Faculty and staff at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications developed three professional development opportunities to empower team members to excel in their fields.
When career development specialist Natalie Becerra set out to create an initiative specific to staff professional development, she envisioned something that would resonate deeply with the diverse needs of the college's team.
After an initial brainstorming session with the director of business and operations, Haley Hamel, the two settled on a monthly e-newsletter designed to spotlight professional development opportunities and foster a culture of continuous learning.
"We have a variety of staff roles in our college, each with different needs when it comes to professional development," Becerra said. "I wanted to show that staff roles are valuable and their professional growth is important."
The Growth Gazette offers a calendar of upcoming professional events and resources related to that month's development topic. The newsletter also encourages staff members to explore growth in multiple ways—by attending conferences or trainings, listening to podcasts, reading books or meeting with a mentor.
"I want to encourage people to find what works for them since there's not one 'right' way to do professional development," Becerra said.
By spotlighting these opportunities, Becerra hopes the Growth Gazette will reinforce the college's commitment to staff development and inspire more people to utilize available resources.
With the introduction of a new process for staff to request funding for professional development, she also wants staff to feel empowered to request funding for things that will help them grow professionally.
"My primary goal is to get staff engaged and excited about professional development with the hope that it will lead to a culture of sharing information to build each other up," Becerra said.
The college’s staff council hosts a monthly Learch@Lunch workshop series designed to enhance leadership skills, boost productivity and provide insights for success in higher education careers.
CoJMC faculty and staff network within the academic community and grow their professional development over the lunch hour. The first Lunch@Learn of the fall 2024 semester featured Jane T. Olson Dean and Professor Shari Veil who presented her research in crisis communications.
Another professional development initiative available for faculty and staff is a monthly learning session, CoJMC Innovation and Exploration (CIE). CIEs are an opportunity for the college’s faculty, staff and campus partners to learn from experts on a variety of topics.
The series was developed by Cory Armstrong, associate dean for research and faculty affairs and Lawrence L. & Ruth E. Pike Professor.
“One of the core goals of the CIE initiative is to create a space for continuous learning and professional development,” Armstrong said. “These sessions are about enhancing our collective expertise and staying ahead of the curve."
The first CIE of the 24-25 school year is on Friday, Sept. 13. It will focus on teaching and working with today’s students, with guest speakers Lydia Coulson, undergraduate education and student success communications specialist and Robert Russell, director, Center for Academic Success and Transition.
The October CIE “Engagement Outside the Traditional Scholarship Box,” will feature three speakers:
Jocelyn Bosley, research impact coordinator, UNL Office of Research and Innovation
Jentry Barrett, campus engagement zone coordinator, UNL
- A research development program coordinator from UNL Office of Research and Innovation
