Professional Development Corner: May 15, 2025

 

by Patty Marbury, Director of Training & Development

Professional development is a great way to stay connected and to meet the challenges of our ever-evolving world of higher education and beyond. Whether you’re interested in learning new or refreshing current skills, building your leadership competencies, or just staying current with the latest trends, there are plenty of opportunities to grow. It’s also a chance to connect with other colleagues, explore new interests, and find ways to make a meaningful impact on Grounds and in the community. We’re excited to share a range of workshops, courses, and resources to support your journey—wherever it takes you next. Some of these offerings are free, and some have fees; none have travel beyond the UVA offerings that require local travel.  

(Remember to discuss all professional development opportunities with your manager before applying for any funds. See below for more information on the Education Benefit.)

Why is professional development important?

Check out this article from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, How Professional Development Can Boost Employee Engagement on how participating in learning activities benefits all.

How do you maintain a growth mindset?

In March, I shared an article on why cultivating a growth mindset is important when considering professional development and lifelong learning - Growth Mindset and Professional Development: Do you Have a Growth Mindset or a Fixed Mindset? Then in April, I shared some tips on moving from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. However, once you’ve made that shift, how can you maintain a growth mindset during these challenging times?

Maintaining a growth mindset during times of challenge—whether it’s navigating budget constraints, shifting priorities, or unexpected setbacks—means staying open to learning, adapting, and finding opportunity in the midst of uncertainty. It’s about focusing on what’s possible rather than what’s limited, being creative with available resources, and viewing obstacles as a chance to build resilience and new skills. Even small steps forward can lead to meaningful progress, and by staying curious and solution-oriented, we can continue to grow and support our institutions through change.

Coursera

Remember that we have access to Coursera, and an online learning platform that offers a wide range of courses, specializations, certifications, and degree programs from universities and institutions around the world. UVA has a university-wide subscription for Coursera. Check it out and start learning!

Upcoming Offerings

Listed below are links to offerings that may be of interest – this month we’ll focus on opportunities for which you can use your centrally-funded education benefit and are offered virtually, or in a few cases, locally, so there are no travel costs! (Remember, if you are requesting departmental funds, make sure it you have approval before you register for or enroll in any offering.)

NACUBO*

Washington Updates:

Recordings:

Other Live Online Events - unless indicated, the session is free to NACUBO members, which we are, although you need an individual account.* Some also offer CPE credits.

Self-Paced Courses and Microlearning

  • Strategic Higher Education Finance and Planning ($595)
  • F&A Short Form ($150)
  • Facilities Management ($49)
  • New to Higher Education ($49)
  • Essentials of College and University Accounting (this is currently undergoing regular review cycle and updates.)

Podcasts

  • Career Conversations
  • NACUBO in Brief

*Individual NACUBO membership is free through UVA’s institutional membership. To join go to nacubo.org and click on “Login or Join”. From the Login box, click on “Don’t have an account” and fill out the form. In the “Primary Affiliate” field enter “University of Virginia” and select the appropriate affiliate.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Chronicle also has many interesting articles.

AGA

AGA is the association that connects and empowers professionals who support government, from financial management to IT, human resources, cybersecurity and more, to advance good government initiatives, grow their expertise, and accelerate their careers. (Requires membership.) 

LearnBFSI 

LearnBFSI (several interesting for-fee courses - $199 each for live webinar and $159 for recording – note this company is in Australia), including: ChatGPT for CPAs and Finance Professionals as well as courses in Excel and ChatGPT for PowerPoint.

Other Considerations

Also consider the following as you plan your professional development for the year:

Education Benefit

Each year, you have $2,000 of centrally-funded education benefit for professional development or $5,250 to use for tuition toward a degree-seeking program. See https://hr.virginia.edu/career-development/education-benefits-1 for more information. (To be eligible for this benefit, you must have had six months of service in a benefits-eligible position at UVA by the start date of the class, with the intent to remain on the active payroll during the entire term of the class.) 

Professional Development Request Form 

UVAFinance team members – Since we have submitted initial FY 2025 professional development requests already, please discuss with your manager and use the Professional Development Request Form before you register for any program. Remember, not all professional development opportunities require submission of the form. If an opportunity is less than ½ day AND there is no cost associated with it, then do not submit a form. Many LinkedIn Learning courses and some courses offered by UVA Human Resources or other UVA departments meet these criteria. Otherwise, the form must be submitted. If unsure, feel free to ask!

For LEADERS

Here’s an article from the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL):  The Top 20 Leadership Challenges – this informative article provides many links to other articles and resources. (This is not a new article – it has been posted in past newsletters.)

Please feel free to share other opportunities you come across, and I’ll include them in future communications!