Dear colleagues:

It’s a new year and an excellent time for all of us in the Division of Student Affairs to look ahead and leverage professional development opportunities that will help us acquire and hone the skills needed to succeed in our current positions, as well as to thrive in our future career pursuits. While professional development has positive impact on our respective careers, the benefits extend beyond ourselves in that we are uniquely positioned to exercise these skills for the benefit of the Division, the Institute, and ultimately the students that we serve.

There are many professional development opportunities which we can readily partake in throughout the year. Just to name a few:

• Conferences and workshops (both on-and off-campus) such as the recent Social Justice workshop hosted by the Office of Student Diversity or the upcoming NASPA 2013 Annual Conference at which many of you will present
• Professional development training classes offered through the Office of Human Resources http://trains.gatech.edu
• Classes offered, including a variety of multimedia classes, through the Georgia Tech Library www.library.gatech.edu/calendar/libclasses.php
• The Office of Organizational Development offers various training courses and career development resources www.orgdev.gatech.edu
• Online training via www.Lynda.com

Moving forward, the Division is seeking to offer more comprehensive, value-added programs such as the Doctoral Program in Student Affairs, which is a collaborative effort among the University of Georgia’s College of Education, the University System of Georgia’s Vice Presidents for Student Affairs, and the University System of Georgia. I am delighted to say that several staff members from the Division are interested in applying to this program. I encourage you to discuss this program, as well as other educational opportunities, with your supervisor.

In addition, we look forward to implementing the professional development goals of the Multicultural Competence Plan, which will help us all develop the awareness, knowledge and skills needed to effectively advocate multiculturalism in the Tech community. The Professional Development Committee also plans to identify, develop and offer a variety of programs beginning this spring semester to help advance the goals in the Division’s Strategic Plan.  A new Professional Development website for the Division will be launched this spring too!     

The Division will continue to work on creative and meaningful ways to provide professional development opportunities in which all of our staff members can participate and benefit. We do want your feedback and ask you to submit your ideas for professional development opportunities at studentaffairs@vpss.gatech.edu.

I can assure you from past experiences that developing and implementing robust professional development opportunities will not be an easy task. It will require vision, persistence and financial support. But I can also assure you that the rewards will be worth it!

I look forward to 2013 and the opportunities it will bring. Thank you for all that you do for our students, faculty, staff and constituents.

Sincerely,

Bill Schafer
Vice President for Student Affairs