Training and development
Supervisor/Manager Development
The following courses are part of the Supervisor/Manager Development (SuperVISION) training track. Each course includes a description and most include a link to the current registration schedule where you can see if it’s currently being offered.
In the event that a course also contributes to other training tracks, this information is denoted next to each course name as follows:
- Technical/Timekeeping [TT]
- Employee Career Development [ECD]
- Supervisor/Manager Development [SMD]
- Technical/Personnel Administrator [TPA]
If you can't find the training you need, contact VCU Training and Development at: traindev@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0179. You may also visit the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) for more training options.
View courses from another training track.
View if it's offered on the current registration schedule.
PAC001: Hiring at VCU [TPA] HR content experts will lead an overview of the hiring process at VCU, including how to use eJobs, setting the hiring range, recruitment and advertising, screening and ranking, the interviewing process, checking references, compliance with EEO guidelines and regulations, and more. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC002: Workforce Planning [TPA] This session includes an overview of workforce planning at VCU including the critical PA role in the process. Emphasis is placed on succession planning and personal development. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC003: Compensation Tools [TPA] To improve your department’s recruitment and retention, this session provides an overview of recognition and reward through the use of compensation policies, pay practices, and resources for classified (and hourly) employees. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC005: Understanding and Avoiding the Grievance Procedure [TPA ECD] An Employee Relations specialist will lead a discussion on the various aspects of the State Employee Grievance Procedure, with emphasis on the supervisor’s role. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAA006: Leave Policies and Applications [TPA TT] An overview of VCU, state, and federal policies regarding employee’s leave including Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP), Traditional Leave Plan, Worker’s Compensation, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Leave Share, and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This course is designed to help PAs understand and enforce these policies within their departments. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAA007: Preparing for the New Employee [TPA] HR staff outline the processes in preparing for a new employee’s arrival, including decentralized hiring, new-hire paperwork, Express Hire, and background checks. The session will include an overview of information employees receive in New Employee Orientation (NEO) and available resources. We will explore these "big picture" components so participants can see how all the many employee pieces fit together on the road to becoming a member of the VCU community. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC007: Standards of Conduct [TPA] Course content includes an overview of the State Standards of Conduct policy, including acceptable behavior in the workplace and the progressive disciplinary process agencies utilize to address unacceptable behavior, conduct, and related employment problems in the workplace, or outside the workplace when conduct impacts an employee’s ability to do his/her job and/or influences the agency’s overall effectiveness. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC009: Conflict Resolution [TPA ECD] After a brief overview of the causes and types of conflict, participants use information contained in their Conflict Dynamics Profile (CDP) ® to examine how they typically respond before, during, and after conflict. Also included are the types of behaviors (or the "hot buttons") that provoke responses. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC010: Consulting Skills for PAs [TPA] The PA will learn ways to act as a consultant to faculty and staff within the department while strengthening his/her role as a liaison to Human Resources. Course content includes negotiating skills and how to balance competing interests between the department and HR. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC011: Threat Assessment and Violence Prevention [TPA ECD] Can workplace violence be prevented? What is the difference between threatening and disruptive behavior? What is your role in preventing and reporting an incident? What is VCU Alert? What other resources are available to faculty and staff? Participants will learn the answers to these and other questions in this session, which is designed to help foster a safe university environment. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC013: Managing Personal and Professional Change [TPA TT ECD] Change is a part of life and a natural occurrence in any successful organization. Participants will examine the stages of transition and learn ways to successfully manage personal and professional change. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
PAC015: ARMICS and Ethics at VCU [TPA TT ECD] To improve your department’s records retention (as it pertains to PAs), security of computers, data and confidential information, and overall compliance through the use of ARMICS and the VCU Code of Ethics. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
Alcohol and Drug Awareness [TPA ECD] An overview of VCU’s Alcohol and Drug Policy 
plus how to recognize impairment, alternative strategies for coping with stress, and employee and supervisor responsibilities.
Behavioral Interviewing [TPA] Participants examine ways to use behavior as an indicator for selecting the best job candidate. The session covers selection criteria, use of competencies for screening, and tips for before, during, and after the interview.
Can We Talk: Effective Communication Skills [TPA ECD] Course content focuses on identifying and recognizing different communication styles, effective listening skills, assertive communication, and conflict resolution through communication.
Career Planning and Development [TPA ECD] HR experts will be on hand to help participants explore ways to grow and develop in their jobs. Course content includes researching a career path, setting career goals, developing leadership skills, effective mentoring, skill development, and finding a work/life balance.
Coaching Employees on Performance [ECD] Participants will examine ways to monitor employee performance, set and hold staff accountable for expectations, and reward and recognize exceptional performance. Additional emphasis is placed on delivering feedback.
Conducting the Performance Appraisal [TPA] This session is designed for supervisors and focuses on preparing for the performance appraisal meeting, delivering the performance feedback, and following up after the meeting. View to see if it's currently offered on the registration schedule.
Creative Problem Solving [ECD] Albert Einstein said it best: "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Participants will look at innovative ways to solve some of today’s common supervisory challenges. Empowering Employees [ECD] Participants will develop ways to empower others through increased involvement in and knowledge of work processes, decision-making, and opportunities for growth and recognition. The relationship between delegation and empowerment also will be examined.
Facilitation Skills [TPA ECD] Whether making a presentation to five people or giving a speech in front of 200, many people fear speaking before a group or audience. Participants will explore ways to strengthen their presentation skills in a fun and relaxed environment.
High School Days and Workplace Ways: Who We Were Then and Who We Are Now [ECD] The Honor Student, the Class Clown: can you think of others from your high school experiences? You probably know many different personality types, and some of them might be working right here in the office with you. Learn more about personality types and explore effective techniques for working with (and for) these individuals.
How to Reward and Recognize Staff [ECD] Recognition of good performance is key to staff retention. From using the formal Classified Employee Recognition Award to ongoing informal forms of appreciation, supervisors will examine options for recognizing and rewarding staff even on a tight budget.
Managing Multiple Priorities [ECD] Would you like help in balancing your time, priorities, and job tasks? Would you like to be more organized and efficient? Can you stay cool under the heat of an unexpected deadline? Learn skills that can immediately impact your effectiveness back in the office.
MBTI: Using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator [ECD] This session will explore one of the most widely used personality instruments in the world—the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI looks at eight different personality preferences; participants will learn about their own preferences and how they can apply this knowledge to the workplace.
Sexual Harassment Prevention (EEO Office) [TPA TT ECD] This on-line training is sponsored by VCU's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) Services. For more information, visit training.newmedialearning.com/psh/vcu/.
Stress Management [TPA ECD] Participants will identify the causes of stress, explore the physical and behavioral impacts of stress, and develop positive skills for coping with it.
The Successful Supervisor [ECD] What does it take to be a successful supervisor at VCU? Seminar participants will examine the various elements of successful supervision, including organizational knowledge, appropriate interpersonal skills, setting expectations/holding staff accountable, and recognizing good performance.
Teambuilding [TPA ECD] Like families, even the best teams experience challenges from time to time. Participants will examine the characteristics of successful teams as well as ways to be an effective an valued member of the team.
Tapping the Gap: The Cross-Generational Workforce [TPA ECD] One of VCU’s strengths lies in its diversity. But with a variety of talents and ideas come challenges in communication, work styles, and more. Participants will explore several distinct generations and examine ways to successfully work with and supervise different individuals in an age-diverse workplace.
VCU Mosaic: Diversity at VCU [TPA ECD] Age, class, race, ethnicity, gender, and more: characteristics that can build a stronger, more cohesive workforce. Participants will explore ways in which diversity impacts working relationships with an emphasis on exploring various "‘isms," stereotypes, and the impact of diversity on communication.
Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) [ECD] Participants have access to additional training options through DHRM, including the Knowledge Center online system and vendor-delivered training (i.e., media, computer-based, web-based, etc.).
Women’s Work: Supervisory Skills for Women [TPA ECD] Managing the work of others is difficult enough. Female managers often face issues not experienced by their male counterparts. Participants will explore general strategies for managing and supervising staff as well as other issues female managers often face including gender, race, and other demographic considerations.
