Religious literacy training for the workplace released through ElonNext

The Office of Leadership & Professional Development and the Elon Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society (CSRCS) have collaborated to produce a unique course on religious diversity in the workplace.

The initiative arose from Elon’s Multifaith Strategic Plan, which called on the university to develop “opportunities for employees, alumni, adult, and professional learners to develop religious literacy competencies.” When CSRCS Director Brian Pennington went to look at how other DEI and bias training programs might have developed effective ways of offering those opportunities, he discovered that “few, it seems, had thought of religious diversity in the workplace as a professional or human resources issue worthy of attention in its own right.”

When he took that discovery to Jack Rodenfels, director of professional and continuing studies at Elon, they agreed that Elon was well-positioned to fill that gap. This fall, ElonNext released Multifaith Literacy for Professional Environments, an online training course addressing the need and importance of understanding and respecting diverse faith perspectives in today’s workplace.

According to Pennington, the real talent behind the course, however, was Helen Orr, assistant professor of religious studies, who wrote the scripts for the course and developed the supporting materials and activities. Orr is the online course instructor, leading the trainee through modules on dress and diet in the workplace, the workplace calendar, conflict in the workplace and stereotypes. Video Producer Andrew Bacon and Instructional Technologist Becky Kloepfer provided technical support and guidance.

Thanks to their work, professionals around the country will now have an opportunity to gain valuable insights and skills that enhance their understanding of cultural and spiritual diversity, preparing them to engage confidently with religious diversity in their work environments.