Each summer, the Department of Human Resources (HR) provides opportunities for CU Boulder employees to expand their knowledge, learn new skills or enhance overall wellbeing through seminars, workshops and other programs.
HR's Organization & Employee Development (OED) provides training and facilitation year-round for individuals and intact teams throughout the Boulder campus. OED’s courses range from leadership development to workplace skills and are designed to build skills and knowledge in workplace trends and needs.
The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) is dedicated to serving the emotional and psychological needs of the campus community. FSAP’s workshops are aimed at creating and sustaining a psychologically healthy workplace.
The following courses are available to all CU Boulder employees and are offered at no charge unless otherwise noted in the description.
May seminars
New Employee Welcome Experience
Thursday, May 18
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The New Employee Welcome Experience is the first event in a comprehensive, year-long onboarding experience designed to increase the understanding of CU Boulder’s culture, organizational structure and governance, operations, learning mission, values and campus initiatives. The program is offered to new, permanent employees.
The event starts at Norlin Library in the historic heart of campus, where participants begin to develop their understanding of what it means to be a member of the CU Boulder community. The day includes a two-hour walking tour of campus and a one-hour bus tour broken into two portions throughout the day. Lunch is provided by Elevations Credit Union and print materials are provided by CU Imaging Services (your campus printer).
Register for New Employee Welcome Experience
Real Colors
Wednesday, May 24, 1 to 3:30 p.m.
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
For centuries, people have searched for ways to peek into the human mind. The Greek philosopher, scientist and physician Hippocrates wrote that all human beings could be divided into four distinct personality types. Real Colors, an instrument based on the more modern temperament theories developed by David Keirsey, is designed to help people recognize, accept, learn to value and understand human behaviors to improve empathy and communication in the workplace.
CU Discover: Making Excellence Inclusive
Friday, May 19, noon to 12:45 p.m.
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 620
The CU Discover series is a component of the comprehensive, year-long onboarding program offered to new employees at CU Boulder. This elective session is held over the lunch hour once a month. New employees in their first 12 to 18 months of employment are invited to bring a lunch for these interactive, informative sessions.
During this session, participants will receive a foundational description of CU Boulder’s Inclusive Excellence initiative. The preseneter will also provide resources and tools to further attendees' understanding of Inclusive Excellence and enable them to begin approaching work through an inclusive lens.
Home Buying Like a Pro
Tuesday, May 23, noon to 1 p.m.
University Memorial Center (UMC), rooms 384–86
Learn about the home-buying process and strategies for finding a house to call home and how to avoid the most common pitfalls. Specifically, this workshop will address budgeting for your new home, mortgage options, the steps to home ownership, and tips for working with a realtor. Lunch will be provided by Elevations Credit Union
Presenter: Lacey Hoenshell has been in the banking and finance industry since 2001. She studied banking and financial economics at the University of North Dakota. Since joining Elevations Credit Union in 2012, Hoenshell has successfully closed over 1,000 loans making her a valuable resource to her peers and members. Her energy and excitement are refreshing to the first-time homebuyer and seasoned investor alike. Coming from a military family, Hoenshell has moved more than 20 times and understands the importance of making the home buying process a smooth transition. She currently lives in Westminster with her husband and four children.
Register for Home Buying Like a Pro
Crucial Conversations
Tuesday, May 30, and Wednesday, May 31
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
Crucial Conversations is a two-day course that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics—at all levels of the organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), you’ll surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment.
Please note: There is a $200 course fee. The course fee includes a Crucial Conversations Toolkit, cue cards for each lesson, a Crucial Conversations model card, a copy of The New York Times bestselling book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, the Crucial Conversations audio companion MP3 download and a course completion certificate.
Register for Crucial Conversations
CU Grow: Conflict Resolution
Tuesday, May 30, 9 a.m. to noon
University Memorial Center, room 247
This seminar will provide conflict-resolution techniques under the premise that, while conflict is inevitable, resolution is still obtainable. We will identify conflict for what it is and what it is not, evaluating situations and issues from multiple perspectives. Then, we will apply conflict-resolution strategies, including a framework for navigating difficult conversations. The objective is to shift our paradigm with conflict and improve the conflict-resolutions competence of university managers and leaders.
Facilitator: Elizabeth “Liz” Hill joined the CU Boulder Ombuds Office as an associate ombuds in May 2016. Before joining CU, Hill served as an Arizona assistant attorney general, assistant ombudsman for the state of Arizona and ombudsman for Apollo Education Group. She is a graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law and earned her BS from Northern Arizona University. Hill is a trained mediator with experience in work-place disputes. She is member of the State Bar of Arizona, International Ombudsman Association and American Bar Association’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and is actively involved in the Dispute Resolution Section’s Ombuds Committee.
Register for Conflict Resolution
Grief Support Group
Tuesdays May 30 through July 25 (eight sessions)
Noon to 1:30 p.m. each Tuesday
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 332
Experiencing grief can be an overwhelming experience and is often confusing and frightening. Although bereavement can be quite painful, it is not a sickness or abnormal condition. It is not something to be “cured” or “fixed.” Rather, it is part of the natural human response to losing someone close to us—the cost of loving and being loved.
This group will meet once a week in a group setting for those who are recently bereaved or just beginning the grief process. Sessions include information about grief, support to determine your own needs and coping skills and time to share experiences. Handouts will provide additional information that participants can share with others.
Licensed staff counselor Connie North, PhD, MS LMFT, will facilitate the group process, providing information and understanding in a safe, supportive and accepting environment. Please email her at connie.north@colorado.edu to register.
June seminars
New Employee Welcome Experience
Thursday, June 8, or Thursday, June 22
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The New Employee Welcome Experience is the first event in a comprehensive, year-long onboarding experience designed to increase the understanding of CU Boulder’s culture, organizational structure and governance, operations, learning mission, values and campus initiatives. The program is offered to new, permanent employees.
The event starts at Norlin Library in the historic heart of campus, where participants begin to develop their understanding of what it means to be a member of the CU Boulder community. The day includes a two-hour walking tour of campus and a one-hour bus tour broken into two portions throughout the day. Lunch is provided by Elevations Credit Union and print materials are provided by CU Imaging Services (your campus printer).
Register for New Employee Welcome Experience
Employee Management and Compliance Essentials
Tuesday, June 6, and Wednesday, June 7
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
The two-day Employee Management and Compliance Essentials course provides a comprehensive overview for managers and supervisors of legal guidelines, campus policies and CU Boulder practices related to employee management and development. The core curriculum includes:
- Pre-employment essentials (position management, compensation and recruitment),
- Employee development guidelines and strategies (onboarding, performance management and progressive discipline),
- Special topics in employee management (federal and campus policies and procedures related to discrimination and harassment, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave)
Additionally, participants will select two elective sessions from the following topics: Bystander Intervention, Writing Effective Interview Questions, Service Animals and the ADA, and Managing Difficult Employees.
Register for Employee Management and Compliance Essentials
Emotional Intelligence
Wednesday, June 14, 1 to 3:30 p.m.
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships. EI has been shown to increase job performance, productivity and personal excellence. Join the two-hour seminar to explore this important ability and gain skills to improve your own emotional intelligence.
Register for Emotional Intelligence
Crucial Conversations
Tuesday, June 20, and Wednesday, June 21
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
Crucial Conversations is a two-day course that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics—at all levels of the organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), you’ll surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment.
Please note: There is a $200 course fee. The course fee includes a Crucial Conversations Toolkit, cue cards for each lesson, a Crucial Conversations model card, a copy of The New York Times bestselling book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, the Crucial Conversations audio companion MP3 download and a course completion certificate.
Register for Crucial Conversations
Real Colors
Thursday, June 29, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
For centuries, people have searched for ways to peek into the human mind. The Greek philosopher, scientist and physician Hippocrates wrote that all human beings could be divided into four distinct personality types. Real Colors, an instrument based on the more modern temperament theories developed by David Keirsey, is designed to help people recognize, accept, learn to value and understand human behaviors to improve empathy and communication in the workplace.
July seminars
Mindful Nutrition Series: Mindful Nutrition for a Sustainable and Energized Life
Wednesdays July 5 to July 26 (four sessions)
Noon to 1 p.m. each day
University Memorial Center (UMC), room 425
Nutrition advice may seem to change as quickly as the weather in Colorado. Confusion abounds and depending on what source or magazine you read, you likely hear opposing recommendations. Some frequently asked questions are: What foods and lifestyle practices are truly good for the human body? What practices are sustainable for the earth and your own energy? Does mindfulness have a role in nutrition? Can you just tell me if it really is okay to eat eggs and butter? Do I have to give up sugar to be healthy? What about this gluten-free craze?
Come and ask your burning nutrition questions at this four-week series on mindful nutrition offered by nutrition therapist Mary Kay Irving. Topics include nutrition and brain functioning; blood-sugar balance, mood and energy; the gut-brain connection; and nutrition in relationship to mindfulness and lifestyle.
Facilitator: Mary Kay Irving, LCSW CNTP, is an integrative, holistic health coach specializing in nutrition therapy and EMDR therapy. A psychotherapist for over 25 years and holistic nutritionist, Irving is the owner of Boulder Center for Health and Nutrition. In 2006, she suffered a severe health crisis, which ultimately led her down a path to completely changing her eating habits. After experiencing almost immediate relief from a lifelong struggle with IBS, depression and anxiety, she felt called to go back to school for additional training in the field of nutrition therapy. She now focuses her work on using current nutrition science and evidence-based psychological practices to guide anyone seeking to create their healthiest, happiest life. Email questions about this presentation to marykirving@gmail.com.
Register for the Mindful Nutrition Series
Employee Management and Compliance Essentials
Wednesday, July 19, and Thursday, July 20
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
The two-day Employee Management and Compliance Essentials course provides a comprehensive overview for managers and supervisors of legal guidelines, campus policies and CU Boulder practices related to employee management and development. The core curriculum includes:
- Pre-employment essentials (position management, compensation and recruitment),
- Employee development guidelines and strategies (onboarding, performance management and progressive discipline),
- Special topics in employee management (federal and campus policies and procedures related to discrimination and harassment, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave)
Additionally, participants will select two elective sessions from the following topics: Bystander Intervention, Writing Effective Interview Questions, Service Animals and the ADA, and Managing Difficult Employees.
Register for Employee Management and Compliance Essentials
New Employee Welcome Experience
Thursday, July 13, or Thursday, July 27
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The New Employee Welcome Experience is the first event in a comprehensive, year-long onboarding experience designed to increase the understanding of CU Boulder’s culture, organizational structure and governance, operations, learning mission, values and campus initiatives. The program is offered to new, permanent employees.
The event starts at Norlin Library in the historic heart of campus, where participants begin to develop their understanding of what it means to be a member of the CU Boulder community. The day includes a two-hour walking tour of campus and a one-hour bus tour broken into two portions throughout the day. Lunch is provided by Elevations Credit Union and print materials are provided by CU Imaging Services (your campus printer).
Register for New Employee Welcome Experience
Emotional Intelligence
Tuesday, July 18, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships. EI has been shown to increase job performance, productivity and personal excellence. Join the two-hour seminar to explore this important ability and gain skills to improve your own emotional intelligence.
Register for Emotional Intelligence
StrengthsQuest
Tuesday, July 25, 9 to 11 a.m.
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
The StrengthsQuest seminar provides an opportunity for CU Boulder employees to identify their natural talents by taking the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment. During this interactive workshop, participants will learn to develop their talents into strengths to continue developing in their career and enhance working relationships.
Crucial Conversations
Wednesday, July 26, and Friday, July 28
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
Crucial Conversations is a two-day course that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics—at all levels of the organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), you’ll surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment.
Please note: There is a $200 course fee. The course fee includes a Crucial Conversations Toolkit, cue cards for each lesson, a Crucial Conversations model card, a copy of The New York Times bestselling book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, the Crucial Conversations audio companion MP3 download and a course completion certificate.
August seminars
Crucial Conversations
Tuesday, Aug. 1, and Thursday, Aug. 3
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 346
Crucial Conversations is a two-day course that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics—at all levels of the organization. By learning how to speak and be heard (and encouraging others to do the same), you’ll surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions and then act on your decisions with unity and commitment.
Please note: There is a $200 course fee. The course fee includes a Crucial Conversations Toolkit, cue cards for each lesson, a Crucial Conversations model card, a copy of The New York Times bestselling book Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, the Crucial Conversations audio companion MP3 download and a course completion certificate.
Register for Crucial Conversations
New Employee Welcome Experience
Thursday, Aug. 10
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The New Employee Welcome Experience is the first event in a comprehensive, year-long onboarding experience designed to increase the understanding of CU Boulder’s culture, organizational structure and governance, operations, learning mission, values and campus initiatives. The program is offered to new, permanent employees.
The event starts at Norlin Library in the historic heart of campus, where participants begin to develop their understanding of what it means to be a member of the CU Boulder community. The day includes a two-hour walking tour of campus and a one-hour bus tour broken into two portions throughout the day. Lunch is provided by Elevations Credit Union and print materials are provided by CU Imaging Services (your campus printer).
