Resources and Training
Resources and Training
The following resources and training opportunities are available to Western Michigan University faculty and staff members free of charge.
2024 HR Training Series
Target audience: all employees.
Human Resources is conducting a series of in-person training sessions designed to meet the needs of staff and faculty. Each session will provide important information to enhance employees, managers and supervisors’ knowledge about WMU HR functions. Trainings include HR topics such as the performance management system; University leaves of absence, and the hiring process. Early registration is strongly encouraged due to limited seating. Visit wmich.edu/hr/training for more information and to register.
Campus Safety Response: How to Respond to a Report of Sexual or Gender-based Harassment or Violence (in-person training)
Target audience: all employees.
You have undoubtedly heard about cases of sexual harassment and assault on college campuses across the nation. How are these issues being addressed at WMU? How do you support a student or colleague who reaches out to you for help? What about privacy and confidentiality concerns? This program answers these questions and covers steps faculty, staff and graduate assistants can take to improve safety at all WMU locations. Though open to all WMU employees, anyone designated as a Responsible Employee or Campus Security Authority is strongly encouraged to attend. For a list of Responsible Employees, registration, training dates, times and locations, visit the Office of Institutional Equity Training web page: http://wmich.edu/equity/training.
Campus Employee Dispute Resolution Services (CEDRS)
Target audience: all employees.
CEDRS is a confidential and private program that provides mediation and community conferencing services to assist faculty and staff of Western Michigan University with resolving interpersonal disputes. Mediators and community conference facilitators help WMU employees find their own solutions, which in turn strengthens workplace relationships, enhances individual satisfaction, and promotes teamwork. Visit the CEDRS web page: https://wmich.edu/disputeresolution
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Target audience: all employees.
HelpNet Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers confidential assessment, brief counseling, and referral services to Western Michigan University employees and their household members who are concerned about marital and family issues, addictions, emotional problems, relationships, and other significant personal problems. This service is provided at no cost to WMU employees. The HelpNet Work Life Web gives WMU employees and their families access to information, articles, and resources on a variety of topics that include family and care giving, health and wellness, emotional well-being, and daily living. For more information about HelpNet EAP and the HelpNet Work Life Web, including login instructions, please visit Employee Assistance Program.
2024-2025 Employee Leadership Development Program
Target audience: Staff Compensation System employees
Do you want to develop and improve your leadership skills? WMU will be offering an Employee Leadership Development Program, which will start in September and require a commitment of a half-day a month for eight months. We invite all full time staff compensation employees to apply for this opportunity, deadline August 2, 2024. For testimonials from graduates of this program, see testimonials. Direct questions to Bob Brady at robert.brady@wmich.edu.
Employee Self Service Guides
Target audience: all employees.
Step-by-step guides for employees of Western Michigan University to utilize in accessing or making changes to personal information via the My Self Service Channel found in the GoWMU portal.
Environmental Health and Safety
Target audience: varies by department.
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) offers a variety of training programs for employees and students of Western Michigan University that not only cover state and federal regulations, but also address safety concerns and issues that are not regulated.
Executive and Senior Officer Searches
Target audience: all employees.
The Hiring Guide provides guidance for WMU stakeholders with respect to facilitating successful executive searches involving key administrative and academic leadership positions. The Hiring Guide Checklist can be utilized once a vacant position has been identified in order to successfully complete the hiring process.
Form I-9 Information
Target audience: all employees.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires Western Michigan University to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all employees via the Form I-9. All employees refers to all faculty, staff, temporary and student employees.
Hiring Temporary Employees
Target audience: supervisors and managers.
Temporary employees may be hired via a temporary employment agency on a short-term basis to help with work assignments. Western Michigan University partners with OnStaff USA to provide qualified temporary employees to the University community.
Hiring Toolbox
Target audience: supervisors and managers.
A comprehensive resource for hiring new employees at Western Michigan University.
Holiday Schedules
Target audience: all employees.
View the current holiday schedules for bargaining and non-bargaining employees at Western Michigan University.
Implicit Bias Workshop for Search Committees
Target audience: all employees.
Biases, commonly known as intentional or unintentional prejudices and preferences, create unfair advantages or disadvantages and may result in discrimination against another individual or group. This 2-hour workshop is designed to increase awareness of various forms of individual, group and institutional implicit or unconscious biases that are barriers to diversity, equity and inclusivity in hiring decisions and outcomes. Participants or members of search committees will receive information and engage in exercises and discussion focused on different forms of implicit bias and best practice strategies to mitigate bias in employee search and selection process. For workshop dates, times and locations, visit the Office of Institutional Equity Training Web page: http://wmich.edu/equity/training.
Online Applicant Tracking System Resources
Western Michigan University utilizes an online applicant tracking system for internal and external job candidates. The online applicant tracking system can be found here. Resources for online applicant tracking system users include:
Online Faculty and Staff Prevention and Compliance Training
Target audience: all employees
It is strongly recommended all employees complete the following modules: 1)Diversity: Inclusion in the Modern Workplace; 2)Preventing Harassment and Discrimination: Clery act and Title IX; and 3)Clery Act Basics.
The online training system includes more than just the HR recommended training courses . The training platform (VectorSolutions) includes a library of offerings. If you are interested in reviewing the comprehensive listing of courses, access the training platform via GoWMU. In GoWMU, click "Apps", in the navigation bar, and scroll down to the "for faculty and staff" section. Click "Awareness and Prevention Training" to access the system. Once logged in, select "extra training" from the main menu on the left toolbar. Email hr-training@wmich.edu with questions.
Performance Management
Target audience: all Staff Compensation System (SCS) employees, supervisors and managers.
Each fiscal year, Western Michigan University staff compensation system employees work with their supervisors to determine personal job objectives and targeted competencies. This interactive process continues throughout the year and includes periodic feedback sessions and a written year-end review.
Policy and Procedures Manual
Target audience: all employees, supervisors and managers (collective bargaining employees, please refer to your collective bargaining agreements).
Western Michigan University's Human Resources policy and procedures manual.
Reasonable Assurance of Reemployment
Target audience: supervisors and managers.
The Michigan Employment Security Act, which governs unemployment compensation in Michigan, requires that employees be provided with written reasonable assurance of reemployment if the University intends to continue employment in the following semester or term and the University does not wish to be liable for unemployment compensation. Written reasonable assurance of reemployment renders staff and temporary faculty with less than 12-month appointments ineligible to receive unemployment benefits during the summer or other break periods.
Recognition Programs
Target audience: all employees.
Western Michigan University service recognition programs are designed to publicly recognize and honor University employees.
Student Employment Resources
Target audience: administrative personnel, supervisors and managers.
A comprehensive resource for hiring student employees at Western Michigan University.
Technology Training
Target audience: all employees.
Western Michigan University makes online computer training available free for currently employed* faculty and staff. For more information, visit the Faculty Technology Center's Online Training for Faculty and Staff.
Telephone and Voice Mail Procedures
Target audience: all employees.
View an eight-minute video overview of how to best serve our University community using the telephone and voice mail. To begin the video, please visit WMU Telephone and Voice Mail Procedures.
Western Michigan University Policy Directory
Target audience: all employees.
An alphabetical index of all officially approved University-wide policies are displayed on this website. Any copies (print or online) of policies that are inconsistent with the official version hosted on this site should be disregarded. The most current version of a policy will be found on this site.
Western Wellness
Target audience: all employees.
Western Wellness is the consortium of services and resources provided at Western Michigan University for the health and wellness of employees.
Worker's Compensation
Target audience: all employees, supervisors and managers (collective bargaining employees, please refer to your collective bargaining agreements)
The Workers' Disability Compensation Act is a state law providing for medical payments and income when injuries and accidents, including disease, arise out of, and in the course of, employment. An employee who is injured on duty must report it promptly to his/her supervisor. Any delay in reporting a job-related accident, injury, or disease may make it difficult to validate a claim at a later date. For additional information and how to report an injury, please visit wmich.edu/hr/manual-safety.
Workers' compensation is administered by Human Resources and Environmental Health and Safety. They provide injured employees with resources and assistance, helping them to return to work as soon as possible. For additional information, please visit wmich.edu/ehs/wc.
Your HR Representative
Target audience: all employees.
Each unit at Western Michigan University is assigned a Human Resources representative.
If you have questions, be sure to contact your HR Representative in Human Resources at (269) 387-3620 or send an email to the HR Training email: @email.