​Professional and Career Development


UW-Stevens Point Supports Faculty and Staff Growth!


Invest In Yourself! Get support and resources to help you reach your professional and career goals!
  • Professional development: Day-to-day growth and short-term goals
  • Career development: Long-term career planning, resume, cover letter, and interview guidance.

​General Resources

Resources to Support Students

The Dean of Students Office (DOS) provides a number of resources for faculty and staff to support students.

Two online training courses for faculty and staff are available to support At-Risk students and Veterans. These courses provide information on how to identify signs of stress and effective listening skills. Visit the DOS training webpage to take the courses.

The Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning (CITL) provides instructional development:

  • technology and software support,
  • consultations and instructional design services,
  • test scoring services,
  • and professional development opportunities for campus faculty and staff.

Free Online Professional Development through UWSP

The College and University Professional Association (CUPA) primarily supports HR professionals. However, they provide a lot of resources which also support the knowledge and growth of faculty and staff working in higher education. As a faculty or staff member at UWSP, you have a free membership to CUPA's resources. To access all resources, create a login account.

Every faculty, staff, and student has access to LinkedIn Learning. This online tool provides on-demand training videos for a variety of professional development needs.

The UWS Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has resources and webinars available to support your personal and professional growth, which often overlap. Visit the EAP to find development opportunities available.

Continuing Education

UW-Stevens Point Continuing Education and Outreach provides a variety of programs to support your professional and personal growth:
  • Attend a conference or workshop
  • Build a business
  • Earn a degree, certification, or college credit
  • Enhance professional skills
  • Enrich your life
  • Engage youth

Focus on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) are integral values at UWSP.

Visit the HR EDIB website as your initial step to grow your EDIB knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Recommended Readings

8 Behavioral Skills for Increased Job Security

[The] Chronicle of Higher Education is the No. 1 source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators. As a University employee and while using the University network, you have access to premium articles, blogs, and other resources without creating an account.

Inside Higher Education is the leading source for the latest news, analysis, and services for the entire higher education community. Sign up for a free membership to access resources.

Focus on Your Strengths

Your career/profession should match your strengths and interests. Use the strengths-based performance management materials to support your career/professional development.

Employee's Guide to Strengths Based Performance Management

Leadership's Guide to Strengths Based Performance Management

Additional Professional Development Opportunities

UW-Stevens Point offers a variety of opportunities for professional and personal growth. Watch the MOD for the most current opportunities.

Reoccuring opportunities:

Volunteer!

Volunteering can also be a great free way to develop skills and abilities. You can volutneer on your own or collaborate/team build within your department. Talk to your supervisor or colleagues as need to get ideas

Funding for Professional Development

Opportunities to have your professional development include:

  • Most courses provided by a UW Continuing Education and/or another UW institution provide a discount to UWSP employees. Some opportunities may be at no cost, volunteer for professional development!
  • Your department may be able to pay for professional development, speak with your supervisor to learn about the possibilities.
  • You may be able to apply for a grant through the Office of Research Sponsored Programs
  • You may be able to audit a course at UWSP if there is room available. Speak with the department in which the course is taught to learn if audit is possible for a course. If you are 60 or older there are additional benefits/opportunities to audit. To learn more about what auditing a course means and the process to audit a course visit the Registrar's Forms Page and review the applicable auditing-related form(s).
  • UWSP has a Tuition Assistance Program, this program has been suspended since 2015 due to budget constraints. There is one exception to the suspension.
  • Not all professional development opportunities have a cost:
    • Have an HR professional review your resume, cover letter, do a mock/practice interview, and more.
    • UW-Stevens Point has a membership with thePortage County Business Council (PCBC). This membership provides all UW-Stevens Point employees opportunities for learning and improving career and personal/hobby skills, networking, business tours, and more! Visit PCBC's Event page to view upcoming events.If you would like to receive news and events communication from PCBC contact the PCBC Marketing Communications Coordinator at  admin@portagecountybiz.com.

Progression, Promotion, and Lateral Title Changes

Formal career changes occur through progression, promotion, and lateral title changes. Depending on the situation, a person may even choose a role lower in salary grade (i.e., a demotion) to support long-term career change and growth.

For initial UWS resources and understanding, visit the Build Your UW Career webpage.

Faculty: Visit the Academic Affairs Personnel Decisions webpage for information on eligibility and process.

Instructional Staff: Visit the Academic Affairs Academic Staff Personnel Decisions webpage for information on eligibility and process.

Non-instructional Staff: To understand the differences between progression and promotion review the promotion and progression slides from the TTC Project and the Progression and Promotion video. Progression, lateral changes, and promotion can be discussed with your manager. If your manager determines a formal change is needed, they will consult with yourHR Business Partner.

Leadership Resources

For formal UWSP leaders or anyone looking to build their leadership skills!

What Kind of Leader Do You Want to Be?

Regardless of your title at UW-Stevens Point, you can be a leader! If you have a manager/supervisor/director/chancellor in your title, you have a responsibility to lead the institution effectively.

Effective leaders recognize their own areas for improvement (growth), practice effective new knowledge and skills, and recognize their department members' and/or colleagues' strengths to collaborate and support each other. Effective leaders are also able to effectively communicate and support members of their department/institution to improve (grow).

From learning processes and procedures to supporting you to becoming or building on the leader you want to be, we are here to support your success.

Some general leadership resources include:

Providing and Receiving Feedback

Providing feedback is a core function of a formal leadership role. If you are a formal leader use the below resources to support your leadership. If you are not a formal leader, review the resources to learn about feedback.

  • Fun note cards. Tip: Print on card stock or another heavy piece of paper.
  • Recognition Form Template (This is a template only - they can skip/change/add to the form as needed to meet their preferences)
  • Find out how those who report to you prefer to receive positive and constructive feedback.
    • Do they like direct feedback? Do they like constructive feedback first or last if you have both? Do they want to chat generally first, then receive feedback? Do they want a feedback sandwich (a positive, a negative, a positive)?
    • Constructive feedback should always be provided privately. Some people, even if extroverted, prefer to receive praise privately too.
    • Regardless of people's preferences, always:
    • Provide and focus on examples of behavior/action/facts versus assumptions/judgments/feelings.
    • Provide positive feedback more often and frequently compared to constructive feedback, when overall performance is meeting or exceeding your expectations.
  • For more resources on providing and receiving feedback effectively visit the Performance Management webpage and review the Best Practices resources.

Leadership Trainings

The resources above within the general professional development sections provide leadership development. In addition to these resources, the following resources are also available.

Leadership Development Series

UWSP's online Leadership Development Series was created in collaboration between Professor Brian Krolczyk, CITL, and Human Resources. This course is a self-paced course with engaging videos from UWSP leadership, self-assessments, and activity tracking to support your professional development. Click the photo below to self-enroll in the series and begin or continue your leadership growth journey today!

 

Supervisor Leadership Training

This course provides modules coordinated or created by Human Resources for specific leadership topics relevant to UWSP leaders. Modules will be added as they are created.

Module 1: Leading Stress Management for High Burnout Professions. (1 hr video)

Compliance

Supervisor compliance training is assigned upon hire into a formal leadership role and/or occurs when new trainings are available, usually on an annual basis. Compliance trainings are win collaboration with UWS Office of General Council (OGC).

Other Topics for Formal Leadership

Compliance

Formal leaders are responsible for ensuring they are aware of and follow all UWS and UWSP policies. Take some time to review the policies. You do not need to be a policy expert. Instead, review the policies to understand what exists and why they exist. If a topic comes up, review the policy and seek guidance from the subject matter expert/department who oversees the policy.

Team Building and Team Development

Team building and professional development are essential to leading an effective team.

  • Coordinate social events during or outside of work
  • Coordinate a training session for the team with the EAP (request via UWSP HR), Continuing Education and Outreach, or CITL.
  • Community service or activities can also be great for team building! Talk with your team about ideas.
    • Want to show extra team spirit? Wear your UW-Stevens Point apparel when volunteering!
      • Note: While wearing UW-Stevens Point apparel for a community service event/program, please remember that you are an Ambassador of the University and to be thoughtful regarding your behavior.
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