How the University Supports Development
- The University of Michigan Staff Development Philosophy
- A Letter from Mary Sue Coleman and Laurita Thomas
- U-M Organizational Competencies
The University of Michigan Staff Development Philosophy
The University of Michigan Executive Officers have formally adopted the following statement.
The University of Michigan recognizes that people are our most important resource for sustaining excellent teaching, research and service.
To enhance the ability of staff members to contribute to their departments and to provide career satisfaction for productive employees, we are committed to supporting on going staff development for any staff member. Staff development is defined as growth in an individual's knowledge, skill, and personal effectiveness.
Our goal is for all staff members to make the maximum contribution to their departments, while having opportunities to develop their talents, to acquire and use new skills, and thus to achieve greater career effectiveness and satisfaction. Career development opportunities include mentoring as well as informal and formal training.
The role of staff members is to pursue growth by:
- Sharing responsibility for their development
- Developing, with their supervisors, plans to acquire or enhance skills, assume responsibilities, and prepare for future opportunities
The role of management is to encourage and be supportive of staff development by:
- Providing ongoing training needed for current and newly assigned responsibilities
- Designing jobs which are challenging
- Providing candid feedback on performance
- Encouraging staff to learn and grow throughout their careers, and to pursue appropriate career goals
- Offering or supporting education and training opportunities to enhance an individual's performances and capacity, even beyond their current position
- Publicizing job opportunities so that individuals can pursue positions which they believe will advance their development
A Letter from Mary Sue Coleman and Laurita Thomas
Dear Colleague:
By opening this catalog you are demonstrating the Michigan Difference--seeking opportunities to learn, grow and achieve. Professional development is a partnership between the University of Michigan and its staff and faculty community to support excellent performance in a dynamic, challenging and changing work environment. The University provides ongoing opportunities for employees to improve their ability to succeed at their current job and to learn new skills that lead to career growth. This partnership is reflected in the wide spectrum of high-value, cost-effective training and consulting services focused on individual and organizational effectiveness offered by HRD.
Supervisors and managers can share in this partnership with classes like Foundations of Supervision, which build core management skills in a collaborative learning environment. Additionally, our commitment to learning is clearly shown by management’s support of the professional development of our staff, which includes providing release work time for employees to participate in training programs. In highly performing units across campus, employee work plans include a percentage of time devoted to professional development. The best leaders understand the need for continuous learning to help staff keep pace with a rapidly changing work environment; and they support learning that improves performance in the current job and builds human potential for the next challenge.
At the individual level, employees who seek opportunities to learn are employees who contribute to both individual success and organizational excellence. The University encourages all employees to take advantage of the broad range of professional development opportunities available and to take ownership of managing their career success.
We appreciate your contributions to the University of Michigan community, and we know that your commitment to excellence and continuous learning are vital components of The Michigan Difference!
In the spirit of partnership, growth and possibilities,
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