Diversity University

Covance confirms its strong commitment to diversity and diversity education through annual employee diversity training. The company's desired outcome for diversity education and skills development is to create an inclusive and productive workforce in which all employees feel valued for their unique contributions.

In the third quarter of 2007, Covance's Office of Diversity, in partnership with the Center for Training and Development, will unveil a new diversity curriculum. The curriculum takes full advantage of diversity training courses that Covance has introduced previously, such as "From Awareness to Discovery", "Effective Communication", and "Inclusive Management". The curriculum also provides new information and skill-building opportunities that are driven by Covance's diversity vision and work that is being done in the diversity field.

Covance founded the curriculum on the premise that we seek to provide and create a workplace where each employee achieves his or her full potential. The curriculum content falls under one of three primary categories - "Awareness of Self", "Understanding Others", and "Engagement". Specifically, initial courses focus on Covance employees' abilities to develop deeper self-awareness as it relates to their work environment and the diverse individuals with whom they interact. The second set of courses addresses the skills and behaviors necessary for Covance employees to successfully understand colleagues and clients. The third and final set of courses provides participants with opportunities to develop engagement skills. These skills give employees the ability to work effectively across differences and allow people to contribute their full potential in workplace interactions.

The curriculum includes six required classes which, based on initial plans, will take approximately 3-4 years for each business unit to deliver. Elective courses complement the required course work.