Labor and Employment Relation’s new online labor studies credit program was launched in January 2008. The courses are aimed at unionists, people active in the labor movement, or University of Illinois students interested in labor courses, but anyone who is interested may enroll. Nondegree or off-campus students enroll through UIUC’s Academic Outreach division.

Courses offered are as follows:

• LIR 100 Introduction to the Labor Movement
• LIR 110 Labor & Social Movements
• LIR 120 Contemporary Labor Problems
• LIR 130 Introduction to Labor and Working Class History
  
• LIR 200 Globalization and Workers
• LIR 220 The Media, Workers, and Unions
  
• LIR 250 Grievance Representation
• LIR 260 Union Organizing
  
• LIR 300 Worker, Unions & Politics
• LIR 320 Gender, Race, Class & Work
  

Each semester LIR will introduce new online course offerings. Credits earned through these online classes will be accepted by the National Labor College towards the number required for graduation. These courses will also count toward the new UIUC bachelor’s degree in Global Labor Studies that LIR plans to introduce in the near future.  LIR 250 and LIR 260 may also be taken as noncredit courses.  LIR 100 and LIR 110 are offered on both a full semester and compressed 8-week basis.  In spring 2009 the class code will change from LIR to LER, signifying the name change to the School of Labor and Employment Relations.