Management Advisory Services Internal Control Education Session (1/27)

Recognizing the benefits of internal controls and understanding internal controls is the responsibility of the campus community. A two-hour session will cover this information Thursday, January 27, at 10 a.m.-noon, in the Commons, Room 331, and is appropriate for faculty and staff. It is highly recommended that new employees attend this session, and existing employees who would benefit from reviewing internal controls are also strongly encouraged to attend.

You can register for the session on the OIT Training web site or by contacting Management Advisory Services, Sharon Doherty-Ritter at doherty@umbc.edu Please call ext. 5-1620 for additional information.

Fundamentals of Proposal Preparation (2/4)

The Office of the Vice President for Research announces the following free grant-writing workshop for faculty and staff presented by Ralph Pollack, Associate Vice President for Research:

Fundamentals of Proposal Preparation
Friday, February 4, 2011
12:00pm till 3:00pm in Commons Room 331

This introductory workshop is for those who either are new to the art of proposal preparation or wish to increase their probabilities of success. The workshop is appropriate for those in all research areas, including the sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Topics include how to develop a fundable research idea, how to identify an appropriate funding agency, understanding the review process, how to present your idea in a proposal and how to maximize your chances of getting funded.

A light lunch will be served.

If you would like to attend this workshop, register with Diane Markellos at dianem@umbc.edu.

Register soon as space is limited.

Understanding Performance Management: A Guide for Non-supervisory Staff (4/1)

In this overview of the Performance Management Process (PMP) with Employment/Labor Relations Specialist Shobhna Arora, you will have an opportunity to learn about performance management and its components, the importance of setting goals and on-going communication, how to solicit and receive feedback, the benefits of completing a self-assessment and strategies for enhancing professional development. This session also covers tips and assistance in preparing for the mid-cycle performance review.

The workshop will be Friday, April 1, 9 a.m.-noon, at The Commons Room 331.

Register by Friday, March 18, at www.umbc.edu/training/community.

Get a flyer with details at www.umbc.edu/hr/T&OD/schedule.htm.

Planning for Performance Management Success: A Guide for Supervisors (3/10)

This workshop is required training for all supervisors of Regular and Contingent II Staff. In this overview of the Performance Management Process (PMP) you will learn about the benefits of performance management, the importance of ongoing communication, the PMP cycle, how to use the PMP form and strategies for professional development. Elmer Falconer, Director of Employment/Labor Relations, is the instructor for this workshop.

The workshop will be Thursday, March 10, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in The Commons, Room 331.

Register by Wednesday, March 2, at www.umbc.edu/training/community.

Get a flyer with details at www.umbc.edu/hr/T&OD/schedule.htm.

Meeting Facilitation Workshop Series (2/17)

There are seats available for the Spring “Meeting Facilitation Workshop Series” sponsored by the Training and Organization Development department.

This special series of two workshops is for people in leadership roles, who design and lead multi-stakeholder meetings that require grappling with an issue that may be ill-defined, people have varying viewpoints on it, and there is a need to build consensus and support for implementing change.

The half-day program “Making Meetings Work” is on Thursday, February 17, followed by the full-day program “Facilitating Effective Interactive Meetings” on Wednesday, March 2. They will be in the University Center, Room 312.

For a detailed flyer with more information, visit www.umbc.edu/hr/T&OD/schedule.htm.

Spaces are limited and pre-registration is required. Register by February 1 via email to jwardell@umbc.edu.

Utilizing Your Dependable Strengths to Maximize Your Potential (2/9)

Begin to discover the talents and strengths that motivate you most. Through a peer-assisted group process, you will tap into your “good experiences” to see your patterns of strengths, begin to develop your professional brand, explore where you can maximize your strengths within your career, have a stronger sense of control over your happiness at work and become energized.

Anne Scholl-Fiedler, director of the Career Services Center, will facilitate this half-day workshop. Approximately one hour of pre-work will be sent to participants a week before the program.

The workshop will be Wednesday, February 9, 9 a.m.-12:30 pm, in the University Center, Room 312.

Register by Tuesday, February 1, at www.umbc.edu/training/community.

Get a flyer with details at www.umbc.edu/hr/T&OD/schedule.htm.

SkillSoft Topic of the Month: Optimizing Your Work/Life Balance: Taking Control of Your Stress

Are you constantly adding items to your to-do list and it seems like your list never shrinks? Are you feeling overwhelmed at work and at home? Are you afraid that stress is starting to negatively impact your health and relationships?

This one-hour course is aimed at individuals who wish to balance their work/life responsibilities. Completing this course will enable you to recognize how stress manifests in your life, identify the main characteristics and symptoms of burnout and recognize examples coping actions and strategies to prevent full-blown burnout. You will also learn a model to manage your reaction to stressful situations.

Visit www.umbc.edu/skillsoft for a SkillSoft Demo, FAQs, Quick Start Guide and the link to log in to SkillPort. This module is course number pd_06_a03_bs_enus.

To schedule a department presentation about SkillSoft, call ext. 5-6262 or e-mail hrtraining@umbc.edu.

Mental Health First Aid Training (1/12 and 1/14)

Mental health first aid is help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crisis is resolved.

The goals of mental health first aid are to preserve life when the person may be in danger to self or others, provide help to prevent the mental health problem from developing into a serious state, promote recovery of good mental health and provide comfort to a person with a mental health problem.

Mental health first aid training does not teach people to be therapists. Rather, it teaches how to recognize the symptoms of mental health problems, how to provide initial help and how to guide a person towards appropriate professional help.

Sue Plitt (Career Services), Jennifer Lepus (Health Services) and Cindy Paige-Desi (Residential Life) will conduct the training session Wednesday, January 12, and Friday, January 14, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. both days. Individuals who sign up for must commit to complete both days of training. There is no charge for the training.

Participants who complete the training will receive a certificate.

“I think the training helped me to better understand the signs and symptoms of students in distress. It also gave me insight into what a student who is dealing with mental illness is going through. I actually used some of the trainers’ tips when dealing with a student recently. The tips helped me to better communicate with the student and not feel so awkward,” a recent trainee said.

To register, email your name, department and phone number to studentaffairs@umbc.edu. You will receive a confirmation along with location of the training.

This training is sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs. For more information on mental health first aid, visit www.mhfa.com.au.

The Magic of Conflict (2/1)

The ability to respectfully deal with conflict with a sense of personal power and well-being is critical to our success, and to the success of our teams and the university.

This workshop helps participants see conflict as an opportunity and provides skills to resolve it creatively. Attendees experience how changes in self-management have a magical effect on stress level and relationships! The approach draws from principles of the non-violent martial art of Aikido, and is based on the book “The Magic of Conflict” by Thomas F. Crum. This experiential workshop, facilitated by Terri Werner, director of training and organization development, utilizes an interesting variety of training techniques to enhance respect for self and for others.

Participants in this workshop learn to be calm and act effectively under pressure; deal with change and complexity with power rather than paralysis; minimize stress and increase vitality in the workplace; and acquire skills to resolve conflict effectively and save time, money and frustration.

This workshop is conducted in four half-day sessions, over a period of three weeks. We also ask that participants be available on the snow date of Tuesday, March 1, in the case of inclement weather. Participants will receive two books and a course workbook. There are reading and practice assignments between sessions.

We request a commitment to attend all four sessions, February 1, 8, 15 and 22, with March 1 as a snow date. Sessions are 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m., except February 22 and March 1 which begin at 8:30 a.m.

Class size is limited to 16 to maximize the participatory nature of the program, so register now!

Register before January 10 by contacting Jill Weinknecht Wardell at ext. 5-1442, or email jwardell@umbc.edu.

Get a flyer with details at www.umbc.edu/hr/T&OD/schedule.htm.

Leading Yourself and Others in Times of Significant Change

Did you miss Professional Development Day 2010? Or would you like to hear the keynote again? The opening remarks and keynote presentation are now available on UMBCs YouTube channel! Valerie Thomas, AVP for human resources, welcomes participants and President Freeman Hrabowski shares his thoughts on workplace effectiveness, personal leadership and life-long learning. Joe Raia, founder and President of Glimmerglass Consulting & Training, Inc., shares ways we can provide leadership regardless of our position or role.

Watch on UMBCtube.