Tag: CUPAHR

  • Develop to Retain: Tools and Resources for Higher Ed Professional Development – CUPA-HR

    Develop to Retain: Tools and Resources for Higher Ed Professional Development – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | December 7, 2021

    It’s Employee Learning Week — a great reminder for employers to showcase their commitment to talent development by highlighting development opportunities available to employees. Whether you’re an HR practitioner in search of professional development ideas for yourself and your HR peers, or you’re looking for ideas to engage and develop other employees at your institution, here are several tools, tips and resources to help you take the next step.

    Professional Development Tools for the HR Pro

    • CUPA-HR Learning Framework — A tool that assists in defining HR practitioners’ knowledge, skills and attributes and then helps create an action plan for growth and set developmental goals. Jump start your development by using the quick start guide, then build your skills further by diving deeper into the framework competencies.
    • Creating Your Individual Development Plan — A must-have for anyone who wants to map out a strategy for career success in higher ed HR. This free CUPA-HR e-learning course provides an introduction to individual development plans (IDPs) and will guide you through the process of creating your plan, discussing your career with your leaders and implementing your strategy for success. CUPA-HR e-Learning is sponsored by PageUp.

    Ideas for the Higher Ed Community

    Apart from their own professional development, HR pros often create and help facilitate professional development opportunities for employees at their institutions. Here are some jump-start ideas from the article Optimize Your Hybrid or Remote Work Workforce — Considerations for Higher Ed HR Leaders, featured in the fall issue of Higher Ed HR Magazine.

    • Encourage managers to use an employee’s development plan to guide regular coaching calls. Gallup suggests ongoing coaching conversations — rather than annual performance reviews — can be of great benefit to both the employee and the employer. These meaningful conversations highlight the organization’s commitment to employee engagement, which can help retain employees for the long-haul. Encourage managers to use employees’ development plans during coaching calls as a guide to the conversation. Setting up the right systems and processes to help employees perform their best from any location is a great operational step, but reorienting managers to think about performance and productivity around outcomes instead is an important strategy.
    • Get creative with your learning and professional development offerings. William Paterson University’s HR team created a university-wide development program so all 600 non-faculty employees had a chance to participate. Their unique approach to talent development demonstrated institutional support for professional development, provided a platform for employees to engage and collaborate, and inspired additional ways to support employees, such as mentorship programs, goal setting and career advancement. Read more about the program in the special awards issue of Higher Ed HR Magazine to learn how the HR team adapted it to a virtual format — a great alternative for employees working in a hybrid or remote setting!



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  • Celebrate International Day of People With Disabilities on December 3 – CUPA-HR

    Celebrate International Day of People With Disabilities on December 3 – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | November 30, 2021

    In 1992, as part of its focus on promoting the well-being of people with disabilities, the United Nations called for an international day of celebration for people with disabilities. Held on December 3 each year, International Day of People With Disabilities is a day to recognize and learn from the experiences of those with disabilities and for organizations to show support and take action to create more diverse and inclusive communities.

    In recognition of the day, we’re sharing some inspiring articles and blog posts highlighting the work of HR pros to create more inclusive campuses and workplaces.

    Additional resources: 

    CUPA-HR ADA Toolkit
    Creating Inclusive Communities Project



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  • HR and the Courts – CUPA-HR

    HR and the Courts – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | November 17, 2021

    Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira.

    Federal Appeals Court Panel Expresses Skepticism Regarding New York City Teachers’ Challenge to the Constitutionality of the New York City Vaccine Mandate for All Public School Teachers

    In a case which could have ramifications for public and private college and university vaccine mandates, a group of New York City teachers recently argued that the New York City mandate that all public school teachers have at least one vaccine shot violates their basic rights under the U.S. Constitution. The case was heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which covers New York, Connecticut and Vermont. The New York City mandate requires all teachers to have at least one vaccine shot in order to continue teaching or be suspended without pay. The mandate allows them to continue to receive benefits during the suspension, but bars them from teaching elsewhere (Maniscalco v. New York City Department of Education (2nd Cir: Argued Oct 14, 2021)). The case is one of dozens across the country contesting the validity of public and private employer vaccine mandates.

    The teachers’ counsel argued that teaching is a profession and the vaccine mandate takes away the fundamental right of teachers to teach. One of the federal appeals court judges commented during the argument that she was having difficulty understanding why the mandate was “irrational” as argued by the teachers’ counsel.

    Bipolar Teacher Loses Her Disability Discrimination Appeal Following Her Discharge for Violating the School District’s Rules on Sharing Religious Beliefs

    In a case having general applicability to the Americans With Disabilities Act termination claims and requests for accommodation brought in the higher education context, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, covering Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee affirmed a school district’s decision to terminate a teacher for inappropriate communication with students during her paid suspension. The appeals court concluded that a reasonable jury could not conclude that the teacher’s misconduct caused her discharge, notwithstanding her diagnosis of suffering from bipolar disorder (Lockhart v. Marietta City Schools (6th Cir., No. 20-4308, 10/15/21)).

    The plaintiff was put on paid leave after telling her students that she had a deeply religious experience while shoveling snow in which she lost consciousness, was carried away and now God was speaking through her. She was instructed not to communicate with students while on paid leave. She violated the instruction and sent a student a 12-page letter telling them not to trust school administrators and to “Trust me, I am the one you need to trust. I dearly love you, have they told you they love you?”

    The teacher argued that the school district should have accommodated her disability rather than terminate her. The court concluded that the school district was not required to excuse her misconduct during leave and that she repeatedly violated the terms of her administrative leave before even remotely asking for an accommodation request.

    Some States May Alter, Change and/or Challenge OSHA’s New Vaccine Rules

    Some states, through their respective attorney generals, have signaled that they may contest of try to alter the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s vaccine mandate. OSHA allows by agreement some 26 states plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to adopt their own workplace safety rules. Those states include seven states with Republican attorney generals who have taken the position that a vaccine mandate is “disastrous and counterproductive.” The attorney generals of Alaska, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming have written letters to OSHA stating that such a vaccine mandate does not meet the “grave danger” threshold needed to justify such an Emergency Temporary Standard. An additional two states, Texas and Arkansas, have taken steps to avoid a potential OSHA vaccination rule. Numerous challenges have been filed in federal court.

    The cases challenging the new OSHA rules will be consolidated for one federal appeals court to rule on. Ultimately, the Supreme Court may step in.

    Student Workers at Private University Seek Union Formation and Bargaining Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act

    Recently, a student worker organizing committee at Kenyon College filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to represent 600 student employees at the Ohio college. The committee is asking the NLRB to conduct a union representation election for the proposed student worker bargaining unit. The current NLRB has apparently abandoned its position to limit union organizing among student workers at private colleges and universities over which the NLRB has jurisdiction.

    In March 2021, the then Republican-controlled NLRB abandoned a proposal to block student workers at private colleges and universities form organizing. The NLRB’s current Biden administration appointed general counsel has since publicly backed expanding labor rights for student workers.

    Sex Harassment Case for Employee Perceived as Gay Is Headed to Trial Based on Alleged Physical Attacks and Discrimination for Failure to Conform to Sexual Stereotypes

    A heterosexual employee who was mistakenly perceived as gay and harassed by a supervisor because of the misperception received the right to proceed to a trial over his sex harassment claim. The trial court cited the Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County and following decisions which have interpreted Title VII to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or failure to conform to sexual stereotypes (Roberts v. Glenn Industrial Group ( 2021 BL 404870. W.D.N.C. No.3:17- cv-00747, 10/21/21)).

    The plaintiff complained and the court agreed that the alleged harassment — if proven — was severe and pervasive and included physical assault by his supervisor in which his safety glasses were knocked off and he was put in a choke hold by his supervisor.



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  • House Passes Bills to Protect Older Job Applicants and Strengthen Domestic Violence Prevention and Survivor Support Services – CUPA-HR

    House Passes Bills to Protect Older Job Applicants and Strengthen Domestic Violence Prevention and Survivor Support Services – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | November 9, 2021

    On October 26 and November 4, 2021, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2119, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021, and H.R. 3992, the Protect Older Job Applicants (POJA) Act of 2021, respectively. Both bills passed by a close bipartisan vote — the former by a vote of 228-200 and the latter 224-200 — and are supported by President Biden.

    POJA Act

    As originally written, the POJA Act amends the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) to extend the prohibition of limiting, segregating or classifying by employers of employees to job applicants. The bill comes after recent rulings in the Seventh and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals that allow employers to use facially neutral hiring practices, which some have accused of being discriminatory against older workers. As such, the POJA Act amends the ADEA to make clear that the disparate impact provision in the original statute protects older “applicants for employment” in addition to those already employed.

    Before the final vote on the bill, the House also adopted an amendment to the POJA Act that would require the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to conduct a study on the number of job applicants impacted by age discrimination in the job application process and issue recommendations on addressing age discrimination in the job application process.

    Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act

    The Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to reauthorize and increase funding for programs focused on preventing family and domestic violence and protecting survivors. One provision addressing higher education authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to now include institutions of higher education among the entities eligible for departmental grants to “conduct domestic violence, dating violence and family violence research or evaluation.”

    Both the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act and the POJA Act now face the Senate where passage is uncertain as both require significant support from Republicans to bypass the sixty-vote filibuster threshold.

    CUPA-HR will keep members apprised of any actions or votes taken by the Senate on these bills.



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  • OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard and CMS Interim Final Rule on Vaccination Requirements Released – CUPA-HR

    OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard and CMS Interim Final Rule on Vaccination Requirements Released – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | November 4, 2021

    On November 4, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued their highly anticipated Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) and interim final rule (IFR) setting vaccination requirements for employers with 100 or more employees and healthcare workers, respectively. Under the new policies, covered employers with 100 or more employees, healthcare workers at facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid, AND federal contractors requiring vaccinations under Executive Order 14042 (EO) will be required to be fully vaccinated — either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson — by January 4, 2022.

    A Fact Sheet announcing the new vaccinations rules provides the following information on the OSHA ETS, CMS IFR and federal contractor vaccination requirements:

    OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard

    In lieu of full vaccination, the OSHA ETS for employers with 100 or more employees (covered employers) also offers the option for unvaccinated employees to produce a verified negative COVID-19 test to employers on at least a weekly basis. OSHA does clarify, however, that the ETS does NOT require employers to provide or pay for tests, but notes that employers may be required to pay for testing due to other laws or collective bargaining agreements.

    The ETS also establishes policies that require covered employers to provide paid time off (PTO) for their employees to get vaccinated and, if needed, sick leave to recover from side effects that keep them from working. Additionally, all covered employers will be required to ensure that unvaccinated employees wear a face mask in the workplace. While the testing and vaccination requirements will begin after January 4, the ETS states that covered employers must be in compliance with the PTO for vaccination and masking for unvaccinated workers requirements by December 5, 2021.

    Importantly, OSHA clarifies in the ETS that the rule will not apply to workplaces already covered by the CMS IFR, as well as the federal contractor vaccination requirement set forth by President Biden’s EO and the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force’s vaccination guidance.

    Healthcare Interim Final Rule

    According to CMS, the IFR requiring full vaccination of healthcare employees applies to employees regardless of whether their positions are clinical or non-clinical and includes employees, students, trainees and volunteers who work at a covered facility that receives federal funding from Medicare or Medicaid. It also includes individuals who provide treatment or other services for the facility under contract or other arrangements. Among the facility types covered by the IFR are hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dialysis facilities, home health agencies and long-term care facilities.

    Federal Contractor Vaccination Executive Order

    In an effort to streamline implementation of the vaccination requirements, the Biden administration is also announcing that the deadline for previously issued federal contractor vaccination requirements will be extended to January 4, 2022, setting one deadline across the three different vaccination policies. The vaccine requirement for federal contractor compliance was previously set for December 8, 2021.

    Additionally, as mentioned above, federal contractor employers who may otherwise fall under the OSHA ETS covered employer definition will not be required to follow the rules established under the ETS and must continue compliance with the vaccination guidance and requirements set forth by the EO and Safer Federal Workforce Task Force for federal contractors.

    State and Local Preemption

    Early reports of the rules also state that both the OSHA ETS and CMS IFR make it clear that their requirements “preempt any inconsistent state or local laws, including laws that ban or limit an employer’s authority to require vaccination, masks or testing.” More information is likely to follow.

    Additional information is likely to arise as we learn more from the actual text of the ETS and IFR. CUPA-HR will keep members apprised of all new information.



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  • DHS Issues Request for Public Comment on Form I-9 Employment Verification – CUPA-HR

    DHS Issues Request for Public Comment on Form I-9 Employment Verification – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | October 27, 2021

    On October 26, 2021, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a Request for Public Input (RPI) “seeking comments from employers, employer organizations, employee groups, and other members of the public on document examination practices for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.” 

    The RPI is the agency’s next step in determining whether the remote document examination flexibilities that have been in place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic should be continued on a permanent basis. Comments are due on or before December 27, 2021.

    Background

    On March 20, 2020, DHS announced employer flexibility guidance to defer the physical presence requirements associated with Form I-9 for 60 days. The guidance allows for remote inspection of Form I-9 documents in situations where employees work exclusively in a remote setting due to COVID-19-related precautions. For employees who physically report to work at a company location on any regular, consistent or predictable basis, employers are required to use standard I-9 procedures.

    The guidance has been extended continuously throughout the pandemic. Issued on August 31, the latest extension to the flexibility guidance was granted through December 31, 2021, following advocacy efforts from CUPA-HR and other stakeholders who expressed a dire need for DHS to maintain the flexibility in light of surging cases of the delta variant.

    Request for Public Input

    The RPI includes a list of questions grouped into two categories: “Experiences with Pandemic-Related Document Examination Flexibilities” and “Considerations for Future Remote Document Examination Procedures.” As DHS considers winding down the flexibility guidance, the RPI will provide the department with important feedback from employers who have conducted remote inspection and “inform and improve DHS policies and processes” regarding “alternative options to physical document examination that offer an equivalent or higher level of security for identity and employment eligibility verification purposes” moving forward.

    The flexibility guidance has been instrumental to institutions of higher education during the pandemic. As such, CUPA-HR intends to engage our members and submit robust comments in response to the RPI. ​Look for more details and your chance to contribute your feedback in the coming weeks.



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  • House Passes Bill to Increase Workplace Protections for Nursing Mothers – CUPA-HR

    House Passes Bill to Increase Workplace Protections for Nursing Mothers – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | October 26, 2021

    On October 22, 2021, the House of Representatives passed H.R.3110, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act. The bill passed by a bipartisan vote of 276-149 and was supported by business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and advocacy organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union.

    As originally written, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace for lactating employees. The bill builds upon existing protections in the 2010 Breaktime for Nursing Mothers Act by broadening breastfeeding accommodations and workplace protections to include salaried employees exempt from overtime pay requirements under the FLSA as well as other categories of employees currently exempt from such protections, such as teachers, nurses and farmworkers. It also clarifies that break time provided under this bill is considered compensable hours worked so long as the worker is not completely relieved of duty during such breaks, and it ensures remedies for nursing mothers for employer violations of the bill.

    Before the final vote on the bill, the House also adopted two additional amendments to the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act that would:

    • Direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study on compliance among covered employers, including employee awareness of their rights and proposals to improve compliance; and
    • Direct the Comptroller General of GAO to conduct a study on what is known about the racial disparities that exist with respect to access to pumping breastmilk in the workplace and submit to Congress a report on the results of such study containing such recommendations as the Comptroller General determines appropriate to address those disparities.

    The House-passed bill now moves to the Senate where it is unknown whether or not the bill will garner enough support from Republicans to bypass the sixty-vote filibuster threshold needed to pass.

    CUPA-HR will keep members apprised of any actions or votes taken by the Senate on this bill.



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  • White House Reviews OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard – CUPA-HR

    White House Reviews OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | October 25, 2021

    On October 12, the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sent their COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard Rulemaking (ETS) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). OIRA is the White House office responsible for reviewing regulations and proposed regulations before they are publicly released.

    The ETS — which has not yet been made public — is expected to require private employers with 100 or more employees to “ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test twice a week” and provide paid time off for obtaining or recovering from the vaccination (additional details regarding what is known about the ETS can be found in this CUPA-HR blog).

    What is an ​Emergency Temporary Standard?

    While most federal agencies are required to provide public notice and seek comment prior to enacting new regulations, OSHA may bypass normal rulemaking and issue an ETS if doing so is necessary to protect workers from a “grave danger.” This allows OSHA to issue the ETS without any feedback from impacted stakeholders and require employers to immediately comply with the ETS upon its publication in the Federal Register.

    ​Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Review

    OIRA is part of the executive office of the president and is required to review significant regulatory actions — those likely to have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more — before they are published in the Federal Register or otherwise issued to the public. As the ETS is determined to be “Economically Significant,” an OIRA review is triggered to ensure that it reflects the goals set forth in President Biden’s COVID-19 Plan and to ensure OSHA has carefully considered the benefits and costs of the ETS before it is issued.

    While draft documents under review are not available for public release, it is OIRA’s policy to meet with interested stakeholders to discuss issues on a rule under review. As of October 22, OIRA has convened 68 meetings with outside stakeholders on the ETS and has scheduled meetings through October 25. While CUPA-HR is aware many more additional pending meeting requests (including our own), OIRA has yet to schedule these, and may not. While OIRA review is limited to 90 days, there is no minimum period of review, and given the urgency associated with the ETS it could be issued as soon as this week.

    CUPA-HR will continue to monitor OIRA’s review process and be sure to inform our membership as soon as OIRA review concludes and OSHA issues the ETS.



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  • HR and the Courts – CUPA-HR

    HR and the Courts – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | October 20, 2021

    Each month, CUPA-HR General Counsel Ira Shepard provides an overview of several labor and employment law cases and regulatory actions with implications for the higher ed workplace. Here’s the latest from Ira.

    Several States Consider Legislation Aimed at Softening Federal Workplace Vaccine Mandates

    The Arkansas legislature recently passed legislation which would soften the federal employer workplace vaccine mandate. The legislation would allow workers in Arkansas to opt out of the mandate if they show a negative COVID-19 test weekly or present a positive antibody test twice a year. The legislation would bar employers from terminating employees who followed the testing protocol. Ohio and Texas are considering similar legislation. Montana enacted a statute that prohibits employer mandates of shots that are under emergency use authorization and have not cleared final approval.

    State laws which directly conflict with federal statutes are arguably preempted and unenforceable under the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause. Depending on how the state statute is worded there are gray areas which will be subject to litigation. For example, a state could argue that an employer may well be able to adhere to the state statute and the final Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule depending on how that final rule is written.

    NLRB General Counsel States That Political and Social Justice Advocacy in Black Lives Matter Demonstrations and Demonstrations Opposing Crackdowns on Undocumented Workers are Protected Concerted Activity Under the National Labor Relations Act 

    National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel stated in a webinar hosted by Cornell University on Wednesday, October 7, that Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations against crackdowns on undocumented workers are protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) as protected concerted activity. The general counsel referred to the case the NLRB brought against Home Depot in Minneapolis because it disciplined workers who refused to cease displaying political messages on their aprons at work,  including an employee who was terminated for displaying a “BLM” slogan. The NLRB in that case also accused Home Depot of unlawfully threatening employees with unspecified consequences if they engaged in group activities regarding racial harassment.

    Home Depot has denied any violation of the NLRA and in a statement said it does not tolerate workplace harassment, takes these matters seriously, and is committed to diversity and respect. Home Depot takes the position it has every right to refuse to allow its employees to engage in conduct which will spark conflict and possibly confuse customers. It added it has a right to refrain from allowing its employees to engage in speech in this way while serving customers.

    NLRB General Counsel Asserts That College Athletes are Employees Under the NLRA and Should be Accorded the Right to Unionize and Collectively Bargain

    The top lawyer and general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Jennifer Abruzzo, asserted in a public memo issued on September 27 that college athletes are employees and should be afforded the right to engage in protected concerted activities, including the right to unionize and collectively bargain. Abruzzo has the authority to bring a test case before the five-member NLRB who have exclusive jurisdiction to decide whether or not college athletes are employees and whether they have a right to unionize and participate in concerted activities protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRB does not have jurisdiction of public colleges and universities, only private colleges and universities. However, Abruzzo may attempt to assert jurisdiction over public college athletes under the theory that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is private, is a joint employer of public college athletes and can negotiate certain minimum guarantees under a collective bargaining agreement. This is an untested legal theory.

    The issue has been under increasing debate, most recently as a result of a Supreme Court decision criticizing the stance of the NCAA in limiting student compensation of athletes on antitrust grounds in NCAA v. Alston. The Supreme Court did not address the issue of whether student athletes are employees under the NLRA. Adding to the controversy is that it is not unusual for a college football coach to earn in excess of $1 million per year.

    CUPA-HR will continue to monitor developments in this area.

    Several Colleges File an Appeal of a Federal Court Decision to Allow Student-Athletes to Proceed to Trial Over Whether They are Employees Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Therefore are Due Minimum Wage and Overtime Payments

    A federal district court trial judge recently ruled that student-athletes are employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and are therefore entitled to minimum wages and overtime payments. The judge used the same multi-factor approach used in cases where unpaid interns have been successfully sued and were entitled to pursue a claim of minimum wages and overtime payments (Johnson v. NCAA (E.D. Pa. No. 19-cv-19350, 9/29/21)).

    A group of institutions including Cornell, Fordham, Villanova, Layfette College and Sacred Heart University has asked the eastern district of Pennsylvania judge to allow an immediate appeal to the U.S. court of appeals for the third circuit. They want to ask the third circuit to decide: (1) Are student-athletes ever employees of the schools for which they compete?; and (2) If so, under what circumstances are student-athletes considered employees of their schools?

    CUPA-HR will continue to monitor developments in this case.



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  • 3 Takeaways From the CUPA-HR Annual Conference – CUPA-HR

    3 Takeaways From the CUPA-HR Annual Conference – CUPA-HR

    by CUPA-HR | October 7, 2021

    Thank you to all who attended the CUPA-HR Annual Conference and Expo in person and virtually this week! It was wonderful to welcome new and familiar faces, celebrate CUPA-HR’s 75th anniversary, and explore outstanding sessions with so many of you.

    For those who weren’t able to attend, here are three conference takeaways you can put to use wherever you are.

    • The Power of Kindness — Opening keynote and host of the Netflix series, “Kindness Diaries,” Leon Logothetis shared some of his experiences travelling the world fueled only by the kindness of strangers. “Kindness,” said Logothetis, “is simply a portal into human connection.” Overwhelmed by all the work to be done to support your institution’s workforce? Logothetis offered this advice: “To change the world, start by changing one life.” Who can you connect with and invest in at your institution? How can you use the power of kindness to make a difference in their life?
    • Birds and Frogs — Tuesday’s keynote speaker, David Epstein, spoke about the data supporting the value of generalists in a world increasingly focused on specialization. During his presentation, he offered an insightful message on how organizations can adapt successfully to change. Epstein used the example of birds and frogs; frogs are down on the ground, seeing all the granular details while the birds soaring above have a broader view of the big picture. Epstein asserted that we need both of these types of people to enhance our campus “ecosystems,” and should actively seek them out.
    • Ubuntu: I am because we are — Shola Richards topped off the conference with his energetic and inspiring message about the African concept of Ubuntu, which means “I am because we are.” Richards encouraged HR pros to use the spirit of Ubuntu in our various units and teams back on campus and to recognize that we will go a lot farther together than we will if we go alone — no matter how small we feel (“be the mosquito, tiny but impossible to ignore”) or how difficult the situation (“be the buffalo, and run toward the storm”).

    We can’t wait to hear about the projects, initiatives, conversations and connections sparked by this year’s conference. Be sure to save the dates for our Virtual Spring Conference, April 19-21, and our 2022 Annual Conference, taking place October 22-24 in San Diego! Registration details coming soon.



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