Professional Development

Now available--Spring on-campus professional development events

To register for on-campus professional development events, send an e-mail message to trainme@ups.edu or call extension 3442.

If there is a particular topic or need that you believe should be addressed, or if you need information about outside professional development vendors, please Nancy Nieraeth, organization and people development consultant, at ext. 3541/nnieraeth@ups.edu.

Course announcements, informational flyers and/or registration materials are distributed in advance of most programs through e-mail messages and campus mail. 

• New Staff Member Orientation schedule
• On-campus professional development events
• Tips for staff members on requesting and preparing for training
• Resources from previous campus training programs
• Self-paced e-learning
• Finding professional development opportunities off-campus
• Tips for supervisors on assisting staff access and maximize professional development opportunities

New Staff Member Orientation schedule

 Time: 8:00 am - 12:00 noon on the following Wednesdays

On-campus Professional Development Programs 

To register for any of these events, send an e-mail message to trainme@ups.edu or call extension 3442.

Spring 2007

Spotlight on the Sustainability Advisory Committee

Tuesday, February 27, 12:15-1 p.m., Murray Board Room

Wondering how “dish amnesty day” relates to sustainability, or how many sustainability mugs were distributed last year? John Hickey and Steven Neshyba, co-chairs of the Sustainability Advisory Committee will tell you more, and discuss the university’s current and future sustainability initiatives. No pre-registration is necessary, just bring your lunch and learn. For 2006-07, the Spotlight Series showcases Puget Sound’s “connectivity—to the world at large, to our internal and external community partnerships, and the exploration of other cultures.

Transforming Team Conflict (open to all supervisors of regular staff)

Wednesday, March 7, 8:30-noon, Murray Board Room

Unresolved team conflict can drain productivity and destroy morale. Join other Puget Sound supervisors for this professional development event to build your ability to lead a “conflict competent” team. Facilitator Kate Williams, performance coach and consultant with Achieve Northwest, will teach communication skills necessary for resolving and managing conflicts and lead you in a simple model to coach your team through the constructive resolution of conflict while acknowledging different communication and work preferences. You’ll leave ready to lead teams in the creation of a work environment that promotes healthy and productive conflict resolution.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, Wednesday, March 14, Thursday, March 15, plus 8 a.m.- noon on Friday, March 16, Library 020 (presentation room)

This is your one chance this year to attend an on-campus session of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," Stephen Covey's breakthrough personal and professional effectiveness process. Certified facilitator Craig Benjamin will guide you through exercises to help you begin immediately applying the 7 Habits at work, at home, and in other key relationships.  All participants will receive a comprehensive workbook and a copy of Covey's book. Because this course requires a minimum number of participants, please send your registration request to trainme@ups.edu no later than Friday, February 16, to register.  Please register only if you're able to attend all 3-1/2 days of the program. This course is offered by Human Resources to all regular faculty and staff at no charge.  Other university community members may attend on a space-available basis for a materials fee. 

Spotlight on Faculty

Wednesday, March 28, 12:15-1 p.m., Murray Board Room

Ever wondered what a “day in the life” of a Puget Sound faculty member is like? Come listen to a panel of faculty members as they dispel the myths about faculty life and talk about their greatest challenges and joys. No pre-registration is necessary, just bring your lunch and learn. For 2006-07, the Spotlight Series showcases Puget Sound’s “connectivity—to the world at large, to our internal and external community partnerships, and the exploration of other cultures.

Spotlight on International Students

Wednesday, April 18, 12:15-1 p.m., Murray Board Room

Ever wondered what it takes to leave your home in another country and come to study at Puget Sound? A panel of international students will answer your questions about the challenges and benefits of studying across cultures. This panel will be moderated by Sally Sprenger, international student coordinator, International Programs. No pre-registration is necessary, just bring your lunch and learn. For 2006-07, the Spotlight Series showcases Puget Sound’s “connectivity—to the world at large, to our internal and external community partnerships, and the exploration of other cultures.

Tips for staff members on preparing for training

Before requesting your supervisor’s approval to attend training, consider

·         How will the program assist you in your daily work or benefit you personally?

·         How will you share any learned information with your work group following training? (for example, routing materials and notes to your colleagues, arranging to present a brief overview of learned material in an all-staff meeting, meeting with your supervisor, or making a recommendation for other colleagues to attend the same course)

·         To minimize potential disruption to your department, how could work coverage be handled, or job tasks reprioritized, while you attend training?

Computer Software Training

Computer software courses are offered through the Office of Information Services.  For information about upcoming workshops and registration, visit the Information Services training web site. 

Resources from previous campus training events

The resource page contains documents and tips previously distributed in campus training programs.  Made available with thanks to our generous program presenters or participants, these materials may be adjusted and distributed for university use only.

Some programs included on this resource page

Managing Performance at Puget Sound (2/28/06)

Workplace Safety: An Overview (2/3/05)

Performance Appraisals: The Supervisor's Role (9/29/04)

Self-Paced E-Learning 

• Preventing Sexual Harassment

The University of Puget Sound and New Media Learning present an e-learning professional development opportunity for staff, faculty and students.  This interactive one-hour computer tutorial offers a convenient and practical means of educating ourselves about sexual harassment and associated legal issues.  You are encouraged to visit the site (by clicking on the link below), go through the tutorial, and complete the test at its conclusion.

Preventing Sexual Harassment

• Ergonomic Solutions for Computer Workstations

Ergonomics is an important issue in the workplace, especially as it relates to computer workstations.   For a comprehensive overview of ergonomics and for workstation tips/solutions, visit the following site (by clicking on the link below) that was developed by Kimberly L. Reed, MOT, a graduate of the University's Occupational Therapy Program.

Ergonomic Solutions for Computer Workstations

• FERPA Tutorial

What information do you access in your job that may need to be handled in a secure way?  For example, a University telephone directory, student registration forms, graded papers, advising packets, student information displayed on your computer screen?  If you handle such information, you will want to go through the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act tutorial that was designed by the University's Registrar's Office staff.  Click on the link below to access this e-learning tool. 

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Tutorial

Finding other professional development opportunities off-campus

In addition to external professional development opportunities like conferences, professional association meetings, formal or informal visits to other institutions, and electronic discussions like listservs or blogs, the organizations represented below conduct training in the local area (please note that the university does not screen or endorse these providers). Visit their websites for more information:

www.seminarinformation.com  consolidates course schedules from many top workplace training providers, including SkillPath, Fred Pryor, and Padgett-Thompson. Searchable by topic, date, and location.

www.lorman.com  emphasizes professional continuing education. Searchable by topic, state, and credit type.

www.natsem.com  consolidates course schedules from multiple providers. Searchable by topic and zip code.

www.skillpath.com  provides a broad range of workplace training topics. Searchable by topic and zip code.

To select the most effective formal training opportunity, we encourage you to consider these factors:

• What is your own learning style?  How does that match with the format of the program you’re considering?  Does the program format make sense for the content of the session?  (For a quick, free, non-scientific but illuminating learning styles assessment, visit http://agelesslearner.com/assess/learningstyle.html)

• Does this company or organization have a history of providing training on this topic?  Ask to see references—with both glowing and critical reviews—from previous participants.

• If the provider is an educational institution, is it accredited?  Are continuing education units certified by IACET and/or accepted by your professional licensing association?

• What learning goals are identified by the seminar providers?  Are these consistent with your own goals?  Are you very clear about your own needs and goals for the session?  Sometimes facilitators can adapt the material to the needs of the group, but you’ll first need to know what you want to get out of the event.

• Are the training facilitators “subject matter experts” or full-time trainers?  Is technical expertise required for facilitators to be credible and the training to be effective?

• How many participants will attend with you?  Do other participants come from educational institutions, nonprofits, industry?  Which would be more beneficial to you, diversity or similarity of experience among participants?

• Will there be time in the session to practice the concepts learned?  As much as we sometimes dread learning games, practice is necessary to ensure we understand and internalize conceptual or technical information.

• What kind of pre-event preparation is required, and, if it’s a multiple-day event, will there be homework between days?

• What is the organization’s satisfaction policy—do they offer refunds for less-than-stellar training events?  How about refunds or credits for illness or other last-minute absences?

• What resource materials or tools can you bring back with you from the training?  Ask to review a sample of materials prior to registering.  Are the facilitators or other experts available for consultations after the training, and at what cost?

• Does the organization offer refresher courses or advanced courses at a reduced fee to prior attendees?

• How do the cost, location, length of training and other logistical issues relate to the anticipated benefit of attending?

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Contact: hr@ups.edu

Copyright © 2008 Last update: Thursday, March 15, 2007