University of Delaware Office of Public Relations UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 20, Feb. 20, 1997 Employee Training Basic Defensive Driving Course The six-hour presentation of the National Safety Councils Driver Improvement Program includes crash-avoidance techniques based on the standard accident prevention formula of professional drivers, rules of the road and safe driving practices. Satisfactory completion of the program by Delaware residents results in a three-point credit added to a driving record and an insurance discount, minimum of 10 percent each year, on the liability portion of insurance for three years. Note: There is a $20 fee for this class. Registration must be made by campus or U.S. mail and accompanied by a check, payable to the Delaware Safety Council. Send payment to Employee Training and Career Development, 87 East Main St. Dates: Wednesday, March 5, and Wednesday, March 12 Time: 5-8 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 26 Audience: All University employees and their dependents Advanced Defensive Driving Course Coaching the Experienced Driver is for those with several years of driving experience but who may need to freshen up their driving skills. Through films, slides, discussion and individual work, the program gives the driver important cues that can be used in daily driving to reduce the number of near misses or actual accidents. Employees who complete the program receive a 15 percent discount on insurance (not in addition to the 10 percent from basic defensive driving). Note: There is a $15 fee for this class. Registration must be made by campus or U.S. mail and accompanied by a check, made payable to the Delaware Safety Council. Send payment to Employee Training and Career Development, 87 East Main St. Date: Wednesday, May 7 Time: 5-9 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: April 28 Audience: All University employees and their dependents Prerequisite: Participants must have completed the basic defensive driving class. Salaried Staff Career Development Certificate Program This is a six-part series for salaried staff highlighting a systematic approach for assessing interest in career development and formulating strategies to achieve those goals. Using resources available through the Office of Employee Services and other University departments, participants will explore the steps involved in creating a personalized plan for career enrichment. Those attending all sessions will receive a certificate of completion. Seminar 1: Introduction to career planning Introduces salaried staff to the career planning process and acquaints them with the information, resources and support available. Date: Thursday, March 6 Time: 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Seminar 2: Resume writing Discusses various types of resumes and provides guidelines on resume content and format. Participants will receive personal assistance with writing or revising their resumes. Date: Thursday, March 20 Time: 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Seminar 3: Overview of classification system and career matrices Provides information on the Salaried Staff Classification System, including steps involved in reclassifying an existing position. Salaried staff career matrices will be reviewed to denote education and experience required for advancement. Date: Thursday, April 3 Time: 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Seminar 4: UD educational benefits Panel presentation with representatives from employee relations, information technologies, continuing education and admissions providing information on credit/non-credit classes and certificate programs available to salaried staff. Will include a review of the application process for course fee waiver, tuition remission and cooperative tuition exchange. Date: Thursday, April 17 Time: 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Seminar 5: The employment process and interviewing tips and techniques Acquaints salaried staff with the employment process at the University. Provides information on preparing for interviews. Date: Thursday, May 1 Time: 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Seminar 6: Goal setting/wrap-up Acquaints salaried staff with the use of the Performance Appraisal Form as a career planning tool. Discusses importance of goal setting to achieve career advancement and stresses availability of individual career counseling through the Career Resource Center. Date: Thursday, May 15 Time: 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Writing with Confidence This two-part course is designed for staff who regularly write memos, letters, reports, etc. In addition to reviewing grammar and punctuation issues, the course focuses on effective writing techniques. These will include determining the audience, keeping the reader interested, generating accurate information, choosing the appropriate style, staying on the subject, building confidence and writing concisely. Dates: Friday, April 11 Friday, April 18 Time: 8:30 a.m.-noon Location: To be announced Deadline: March 28 Service Success! The customer service program, Service Success! is a three-part series. Each session builds on the previous sessions topics. A certificate of completion will be awarded to individuals who complete the entire program. Session 1: Introduction to customer service Instruction includes defining the education customer, discussion of service issues and learning how customer perceptions influence situations. Date: Tuesday, March 11 Time: 10 a.m.-noon Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 28 Session 2: Communication/listening skills Topics include effective use of direct and openended questions, information-sorting techniques, blocks to listening, reading body language and learning to paraphrase. Date: Tuesday, March 25 Time: 10 a.m.-noon Location: To be announced Deadline: March 14 Session 3:Effective call management/handling difficult situations This program deals with telephone skills for effectively serving customers, as well as covering tips for dealing with difficult people, delivering bad news and negotiating effective agreements. Date: Tuesday, April 8 Time: 10 a.m.-noon Location: To be announced Deadline: March 28 Asserting Yourself on the Job Passive? Assertive? Aggressive? Which are you? What are some of the components of assertive behavior? Why is being assertive especially important for women? What are some of the blocks to acting assertively? Every day on our jobsin dealings with co-workers, supervisors, those we supervise, parents, students and othersmany occasions arise where assertive behavior could benefit us in our communications. This workshop will answer your questions about assertiveness and provide you with opportunities to discuss its application in the workplace. Date: Monday, April 14 Time: Noon-1:30 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: April 4 Supervision Training This series of workshops is designed to enhance skills used regularly in supervisory relationships. Participants should have at least one to two years of supervisory experience. Employees attending all three workshops will receive a certificate of completion from the Office of Employee Training and Caeer Development. Session 1: Effective communication and listening skills in supervision Research indicates that being an effective communicator is one of the most important skills for a successful supervisory career. Listening is a critical communication skill for all people, especially supervisors. This supervisory program teaches how to listen for understanding and to assure that the messages sent and received are the same. Evaluating non-verbal signals and the proper uses of questioning techniques also will be covered. Date: Wednesday, March 12 Time: 10 a.m.-noon Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 28 Session 2: Performance appraisal for supervisors This workshop is designed to enhance a supervisors evaluation skills through setting and communicating performance standards, providing on-going feedback, documenting performance and conducting effective performance reviews. Date: Wednesday, March 26 Time: 10 a.m.-noon Location: To be announced Deadline: March 14 Session 3: Problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills for supervisors This session examines the effect of conflict in the workplace and the supervisors role in its management. Conflict-resolution strategies, methods to confront co-workers and ways to keep conflicts from escalating will be reviewed. Join us to learn how to keep cool, stand your ground and reach a positive solution. Date: Wednesday, April 9 Time: 10 a.m.-noon Location: To be announced Deadline: March 28 Labor Relations Training Series This series of six workshops is designed to provide managers and other supervisory personnel with an overview of current labor and employment issues. These sessions are geared toward personnel with all levels of experience in the labor management area. Individuals attending all six sessions will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Office of Employee Training and Caeer Development. Session 1: Labor and employment laws This session will provide participants with an overview of state labor laws, wage and hour issues and discipline and termination practices. Date: Tuesday, March 4 Time: 1:30-3 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 28 Session 2: Discrimination in employment Participants will receive information on several issues, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, age discrimination in employment, sex discrimination and sexual harassment and the federal and state investigatory process. Date: Tuesday, March 25 Time: 1:30-3 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: March 17 Session 3: Personal and institutional legal liability Information will be shared on legal liability issues, including defamation of character, common law torts and sexual harassment vis-a- vis the institution, supervisors and co-workers. Date: Tuesday, April 8 Time: 1:30-3 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: March 31 Session 4: Collective bargaining/contract negotiation This session will examine the elements of a collective bargaining agreement, contract administration, grievances and arbitration and the Public Employment Relations Board. Date: Tuesday, April 22 Time: 1:30-3 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: April 14 Session 5: Unemployment and workers compensation/FMLA Participants will receive information related to unemployment and workers compensation, including eligibility and financial criteria, the Unemployment Compensation Appeals Board and Industrial Accident Board and the interface between Workers Compensation, the ADA and the FMLA. Date: Tuesday, May 6 Time: 1:30-3 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: April 28 Session 6: Violence in the American workplace This session will examine the nature and magnitude of the workplace violence problem, sources of employer liability, civil liability to third parties and issues around negligent hiring, retention and supervision. Date: Tuesday, May 20 Time: 1:30-3 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: May 12 Staff Performance Appraisals Completing the performance appraisal form for professional and salaried staff will be the focus in this workshop. Each section will be briefly reviewed as will the annual performance appraisal system. The importance of the discussion between the individual and their supervisor also will be emphasized. Using the performance appraisal system to improve performance and identify career development needs will also be discussed. Dates: Thursday, March 13, and Tuesday, March 18 Time: 11 a.m.-noon, March 13 1-2 p.m., March 18 Location: To be announced Deadline: March 5 Performance Appraisal for Supervisors The workshop is a must for new supervisors. It is designed to enhance supervisors evaluation skills through setting and communicating goal setting for personal improvement. Dates: Tuesday, March 11, and Monday, March 17 Time: 2-3 p.m., March 11 11 a.m.-noon, March 17 Location: To be announced Deadline: March 5 Writing Business Correspondence This four-session program takes the skills learned in Mastering Correct English and helps participants develop their ability to write clear, concise and result-oriented messages. Participants will receive a copy of Send Me a Memo, a handbook of model memos. Dates: Thursdays, March 6, 13, 20 and 27 Time: 1:30-4 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Prerequisite: Mastering Correct English General Accounting Workshop An overview of the University accounting system, as well as an introduction to the responsibilities of the General Accounting Department, will be provided in this session. Topics will include an overview of account codes and their structure, exploring General Accounting on the web for object code transaction information, journal voucher (JV) and internal charge (FAI) preparation, General Accountings audit of submitted journal vouchers for adherence to accounting rules and exploring General Accountings online query system for accounting statement information and reconciliation. Date: Wednesday, March 12 Time: 8:30 a.m.-noon Location: 910 S. Chapel St. First-floor conference room Deadline: March 3 Survival Skills for the Workplace This series of one-hour training units was developed to enhance the workplace skills of time management, stress management, effective listening, assertive communication and change management. The series is designed to introduce participants to a core set of work skills, strengthen their ability to overcome barriers that might impede practice of these skills, enhance productivity and promote greater job satisfaction. The program focuses attention on barriers that may hinder attempts to use core skills in the improvement of job performance. The instructional units address the following concepts: * Skills for the workplace can be learned and adapted to individualized situations. * Typically, we mirror skills modeled by others learned in childhood, school or previous jobs. * Often, people develop strategies to cope with difficult circumstances and continue to use them, even though they may be inappropriate in many situations. * Many people contribute to their problems through beliefs about themselves and the way the world works. * Everyone occasionally has difficulty with time management, stress management, effective listening, assertive communication and change management. While these problems are inevitable, people can improve their skills to manage these situations better. Time management Date: Wednesday, March 5 Time: Noon-1 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: Feb. 27 Stress management Date: Wednesday, March 12 Time: Noon-1 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: March 3 Effective listening Date: Wednesday, March 26 Time: Noon-1 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: March 17 Assertive communication Date: Wednesday, April 16 Time: Noon-1 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: April 7 Change management Date: Wednesday, April 23 Time: Noon-1 p.m. Location: To be announced Deadline: April 14 Employees attending all five workshops will receive a Certificate of Accomplishment. This certificate program is sponsored by the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program and the Office of Employee Training and Career Development.