Human Resources

We are excited to share that Payroll is officially transitioning from the general Business Office division to the Office of Human Resources.

Over the next month, our teams will be working through the transition process as payroll operations are formally integrated into HR. While employees should not experience significant changes in their day-to-day interactions, this move represents an important step in aligning services that support employees throughout their entire employment journey.

Payroll and Human Resources are closely connected in many aspects of employee support, including onboarding, compensation, benefits, leave administration, position changes, student employment, time and absence administration, and employee records. Bringing these functions together under one department will strengthen communication and help create a more seamless experience for employees across campus.

We anticipate several benefits from this transition, including:

• Improved coordination between employee records, benefits, and payroll processes.
• More efficient and streamlined workflows.
• Enhanced communication and consistency in employee support.
• Stronger collaboration on compliance and process improvement efforts.
• Increased opportunities to identify efficiencies and enhance the employee experience.

This transition reflects our continued commitment to operational excellence and exceptional service to the campus community.

We are also thrilled to officially welcome Joanna Norquist, Payroll Specialist, to the Human Resources team. Many across campus know Joanna through her outstanding work in Payroll and her dedication to supporting employees. Her expertise, institutional knowledge, and commitment to service will be tremendous assets as payroll becomes part of HR. Employees with payroll, student employment, or timesheet-related questions should continue to contact Joanna Norquist at norquist@lakeforest.edu.

Please join us in welcoming Joanna and celebrating this exciting new chapter. We look forward to the opportunities this transition will create as we continue working together to support our campus community.