UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 4
September 26, 1996
Employee Training
The following employee training courses are available during
the fall semester. For additional information, call the Office of
Employee Services at 831-2171.
Basic Defensive Driving Course
The six-hour presentation of the National Safety Council's
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
Development, 51 East Main St.
Date: Monday, Oct. 21 and
Monday, Oct. 28
Time: 5 - 8 p.m.
Location: 005 Kirkbride Lecture Hall
Deadline: Oct. 11
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
Development, 51 East Main St.
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23
Time: 5 - 9 p.m.
Location: 100 Kirkbride Lecture Hall
Deadline: Oct. 11
Audience: All employees and their dependents
Prerequisite: Participants must have completed the
basic defensive driving class.
Service Success!
The customer service program, "Service Success!" is a three-
part series. Each session builds on the previous session's
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, Oct. 1
Time: 10 a.m. - noon
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Sept. 27
Session 2:
Communication/listening skills
Topics include effective use of direct and open-ended
questions, information-sorting techniques, blocks to listening,
reading body language and learning to paraphrase.
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 15
Time: 10 a.m. - noon
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 9
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, Oct. 29
Time: 10 a.m. - noon
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 23
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 jobs-in dealings with co-
workers, supervisors, those we supervise, parents, students and
others-many 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, Oct. 28
Time: Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 23
Time Management
This workshop will help you analyze how you use your time in
daily planning and priority setting. Topics include conquering
procrastination and disorganization and managing multiple
priorities. Learn how to manage the telephone and other
interruptions.
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 22
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 16
Supervision Training Series
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 Services.
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, Oct. 2
Time: 10 a.m. - noon
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Sept. 27
Session 2:
Performance appraisal for supervisors
This workshop is designed to enhance a supervisor's
evaluation skills through setting and communicating performance
standards, providing on-going feedback, documenting performance
and conducting effective performance reviews.
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 16
Time: 10 a.m. - noon
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 9
Session 3:
Problem-solving and conflict- resolution skills for
supervisors
This session examines the effect of conflict in the
workplace and the supervisor's 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, Nov. 6
Time: 10 a.m - noon
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 30
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 Services.
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, Oct. 1
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Sept. 27
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, Oct. 15
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 11
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, Oct. 29
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 25
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, Nov. 12
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Nov. 8
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, Nov. 26
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Nov. 22
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, Dec. 10
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Dec. 6
ADA seminar
In 1990 Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), which prohibits discrimination against individuals with
disabilities in employment, public transportation,
telecommunications and access to public programs and services.
This includes access to public and private college and university
programs and services. Althea McDowell, ADA coordinator, is
offering a seminar on the ADA's employment provisions. Discussion
will focus on employment-related issues, such as hiring,
promotion, pay, benefits, layoffs and assignments. In addition,
she will discuss recent interpretation of the "reasonable
accommodation" aspect of ADA.
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23
Time: 10:30 a.m. - noon
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 16
Public Safety: Your Complete Service Team
This workshop will provide employees with an overview of the
Department of Public Safety and the services available to
students, faculty and staff members. Topics include an overview
of the mission, vision and values of the department and the
services provided by the police, security and parking divisions.
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 16
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 9
Mastering Correct English
A four-session workshop to improve basic knowledge of
grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and English usage.
Dates: Wednesdays, Oct. 30
Nov. 6, Nov. 13, Nov. 20
Time: 9 - 11:30 a.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 21
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, Oct. 9
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 2
Stress management
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 16
Effective listening
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 6
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Oct. 30
Assertive communication
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 13
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Nov. 6
Change management
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 4
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Location: To be announced
Deadline: Nov. 25
To register for the entire series or a select workshop,
please send an e-mail message-including your name, department,
position, phone number and your workshop(s) selection(s) to:
EmplDevReg@mvs.udel.edu.
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.