Newsletter 2

OPC Newsletter—Issue 2 (April 2021)

Feature Article
What's in It for Me? 
How Training Makes You Even Better

It’s been exciting to see the FIT community engage with our new online and live training content. You’ll be seeing new opportunities for training in the coming semesters, such as Workplace Violence Prevention (including Active Shooter), Reporting Child Abuse, and FERPA.  These initiatives derive from both law and SUNY Guidance, and are just some of the ways FIT continues to invest in its employees.  

We know you’ve got lots on your plate, and that it can be difficult to remember why it’s important to set aside the time to engage in training. Here are some things your fellow employees have to say about why they’ve participated in our training programs:

“I appreciated this course because it clarifies some of the boundaries that should exist in a workplace, where sometimes important things may be dismissed. I have been the butt of unwanted jokes for years, so this course empowers me. It’s educational and informative and encourages a stress- and fear-free work environment. It’s also good to know I can report safely.” —Anonymous (on Sexual Harassment training)

“I find the online trainings to be most helpful since many scenarios are reflective of current situations. I helped review the upcoming Active Shooter: Run, Hide, Fight training, and found it relevant and extremely helpful. It provides a lot of information that makes it so worthwhile for safety.” —Ellen Lynch, Professor, Footwear and Accessories Design, and Environmental Health and Safety Committee Member

Mandatory Means Important

We know. It’s human nature to read the word “mandatory” and roll our eyes. Yes, we may train because certain laws require us to, but effective training also leads to better practice at FIT, and healthier interpersonal relationships inside and outside of the workplace.

Rethink Your Lens

Sometimes training makes us ask ourselves, “Why spend time learning something we already know?” Well, because it’s not always about us. Training helps us understand how others might view similar scenarios, and that could affect how we choose to approach them. It creates a more unified community where we can learn from, and respect, each other.

Don’t Be a Statistic

One of the most common reasons employees leave an organization is that they don’t get an opportunity to learn or develop. Offering training demonstrates how much FIT values its employees and their development, so stick with us and complete your training!

… But Also Be a Statistic

Training really is good for us! A LinkedIn study of 2,400 professionals shows trained employees are 21% more confident, 48% more likely to find purpose in their work, 21% more likely to be happy at work, and 47% less likely to be stressed at work. That’s a win-win for you and FIT.

Let It Burn

Just like fire, training catches. When we feel competent or achieve a goal, we are more motivated and naturally have a positive influence on our colleagues. So, when we help build a strong culture of learning, we blaze the trail for others to be inspired to create, innovate, and motivate.

What’s Next

You asked, and we listened. Our new online training platform is more interactive, visually appealing, and easier to use. You can even take your training in smaller, digestible modules, to meet your scheduling needs. Plus, areas like Title IX and Affirmative Action offer live training as part of FIT’s collaborative effort to educate our community about important issues. 

This may seem redundant, but they are designed to work together. Online training will teach you the fundamental principles about each topic, and live training will help you apply it to circumstances you come across in your daily duties. It’s like Pink Floyd says: “How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat [or tofu]?”  We need to understand the fundamentals before we can understand how to apply them.

These small tidbits have big impacts, so the next time you get a training reminder, don’t snooze it—now that you know what’s in it for you!

Review the full content of Issue 2

Past Newsletters:

OPC Newsletter—Issue 1 (February 2021)

Feature Article
Help Us Help You: Who Is OPC and What Do We Do?

You may recognize the Office of Policy and Compliance from training emails, but we’re more than that. We’re here to help the entire college community work together to comply with important federal, state, and city laws and to protect FIT through improved governance and risk management. Compliance is all about doing the right thing to make FIT better for everyone; it means we stick to the rules. It promotes integrity, creates transparency and trust for FIT and our partners, helps us become better at what we do, and protects the college from potential risks that could threaten funding and weaken its stellar reputation.  

We are all about teamwork and improvement; after all, who knows your operations better than you? Our motto is “Help Us Help You” because you’re the most knowledgeable when it comes to helping us understand the how our operations can be strengthened to protect the college from risk and liabilities, and ensure we’re working the most efficiently. College policies and training programs are the vital tools we use to make sure everyone at FIT knows their roles and responsibilities. Policies and training help us reduce mistakes and costs while improving our response to unexpected circumstances. 

Compliance is about everyone. Our office can help your area identify and reach your compliance goals but for compliance to be truly effective, we must do more than check a box—we have to care! Take a look at this success story from Temple University. A lawsuit was filed against the university in 2018 by a blind man because their website was non-ADA-compliant. They responded to this challenge by embodying accountability, responsibility, and a genuine concern for the needs of this man and other visually impaired users. They facilitated a culture shift that not only helps keep the university out of legal trouble, it aligns them more closely with their mission of equity and inclusion and shows they’re united and committed to those values.

Review the full content of Issue 1.

11/08/2023 - Are You Using STOPit at FIT?
10/26/2023 - The Right Thing: If I Had A Hammer
10/18/2023 - In a Relationship (with Records): Protecting Records
04/25/2023 - The Right Thing: The Fox and the Henhouse
04/20/2023 - Your Records Management Needs: How Can We Help?
03/29/2023 - Movin' On Up: Managing Records When Employees Leave
03/16/2023 - Are You Using STOPit at FIT?
02/28/2023 - The Right Thing: Common "Cart"esy
02/21/2023 - Record Custodianship: Keep Your House Clean
02/14/2023 - College Policy Announcement: Updated Links