Fundamentals of Civil Rights

Day 1:  Civil Rights Laws: Historical Overview

• Learn about the significance of the historical and sociological climate of the United States that led to the passing of civil rights laws, particularly those prohibiting employment discrimination. Gain a deeper understanding about why civil rights employment laws were passed and learn more about how to ensure your (employee, supervisor, and student) rights to a fair and inclusive work and learning environment.

Day 2:  Implicit Bias in the Workplace: Result of Socialization and Stereotyping

• Learn to identify the dynamics of implicit bias, stereotyping, and prejudice and their impact on the workplace -- specifically on our decision-making. Take a self-assessment of your own implicit bias and engage in skill-building to mitigate and overcome it.

Day 3:  Know your Rights and Responsibilities: Civil Rights Laws in the Work World      

• Gain general knowledge and understanding of major employment discrimination laws, their applicability to the workplace, how to implement them effectively, and the avenues they provide for redress of discrimination. Major laws focused on include Title VII of the Civil Rights, the Americans with Disability Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

Day 4:  Creating an Inclusive Workplace: What You Can Do

• Explore steps in conducting a multi-cultural assessment of your organization and how to develop appropriate policies, procedures, and best practices that ensure a fair, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Learn about best practices in the hiring process and how to avoid potential liability. Deepen your understanding of what is meant by “inclusive excellence,” and how this strengthens an organization.

Instructor: Dr. Sue Guenter-Schlesinger

Dr. Sue Guenter-Schlesinger is Special Assistant to the Provost for Education and Development at Western Washington University, where she has worked for 16 years. Previously, she served as Vice Provost for Equal Opportunity and Employment Diversity, and Title IX and ADA Coordinator at Western. Additionally, she has served as an adjunct faculty in the College of Business and Economics where she has taught classes on employment discrimination law. Previously, Dr. Guenter-Schlesinger served 14 years as Assistant Executive Vice President, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action at Utah State University. After earning her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from UCLA, Dr. Guenter-Schlesinger began her career with the University of Maryland’s European Division, directing an Army-funded program to help integrate women into the full-time Force. She then served as Director, Equal Opportunity, for Headquarters, U.S. Army Europe, in Heidelberg, Germany for 10 years. In 1996, Dr. Guenter-Schlesinger was appointed to the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services by then Secretary of Defense Perry and served on DACOWITS for 3 years. 
 
In her current role as Special Assistant, Dr. Guenter-Schlesinger provides strategic leadership on initiatives focusing on issues of equity, inclusion, and diversity. Her efforts include managing the Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Hiring Initiative, conducting search committee briefings, and providing implicit bias training for leadership and faculty involved with hiring. Dr. Guenter-Schlesinger’s work also focuses on campus climate assessments and executive leadership training in areas of equal opportunity and social justice. She provides leadership on Western’s commitment to and efforts directed toward inclusive excellence.