CUPA-HR eNews
On October 22, the CUPA-HR Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter held a one-day professional development workshop at Butler County Community College in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Human resource practitioners from twelve institutions attended the workshop, which provided attendees not only with information on timely topics and issues relevant to higher education HR, but also with valuable networking opportunities.
The day began with a continental breakfast, enabling attendees to network with their peers and catch up with friends and colleagues. The first presentation of the day was given by Leah Burns, director of Membership and Development for the CUPA-HR National Office. The session provided an overview of CUPA-HR membership benefits, the association’s newest initiative, the Knowledge Center, and the new and improved CUPA-HR Web site.
The second presentation of the day focused on pre-employment screening services. Robert Drusendahl, president of The Pre-Check Company, examined the Fair Credit Reporting Act, negligent hiring, proposed state legislation that would require colleges and universities to perform criminal history checks on faculty members, executive background checks, and online employment application processes. This in-depth presentation provided attendees with a wealth of valuable information to help keep them abreast of current trends, issues, and legislation surrounding pre-employment screening.
After an informal networking lunch, the workshop continued with a session entitled “New Developments in Employment and Labor Law.” In this session, Albert S. Lee, attorney at law and partner in Bechtol and Lee, LLP, presented findings on employment and labor law relevant to higher education human resources by examining recent court cases regarding Disparate Impact under the Americans with Disabilities Act, retaliation under Title IX, sexual harassment, and more. He also touched on the new Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime exemptions.
The day ended with a lively roundtable discussion. Rick Smereczniak, director of Total Compensation at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), moderated a discussion of the new FLSA regulations and shared compliance strategies implemented by CMU.
“Overall, the workshop was a great success,” says Linda Dodd, CUPA-HR Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter president and director of Human Resources at Butler County Community College. “The events of the day were very informative and provided a great opportunity for attendees to network with colleagues and share best practices. From the feedback I received, participants left the workshop with a feeling that the information presented during the workshop was beneficial both personally and professionally.”
The CUPA-HR Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter has been in existence for more than twenty years and currently has ninety member institutions and organizations.
The CUPA-HR Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter’s Professional Development Workshop was sponsored in part through a grant provided by the CUPA-HR Eastern Region Board chaired by Jack Giarusso, director of Human Resources at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.