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Educational Programs

Welcome! As part of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office for Access and Equity (OAE) strives to achieve and maintain equal opportunity, inclusiveness, equitable treatment and access to employment, programs, and services for all students, faculty, and staff at the University of Illinois at Chicago. To that end, OAE has developed both in-person and online interactive educational programs. Each training session is informative, engaging, and free of cost.*

The following programs are offered routinely and are also available upon request (See Program Schedule for 2012). All registrations will be confirmed via e-mail and are on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you attempt to register and receive a message that a course is full, please refer back to our website for upcoming dates and times or contact us at oae@uic.edu.
Please click here to register for the following workshops:

1. Affirmative Action in the Academic Hiring Process
2. Dispute Resolution Services (DRS)
3. How to Create a More Engaging Environment
4. Myths, Fears, & Stereotypes: Disability Accomodations under the American With Disabilities Act (ADA)
5. Respect in the Workplace: Promoting Diversity and Preventing Discrimination
6. Understanding and Preventing Sexual Harassment (THIS COURSE CAN BE TAKEN ONLINE. CLICK TO REGISTER.)
7. Supervisor's Toolkit: Avoiding and Handling Employee Complaints

Affirmative Action in the Academic Hiring Process (Program Schedule)

This 2 hour module is intended for anyone responsible for conducting searches or anyone who may serve on a search committee. It will cover the role of OAE in the hiring process; explanations of the affirmative action procedures required to fill a position with the best possible candidate and the relevance of law and UIC policy to those procedures.

Dispute Resolution Services (DRS) (Program Schedule)

This 1 hour presentation explores the services offered by DRS such as confidential consultations, facilitations, mediations and trainings. An overview of the mediation process will be given and the benefits of DRS as it positively affects the work environment will be shared.

How to Create a More Engaging Environment (Program Schedule)

This 4 hour program consists of brainstorming exercises, conflict resolution style inventory and interpretation and teambuilding through brainstorming solutions. The goals of the training are to understand the costs of conflict; examine the norms of conflict resolution and barriers to resolving conflict in the unit; identifying the dominant conflict resolution styles of the participants and understanding the pros and cons of each conflict resolution style; generating solutions to the barriers perceived in the unit; and, understanding the element of a culture of engagement. Please note there is a charge assessed for this session. For additional information please contact our office.
Program Summary:

1. An assessment of the participants will result in a comprehensive report and de-briefing with relevant managerial staff, including recommendations for improvement.
   

Myths, Fears, & Stereotypes: Disability Accommodation under the American With Disabilities Act (ADA)(Program Schedule)

This 1.5 hour training explains the purpose and nuisances of the Americans with Disabilities Act (and state disability discrimination laws) as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act; explains how disability is defined under both law and UIC policy; and provides a step-by-step, detailed explanation of UIC's accommodation policy and process.
Training Summary:

1. Federal and state laws and UIC policies relating to workers with disabilities.
2. How to effectively handle accommodation requests.
3. How to identify and avoid unlawful discrimination against a person because of his/her disability.

Respect in the Workplace: Understanding Diversity (Program Schedule)

This 2 hour interactive workshop examines diversity in the workplace. Participants will learn to identify/prevent unlawful workplace discrimination while exploring how assumptions/stereotypes lead to premature/prejudice judgments.
Workshop Summary:

1. UIC policies, as well as Federal and State laws related to discrimination/harassment.
2. To identify the different types of assumptions that lead to a lack of respect and/or discrimination in the workplace.
3. Self-monitoring techniques that enable participants to be more aware of assumptions in their own decision-making processes.

Understanding and Preventing Sexual Harassment(Program Schedule)

This 1 hour workshop is offered both online and in-person and will clarify many of the issues surrounding unlawful sexual harassment, including recognizing and handling harassment in the University environment. Can now be taken as an online training.
Workshop Summary:

1. UIC policies related to harassment and what constitutes unlawful harassment under state and federal laws.
2. Avoiding complaints and charges of unlawful sexual harassment.
3. OAE's role regarding unlawful sexual harassment issues.

Supervisor's Toolkit: Avoiding and Handling Employee Complaints (Program Schedule)

This 1.5 hour workshop provides practical ways for handling employee complaints and disputes; addresses how to minimize and respond to unlawful discrimination/harassment charges of all types; and explains the Office for Access and Equity's process for responding to external administrative charges and internal complaints.
Workshop Summary:

1. Federal and state laws and UIC policies relating to discrimination and harassment.
2. Management's role in avoiding and handling employment discrimination and harassment complaints.
3. Best practices for documentation and avoiding retaliation claims.
4. Informal means of preventing and/or resolving employee disputes.
5. OAE's process for responding to administrative charges and internal complaints.

Safe Zone Training

UIC is proud to participate in the Safe Zone program. Safe Zone is a training designed to heighten awareness of LGBTQ issues and concerns. Safe Zone is offered regularly and is designed to put a human face on human issues. Safe Zone 101 is primarily presented in lecture format, but activities and interactive discussion are also incorporated into the presentation.
Website Link
To register for the Safe Zone Training, click here.

Program Schedule for December 2011 - June 2012
Click here to register for any of the trainings below.

* 2012 dates to be posted soon.

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