Case Western Reserve University to offer inaugural Professional Development Day Jan. 29

Members of the Case Western Reserve University community can enhance their skillsets at the university’s inaugural Professional Development Day next week. Staff, faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars all are invited to get involved in the day, which will be held Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will be composed of four main aspects:

• An expo with information about year-round offerings related to professional development at Case Western Reserve, such as lecture series, online- and part-time programs, certificate programs and more;
• 12 workshops and trainings to home in on various skills and aspects of the workplace, with options to learn about public speaking, using literature for social wellness, supporting student employees, disability education, LGBTQ experiences and more;
• The Solutions Slam, which will put a spotlight on creative problem-solving at CWRU; and
• The Innovation Jam, which will bring graduate students, staff, faculty and postdoctoral students together on teams to develop a solution to an issue CWRU faces.

Kim Justice, performance manager at the Professional Development Center, said she hopes the event will help the university community “continue to foster a good culture of professional development and … continue to grow as a tight-knit community.”

Origins of Professional Development Day

The groundwork for the daylong event was laid in late 2017, when Human Resources’ Professional Development Center staff began brainstorming ways to help promote continuous development for different campus constituents. Taking a cue from other universities that have hosted similar daylong events centered on professional development, the center set out to offer a similar opportunity, making it uniquely CWRU. Event organizers hope to make Professional Development Day an annual offering. Groups from around campus then worked together to make it a reality. Event sponsors are: the Office of The Provost, Professional Development Center in Human Resources, Division of Student Affairs, Center for International Affairs, School of Graduate Studies Professional Development Center and Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit. “I am delighted that we are able to showcase the many professional development opportunities available for faculty, staff and graduate students,” said Vice President for Human Resources Carolyn Gregory. “I’m looking forward to seeing how many areas of our campus community have come together to share their experience and knowledge.”

Event details

Professional Development Day will be held Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Tinkham Veale University Center. Members of the campus community can register for the various events through CampusGroups. A total of 12 workshops and training sessions will be offered, and some will be livestreamed for those who would like to attend but cannot make it in person. A full list of the livestreamed events is available on the CampusGroups page. Additionally, the first 65 registered audience members for the Solutions Slam will receive lunch courtesy of the Office of the Provost. Those with questions can email profdevday@case.edu.