Professional Development

Policy update as of September 2023 for staff development funding made available through departments for employees in their current and future roles.

Medical School Staff Professional Development Policy – 2024

The Medical School supports staff in their development of skills and knowledge to aid their professional  growth throughout their careers. Supporting the professional development of Medical School supports the  intention that staff can have robust, dynamic careers that are rewarding while also evolving to support the  needs of the college over time. In an effort to encourage staff to grow and develop their careers within the  Medical School and University of Minnesota, the Dean will allocate funds annually to departments and  functional groups to support staff for professional development pursuits with the intention of developing and  retaining staff over time.  

ELIGIBILITY: 

Staff employed in Medical School positions of .5 FTE or above, non-temporary/casual employees are eligible  for professional development funds. Staff must be in good standing based on meeting expectations on the last performance appraisal. Staff are eligible for approval or use of funds after 6 months of employment in the  Medical School.  

FUNDING: 

All Civil Service, Labor Represented, and Professional & Administrative staff employed on January 1, 2023 will  be used as a census to allocate professional development funds. Staff will partner with their supervisors to  determine what professional development activities are appropriate and submit a request to their department  leadership or functional lead.  

PRIORITIZATION: 

Professional Development funds will be allocated at the discretion of the departmental leadership based on  the following framework:  

• Priority 1: Professional Development activities directly related to an employee’s current position

• Priority 2: Professional Development activities related to another position in the Medical School

• Priority 3: Other professional development activities 

COVERED ACTIVITIES:  

Examples of professional development activities eligible for financial support through the Medical School  include professional certifications, non-credit bearing coursework, certification prep courses, testing costs or  materials, professional membership fees, and professional conference attendance. Expenses that are  ineligible for funding through this process include wellness activities, technology purchases, office equipment, or any other purchases prohibited by the University of Minnesota funding policy.  

FRAMEWORK:  

Professional development funds will be allocated each year, with departments receiving $500 in funds per  eligible employee to distribute based on the requests received. This is not intended to result in $500 for each  employee in professional development funds, but rather a mechanism for distributing funds to departments and groups in order for requests to be prioritized and funding requests to be funded based on the priorities  above and volume of requests.  

The funds will be allocated to a common program code in each department for tracking purposes (MSPDP - Med School Professional Development Program). The funds will be allocated based on the eligible headcount  basis for staff. Funds will be allowed to carry forward into the next fiscal year, but departments will not be  allowed to carry forward more than two years’ worth of funds to encourage spending. 

REQUIREMENTS: 

All expenses reimbursable through this process require supervisor pre-approval and an approved Professional  Development Request Form. Reimbursement for approved activities must follow University guidelines for  purchasing, submission of reimbursement materials, and stipulated timelines for reimbursement. Employees  must be actively employed and eligible per the terms outlined here at the time of request, engagement in the  professional development activities, and reimbursement of funds. 

• Medical School Staff Professional Development Policy – 2024

• Professional Development Process, Timeline and Request Approvals

• Leveraging Emotional Intelligence at Work with Marvell Allen, UC Berkley (1h 11m) 

• Resolving Conflict During Trying Times with University of Minnesota Alumni Association (1h 10m)

• Professional Development Certificate Courses

• Professional Development Webinars (free)

• Equity and Diversity Certificate Program helps participants develop tools necessary for advancing equity and diversity in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. The Certificate program is free for all current students, staff, & faculty on all five system campuses.

• The Danger of a Single Story with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ted Talk (19m) 

• The Difference between Being “Not Racist” and Antiracist with Ibram X Kendi, TedX Talk (51m) 

• A repository of Finance & HR staff professional development opportunities are available at this link.

• Suggestions for additions to the list can be submitted here.

• Trusting Teams with Simon Sinek, Ted Talk (9m) 

• Leading on all Levels program is designed to help individuals contributors develop leadership skills within the University's leadership competency model. 

• UMN Supervisory Development - This is a flexible online leadership program exclusively for  faculty and staff who oversee the work of others. It has research-based content about what  actually works when it comes to effectively developing your staff. Topics include Feedback and  Coaching, Managing Conflict, Leading Teams, and more! 

• Team Leadership Webinars (virtual and free for UMN employees) - Bonus: you can also earn 200 wellness points for participating.

• The 5 People You Need To Be Happy with Stacey Flowers, TEDxUNO (18m) 

• Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing webinars (free)

• Tasks and Professional Development Activities for Researchers Working from Home

• OIT Technology Courses (includes Canvas, Academic Technology, Digital Access, Drupal, Jadu Forms, UM Analytics, Zoom).

• Beginning Excel 2019 Open Textbook Network

Register for courses, certificates, and conferences that don't bear formal academic credit and are focused on professional & personal growth at https://learning.umn.edu/.