A variety of courses and training aimed at supervisors will kick off during October. The courses, offered through human resources, help new supervisors learn the essentials and experienced leaders expand their skills.
“We have created categories to help supervisors identify the courses that best meet their learning needs,” said Jill O’Dea, learning and development manager. Those categories are supervisor essentials and supervisor development.
Supervisor essentials focuses on skills of critical importance to meeting university expectations and federal and state regulations, and fulfilling supervisory responsibilities. Supervisor development targets skills that elevate a supervisor's overall effectiveness and success as a leader.
Several supervisor trainings are available in October, and registration is now open. The Title VII, Title IX, and ADA training, a supervisor essential, focuses on prohibited discrimination and harassment and university reporting responsibilities. It also provides supervisors guidance on the institution’s legal obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Two courses aimed at supervisor development focus on completing effective performance evaluations and supervising with strategy. The “Supervising With Strategy” workshop guides supervisors through a process of identifying their strategic intent and exploring management styles and their unique communication preferences.
“We know that supervisors are not always able to attend instructor-led trainings across campus,” O’Dea said. “For this reason, human resources has developed a collection of e-learning opportunities for supervisors to complete anytime at their own convenience.”
The Supervisory Skills eLearning Program offers coursework integrated from the university’s e-learning resource, Skillport, available in the MyTrack Learning Library. The collection provides a training roadmap for supervisors to enhance their leadership and employee management skills.
Skillport is a valuable go-to resource for supervisors, O’Dea said. It provides a variety of online, self-paced learning activities along with other resources such as job aids, simulations, videos and books.
“Developing and delivering supervisor training will continue to be a priority for the learning and development unit in human resources,” O’Dea said. “Supervisors are encouraged to regularly visit the MyTrack learning library for training opportunities essential to their success as well as those that develop their skills regardless of their level of experience.”