VPAA Professional Development Opportunities

Making Better Videos for Your Courses - Presented by Indy Potter
Fall 2025 | One-hour workshop offered virtually [1 hour total]

  • Wednesday, September 24, 2025 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. (Zoom) | Register

How to Engage with the Community for Future Leadership Roles - Presented by Dr. Chan Gu
Fall 2025 | 90-minute presentation offered in-person [90 minutes total]
This workshop is intended for tenure-track faculty.

  • Wednesday, October 22, 2025 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. (SC 301) | Register

How to Engage with the Community for Future Leadership Roles - Presented by Dr. Chan Gu
Spring 2026 | 90-minute presentation offered virtually or in-person [90 minutes total]
This workshop is intended for tenure-track faculty.

  • Wednesday, February 18, 2026 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. (Zoom) | Register
  • Monday, March 9, 2026 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. (SC 301) | Register
  • Learning Objectives: 
    • Develop Essential Leadership Skills - Equip tenure-track faculty with the skills necessary to lead in academic settings, including strategic thinking, communication, conflict resolution, and decision-making.
    • Foster a Leadership Mindset - Encourage faculty to view themselves as potential leaders and to take ownership of their professional development in this area. 
    • Provide Mentorship and Networking Opportunities - Connect faculty with experienced leaders who can offer guidance, share insights, and help them navigate the complexities of academic leadership. 
    • Encourage Experiential Learning - Provide opportunities for faculty to apply leadership skills in real-world contexts, such as serving on committees, leading projects, or participating in administrative roles. 

Outside the Lines: Creative Paths to Stronger Department Morale - Presented by Dr. Jill Walls
Spring 2026 |60-minute presentation offered virtually [60 minutes total]

  • Friday, February 20, 2026 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (Zoom) | Register
  • Monday, February 23, 2026 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. (SC 302) | Register
  • Learning Objectives: 
    • Understand common “morale killers” for faculty and staff in higher education. 
    • Understand the potential benefits of centering relationships in leadership and what that looks like in practice.
    • Identify and discuss barriers to creating a positive workplace culture. 
    • Receive specific examples of morale-boosting events, activities, and traditions that I’ve found to be successful.
    • Set one morale-boosting goal for this academic year. 

Effective Networking Strategies on LinkedIn - Presented by Dr. Luis Orozco 
Spring 2026 |One-hour workshop offered virtually or in-person [60 minutes total]

  • Tuesday, March 10, 2026 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (Library) | Register
  • Tuesday, March 17, 2026 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (Zoom) | Register
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Importance of networking - Participants will learn about the importance of networking for their professional careers. 
    • Preparing Initial messages - Participants will learn how to create effective initial outreach messages. 
    • Visibility Enhancement - Participants will learn methods for increasing professional visibility. 
    • Audience Engagement - Participants will learn strategies to actively engage and maintain a professional network.  

Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom in the Learning Environment  - Presented by Kevonna Tyler and Dr. Stephanie Simon-Dack 
Spring 2026 | 90-minute presentation in-person [90 minutes total] Freedom of expression and academic freedom are foundational to higher education, shaping how ideas are shared, challenged, and developed in the classroom. This session will explore the principles and limits of free expression in the learning environment. Participants will explore how to foster inclusive dialogue and balance the rights and responsibilities that come with freedom of expression in academic settings.

  • Tuesday, March 24, 2026 from 11:30a.m.-1:00p.m. (SC 301) | Register
  • Learning Objectives: 
    • Define the concepts of freedom of expression and academic freedom, including how they intersect and differ in higher education.
    • Recognize the rights and responsibilities of faculty and students related to expression in the classroom.
    • Reflect on modeling academic freedom and embracing student expression. 
       

Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning in Health Data - Presented by Dr. Munni Begum
Spring 2026 | Multi-day training (three 3-hour sessions) offered virtually and in-person [9 hours total]

  • Thursday, March 26, 2026 from 8:00-11:00 a.m. (RB 355 or Zoom) | Register
  • Thursday, April 2, 2026 from 8:00-11:00 a.m.
  • Friday, April 9, 2026 from 8:00-11:00 a.m.
  • Learning Objectives: 
    • Classify and access different sources of health and biomedical data, such as national surveys, observational studies, clinical trials, electronic health records, data from mobile devices, and data from the cancer genomics studies.
    • Select and effectively use appropriate data pre-processing and management techniques using open-source computational programming languages R and Python.
    • Explore and visualize health data using state of the art software packages such as ggplot2.
    • Choose and apply the most appropriate and current methods for analyzing health and biomedical data.
    • Apply predictive models and machine learning algorithms such as supervised and unsupervised learning algorithms using the open-source computational environment R/Python.
    • Interpret and effectively communicate the results for data-driven decision making. 

Classroom Civility and Shared Accountability: Workshop for Faculty  - Presented by Dr. Stephanie Simon-Dack and Dr. Linh Littleford 
Spring 2026 | 90-minute presentation in-person [90 minutes total] This interactive and collaborative workshop will introduce a toolkit developed by faculty for faculty to foster inclusiveness, civility, and shared accountability in learning environments through relationship-rich practices. 

  • Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 10:30a.m.-12:00p.m. (SC 301-302) | Register
  • Attendees will have the opportunity to practice these strategies by: 
    • Workshopping scenarios in the classroom where students express concern or distress to course content.
    • Identifying best practices and strategies to address and to de-escalate potentially contentious situations.

Reclaiming Confidence: Building Resilience for Mid-Career Faculty in Academia- Presented by Dr. Somanita Kheang
Spring 2026 | 90-minute presentation offered virtually or In-Person [90 minutes total]

  • Tuesday, March 31, 2026 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. (SC 301) | Register
  • Tuesday, April 14, 2026 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Zoom | Register
  • Learning Objectives:
    • Recognize and Understand the Impostor Phenomenon - Participants will explore the factors contributing to impostor feelings in academia and how these can affect their confidence and professional fulfillment.   
    • Develop Practical Resilience Strategies - Attendees will learn specific evidence-based resilience strategies, including mindfulness techniques and stress management exercises, to help them navigate challenges in their professional lives.  
    • Foster Supportive Networks - Participants will engage in facilitated group discussions to share their experiences and build supportive peer networks, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and mentorship in their academic journeys.  
    • Create Personalized Action Plans - Each attendee will draft a personalized action plan that outlines specific strategies and goals aimed at enhancing their resilience and confidence in their roles.