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Human Resources: Upcoming Programs
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September 30, 2008 , Volume 55, No. 6

Penn Family Day: October 4

Don’t forget that the 16th annual Penn Family Day is coming up this Saturday, October 4! Bring your family and friends to cheer on the Penn football and women’s volleyball teams and visit the Penn Museum and the Penn Ice Rink. Be sure to kick off your Family Day fun with a picnic lunch, family activities and giveaways at the new location of the Penn Family Tailgate Party (next to the Levy Tennis Pavilion).

You must have tickets to attend the Tailgate Party and football game. If you missed the order deadline and didn’t get your tickets, please contact Human Resources to see if it’s still possible to participate in these events.  Either way, you’ll still be able to participate in the other exciting Penn Family Day activities at the Penn Museum, the Penn Ice Rink and the women’s volleyball game. For directions, maps, parking details and a complete schedule of events, visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu/Quality/StaffRecognition/FamilyDay.aspx. If you have any questions, contact Human Resources at QOWL@hr.upenn.edu or (215) 898-1012.

Models of Excellence 10th Anniversary Celebration
Nominations: November 12

Models of Excellence

We know that Penn staff members go above and beyond the call of duty every day in all sorts of ways, from providing extraordinary customer service to embodying innovative leadership and undertaking substantial cost-saving efforts. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Models of Excellence program, through which the University recognizes and rewards these outstanding accomplishments—and we need your help to identify individuals who have contributed to Penn’s success! If you know of individuals or teams of staff members who have achieved something noteworthy, please nominate them for a Models of Excellence award. If you know of an outstanding supervisor, nominate him/her for the Model Supervisor Award.

Detailed information about the Models of Excellence program, including how to submit a nomination, is available on the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu/Quality/Models. All nominations for this year’s program are due by Wednesday, November 12, 2008. The Models of Excellence 10th Anniversary Celebration, recognizing 10 years of excellence, will be held in the spring of 2009. If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at QOWL@hr.upenn.edu or (215) 898-0380.

Getting Ahead: A Series for Young Professionals

Young professionals face a unique set of challenges in the workplace—and also have the opportunity to make tremendous strides. This fall, Human Resources is offering new sessions in its ongoing program Getting Ahead: A Series for Young Professionals. Details including dates, times, locations and subjects are available in the program flyer at www.hr.upenn.edu/Learning/GettingAheadSeries2.pdf. To register for courses, visit the online Course Catalog at www.hr.upenn.edu (click “Course Catalog” at the top of the page) or contact Learning and Education at (215) 898-3400.

Money Matters II: Beyond the Basics;October 21; noon–1:30 p.m.; free. Buying a home, building a portfolio, managing educational and credit card debt, starting to save for retirement—these are issues young professionals wrestle with regardless of job title or position. This session will take you beyond the basics to learn more about investment strategies and other financial issues.

Professional and Personal Development

Improve your skills and get ahead in your career by taking advantage of the many development opportunities provided by Human Resources! You can pre-register for programs by visiting the online Course Catalog at www.hr.upenn.edu (click “Course Catalog” at the top of the page), or by contacting Learning and Education at (215) 898-3400.

Brown Bag Matinee: Think or Sink; October 7; noon–1 p.m.; free. In order to work as an effective team, we must first learn to think together as a team. Think or Sink shows you how to apply team thinking skills to solve problems, exploit opportunities and make better decisions. From top-level executives to first line supervisors, every member of a problem-solving or decision-making team can gain insight into consolidating a team culture and helping your whole organization to think more effectively as a team.

Minutes Writing; October 10; 9 a.m.– noon; $75. This course covers the fundamentals of writing good and effective minutes for meetings. Topics include the reasons we take minutes, various formats for writing minutes, writing styles for minutes, and the etiquette of when to write and distribute minutes. There will also be a quick general writing skills review. The format of the class will combine discussion, lecture and hands-on writing exercises.

Franklin Covey’s FOCUS; October 14; 9 a.m.– 5 p.m.; $75. Competing priorities. Multiple deadlines. A hundred unanswered e-mails. This engaging, highly interactive workshop will give you the tools to increase productivity and enhance your chances of success. Learn how to keep focused, effectively manage all the information that comes across your desk, and reduce your stress level.

Brown Bag Matinee: “The Sluggers Come Home”; October 23 ; noon–1 p.m.; free. Many people find negotiation challenging. The Sluggers Come Home teaches viewers the key principles, strategies and tactics of this process by telling the story of negotiations between a baseball club owner and the brothers who own a nearby baseball stadium. How they come to terms illustrates the three major steps in negotiations: preparation, bargaining and settlement. You will also learn about common pitfalls to avoid, and other related issues.

Diversity Brown Bag: Sexual Harassment Awareness;October 24; noon–1 p.m.; free. As an employer and as an educational institution, Penn is committed to eradicating sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in any context is reprehensible, and it is a matter of particular concern to an academic community in which students, faculty, and staff must rely on strong bonds of intellectual trust and dependence. This program will familiarize you with Penn’s sexual harassment policy and with your responsibility to create and maintain a respectful workplace, free of inappropriate behavior or conduct that could be construed as prohibited harassment.

Heart Health

Keeping your heart fit is one of the most important things you can do to improve your chances of good health throughout your life. These workshops, led by physicians and health experts from the University of Pennsylvania Health System, will cover the facts and answer your questions about maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle. Pre-registration is required for this special fall series, sponsored by Human Resources. You are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch.

For more information and to register, visit the online Course Catalog at www.hr.upenn.edu (click “Course Catalog” at the top of the page) or contact Human Resources at suzsmith@upenn.edu or (215) 898-5116.

Women and Heart Disease: Understanding a Woman’s Risk; October 7; noon–1 p.m.; free.Heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women, but you can do a lot to help protect yourself and other women in your life from it. This workshop will help give you the skills and knowledge you need to be able to recognize the most common causes of and how to prevent heart disease. You should leave the workshop armed with information to help stave off this condition. This workshop is sponsored by Human Resources and will be led by Dr. Helene Glassberg, assistant professor of medicine, cardiology, UPHS.

Your Heart and Cardiovascular Health: The Importance of Exercise; October 21; noon–1 p.m.; free. Lack of physical activity has been shown to increase the risk of developing heart disease. Conversely, a lifestyle that includes regular physical activity can actually increase your chances of survival following a heart attack. This workshop will give you the skills and knowledge you need to better understand the importance of exercise in your everyday life. You should leave the workshop with great tips on how being physically active can positively affect your life. This workshop is sponsored by Human Resources and will be led by Dr. Daniel Soffer, Diplomate, American Board of Clinical Lipidology, Cardiovascular Risk Intervention Program, Philadelphia Heart Institute.

Quality of Worklife Workshops

Dealing with the demands of work and your personal life can be challenging. These free workshops led by experts from Penn’s Employee Assistance Program and Work and Family Benefits Provider, Penn Behavioral Health, offer information and support for your personal and professional life challenges. Quality of Worklife workshops include time at the end for some Q&A. For more information or to register, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/Quality/Workshop.aspx or call (215) 573-2471.

Taking Care of Yourself When You Are the Caregiver; October 9; 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.; free.This seminar will teach attendees to balance the responsibilities of caregiving with the necessity to also take care of themselves. Participants will learn to accurately identify the areas in which they must make changes, to reframe their perceptions and expectations, and to manage this difficult balancing act.

Coaching Children for Online Computer Safety and Security; October 16; 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.; free. This seminar focuses on what to look out for on the internet, and the steps parents can take to reduce their children’s vulnerability to online predators as well as inappropriate web content. Participants will learn what questions to ask, and how to read telltale signs of questionable online behavior in children. Finally, the session will cover ways that others have successfully encouraged safe and responsible online conduct.

Flexible Work Options Information Sessions

Flexible Work Options can support Penn’s efforts to attract and retain top talent, maximize productivity, and expand services, while individual employees may benefit from the ability to pursue professional development opportunities, manage work and family responsibilities, and more. Penn’s guidelines on how to propose and implement flexible work option arrangements are available from the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu/Quality/Worklife/FlexOptions.

On October 10 and October 30, Human Resources will offer free lunchtime (noon–1:30 p.m.) information  sessions explaining Flexible Work Options in detail, including:

• How Flexible Work Options work

• Where Flexible Work Options fit & work best

• What conditions encourage a successful plan

• What others have experienced with flexible work arrangements (presented by a panel of colleagues from around campus)

Whether you are an employee interested in establishing a flexible work arrangement or a manager seeking to understand how to consider and evaluate flexible work proposals, please join us for these informative, interactive presentations and discussions. For more information and to register, please visit the online Course Catalog at www.hr.upenn.edu (click “Course Catalog” at the top of the page and select “Flexible Work Options” from the Browse by Category menu) or contact Human Resources at kraut@upenn.edu or (215) 898-0380.

—Division of Human Resources

 

 

 

Almanac - September 30, 2008, Volume 55, No. 6