Caryn A. Bills
Associate Chancellor
Contact
Building & Room:
717 Marshfield Avenue Building (MC 602)
Address:
809 S. Marshfield Ave.
Office Phone:
Email:
About
In her 38 years as a UIC executive leader, Caryn Bills has played a key role in helping UIC become one of the most diverse universities in the nation. As Associate Chancellor of the Office for Access and Equity responsible for compliance with state and federal civil rights and anti-discrimination laws, she and her team address unlawful harassment, hostile work and academic environments, bullying and incivility. She promotes a culture of respect and inclusivity within all communities including Asian Americans, African Americans, Latinos, LGBT, women and people with disabilities.
She has established alternative forms of resolution through its Dispute Resolution Services. As one of the first university administrators to create a dispute resolution services unit offering facilitations, mediations, consultations, and unit assessments to improve the campus work environment, she'ss now recognized as a leader in that area, regularly providing guidance to other universities interested in developing similar services. Caryn is a certified Executive Coach and uses these skills daily to provide guidance in leadership matters while having a list of mentees she annually collaborates with to professionally develop.
She has provided a leadership role on the Behavioral Threat Assessment Team for employees. In the workplace, civility is crucial, as it enhances collaboration, builds trust, reduces conflict, improves communication and builds employee morale. Caryn strives to prevent conflict from escalating to costly litigation while addressing culture change through the preliminary assessment stages of compliance, prevention and culture change, or threat of violence. These strategies address immediate concerns of hostile work and learning environments and build a culture of respect, equity, and inclusion that prevents and mitigates such difficult and complex challenges.
She focuses on identifying and addressing campus issues, particularly as they affect the need for policy changes. While her focus is on nondiscrimination, Title IX compliance, workplace violence, incivility, and diversity, she regularly consults with university leaders on how to prevent or respond to climate concerns. She offers high-level executive advice and counsel on confidential matters to mitigate risk while ensuring productive work and learning environments.