Robust Development Programs Aim to Help Employees Grow
By Luciana Chavez Special to Merced College The goal of professional development is not solely to train employees to be better employees. A more nuanced approach exists now. Professional development should be a holistic pursuit—skills training, sharing best practices, generating ideas, improving one’s mental health, imagining one’s future, etc.—so employees can fulfill their professional and human potential. The college hired Cassie Gunter in late February to serve as Professional Development Coordinator, a new role designed to help guide and coordinate professional development activities across all campus constituencies. Gunter comes to the college from UC Merced, where she did similar work with graduate students entering the professional world. “There are so many great things already going on at Merced College for professional development, like the Well-Being Institute and President’s Leadership Academy, and then all of the faculty Flex training and courses offered through the Business Resource Center,” Gunter said. “President Vitelli’s goal is to centralize those opportunities under one roof.” To that purpose, the college is building a campus professional development webpage to house information and a feedback form so people can suggest and evaluate events more readily. For faculty, Communication Studies Professor Lee Anne Hobbs acts as the Flex Coordinator, overseeing professional development activities on what is known as the Flexible Calendar. That calendar, which allows schools to devote instructional days to professional development, was established by the California Community Colleges Office of the Chancellor to give faculty time to pursue relevant opportunities. “We have a history of success with that approach,” Hobbs said. Merced College’s two faculty development days happen prior to each semester. For Spring 2024, the theme was “Meeting Diverse Student Populations Where They Are.” The Flex sessions covered working with the LGBTQIA+ community, looking into Black student success, and reviewing programs for Hispanic students. Those workshops expanded on an action written into the chancellor’s Vision 2030 initiative, related to “equity and inclusion and dismantling prejudice and racism.” “We decided we should discuss how we are meeting those needs for Merced College students,” Hobbs said. The faculty themes, often inspired by those coming from the state or chancellor’s office, focus on the college’s specific needs. The sessions often feature faculty sharing expertise with their peers.
For Fall 2024, faculty will be able to explore sessions on “Building Communities, Creating Opportunities.” English as a Second Language Professor Kathleen Diaz will share best practices for working with the campus’s international student community. Faculty Interest Groups (FIGs), another campus community, allow faculty to pursue other interests within their work. Current ones include a Prison Education FIG, the Lavender FIG for LGBTQIA+ topics, and a Neurodiversity FIG. “We’ll present a panel with FIG leaders,” Hobbs said. “We have so many new instructors who may be unaware of FIGs. We’ll be able to communicate with everyone which topics already exist and how we can build faculty and student relationships through FIGs.” Classified professionals, like faculty, also offer training tailored to their specific needs. The “Dream Big” conference on March 28 was co-chaired by Seferina Ramirez, a Research Analyst in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, and Tony Medina, a Reprographics Technician in Print Services. “We were in a planning meeting, and [Vice President of Human Resources] Kelly Avila said she wanted people to ‘dream so big that they have to ask for help,’” Ramirez said of the conference’s theme. About 130 classified professionals gathered at Vista Ranch to relax and reconnect with vision-planning activities, lunch and mini-workshops. HR Benefits Technician Adrian Chacon did a presentation on financial health and building generational wealth. HR Recruiter Britney Ramirez offered another on effective interviewing for other positions at Merced College. The committee also showed a video they’d produced for the gathering. It featured former Merced College students, who are now college employees, sharing inspiring stories of struggle and perseverance. It was the first time classified professionals had gathered for such an event since before the pandemic. “As much as we focus on professional development and take it seriously, we haven’t had a lot of time as classified professionals to gather recently,” Seferina Ramirez said. “Hopefully with Cassie’s help, it’ll be easier to do that year to year. We don’t want anyone missing out when they could be dreaming big themselves.” Chasing professional growth is important, but sharing a common purpose can also motivate employees. Classified professionals share that as part of the Classified School Employees Association (CSEA) Chapter 274. The union chapter celebrated CSEA Week last month with a pancake breakfast to kick it off, and a BBQ lunch at Aggie Park to close it down. During monthly new employee orientations, CSEA also reviews the benefits of union membership, like having legal representation and a professional negotiator. “We work behind the scenes, so we don’t get recognition,” said Angelica Campos, CSEA President and Area Administrative Coordinator for STEM, who will celebrate 20 years at the college in 2025. “It’s important that we speak up. We love what we do. That’s why you see so many of us sticking around 10, 15, 20 years.” All Merced College employees should feel free to pursue individual and group professional development that will help them grow in work and in life. Gunter will help where needed. “We’re talking about growth all the way around,” Gunter said. “We’re all partners in this endeavor. The ultimate goal is to have happier, healthier employees here, who can then become even more effective at helping students succeed.”
“The ultimate goal is to have happier, healthier employees here, who can then become even more effective at helping students succeed.”
Cassie Gunter Professional Development Coordinator