Most must renew Title IX, harassment training this month

It's time for most ISU faculty and staff to renew training on Title IX and unlawful harassment.

By law, all employees are required to complete training every two years, said equal opportunity director Margo Foreman. Those who need to take the training now will receive an email this Friday from ISU's online training vendor Workplace Answers.

"If you receive the Workplace email, please click your individualized training link as soon as possible and get started," Foreman said. "Training should be completed this month."

Foreman noted that those who took the training earlier this spring or sometime within the past couple of years won't receive an email Friday or need to take the training.

Two courses for most

All employees must take two courses:

  • Unlawful harassment prevention
  • Preventing discrimination and sexual violence. This course covers several federal laws -- Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in education; the Violence Against Women Act, which strengthens penalties against offenders and provides service to victims; and the Clery Act, which requires universities to disclose information on campus crime

Third course for supervisors, faculty

Supervisors and faculty also must complete a third, supplementary course on unlawful harassment prevention.

New employees

New employees who've never received training information should contact eooffice@iastate.edu. Subsequently, they'll receive email instructions from workplaceanswers.com.

Training details

The training sessions are interactive and include a variety of workplace scenarios. The two required sessions for all employees take about 40 minutes each to complete. The supervisor supplement can be completed in about 15 minutes.

Training need not be completed in a single session. Participants can stop and restart as needed.

Trainees can print certificates for their own records upon completion of the courses. However, the certificates needn't be forwarded to administrators or the office of equal opportunity.  Course completions will be electronically recorded.

The office of equal opportunity will keep departments apprised of their employees' progress in completing training.

"This training is important," Foreman said. "It helps Iowa State fulfill requirements by two federal agencies -- the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Office of Civil Rights. More importantly, it helps make us better campus citizens."

Those with questions about the training material or technical issues should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, 4-7612, eooffice@iastate.edu.