New funding year for staff professional development funds
Professional development funds for staff in the following employee groups became available April 1 for the 2019/20 funding year. This year’s funding maximums are:
- BCGEU Okanagan: $1,200 Regular; $600 Auxiliary
- CUPE 116: $1,000
- CUPE 2950: $1,400
- Executive Administrative: $1,500
- Management & Professional (AAPS): $550
- Non-Union Technicians & Research Assistants: $800
- Service Unit Directors and Excluded M&P: $1,500
Funding is pro rated in some cases depending on the details of the staff member’s appointment (for example, if they are working part-time). Staff members can confirm their personal eligibility and available funding amount through the Faculty & Staff Self-Service portal, under the “Staff PD” tab.
Questions
Contact the PD Fund team at pd.funds@ubc.ca if you have any questions about these updates. For questions specific to the BCGEU Okanagan PD Fund, please contact Lisa Frost at lisa.frost@ubc.ca.
Upcoming professional development workshops from HR
HR is hosting three professional development workshops this spring:
Thriving in Change: April 24 (9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
This workshop is for UBC staff and faculty who want to learn more about the natural cycles and impact of change in order to remain resilient and engaged through the transition.
- Cost: $200
- Register online
Practical Project Management: May 29-30 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
This workshop is for anyone who is involved in projects, as either a team member or project manager, and wants to learn the core basics and proven tools to help achieve more consistent project outcomes.
- Cost: $550
- Register online
The Foundations of Workplace Coaching Skills: June 6 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
This workshop is for those who wish to gain a better understanding of how to use coaching in the workplace.
- Cost: $350
- Register online
If you are interested in these workshops, you may be able to use your professional development funding. Please visit the page for your employee group to learn more.
Community Leadership Program 2019/20 information sessions: May 6 & 27
CLP 2017 Reading Week Kick-Off (Photo credit: Justin Lee)
Do you know someone in your team who might be interested in an experiential leadership opportunity?
The UBC Community Leadership Program (CLP) is an innovative leadership development opportunity designed for emerging staff, faculty, and graduate student leaders to enhance their leadership, lead and develop a team, develop practical project management skills, and learn how to build community.
Join us at one of our information sessions to learn more:
UBC Community Leadership Program Information Sessions
Both sessions will be held in Room 610, TEF III, 6190 Agronomy Road.
If you can’t attend one of the information sessions and have questions about the program, please email Stephanie Thorpe, Workplace Learning Facilitator.
Learning with Lynda.com: The importance of professional empathy
When managing or collaborating with teams, you can sometimes run into challenges on how to best work together.
In this week’s Learning with Lynda, we take a look at the importance of professional empathy. When there is an emphasis on building solid, professional relationships, team members are happier and empathy thrives. By focusing on being empathetic at work, you can take steps to improve collaboration by understanding and engaging with your colleagues.
Visit our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject.
Reminder: Managing@UBC 2019/20 applications due April 2
Managing@UBC is a year-long leadership development program focused on supporting individuals to learn the knowledge and skills needed to thrive as new managers to UBC. The program is for M&P employees who have staff directly reporting to them, and who are within their first three years at UBC in a management position.
Managing@UBC offers:
- a cohort-based model for individuals to have the benefit of meeting and learning from other managers from across the campus.
- support to enhance one’s leadership development, including coaching, leadership assessments and program advisors.
- a self-directed learning model that allows participants to determine their own learning path and the ability to choose which learning will be most impactful to their own leadership development.
Managing@UBC runs June through May. Applications for this year’s program are due April 2.
Why leadership development is important to UBC?
A fundamental principle of our leadership programs at UBC, is that every individual has the capability and numerous opportunities over the span of a lifetime to lead, and when we are able to recognize and act upon the opportunities as they emerge we exercise leadership for those with whom we are interacting. What we believe about leadership has a profound influence on what we do as leaders and how we enact leadership.
For more information
Visit the program overview page at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/managing-at-ubc/overview/, or contact us at leadership@hr.ubc.ca.
Learning with Lynda: Filtering your Excel data
Are you struggling with large spreadsheets? Looking for ways to sort the data in large Excel files? Excel has some built-in filter options that you can use to organize your information.
In this week’s Learning with Lynda, we take a look at two short videos in the Excel: Filtering Data for Beginners course: Learning what a filter is, and a quick look at the types of filters that are built into Excel.
Read more at our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject.
Managing@UBC accepting applications for the 2019-2020 cohort
Managing@UBC is a year-long leadership development program focused on supporting individuals to learn the knowledge and skills needed to thrive as new managers to UBC.
The program is for M&P employees who have staff directly reporting to them, and who are within their first three years at UBC in a management position.
Managing@UBC offers:
- a cohort-based model for individuals to have the benefit of meeting and learning from other managers from across the campus.
- support to enhance one’s leadership development, including coaching, leadership assessments and program advisors.
- a self-directed learning model that allows participants to determine their own learning path and the ability to choose which learning will be most impactful to their own leadership development.
Managing@UBC runs June through May. Applications for this year’s program are due by April 2.
Want to learn more?
You are invited to attend our upcoming M@UBC informational session:
Feb. 26, 2019, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Room 610, TEF III (6190 Agronomy Road) [map]
Register online
Why leadership development is important to UBC?
A fundamental principle of our leadership programs at UBC, is that every individual has the capability and numerous opportunities over the span of a lifetime to lead, and when we are able to recognize and act upon the opportunities as they emerge we exercise leadership for those with whom we are interacting. What we believe about leadership has a profound influence on what we do as leaders and how we enact leadership.
For more information
Visit the program overview page at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/managing-at-ubc/overview/, or contact us at leadership@hr.ubc.ca.
Reminder to use staff professional development funds for 2018-19
As we approach the end of the fiscal year, we ask that you encourage staff in your departments to use their professional development funds.
Staff are welcome to make claims on a first-come, first-served basis until the budgeted funding pool is exhausted or by the end of the fiscal year, whichever comes sooner. Prior to submitting a claim, staff are encouraged to check their respective HR PD Fund webpage (links below) for updates on their overall fund balance.
Notes about funds (Fiscal 2018-19)
The TRA PD Fund is closed and no longer accepting PD expense claims for the current funding year. We anticipate that the BCGEU Okanagan PD Fund and the M&P PD Fund will be exhausted before the end of the current fiscal year. It is expected that the other staff PD funds will be able to accommodate funding requests until the March 31 year-end.
The amount available for individuals to claim depends on the employee group, as each group has its own individual maximum claim amount and funding pool subject to an annual budget allocation and program guidelines. Staff PD funds are available for those in the following employee groups:
- CUPE 116
- CUPE 2950
- Executive Administrative
- Management & Professional (AAPS)
- Non-Union Technicians & Research Assistants
- Service Unit Directors/Excluded M&P
- BCGEU Okanagan
If an employee group’s funding pool balance reaches zero prior to March 31, no further PD claims will be accepted for reimbursement in the current funding year.
These are annual funding pools designed to support UBC employees with staff appointments to pursue professional development opportunities that will enhance their skills, knowledge and ongoing career growth at UBC.
Questions? Please contact pd.funds@ubc.ca.
PD workshop: In-Powering: Making Sense of Your Talents and Strengths: March 15
HR is hosting In-Powering: Making Sense of Your Talents and Strengths, a one-day workshop focusing on helping participants to gain a better understanding of their strengths, and how to translate those strengths to your professional life.
Course information
Date: March 15, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610 [map]
Cost: $375
Register online
If you are interested in this course, you may be able to use your professional development funding. Please visit the page for your employee group to learn more.
Learning with Lynda.com: Replace to-do lists with a schedule
Are you aiming to improve your time management abilities in 2019? If so, creating a to-do list may be one strategy you could plan to implement. The challenge with to-do lists is that they tend to grow endlessly which often leads to a sense of overwhelm and doesn’t support actually completing the items on the list. Instead of depending on to-do lists, this short Lynda.com video encourages the adoption of time budgets to capture the items you need to complete and when you will accomplish them. Watch “Replace to-do lists with a schedule” to learn the steps for implementing a successful time budget.
Read more at our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
Last call for 2019 Coaching@UBC internship program applications
Coaching@UBC is accepting applications for the 2019 intake for the Coaching Internship Program. Successful applicants will receive funding towards the completion of an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program. Please visit the Coaching Internship Program for full details and application documents. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2019.
If you have any questions, please contact Catharine Chang, Program Manager, Coaching@UBC, at 604-822-3351 or catharine.chang@ubc.ca.
To find out more about Coaching or to sign up for coaching, visit www.hr.ubc.ca/coaching
A few spaces left in the Working Mind for Managers: Jan. 31
We have a few spaces left in the Jan. 31 Working Mind for Managers. All supervisors, managers, and members of the distributed UBC’s HR community of practice are invited to attend.
About this workshop
The Working Mind is a Mental Health Commission of Canada, evidence-based, workplace training program aimed at increasing mental health literacy for supervisors/managers.
Program goals
- To provide supervisors and managers with the confidence, tools and resources to support employees who may be experiencing mental health challenges
- To reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards those struggling with poor mental health
- To provide learners with a broad understanding of mental health and wellbeing
- To promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace
Course information
Date: Jan. 31, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610 [map]
Cost: Free
Register online
Working Mind for Employees: Feb. 25 (half-day)
In partnership with our Working Mind for Managers program, we are hosting a session for all employees, the Working Mind for Employees, on Feb. 25. This half-day workshop will address and promote mental health, and reduce the stigma of mental illness in a workplace setting.
Program goals
- To reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards those struggling with poor mental health;
- To provide learners with a broad understanding of mental health and wellbeing;
- To help participants maintain mental health and improve resilience; and
- To promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Course information
Date: Feb. 25, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610 [map]
Cost: Free
Register online
Update on Non-Union TRA PD Fund
The 2018/19 Professional Development Fund for Non-Union Technicians & Research Assistants (TRA) has limited funding remaining and is expected to run out by the end of this week. When the funding pool balance reaches zero, all staff individual balances will expire and no further PD expense claims will be accepted for the current fund year.
On Jan. 9, a message was sent to all Non-Union Technicians and Research Assistants by Human Resources to inform them of the remaining availability.
If you receive any questions about this matter from staff in your unit, please direct them to the TRA PD webpage or contact Susanna Mulligan, PD Funding Manager, at pd.funds@ubc.ca.
PD workshop: Coaching For Personal and Professional Development (Jan. 16, 2019)
Join us for an hour-long session on Jan. 16 to learn about Coaching@UBC’s free professional coaching services for staff and faculty.
In this information session, you will learn:
- What is Coaching?
- How does Coaching work?
- Why choose Coaching for personal or professional development?
- How do I access Coaching at UBC?
Course information
Coaching For Personal and Professional Development
Jan. 16, 2019, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610 [map]
Register online
PD workshop: Time Management: Planning, Prioritizing & Productivity (Jan. 29, 2019)
On Jan. 29, we are hosting a workshop on Time Management: Planning, Prioritizing & Productivity. This session is designed for those who wish to learn new tools to decrease work stress while increasing level of satisfaction, happiness and productivity at work.
About this workshop
This workshop provides you with peak performance tips, tools and strategies so you can spend more time working toward your high-value tasks. If you are swamped with emails, requests, tasks, and interruptions, this workshop is for you. In this highly interactive, thought-provoking, enjoyable, skill-building workshop you will learn proven time management techniques and at the same time tune your skills at managing your priorities and achieving your objectives.
Learning Outcomes
- identify your time type
- implement strategies to align your activities with your goals
- optimize productivity and decrease stress
- put into practice a laser-like focus on priorities
- identify obstacles that get in your way
- be more effective in handling interruptions
- recognize time-saving email tips
- distinguish between being busy and being productive
- identify how you may sabotage your goals
- share tools and technology to help manage your time more effectively
- determine what you get by procrastinating and how to conquer procrastination
- apply a practical new mindset and toolset develop a specific plan of action to implement immediately
Course Information
Date: Jan. 29, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610 [map]
Cost: $300
Register online
If you are interested in this course, you may be able to use your professional development funding. Please visit the page for your employee group to learn more.
Spaces left in Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Situations: Dec. 10
We have four spaces left in our Dec. 10 session on Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Situations. Register ASAP if you want to gain skills on having challenging conversations as part of your work.
Learning Outcomes
- At the end of this seminar, you will be able to know how to identify resistant behaviour in yourself and others;
- have a greater understanding of what the physiological responses to emotional challenges look and feel like;
- be able to identify your personal strategies for managing your own defensiveness as well as others; and
- recognize when to push and when to back off to get your needs met.
Course Information
Date: Dec. 10, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $350
Register online
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more, or contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
Learning With Lynda.com: Design Your Message For Maximum Impact
This week, we have a post from the lynda.com archive for you, with a look at how to write emails or announcements in a way that connects best with your audience:
Whether preparing for a meeting, making an announcement, or crafting an important email, it’s valuable to consider how “complex confuses, but simple sticks”. Regardless of how complicated the subject or analysis may be, there are four guidelines that can help you prepare your message for greater effectiveness. Watch this short Lynda.com video “Designing the content of your message” to learn about techniques that can support your communication initiatives.
Read more at our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
PD Opportunity: Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Situations: Dec. 10
We have an upcoming workshop on Dec. 10: Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Situations. This workshop is for anyone who needs to have challenging conversations as part of their work.
Learning Outcomes
- At the end of this seminar, you will be able to know how to identify resistant behaviour in yourself and others;
- have a greater understanding of what the physiological responses to emotional challenges look and feel like;
- be able to identify your personal strategies for managing your own defensiveness as well as others; and
- recognize when to push and when to back off to get your needs met.
Course Information
Date: Dec. 10, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $350
Register online
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more, or contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
Learning with Lynda.com: Play with Perspective
Has Thrive Week inspired you to explore different ways to enhance your resiliency? This Learning with Lynda.com feature highlights one of the most powerful tools you can access if you’d like to boost your resilience. Playing with your perspective helps to develop a growth mindset and adapt your way of thinking to see opportunities for learning. Watch “Play with perspective” to learn about three focus areas which can help you thrive.
Read more at our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
Troubleshooting with lynda.com
Having trouble with lynda.com? Can’t login? Email lynda.support@ubc.ca and we will assist you.