Summer Learning Workshops 2024

William Paterson University

Summer Learning Workshops 2024

Lifting as you climb – Strategy for Success

The objective of the award-winning Summer Learning Workshops is to provide professional development workshops and team activities that build on the growth mindset established by previous summer programs.  The theme for 2024 is Lifting as you Climb - learning and developing new practices and skills as a strategy for individual and team success. 

Cabinet and Department Leaders will have the opportunity to plan and deliver tailored development and team building initiatives, including cross functional meetings if desired, during select Wednesdays - July 17, July 31, and Aug. 7 

In-person workshops will be scheduled on July 10, July 24, and some offerings on August 7.

Registration for the Summer Assembly meeting and Summer Learning Workshops available via https://wpunj.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3kfkv5oie9GZpZA . Please note that attendance is required for all 12 month employees. 

Four topic areas include:

• Leadership for all levels (leader of self and programs, leader of others, leader of teams)
• Productivity and Time Management
• Business Process Improvements
• Wellness, Inclusion and Self-Improvement

Wednesday(s) Schedule

Focus topics include:

1. Process Improvement & Productivity – Eat that Frog, author Brian Tracy; Facilitator – Deborah Ackerly, Director, Talent Acquisition & Employee Learning and Development

Author, Brian Tracy offers a list of practical tips for improved productivity and success.

1. Business Process Improvement Review –
1. Workday and Qualtrics - creating efficiencies & increased hands-on application.
2. Cybersecurity and A.I.- 2-hour session
3. Office 365 tools – SharePoint, OneDrive and More!
4. Excel – VLOOKUP and Pivot tables – Tim Lever, AVP Finance
2. Leadership - staying grounded as a leadership strategy with a focus in self-improvement:
1. Impact Players – author, Liz Wiseman, Facilitator – Kristen Illes

Two different registrations for customized workshops:  8:15am for non-faculty and 1:00pm afternoon session for Deans & Department Chairs.

1. Rookie Smarts – author, Liz Wiseman, Facilitators: S.P. Ferris/Deb Ackerly

This is a great continuation to prior Growth Mindset and related workshops.

1. Open the Front Door – Constructive Communication/Conflict Resolution – Regina Tindall, Director of Labor and Employee Relations and Compliance

1. Wellness, Inclusion and Self-Improvement
1. Campus and Personal Safety & CPR – Charles Lowe, Director of Public Safety and University Police & Jill Guzman, Director of Counseling, Health, & Wellness Ctr.
2. Mental Health – reducing the stigma of discussing suicide and depression through education and discussions – Daisy Rodriguez, Associate Director, Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services 
3. Diversity and Inclusion – Cultivating Brave Spaces for the LBGTQ+ Community – Sobia Mahmood, Dir. Inst. Equity & Compliance & Title IX Coord.
4. Building Campus Neurodiversity & Inclusive Communications and Support (supporting our neurodivergent students) – Elizabeth Harkins/Nicole Bartolotta
5. Retirement and planning for the future- “It’s Never too Early to Start Planning.”
6. Getting the most out of your WP benefits:  Health and Wellness: NJ Well program, Quality of Life: Employee Assistance Program, Flexible Spending Accounts: TaxSave Program, Voluntary Tax Program: Deferred Compensation (457) – Nicola Skeet, HR
7. Personal and Household Budget– Tim Lever, AVP Finance – paired with Excel.

Assumptions and ground rules:

1)    Workshops are in-person unless otherwise stated in the program.

1. Location – Employees will register and report to the designated conference room (Grant Hall for in-person workshops/exception will be Qualtrics – which will be scheduled in the Atrium 123 A and B).
2. Attendance and Engagement – The expectation is that all will arrive on time to their registered workshops.  Coffee/tea and continental breakfast will be provided for the kick-off on June 26 from 7:30am – 8:10am and in-person workshops scheduled on July 10 and July 24 from 7:45 – 8:15am.

2)    Workshop details and things to note - 

1. There is an array of workshops pertaining to Leadership, Wellness, Inclusion and Self-Improvement.
2. Some workshops are repeated so individuals can pick the one that works with their schedule.
3. The Impact Players workshop is a book discussion that continues across a two-day workshop (July 10 and July 24). Participants will receive a copy of the book. To request a book, please send an email to ackerlyd1@wpunj.edu
4. Eat that Frog and Rookie Smarts – workbooks/handouts will be made available.
5. Sign-up link https://wpunj.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3kfkv5oie9GZpZA is  provided to register for your selected workshop.

• Everyone will maintain their own schedule.  Attendance will be taken at all workshops.
• The expectation is that employees will attend a workshop on July 10 and 24 and the assembly on June 26, for the in-person kick off. 
• On the following dates - July 17, July 31 and August 7, every individual should check with their Department Manager / Division Leader regarding any required learning or session for the department / division. 
• For individual learning (July 3) or if no department led meeting(s) are scheduled, please proceed to complete self-learning courses:

• LinkedIn Learning WPU Daily Announcements (wpunj.edu) and select the LinkedIn Learning App
• EAP  https://www.theeap.com/higher-education-eap  and/or https://www.theeappremium.com/
• Vector Solutions https://wpunj-nj.safecolleges.com/training/home 

• On August 7, workshops will be offered to provide an opportunity for additional sessions for those whose Department/Division Leaders are not scheduling a department led or cross-department led meeting/session.