A WORD ABOUT WORDING- - Descriptions for these training events and workshops were written by the presenters, to provide their view of what you will experience by attending. There is, therefore, no one uniform style, but every description will include the primary subjects to be discussed, and the dates and times of the events. Call Cris Cullinan at 6-2961 if you have any questions, or use e-mail, crisc@uoregon.edu.

Class Issues in the Workplace and the Academy

Social class issues are often left out of the conversation when we talk about areas of diversity and difference in our campus community; and yet, our perception of another person's standing in the class system of the United States can color our experiences with them and lead to miscommunication and resentment. This workshop will focus on how we are "trained" to recognize social class status in the United States, what conclusions the dominant culture tends to make about persons inhabiting various social classes, and how this kind of misinformation can lead us to offer hope and assistance to some, while writing others off as not worth our time or effort. The implications of this information for serving faculty, staff and students in a higher education setting will be explored.

Computer Literacy: From Definitions to Decisions

This course is designed to answer some basic questions about computer technology with the goal of helping you ask the right questions (and understand the answers) when you are considering changing or adding to the computer technology in your office, department or home. Questions asked and answered included:

What is the World Wide Web and what could I catch in it?
If you register for the course, and you have other questions you want to see addressed in this workshop, please call the training administrator, Cris Cullinan, at 6-2961 and let her know. You can also contact her through e-mail: crisc@uoregon.edu.

Customer Service I:

Counter Intelligence - External Customer Service
This course will focus on ways to improve customer service to customers outside of your immediate office or department. Participants will discuss the "stage" on which external customer service takes place, the various actors that affect it, and how to script both verbal and non-verbal communication
so that your department or office's intent to provide excellent service is clearly communicated.

Customer Service II:

The 5th Column: Internal Customer Service
This course will focus on the "customer service" that goes on within an office or department. Participants will identify their own internal customer service network and identify strategies to strengthen both the internal links and the overall network.

Customer Service III:

Coming In From the Cold - Supervising for Excellent Customer Service
This course will focus on how supervisors can ensure that their office or department delivers their best customer service to both internal and external customers. Supervisors will be provided with tools to help diagnose the causes of problems in staff performance and will develop specific strategies for addressing these causes.

Difficult Communications I

Part I: Exploring Our Programming About Communication and Conflict
In this first session we will explore:
a)messages we have received about communication and dealing with conflict;
b)what the Myers-Briggs personality type information can teach us about how we might prefer to handle communication and conflict;
c)how differing cultural norms that can affect perceptions of and approaches to conflict; and,
d)how communiction and conflict management are influenced by what we know and don't know about ourselves.

Difficult Communications II

Part II: Getting On and Off Track
In this second session of the Difficult Communications series, we will use what we learned in Part I as a foundation for further development of an understanding of what constitutes effective communication. In particular we will explore;
a)distinctions between power, rights, and interest-based approaches to working through conflict;
b)the benefit of untangling intent from impact when structuring effective communication;
c)the possible effects of inferences and assumptions on communication; and,
d)the ways in which "shifting your conflict lens" can change the experience of dealing with conflict.

Difficult Communications III

Part III: Inside Complex Communications
In this third part of the Difficult Communications series, we will build on the information, theories and skills from previous sessions, while working to uncover some of the subtleties that make working on communication skills both effective and challenging. We will examine:
a)the three layers that form part of every difficult communication and how they are connected to how we see ourselves in relationship to the other person or people involved;
b)how we can use this information to understand our own motives and desired outcomes more fully; and,
c)the particular skills and methods involved in giving and receiving effective feedback as a specialized type of communication.

Food for Thought Series

Among the things we can learn about ourselves from our reactions to issues of difference, diversity, inclusion and exclusion is how difficult it is to walk in another persons shoes. If we can't get there from here (our own impressions and life experiences), can we get there from there (from another person's impressions and life experiences)? This series of videotape viewing is offered as one avenue for listening to and learning about others' experiences and views of the world. Quite on purpose, issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion and other cultural frames are presented by those living the experiences of being "different" and being here. You are invited to bring your lunch and come partake in some "food for thought". There will be no organized discussions following the videotapes, but participants are encouraged to stay and talk if they wish. Please come to listen, to think, to learn and to try to see if you can get there from there. If you are interested in viewing any of these tapes, and are unable to attend its scheduled session, or would like to show one to your staff or students, please call Cris Cullinan at x6-2961 to arrange to borrow it.

'Race: The Power of an Illusion' Episode I-The Difference Between Us
Everyone can tell a Norwegian from a Nubian, so why doesn't it make sense to sort people into biological races? Examine the contemporary science including genetics that challenges our assumptions about human groups.

'Race: The Power of an Illusion' Episode II-The Story We Tell
Hasn't race always been with us? Explore the roots of the race concept, the 19th century science that legitimized it, and how it gained such a hold over our minds. This episode focuses on the history of how social inequalities came to be disguised as "natural."

'Race: The Power of an Illusion' Episode III-The House We Live In
Race may be a biological myth, but racism still affects us all. Forty years after the Civil Rights movement, the playing field is still not level and colorblind policies only perpetuate inequality. This episode focuses not on individual behaviors and attitudes, but on how our institutions shape and create "race," giving different groups vastly unequal life chances.

'The Real Eve'
This video, from the Discovery Channel (2002), looks at the most recent DNA research regarding the spread of humanity out of Africa and across the planet. According to the advertising: "Travel back in time as Danny Glover narrates this fascinating look into the past to find the very beginnings of the human race. Through exclusive access to the very latest DNA reconstructions and cutting edge technology, scientists can now for the first time conclusively answer the where, when and how's of this mysterious woman - the Mother of us all."
(This video runs 103 minutes, and we will start it at noon, so please plan according.)

Job Search Workshop

This workshop provides an opportunity for classified and administrative staff to improve their job search skills. Topics will include:

New Employee Orientation

Creating a Respectful Work Environment: The Challenge of Inclusion

This workshop is designed to explore the stereotypes and myths we carry with us about those different from us, and how behaviors stemming from those stereotypes are destructive to the entire workforce. Issues explored include:

Retirement Workshops

Employees will receive registration materials in campus mail prior to these workshops. The registration form and a check for the cost of the workshop must be received by Human Resources before employees are enrolled in these workshops

Financial Planning for Retirement

This workshop is for persons who are more than ten years from their planned retirement and want to know what to do now to enhance their retirement income. From a basic understanding of retirement plans, Social Security, tax-deferred investments and deferred compensation, participants will learn what they could be doing now to make these retirement income streams more productive. Participants will also explore financial goal setting, how to choose financial advisors, before-and after-tax investments, asset enhancement, estate planning issues, and other financial subjects. There is a fee to attend.

Preretirement Planning Workshop

This workshop is for persons who are close to retirement (within five years) and need to begin preparing for retirement. There is a fee to attend.

Preventing and Dealing With Sexual Harassment on Campus

This three-hour workshop is designed for all faculty, managers and staff of the University of Oregon. Questions to be addressed include:

Leadership in Student Supervision

This workshop is designed for anyone who supervises student employees, and will include practical steps you can take to ensure that your student employees understand both what is expected of them and how to improve their work performance and benefit from their employment at UO.
GOALS:

Supervision Training

Supervision Training is in the process of being revised. If you have questions, please call Cris Cullinan 6-2961.