Staff Professional Development Funding – Updates for New 2018/19 Funding Year
New Funding Year for Staff Professional Development Funds
Professional development funds for staff in the following employee groups became available on April 1 for the 2018/19 funding year. There are no changes to the established individual funding maximums this year.
- 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: $1,000
- 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 online through the Faculty & Staff Self-Service portal, under the “Staff PD” tab.
New Two-Year Funding Period for Research Associates PD Fund
As of April 1, 2018, the Research Associates Professional Development Fund began accepting expense claims for the two-year funding period April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020. The individual funding maximum remains at $2,000 for this round.
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.
Learning with Lynda.com: Learning Canvas: Create Modules
Canvas was launched as UBC’s new learning management system in the fall of 2017 and since then over 2,700 courses have been transitioned to the new learning platform. UBC has introduced a variety of methods to help faculty and staff navigate the transition from Connect, including online tutorials available through Lynda.com.
These online tutorials are accessible at all times as you work in Canvas, and can be a great step-by-step support as you use the learning platform. Sample the Lynda.com Canvas offerings by viewing this short video called “create modules” to learn about the process and functionality of this feature.
Note: Lynda.com courses will occasionally include specific tutorial instruction for features and tools that are not currently available at UBC or aligned with our internal processes. Within this featured course “creating a teacher account” and “ add students to a course” are examples of video instruction segments that are not aligned with processes established at UBC. Please refer to the UBC Canvas Tools page and CTLT – Canvas training sessions for the features and tools currently available at UBC.
Visit our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
Conflict Theatre Summer Intensive: Apply by April 30
- Can you remember the last difficult conversation you had?
- What did you think when it started?
- How did you feel when it was over?
- What if you could re-do it?
We all face difficult conversations, but what if you had a better way to handle them? Conflict Theatre is a constructive conflict engagement strategy that can be applied widely across the UBC community. Join a diverse cohort to learn a new approach to conflict and practice new strategies. This year’s summer intensive workshop series uses forum theatre techniques to explore and perform real stories of conflict from our community. Within this intensive, you can expect to:
- Practice conflict engagement in a safe space
- Explore your stories of conflict and build an original play
- Perform your interactive play for your community
Click to read
All UBC employees are eligible and no acting experience is required, but space is limited. Please apply before April 30, 2018, at https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5iiY9MsHJi9qsoB. Contact conflict.theatre@ubc.ca if you need support to attend.
PD Opportunity: Enhance Learning Through Coaching: May 2 & 3
This year, as part of Celebrate Learning Week, we are hosting two sessions on how coaching can help you achieve your goals and desired change as part of your professional development and learning, with Enhance Learning Through Coaching.
In these 1.5-hour sessions, participants will learn what coaching is and how coaching can support learning, identify potential areas for development, observe a coaching conversation, and how to access free coaching through Coaching@UBC.
Course Information
Date: May 2 or May 3, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: Free
Register online
Contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
PD Opportunity: Thriving in Change: May 16
We have an upcoming half-day workshop on May 16: Thriving in Change.
In this workshop, participants will start by exploring their own attitudes and reactions to change, learn foundational models to broaden their appreciation of the change journey, and gain new tools and strategies for use in an interpersonal and organizational context.
Course Information
Date: May 16, 2018, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $200
Register online.
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Please visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more. Contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
PD Opportunity: Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Situations: June 12, 2018
We have an upcoming workshop on June 12 – 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: June 12, 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.
Registration for Managing@UBC Program (2018/19 Cohort) Closes April 1
Are you a new manager? Do you have new managers in your unit? Register for the Managing@UBC 2018/19 cohort year by April 1.
Managing@UBC helps managers learn leadership and managerial skills, and will help you respond to issues and questions you have as a manager. By participating in this self-directed year-long program, you will understand your strengths as a manager, learn how to engage your employees, enhance your ability to take a coach approach, and be connected to a community of UBC leaders.
Learn more and register at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/managing-at-ubc/register/.
PD Opportunity: Focus on Feedback: A Leadership Advantage – April 16
We have an upcoming half-day workshop on April 16 – Focus on Feedback: A Leadership Advantage. More and more, in today’s complex organizations, leaders are being asked to give feedback for improvement and positive feedback to individuals and teams, as part of their daily leadership practice.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate the five skills of giving feedback for improvement constructively
- Describe how to effectively give feedback to direct reports, peers and senior leaders
- Outline how positive feedback contributes to an appreciative team culture
- Demonstrate the art of receiving feedback gracefully
- Commit to an action plan to create a feedback-rich culture in your team
Course Information
Date: April 16 , 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $200
Register online.
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Note that PD funding for staff employee groups will refresh on April 1, 2018. Please visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more. Contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
Learning with Lynda.com: Lead By Creating the Conditions for Others to Thrive
This week we are celebrating the impact of 25 staff and graduate students at UBC who have completed the UBC Community Leadership Program. Along with 340 UBC undergraduate students, these emerging leaders supported 19 community service learning projects and connected with over 1,500 community members during Reading Week break.
Leadership is about making others better as a result of our presence, and then the most enduring part of it, the sustainability, is having that last into our absence. This form of leadership can occur in every level of an organization and is not bound to formal authority. Watch this video to find out more about this leadership perspective.
Click to see more on how to lead by creating the conditions for others to thrive…
Visit our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
PD Funding Year for Staff and Research Associates Ending Soon
The PD funding year for staff and for Research Associates will close at the end of the fiscal year. As the end of the year falls on a long weekend, please encourage your staff and RAs to submit their outstanding expense claims by March 23, 2018, for reimbursement.
Note: Funding in the M&P (AAPS) PD funding pool has been fully utilized for this year. Information on the MP& PD Fund can be found at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/learning-engagement/leading-learning/pd-funding/management-professional/.
The new funding year begins on April 1, 2018.
For more information, please see:
PD Opportunity: Thriving in Change: May 16
We have an upcoming half-day workshop on May 16: Thriving in Change. Change is normal and natural – how we respond to change and interact and support others affected by it can make all the difference. In this workshop participants will start by exploring their own attitudes and reactions to change, learn foundational models to broaden their appreciation of the change journey, and gain new tools and strategies for use in an interpersonal and organizational context.
Learning Outcomes
- Be aware of their your personal reactions and attitudes toward change;
- Gain an understanding of key change models;
- Be able to identify and utilize tools and behaviours that support and enhance personal resiliency in change
- Be better able to support others as you navigate changes
Course Information
Date: May 16, 2018, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $200
Register online.
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Please visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more. Contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
Learning with Lynda.com: Why Statistics Matter in Your Life
Are you questioning the numbers that cross your path in the emails you receive, the reports you review, and the articles you read? Do you ask yourself: Where did those numbers come from? How are they calculated? Are those the right numbers needed to make this decision? Watch the short Lynda.com video, “Why statistics matter in your life,” to learn why an understanding of statistics can help you evaluate data and make better decisions at work.
Visit our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
Coaches Available for Professional and Personal Development
Coaching@UBC has several coaches available for UBC staff and faculty who are interested in working with a coach for areas of professional and/or personal development. Our coaches can work with you to identify the goals you wish to work on, help you to explore ideas and remove barriers, and support you in crafting a plan to take action to move your goals forward.
- Learn more about coaching
- Sign up for a coach (you will be prompted to enter you CWL to enter our secure coaching portal)
- Questions? Contact us.
Reminder to Use Staff Professional Development Funds for 2017/18
As we approach the end of the fiscal year, we ask that you encourage staff in your departments/units to use their professional development funds. 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
The Staff Professional Development Funds at UBC are annual funding pools designed to support employees with staff appointments to pursue learning opportunities that will enhance their professional knowledge, work performance, and ongoing career growth at UBC.
Apply soon to access PD funds available for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. 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. The amount you can claim depends on your employee group, as each group has its own funding pool subject to an annual budget allocation and program guidelines.
Based on claim patterns this year, it is anticipated that the budgeted PD funds will accommodate staff requests up until the March 31 year-end, with the exception of the M&P PD Fund for AAPS members (see below).
If you have already taken full advantage of your PD funds this fiscal year, new money will become available to you on April 1, 2018. If you have not used PD funds this fiscal year, note that they do not rollover; they will expire on March 31, 2018.
Notice: M&P PD Funds anticipated to run out prior to March 31, 2018, year-end
Prior to submitting a claim, M&P staff are encouraged to check the M&P PD Fund webpage for daily updates on the overall fund balance. When the funding pool balance reaches zero prior to March 31, no further PD claims will be accepted for reimbursement this current funding year.
Questions? Please contact pd.funds@ubc.ca.
Learning with Lynda.com: Strengthen Your Project Management Skills with Lynda.com
Are you interested in learning more about effective project management? Is obtaining a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, an internationally recognized professional certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI)®, in your career development plan?
Lynda.com is a PMI® Registered Education Provider and offers a variety of courses which can support your learning goals. Watch the short welcome video of the Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification Exam Preparation course to learn more about the Lynda.com offerings and the benefits of obtaining a PMP certification. Features of the entire course include:
- A design to help you pass the PMP exam
- A 200-question practice exam and supplemental exercise files
- Fulfillment of the 35-hour education requirement needed to sit for the exam
- Provision of 35 PDUs for current PMPs who need credit to maintain their certification
Visit our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
Learning With Lynda.com: The Psychology of Adaptation to Change
How do motivations, mindsets, and openness to risk affect your response to change? Depending where you are on the range of these characteristics, you may find it easier or more challenging to adapt to change in various situations. Learn more about how these characteristics can influence the ability to adapt to change in the short Lynda.com video “The psychology of adaption”.
Visit our lynda.ubc.ca site to learn more about this subject and to find associated resources.
New Managers: Join the 2018/19 Managing@UBC Program
Registration is now open for the Managing@UBC 2018/19 cohort year. Please share this with new managers in your unit who have direct reports.
Program Content
Managing@UBC helps managers learn leadership and managerial skills, and will help you respond to issues and questions you have as a manager. By participating in this self-directed year-long program, you will understand your strengths as a manager, learn how to engage your employees, enhance your ability to take a coach approach, and be connected to a community of UBC leaders.
Every participant co-develops a curriculum with an assigned program advisor. Your individual learning needs will guide where you spend your time in the program; however, you have the option to select from online lessons, coaches, workshops, lunch & learns, and studios. To fully benefit from the program, you can expect to spend one to two days of your time per month for 12 months.
Over 600 managers have participated in Managing@UBC since 2008, and continue to learn through our community of practice led by the program’s alumni to which you are eligible once you graduate. The Managing@UBC program is fully subsidized by Human Resources if you have been in your management role for three years or less, and directly manage staff. Registration closes April 1, 2018.
Register at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/managing-at-ubc/register/.
PD Opportunity: Making Meetings Fly: A Workshop for Leaders (Feb. 5, 2018)
Only a few spaces are left in our upcoming half-day workshop, Making Meetings Fly: A Workshop for Leaders. This session is designed for those who wish to gain a range of tools and techniques to assist in leading meetings that are action focused, decisive and inclusive.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the five principles of effective meetings
- Outline interactive, energizing methods for engaging team meetings
- Identify solutions to common meeting process challenges
Course Information
Date: Feb. 5, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $200
Register online.
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Please visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more.
Last Call for 2018 Coaching@UBC Internship Program Applications
Coaching@UBC is now accepting applications for the 2018 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 Jan. 31, 2018.
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
PD Opportunity: Making Meetings Fly: A Workshop for Leaders (Feb. 5, 2018)
We are hosting a Making Meetings Fly: A Workshop for Leaders half-day workshop on Feb. 5, 2018. This session is designed for those who wish to gain a range of tools and techniques to assist in leading meetings that are action focused, decisive and inclusive.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the five principles of effective meetings
- Outline interactive, energizing methods for engaging team meetings
- Identify solutions to common meeting process challenges
Course Information
Date: Feb. 5, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $200
Register online.
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Please visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more.