Talking Stick - January/February 2014 - 21

your department as it presently exists.
Consider whether or not you and your
team have the focus and energy to
commit to a well-articulated plan for
ongoing professional development.
All our organizations are challenged
by shifting and competing priorities
that require the use of finite resources.
Where does this project fall on the
department's things-to-do list? If you
have the focus, energy, and resources to
move forward, spend time identifying
the skill development needs or staff
performance gaps that would be
addressed by coordinated professional
development programs.

of individual team members will
look different than a plan designed to
improve the departmental climate for
creativity and innovation. Megan Dailey,
senior coordinator for staff development
at the University of Georgia in Athens,
suggests that "Looking at competencies
and job requirements is also a way
to help focus on what to provide for
professional development. They can
give you a framework or starting
point." Reviewing the ACUHO-I core

to attend meetings and workshops. If
funding for professional development
programs has not been established, you
may need to negotiate a program budget
during your annual funding process.
Coordination of specific development
opportunities may require the additional
effort of administrative personnel.
Be sure to discuss the various
ways that program responsibilities can
be shared and coordinated, not only
within your department but also as

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A PLAN THAT
IS THE RIGHT SIZE TO MEET YOUR INTENDED GOALS.
DON'T ASSUME THAT A DEPARTMENTAL PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT PLAN NEEDS TO PROVIDE THE SAME
TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL LEVELS OF STAFF.

Both formal and informal
assessments of staff members' skills
and job performance can provide
the direction needed to create a
plan with realistic project goals and
program outcomes. As you identify
developmental needs and performance
gaps, you may recognize that a particular
group of staff is best suited for a targeted
intervention. This is an opportunity to
create a plan that is the right size to meet
your intended goals. Don't assume that a
departmental professional development
plan needs to provide the same type
of opportunities for all levels of staff.
Knowing where your department is
most accessible or fertile for growth may
be the key to grounding your success.

competencies or other professional
standards and competencies provided by
College Student Educators International
(ACPA), Student Affairs Administrators
in Higher Education (NASPA), and
the Council for the Advancement of
Standards in Higher Education (CAS)
may be helpful as you create, review, and
revise a set of desired program outcomes
for your professional development plan.

DESIGNING THE GARDEN

PREPARING THE GROUND.

After identifying the developmental
needs and performance gaps within
your staff groups, you are ready to
begin designing your professional
development plan. What kinds of
professional growth do you hope
to cultivate through developmental
opportunities? For example, a plan
that focuses on the skill development

Having the necessary resources
available to support the growth of your
professional development plan is a
foundational aspect of its likely success.
Take the time to identify the kind of
support you have with regard to time,
funding, and administrative support.
You may need to create opportunities
within your operations for people to
leave their functional areas in order

opportunities for collaboration across
your student affairs division or the
institution as a whole. Don't move
too quickly to implement specific
professional development programs.
Before you decide to create particular
developmental opportunities as part
of your overall plan, you may need
to articulate a shared definition of
professional development and clarify
what opportunities will be supported
by your department and institution.
At the University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, staff created a guiding
principles document and glossary of
key terms to help communicate across
all levels of staff and provide a focus for
their professional development efforts
over time.
PLANTING THE SEEDS
Now that you have the foundational
JANUARY + FEBRUARY 2014

21
Talking Stick - January/February 2014

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