Engagement Challenge Program
The Engagement Challenge Program (ECP) aims to intentionally increase engagement with nuanced aspects of the workplace, including respect, courtesy, consideration, the importance of human interactions, and how relationships improve organizational culture and effectiveness. This program offers a safe avenue for experiential learning through multimedia, short readings, stimulating interactions, and productive dialogue, welcoming participation from a broad audience by being flexible and mostly asynchronous (at your own pace). It advocates for self-discovery and utilizing various resources to expand one's understanding of intersectional ideas, exploring the unique aspects of the human experience in the workplace. The ECP offers two individual 15-Day Challenge programs annually based on concepts and theories in organizational behavior management and organizational psychology that align with the Be One UT Values.
Program Details
The Human Relations Skills Challenge will commence in May, followed by the Civil Workplace
Behaviors Challenge in August. These programs are open to all staff, faculty, students,
and trainees of the UT Health Science Center. While participants can go at their own
pace, a suggested schedule will be provided, and each week will have a theme aligned
with the suggested materials.
Some additional details regarding the Engagement Challenge Program are as follows:
- 15-Day Human Relations Skills Challenge: It will be offered from May 1 through May 15, with registration opening the first week of April for ten (10) business days.
- 15-Day Civil Workplace Behaviors Challenge: It will be offered from August 1 through August 15, with registration opening on Monday, July 7 and closing on Friday, July 18.
While not required, there will be weekly debrief sessions each Friday at noon via
Zoom. Additionally, twice a week, participants will be prompted to engage in a virtual
(written) discussion about a specific topic or question with their peers and the project
coordinator using Viva Engage to foster open debate and share diverse viewpoints,
thoughts, and perspectives about workplace situations.
Participants will interact with videos, podcasts, articles, quotes, awareness tests,
speakers, and other engaging materials. Accepted participants must complete a post-assessment
describing five (5) key learnings and insights gained from the challenge and how they
will apply at least three (3) key learnings in the workplace after completing the
active challenge.
Upon completing a challenge, participants will receive a certificate of completion
signed by the OAC’s Associate Vice Chancellor, Dr. Michael Alston, and the Vice Chancellor
of HR, Dr. Chandra Alston.