To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff
           <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "Chancellor Richard Herman" <chancellor@uiuc.edu>

Reply-To: chancellor@uiuc.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - Enhancing the Work Environment at Illinois

Here at Illinois, we are devoted to creating an environment that is 
inclusive and free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. This 
is a critical priority for the University and is prominently reflected in 
the Campus Strategic Plan and the Chancellor's Diversity Initiatives 
Committee's Report.

In support of this effort, the Inclusive Illinois initiative began in 
August, 2007, and continues to foster respectful living, learning, and 
working environments through awareness and education. I am personally 
seeking your assistance to ensure that all employees receive 
multicultural, discrimination, and harassment awareness training. These 
seminars are important for two primary reasons.  First, we want our 
faculty and staff to be informed.  Second, there is a need for dialogue in 
order to better understand the issues that we face, as well as the tools 
needed to navigate and address these issues. Also, when an employer 
provides in-house training to employees on multicultural, discrimination, 
and harassment awareness, the individual and institutional liability are 
substantially reduced. 

Dr. Larine Cowan, Assistant Chancellor and Director of the Office of Equal 
Opportunity and Access (OEOA), has scheduled a series of seminars and 
workshops. They will take place February 11 through April 25, and will 
last one hour. Our goal is that all employees will attend the training. 
This is an approved event and employees should be given release time to 
attend these sessions. In addition, managers and supervisors will have the 
opportunity to attend 90-minute sessions, which also include disability 
accommodation procedures.

It is a good idea for each one of us to renew our commitment to the 
highest standards of conduct and to the values of inclusivity and 
diversity. Your units and staff members are encouraged to make their 
pledge to the Commitment Statement at 
http://www.inclusiveillinois.uiuc.edu/InclusiveCommit.html. 

Information and registration for the seminars and workshops can be found 
at http://www.eoa.uiuc.edu/.

Thank you for your participation and cooperation in this important effort.
This mailing approved by:
The Office of the Chancellor

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