Published: July 27, 2017
Lauren Harris leads HR supervisor class

Each year 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 programs. The following courses are available to all CU Boulder employees and are offered at no charge unless otherwise noted in the description.

This month, explore developing intercultural competence, fostering open dialogue, the inner workings of the CU system, the new leadership and management graduate certificate, tuition benefit and more.

Questions? Visit Organizational and Employee Development online or call 303-492-6475.

Organizational & Employee Development courses

Crucial Conversations

Tuesday, Aug. 1, and Thursday, 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 $210 course fee. The 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


Developing Intercultural Competence

Wednesday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m. to noon
Main Campus, Center for Community (C4C), room N215

CU Boulder is committed to a strong campus climate in which all students, staff and faculty thrive and feel a sense of commitment to and from our community. Creating this climate depends on our ability to shift cultural perspectives and appropriately adapt behaviors to cultural differences and commonalities. 

This workshop is open to all CU Boulder faculty and staff interested in learning more about intercultural competence and how the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) can be used to assess and build upon your own level of intercultural competence. CU Boulder IDI-qualified administrators will guide you through attitudes, awareness, knowledge and skills associated with creating an inclusive campus environment.

Register for Developing Intercultural Competence


New Employee Welcome Experience

Thursday, Aug. 10, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Main Campus

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


CU Discover: Tuition Benefit

Friday, Aug. 18, noon to 12:45 p.m.
East Campus, Administrative and Research Center (ARC), room 620

Bring your lunch and join fellow new employees to learn from MaryAnn Enstad, faculty-staff tuition benefit coordinator in Bursar's Office. The CU Discover series is for new CU Boulder employees in their first 12 to 18 months of employment.

This session will provide information about the opportunity for employees and dependents to take classes using the tuition waiver benefit. The presentation will include what is required to take part in this benefit, who is eligible and the financial benefit the university provides.

At the end of the session, participants will:

  • Understand what the tuition benefit is, who is eligible and benefit requirements
  • Be aware of the steps to participate in the benefit

Register for CU Discover

Employee learning programs

Leadership and Management Graduate Certificate

Aug. 11: Deadline to apply for fall 2017 program

The Department of Human Resources and the Lockheed Martin Engineering Management Program (EMP) have collaborated to design and offer a customized graduate-level leadership and management certificate for employees. This certificate program will help our current and future leaders develop and refine their leadership skills and learn new ways to measure and enhance organizational effectiveness with practical application.

The 12-credit-hour program includes courses in:

  • Project management
  • Leading others
  • Leading oneself
  • Ethical decision making

Special benefits associated with the exclusive employee program may include:

  • Selected employees are eligible to use work time to take all classes.
  • Participants may use the tuition benefit and will be eligible to have fees and books paid by their department.
  • Employees can now enroll in either the in-person or online class options, allowing for greater flexibility to meet the needs of each individual.

Learn more, apply for the certificate program


University Perspective Program

Aug. 11: Deadline to apply for fall 2017 program
Runs from September to April

With over 520 graduates, the University Perspective Program (UP) engages participants with campus and university leaders to provide an in-depth understanding of inner workings of the university system. Participants will have the chance to engage with campus administrators and distinguished faculty; visit notable locations; participate in networking opportunities; meet with the Boulder city manager; attend a legislative session at the state capitol; and hear from members of the CU president's executive team during visits to each campus and the system office.

The program course runs eight months from September 2017 through April 2018. Interested employees must submit a complete application packet to HR.

Learn more, apply for UP Program