Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    
May 31, 2016

University of Wisconsin-Madison Receives CUPA-HR’s Inclusion Cultivates Excellence Award

University of Wisconsin-Madison has received the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) 2016 Inclusion Cultivates Excellence Award. This award recognizes and celebrates institutional initiatives and programs that have made a significant impact with respect to inclusive and equitable workplace practices, particularly those that have brought about cultural change throughout the organization. Thanks to the generous support of The Chronicle of Higher Education, CUPA-HR is pleased to offer a $6,000 contribution to University of Wisconsin-Madison’s endowment.

UW Madison received the award for its Cultural Linguistic Services (CLS) program, which provides a range of services that reach prospective and current employees in a multilingual and multi-shift work environment. CLS, which is embedded in the Office of Talent Management in the Office of Human Resources, provides services primarily for employees who do not speak English as their first language. There are currently eight full-time positions committed to CLS.

CLS focuses on four main areas:

  • Interpretation and translation services in English, Spanish, Hmong, Tibetan and Mandarin Chinese.
  • Workplace learning and professional development programs for English Language Learning employees.
  • Multilingual training and information sessions – CLS facilitates training in five languages and translates at employee events including large campus forums on human resources, campus diversity sessions, campus staff governance meetings, safety training, basic computer classes and application information sessions in the community.
  • Partnerships and collaborations – CLS has developed solid collaborations and partnerships on campus to support programs that engage diverse groups of students, employees and community groups.

“The commitment to an inclusive community is the summary of the work that CLS does by improving the overall conditions and ‘leveling the field’ for employees for whom English is not their first language,” says Don Schutt, director of the Office of Human Resource Development at UW Madison. “CLS provides support for all voices to be heard on campus issues, from governance to listening sessions, important workplace issues, communication among peers and more.”

About CUPA-HR
CUPA-HR is higher ed HR. We serve higher education by providing the knowledge, resources, advocacy and connections to achieve organizational and workforce excellence. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serving more than 20,000 HR professionals and other campus leaders at more than 1,900 member organizations around the country and abroad, the association offers learning and professional development programs, higher education salary and benefits data, extensive online resources and just-in-time regulatory and legislative information.

CUPA-HR’s annual Higher Education Human Resource Awards honor excellence in higher education human resources and recognize service and commitment to CUPA-HR and innovation in the profession.

Contact: Missy Kline, Content Manager – Communications and Marketing, CUPA-HR
Phone: (865) 637-7673
E-mail: [email protected]