HR Training Update
As we adjust to the new academic year and enjoy the normalcy that on-campus business and operations provide, we are excited to note some of our recent training successes and to mention some of the upcoming professional development opportunities going on this fall and on a revolving cycle throughout the year.
CMULead Update
The 2023 CMULead program launched on June 8 with an in-person orientation and team building session. Since then, participants have been meeting twice a month (both virtually and in person) to address such topics as building a leadership brand, employee retention, risk management, and change management. They have also been meeting with college and division leaders to discuss their career journeys and address key leadership topics like the role of research at the university, strategic thinking, and team building. In August, the HR Learning and Development team also organized a networking event for current participants and past graduates. The program will culminate with a graduation in November.
Lean Six Sigma Update
The 2023 Lean Six Sigma program launched in June with a week of in-person training. Virtual training continued in June and July as the program participants began to consider how best to apply the strategies to their assigned project. In August, the teams began to focus on reviewing data and interviewing stakeholders to better understand the current state of the processes they were asked to assess. This analysis will lead to recommendations for process improvement that will be shared in presentations to the executive sponsors by year’s end.
Excel Training Program
After last year’s successful pilot of Microsoft Excel training designed to help employees to expand their proficiency, the Office of Human Resources, in partnership with the Community College of Allegheny County, is once again sponsoring both foundational and advanced Excel training. Sessions are designed to help establish a solid foundation for basic users as well as to accommodate users interested in learning how to use some of the more advanced features of this powerful spreadsheet application.
Administrative Professionals Program to Be Offered Again in 2024
In our last HR Update newsletter, we recognized the latest group of CMU staff to complete the Administrative Professionals Program. The program, developed to enhance the skills of administrative professionals through a partnership with the Community College of Allegheny County, has again proven to be a valuable professional development opportunity based on the unanimously positive feedback that participants provided about their experience. We are pleased to announce that the Office of Human Resources is in the process of scheduling this training again in early 2024.
Women’s Leadership Academy Graduates Latest Cohort
Congratulations to the following individuals who graduated from the Strategies for Advancing Women in Organizations program this past July:
- Hollen Barmer — Software Engineering Institute
- Beth Beyer — University Advancement
- Star Broadus — Office of Human Resources
- Rebecca D’Acunto — Software Engineering Institute
- AnneMarie DeGeorge — Student Affairs
- Karen Eck — Office of Human Resources
- Ashley Ferenczy — Finance
- Veella Grooms — Student Affairs
- Danielle Jackson — Office of the Provost
- Erin Latimer — Enrollment Services
- Geneva Lounder — Finance
- Marlene Williams — Dietrich College
This collaborative program is sponsored by the Office of Human Resources and facilitated by Tepper Executive Education. The goal of the program is to help participants craft their leadership brand for both individual and organizational success while leveraging their unique strengths and addressing the challenges specific to women seeking advancement opportunities in higher education.