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²ÝÝ®¶ÌÊÓƵapp takes stock of successful staff training effort

Springfield, IL – The ²ÝÝ®¶ÌÊÓƵapp has completed a successful year of training for campus staff members. The program has proven to be incredibly popular and interest in extending the opportunity continues. 

In an effort to give staff across the university system a greater voice, the Staff Advisory Committee was created in 2021. To obtain a better idea of the concerns and priorities of this group, members were given the opportunity to participate in a brief survey during the Fall 2021 semester. One of the group’s leading requests was increased training opportunities which matches with one of the system’s strategic plan goals to provide more education and training for faculty and staff.

“Everyone, regardless of their role, benefits from professional development opportunities, including the leadership training provided in this case. By using a systemwide approach, not only are we growing opportunities on each campus, but we are also strengthening the bonds between staff across the university who are experiencing the same opportunity and who are collectively learning similar strategies and setting comparable goals,” said SIU System President Dan Mahony.

To date, over 400 staff have completed the first edition of the training program. Participants include Civil Service, Administrative and Professional Staff—union and non-union—from all departments and at all levels, from Office Support Assistant to Director. 

The first session, The Roles of a Leader, is an in-person, interactive workshop. To date, 29 sections have been held: 14 in Carbondale, 10 in Springfield, 4 in Edwardsville and 1 in Alton. Details of the program were highlighted by various participants when the SIU Board met last month at the SIU Carbondale campus.

“One of the overwhelmingly responses from the survey is that staff wanted leadership training,” remarked Todd Bryson, Chair of the Administrative/Professional Staff Council at SIU Carbondale as he introduced fellow systemwide staff members who shared their experiences from previous training sessions.

Dr. Dave Heth, who retired after 24 years as finance director at SIU Edwardsville, has returned to lead the training along with his wife Annette who designed workshop activities for participants. Dr. Heth shared written comments with the board as he was unable to be present because he was conducting another training session across campus.

“I enjoy giving back to the university. By providing training I developed with other SIU leaders in this five hour workshop, participants, discussing in small groups the roles and skills of good leaders, are able to select the most important leadership roles for their situation and develop a plan to accomplish them,” Heth said.

Keith Becherer, Director of Campus Recreations at ²ÝÝ®¶ÌÊÓƵapp shared his thoughts with board members.

“I had the good fortune to be a part of this training almost 10 years ago when Dr. Heth was piloting this program on the Edwardsville campus. I can say many of the topics and lessons we discussed are just as important. The diverse perspectives with the colleagues in the room, that we may not have otherwise had the opportunity to interact with, were crucial to my development as a leader. Being able to look at situations through multiple lenses has proved valuable in my career - whether it's making a tough decision, time management, conflict management or goal setting.” 

“I'm now more motivated to step up and look for ways to improve my work processes, which ultimately helps the students. And, finally, I now know I can learn and improve my leadership skills to be that agent of change,” Becherer noted.

Lily Angel who works at the Center for English as a Second Language at SIU Carbondale had this to say:

“I think it's also very important that all of us are together taking the training. There’s hundreds of people who took it, so we are receiving the same information and it creates a cohesive environment for all of us knowing the same thing and having this same positive attitude to move forward.”

“I think something I took from the training is that you don't have to be the director or the chancellor or the provost to be a leader. Whatever your position is, you can be a leader in your department and you can help with a positive change and an attitude to move forward,” Angel said.

Dawn Mobley is a Community Health Worker at the SIU School of Medicine. She joined remotely from Springfield and said how much she really appreciated the opportunity to be able to participate. “It just really encouraged me.” 

“I've had a lot of leadership training over the years, in different areas, but it was really nice to be able to do that in a work environment, being able to meet other staff from other departments. And, they did a really good job of just creating a fun and synergetic atmosphere.”

“Sometimes just being in that moment in the job. Just being able to refine and focus on the things that you can do, that everyone can do, are a couple of things that I think I will take from this,” Mobley remarked.

Providing the opportunity for training was not only a direct response to the earlier staff survey, but was a larger component of the work that culminated in 2022 to adopt a strategic plan for the SIU System.

“Giving staff members the chance to grow and develop in their role was a message that was shared through the strategic plan, our systemwide staff advisory committee and the staff survey. Thanks goes to everyone across the SIU System, including our campus coordinators and Dr. Dave Heth and Annette Heth for their hard work in organizing and promoting this important opportunity. We look forward to the continued success in the new year,” said Dr. Gireesh Gupchup, SIU System Vice President for Academic Innovation, Planning and Partnerships.