Educational seminars are provided annually both onsite and online
It is the policy of the University that all employees – full-time/part-time faculty, staff, graduate assistants, and student workers – participate, on an annual basis in specified educational seminars. Vice Presidents, Deans, Department Chairs, and supervisors will be responsible for coordinating the participation of their respective staffs. The deadline to complete the course assignments for employees is February 1, 2024. Information about the seminars is provided below.
Newly hired employees at UCA are asked to complete their courses within 90 days of their starting date. Supervisors will oversee their completion.
Specific questions may be directed to the Office of Employee Engagement & Enrichment at 450-3135, Charlotte Strickland, Director of Employee Engagement & Enrichment, engagement@uca.edu.
2023-24 Required Seminars
- Building Supportive Communities: Clery Act and Title IX
- Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
- Camps on Campus: Keeping Minors Safe
- IT: Browser Security Basics
- FERPA: Confidentiality of Records (New Hires only)
Educational Seminar Online Opportunities
Online Education Seminars
Employees will receive an e-mail from UCA’s online vendor Vector Solutions. Employees access the online courses through the myUCA portal using their individual campus email. Notification emails are sent regularly reminding employees to complete the assigned courses. Once the required courses are complete and recorded by the Office of Employee Engagement & Enrichment, you will no longer receive reminder emails.
You have the option of completing Title IX/Harassment or Diversity onsite OR online. Camps on Campus: Keeping Minors Safe and IT: Browser Security Basics must be completed online. (FERPA: Confidentiality of Records is online only, and only assigned to New Hires)
Records of onsite and online participation are kept in the Offices of Human Resources and Employee Engagement & Enrichment. Vice Presidents, Council of Deans, and supervisors have access to completion reports via Vector Solutions. Contact the Office of Employee Engagement & Enrichment for access instructions.
Additional ‘Optional’ Online Offerings
Additional online educational courses are available for employees. The courses are included in the employee’s Vector Solutions’ homepage. It is up to each Department Head/Supervisor as to whether any further courses are required. These online optional courses (NOT required by the University) are for any employee to participate in and can be accessed multiple times.
Educational Seminar Onsite Opportunities
The registration system for onsite educational seminars will go live on August 1, 2023 and can be accessed through this link: https://uca.edu/engagement/registration/
Employees will use the system to register for the various onsite educational seminars offered throughout the year.
Onsite Seminar Notes
- X-period is 1:40 – 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.
- Seminar rooms are sometimes chilly; bring a sweater or jacket if you would like.
Compliance/Building Community Seminars
Title IX/Harassment (includes discussion of Sexual Harassment, Title IX and Clery Act)
UCA requires all employees to be familiar with its Title IX Sexual Harassment Policy, along with the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and the Clery Act. The UCA Title IX Sexual Harassment policy focuses on Sexual Harassment but also addresses general harassment in the workplace. This not only protects the University employees from liability but helps to provide a positive and safe work environment on campus. This session will discuss the recent changes to the Title IX policy and how it impacts our campus. Content will include sexual harassment and the Clery Act. Title IX/Harassment credit is provided for all attendees.
Feedback from past seminar participants:
- “I really liked the provided resource list and the open dialogue of the seminar.”
- “Great to provide scripts for difficult encounters.”
- “I learned about the new procedures regarding reporting.”
- “I feel empowered to report situations that happen to me or someone else without fear of retaliation. I also have resources I can share with the students that may come into my GA hours.”
- “I like the encouragement to be proactive in handling and preventing situations.”
- “I plan on always being mindful and not minimize the impact.”
- “I plan to always keep these practices in mind, in all of my undertakings in this position, to foster the best workplace environment possible and be a collegiate co-worker.”
- “Not everyone has the same boundaries and some boundaries change due to time and culture.”
- “I learned how to redirect comments and conversations.”
You have the option of completing this training online or onsite. The online course equivalent is entitled Building Supportive Communities: Clery Act and Title IX
Title IX/Harassment Seminar
August 10, 2023 (Thursday)
1:00-2:00 pm
Doyne Auditorium 141
Title IX/Harassment Seminar
September 13, 2023 (Wednesday)
9:00-10:00 am
Doyne Auditorium 141
Diversity/Belonging/Inclusion
Feedback from past seminar participants:
- “This is a hot topic and a BIG one. To come here and have these topics presented in a clear, precise and well-researched way was so beneficial. It makes it easier to disseminate as well.”
- “Opening the opportunity to grapple with this difficult reality we are facing right now and come to the resolution that we’re all on the same team in the end.”
- “It does not matter if we agree or not. The important thing is being able to have difficult conversations.”
- “Complex issues have a full spectrum of possible answers and perspectives.”
- “I hope to be braver in addressing situations that arise in our office, recognizing that many faculty and students feel they can’t speak up. I can provide a brave space to learn how to have these conversations.”
- “Be patient with students of differing opinions; model how to interact with those that differ.”
- “I love hearing various perspectives.”
- “I plan to improve syllabi statements regarding class discussions.”
- “This seminar challenged my colleagues and myself to think about HOW we teach our students (and ourselves) to actively and positively contribute to dialogue.”
This year employees can complete the online course: Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, or select from a variety of onsite educational seminars to attend. As noted, any one of the seminars listed in one of the sections below (OARS, Veteran’s Resources, Poverty, etc) will count towards the Diversity course completion.
August 9, 2023 (Wednesday)
9:00-10:00 am
Doyne Auditorium 141
September 19, 2023 (Tuesday)
X-Period
RWSC 214
DBIE Week Seminar
October 5, 2023 (Thursday)
10:00-11:30 am
RWSC 213
Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS)
Students with disabilities are making their presence known within the higher education landscape nationwide like never before. At least 10% of the general student populations of colleges and universities are students with disabilities. Even though UCA student population enrollment numbers are solidified after the 11th day of classes for any given semester, disabled students can register to request accommodations that provide equal access to the UCA campus community through the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) within any time frame throughout the academic year. Attend our training to understand why OARS exists, why we do what we do and how we educate the entire campus community about accommodations and accessibility. Diversity credit is provided for all attendees.
Please note that ZOOM access to any of the OARS programs is available by emailing John Ortigo at jortigo@uca.edu
September 14, 2023 (Thursday)
X-Period
SHC 307
September 28, 2023 (Thursday)
X-Period
SHC 307
January 25, 2024 (Thursday)
X-Period
SHC 307
February 8, 2024 (Thursday)
X-Period
SHC 307
Lunch and Learn: A Latino Perspective
Come learn more about the Latino community during the Hispanic Heritage Month. Learn the difference between Latino and Hispanic, the different races within the Latino community and even the different generations of Latinos in the US.
- Difference between Latino, Hispanic and nationalities
- All Latinos look different
- Different Latino generations
12:00-1:30 pm
Presidential Dining Room
Christian Cafeteria
LGBTQ Awareness Seminar
Increase your knowledge of LGBTQ+ identities, gender and sexuality. Learn more about our current students as you examine assumptions and privilege. Individuals completing the seminar will obtain a Safe Zone sticker for their work space to communicate their support. Diversity credit is provided for all attendees.
Facilitators will be Veneta Graham, Jessica Rieddmueller, Arnie Story, Reesa Ramsahai.
Lunch will be provided.
For more information or special dietary requests please contact Reesa Ramsahai reesar@uca.edu
July 14, 2023 (Thursday)
12:00-1:30 pm
RWSC 215
LGBTQ: Education and Safe Zone Seminar
Attend this seminar and let us do the work for you. We will address gender and sexuality in an environment that will allow you to visit, share, and learn. The session will be held in the new Lavender Library.
The library supports the general and popular interests of students and members of the LGBTQ+ campus community. The collection focuses primarily on the needs of LGBTQ+ students of UCA. Diversity credit is provided for all attendees.
October 6, 2023 (Friday)
2:00-3:15 pm
Lavender Library (Arkansas Hall 259)
Facilitators: Dr. Veneta Fricks, Reesa Ramsahai, Arnie Story and Jessica Rieddmueller.
Global Expo
Global Expo is an opportunity for all internationally related Registered Student Organizations (RSO) and departments to represent their culture or mission to the whole campus. Attendees will get a “passport” to travel through the Global Expo.
After you have collected enough “stamps”, you will get a FREE T-shirt! Diversity credit is provided for all attendees.
November 13-17, 2023
Location: TBD
Veteran’s Resources
The purpose of the UCA Veterans Resource Center is to assist the student Veteran, their dependents, and currently serving military members to better understand and access the education benefits they have earned. In addition, our office assists veterans in their transition to the civilian college environment so that they may be more successful. Various forms of outreach will take place by our resource center throughout the year to aid our military connected community towards success. Attend the training to learn more about this student population and see the new designated space to assist them. Diversity credit is provided for all attendees.
January 25, 2024 (Thursday)
2:30-3:30 pm
Veterans Resource Center (Corner of Donaghey and Bruce Street)
Poverty
The session will provide content on recent data of the socio-economic status in Arkansas and how it impacts our students, and ultimately our campus. Diversity credit is provided for all attendees.
February 14, 2024 (Wednesday)
1:00-2:00 pm
RWSC 214
Professional Development Seminars
Voluntary educational seminars open to ALL employees to develop, encourage, and equip!
Early Career Kick-Off
Have you been employed less than six (6) years)? Are you looking to network with other Higher Education employees? Are you interested in gathering new insight to Higher Education issues, workplace norms, and career paths? The group will determine the meeting schedule to achieve the stated objectives. Co-sponsored by students in the College Student Personnel Administration program (CSPA), it will provide socialization and professional development for early career employees.
12:00-1:30 pm
Presidential Dining Room
Christian Cafeteria
(future dates to be determined by attendees)
Goal Setting/Strategic Planning
The success of your department/office — no matter what size or function — depends on the thoroughness of your planning and vision. A strategic plan can provide a roadmap for accomplishing specific goals, and will increase your chances of reaching objectives on time and budget. In this session a template for strategic planning will be provided and discussion will be centered on the goals and objectives you wish to accomplish.
August 15, 2023 (Tuesday)
3:00-4:00 pm
RWSC 214
Presenter: Charlotte Strickland
Personality Styles
Understanding yourself and others is critical if you want to be effective. Participants will complete an instrument which will assist in the identification of their personality style. Content will then cover the various styles and address how we can understand and appreciate each.
November 8, 2023 (Wednesday)
2:00-3:00 pm
RWSC 214
Artificial Intelligence
Join us for a talk on the role of artificial intelligence in higher education. We will explore AI’s fundamental concepts and some of its pros and cons in academia. We will look at its practical implications within academia, from threats to academic integrity to automated grading systems and intelligent tutoring.
November 28, 2023 (Tuesday)
X-Period
RWSC 214
Presenters:
Dr. Mike Ellis, Dr. Mike Casey, and Dr. Jeff Hill
Professional Confrontation
Are you like most and avoid difficult conversations? Discover how to prepare for and approach a difficult conversation in a professional manner. One may not be able to predict the response from the other party, but one can certainly do their homework to be at their best for the conversation. This session will provide the necessary tools.
February 1, 2024 (Thursday)
2:30-3:30 pm
ZOOM
Fall 2023 Employee Book Club
The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Hartwig Urban
End resentment, burnout, and anxiety—and reclaim your time, energy, health, and relationships. In this powerful and practical guide to setting boundaries, she shows you how to prioritize your needs and revolutionize your relationships. This content will assist you both personally and professionally.
The first five registrants receive a complimentary copy, courtesy of the UCA Bookstore. Otherwise, participants are responsible for the purchase of their personal copy.
Facilitator: Charlotte Strickland
There are two options for participation – zoom or onsite.
September 22, 29; October 6, 13, 27; November 3, 2023 (Fridays)
9:00-10:00 am
ZOOM
September 28; October 5, 12, 26; November 2, 9, 2023 (Thursdays)
3:00-4:00 pm
Student Health Services 307
Spring 2024 Employee Book Club
Book is yet to be determined
January 25; February 1, 8, 22, 2024 (Thursdays)
9:00-10:00 am
ZOOM
January 24, 31: February 7, 21, 2024 (Wednesdays)
3:00-4:00 pm
Student Health Services 307
Professional Administrative Support Staff Recognition
April 17, 2024 (Wednesday)
3:00-4:00 pm
RWSC 223/224
Service Excellence
Do you have a student worker, graduate student, or employee that could use information on what it means to professionally serve students, family members, and/or UCA colleagues? Then this one hour session is for them.
The session presents components of Service Excellence (Communication, Attitude, Respect, Enthusiasm) and reinforces the ability to influence in each one of these areas.
August 30, 2023 (Wednesday)
2:00-3:00 pm
ZOOM
Other times offered upon request.
Supervisory Skills Seminars
Exempt/Non-Exempt Employees
This HR presentation will include information on the Fair Labor Standards Act and what qualifies an employee as exempt from earning compensatory time and non-exempt from earning compensatory time.
September 20, 2023 (Wednesday)
2:00-3:00 pm
RWSC 213
Employees: Building Morale
Post-covid has been rough. Employees feel sluggish and/or unmotivated. As the supervisor, how can you revive the team? It is critical that supervisors work to not only retain their employees but retain the motivation and energy of the employees. This session presents the Motivation Formula (knowledge, incentives, timelines, perseverance, etc.), reasons why people join and leave an organization, and concludes with ideas to build morale.
October 10, 2023 (Tuesday)
12:00-1:30 pm
Presidential Dining Room
Christian Cafeteria
Hiring Practices
Join HR as we discuss best practices related to job posting, interviews, and hiring at UCA.
November 14, 2023 (Tuesday)
X-Period
RWSC 214
Respectful Workplace
Join HR as they discuss “The Respectful Workplace”, what that means, and steps to take if you experience a disrespectful workplace.
January 19, 2024 (Friday)
2:00-3:00 pm
ZOOM
Performance Management
Please join HR to learn how to have meaningful conversations to help your team reach their full potential.
2:30-3:30 pm