board’s decision, including how many employees are affected and whether they are still employed by the college, on administrative leave or have been laid off.

“The college does not comment publicly on personnel issues, and HCC’s budget details are publicly available,” Carter said in an email.

Willis said in a statement that many have asked for “transformative change” in human resources for more than a decade.

“This pivot ensures that we positively grow as one of Howard County’s largest employers and a socioeconomic anchor institution for central Maryland,” Willis said.

The shift comes at a turbulent time for the community college.

The Baltimore Banner reported in November that more than 250 employees had left since Willis’ tenure began in January 2022, outpacing the number of departures during the prior three years, which includes the high-turnover pandemic.

Critics have claimed that near-constant hirings and firings and what they describe as a toxic culture have negatively affected staff and student services.

High turnover was affecting essential operations on campus, more than a dozen current and former employees and students interviewed by The Banner said, with payroll and student services feeling the strain most acutely. Some faculty reported delays in receiving paychecks, while students said they face barriers in accessing course counseling and other services.

Carter has disputed claims of high turnover and calls Willis’ tenure “a successful administration and an era of progress for the college.”

Some employees have taken to an online message board to anonymously criticize Willis, who is the first Black woman to lead the college. She told a higher education podcast that she was suspicious of some longtime campus employees and that if she could go back and advise her younger self upon arrival at HCC, she would say, “Trust no one.”

Wednesday’s action came with the board not at full strength. Three trustees resigned last fall, without explanation, leaving the board with just four members. Howard County’s state senators have recommended three replacements to Gov. Wes Moore, which are pending. The lawmakers have also introduced a bill to expand the board by two members.

HCC’s human resources department is the only college department to be fully staffed by the consulting company, the college said on the FAQ page.

“We deeply appreciate the contributions of our HR team and are committed to supporting those affected by this transition,” the community college states. “Be assured that we are embracing HCC’s value of respect as we help colleagues manage the realignment of work and duties.”

The agreement, the college says, will increase training and professional development offerings, ensure accurate and timely payroll processing, improve responsiveness to employee needs, increase efficiency in hiring and onboarding, and ensure compliance with changing federal and state human resources regulations and laws.

“This change affirms HCC’s commitment to cultivating a culture where trust, respect, and the ability for employees to reach their full potential is paramount. We are confident that our new standards for HR performance and reliability will be immediately helpful across the campus enterprise,” Vivian Moore Lawyer, interim board chair, said in a statement.

CampusWorks employees will have HCC-specific email addresses and on-campus office space.

Next steps include the consulting company providing an HR transition team to “stabilize department functions.” This work will take a few months.

Liz Murphy, the CEO of CampusWorks, said the company is “privileged” to work with HCC to expand human resources services.

“CampusWorks’ deep expertise and experience in higher education allow us to partner with HCC to ensure a satisfying employee experience,” Murphy said in a statement.

The college has worked intermittently with CampusWorks since 2014. Last July, the college appointed Jane-Ellen Miller, a CampusWorks employee, as the interim chief information officer.

The representative of the American Federation of Teachers, which represents HCC faculty and is trying to negotiate a contract, said the union had no immediate comment on the changes to human resources.