Monday, 6/30/97 Students aren’t the only ones who attend class
STAFF: UCLA employees can take workshops to enhance career
skills
By Cindy Choi Daily Bruin Contributor UCLA is an educational
institution and not just for students. The Staff and Development
unit, a subgroup of the Campus Human Resources (CHR), aims to train
and equip the staff with personal and professional skills. This
center coordinates workshops and courses in which more than 15,000
staff members are eligible to participate. Participants and
instructors say that the classes increase staff skills and provide
a social aspect for UCLA employees. The classes are organized under
categories such as administrative procedure, personnel policy,
professional and career development, communication, and
self-development. A major goal is to "provide the best support
system for faculty and students," says Linda Newcomb, the training
coordinator of the Staff and Development unit. She maintains that
the program makes a tremendous positive impact not only on the
staff as a way to develop skills for their own career, but on the
entire campus itself. The benefits from this extensive
instructional opportunity are numerous and direct. The program
translates to a highly competent staff who are able to do their
jobs more efficiently and in turn are able to service the students
and the faculty, attested Newcomb. The training brings about a
"recognition factor" of staff’s importance, which serves to
"improve morale," said Kay Miller, manager of Personnel Services of
CHR. Because the program acknowledges the value of training, it
highlights the critical role of the staff at UCLA. The unit’s
offerings promote the personal and career development of staff
members. One participant, Rosemary Chavoya, regards the dozens of
classes she has taken as the "avenue to progress and advancement"
in her 15 years as a career staff member. Chavoya is the director
of Student Services in the department of psychology. Her overall
assessment of the program is overwhelmingly high, noting that it
has been essential to her career. She adds that it has also
encouraged her "to face challenges outside the university." Other
participants mention benefits of the staff development programs.
"(They) have helped me in a lot of different ways, in applying what
I learned in classes to my work and in different situations," said
Sheila Summerville, office manager of Labor Occupational Safety and
Health. Established in the early ’70s, the unit has evolved and
expanded to meet the changing needs of the diverse campus. The
computer classes are extremely popular and are often in short
supply. These classes help staff react to growing administrative
requirements for technological expertise. In the computer
workshops, the staff receives training in small classes with
individual state-of-the-art computers. The courses have taught
Chavoya "an understanding of technology" which she finds
indispensible in "both the work place and personal life."
Occasionally, even faculty take the computer classes. The unit
offers courses year-round, including Summer Quarter, maintained by
the voluntary interest and participation of the staff. The
published course catalog, analogous to the students’ schedule of
classes, exceeds 30 pages each quarter during the regular
scholastic year. The self-supporting program is funded from course
fees of $10-$15. Around 4,500 employees take classes yearly. Miller
reports that the "unit, the offerings and the utilization are
expanding." The feedback has been affirmative for the Staff and
Development unit. At the end of the course, participants fill out
an evaluation form rating the instruction, the content and other
aspects in order to determine the effectiveness of the class and to
find out what needs reform. The responses are "very favorable,"
noted Newcomb, ensured that the unit is realizing its goals. "The
staff development programs have been essential to my career growth.
Because of the program I have clarified my goals and have
accomplished them," Chavoya said. The lessons of personal
development such as time management and negotiating skills have
been practical, she said. Classes helped Summerville "pinpoint the
areas that need improvement" and to use the knowledge everyday.
Another dimension, affirms Newcomb, is that the classes "give staff
a chance to get away from work and to meet fellow employees" as
well as to become familiar with UCLA. Summerville welcomes the
social aspect as "a chance to meet people in different departments
and to network." The faculty and students constitute an obvious
productive segment of the university. However, the staff actively
contribute to the campus. "In order for the university to maintain
its excellence, the staff employees must meet the challenge,"
Miller asserted. Previous Daily Bruin Story New program to help
UCLA staff advance careers, January 22, 1996