Training

Access to University trainings should be provided in a non-discriminatory manner.  At the same time, it is permissible to make trainings available only to select individuals (e.g., supervisors, new hires, 1st-year students, etc.), provided such restrictions are non-discriminatory and comply with applicable federal, state, and local law. 

Consistent with the above, activities within University trainings should be conducted in a non-discriminatory manner. Trainees should not be separated or segregated on the basis of protected characteristics, even if the separate groups receive the same training content.  For example, when administering a sexual harassment training on campus, participants should not be divided into groups based on their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. 

Trainings that are required under federal, state, or local law should be mandatory for relevant University community members.  For example, Illinois state law requires annual sexual harassment prevention training for all employees. Trainings should also be mandated when they are necessary for an employee’s performance of the duties and responsibilities of their job, for a student to meet relevant academic or programmatic requirements, or for community members to satisfy other University requirements.  

Federal guidance highlights the possibility that training on diversity, equity, and inclusion-related topics may (intentionally or not) create a hostile work environment, specifically in cases where the training is discriminatory in content, application, or context. Accordingly, training on such topics should be carefully reviewed for compliance with applicable law before being made available to the University community. And in the absence of a requirement under University policy or federal, state, or local law, such training should be offered on a voluntary basis only.  

Yes. Trainings focused on inclusivity are permitted as long as the training does not single out a group on the basis of a protected characteristic, is offered without consideration for participant identity, does not involve discriminatory content, and otherwise complies with University policy and applicable law.