Discrimination has long been an issue for employers nationwide. Whether it’s the City of Philadelphia grappling over the issue of same-sex partner benefits for city workers, or hotel industry executive Leona Helmsley coming out on the losing end of a multi-million lawsuit for wrongfully dismissing a gay employee, the issue of gender diversity in the workplace has become one of the more contentious areas of discrimination for corporations, organizations, and their employees.
With this in mind, and a goal to support diversity and acceptance, the Diversity Action Council of Penn State Great Valley, in coordination with Penn State University ’s Southeastern Cooperative Extension, and the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equity of PSU, will sponsor an interactive discussion about diversity in the workplace. The symposium, titled, “Tough Topics in the Workplace: Beyond Race and Gender,” will explore issues about sexual orientation, diversity education, organizational and individual strategies for inclusion, and domestic partner benefits.
Liz Winfeld, president of Common Ground, and a nationally recognized expert in diversity in the workplace, will host the discussion. Ms. Winfeld is the author of A Trainer’s Guide to Training Tough Topics and Straight Talk about Gays in the Workplace (1st and 2nd editions). She will discuss how to expand a mission of diversity to include issues related to sexual orientation, and the individual and human resources imperative to develop an expanded definition of inclusion. Ms. Winfeld has consulted and developed diversity education programs for dozens of organizations in the U.S. and Canada, including Ford Motor Company, DePaul University , Duke University , Shell Oil, American Express, J.P. Morgan-Chase, Hewlett Packard, and the Conference Board.
The event will take place on Thursday, March 20, 2003 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Warren V. Musser Auditorium of the Safeguard Scientifics Building at Penn State Great Valley . The discussion is free and open to the public; however, registration is required. For more information or to reserve space, please call 610-648-3229, or visit www.gv.psu.edu.
Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies is specifically designed for busy adults. Graduate degrees as well as continuing education courses and certificate programs are offered in evening and weekend classes. The campus is conveniently located off Route 202 in the Great Valley Corporate Center .
