November 19, 2020
by Jere W. Morehead, President
Staff members at the University of Georgia work tirelessly to support our teaching, research, and service missions. Their success and the success of the institution go hand in hand. Last year, I charged a presidential task force with creating new, robust professional development opportunities for staff at every level of the organization and at every stage of the employment cycle. Based on their recommendations, UGA Human Resources designed Engage & Learn, a broad-based, multi-year initiative to enhance the growth of staff members as they work to advance their careers at the University.
The Engage & Learn initiative will be rolled out in phases that build upon each other to create a culture of learning and development for all staff. The first phase began recently with the relaunch of UGA’s Professional Education Portal, which offers a full catalog of over 400 learning opportunities, including more than 100 live classes each semester, LinkedIn Learning content, and curated playlists.
In the coming years, Engage & Learn will add an annual Engage & Learn conference, new professional development programming, a professional development grants program, enhanced talent management, manager toolkits, a revamped onboarding experience, and a staff mentoring program. A network of individuals across schools, colleges, and units, called the Engage & Learn Implementation Team (ELITE), will help guide implementation of the initiative and lead their respective units through adoption of new tools and resources.
The University of Georgia’s greatest asset is, and always will be, its people. I am grateful to the task force that envisioned this next level of staff development at UGA and to the Human Resources team and others who are bringing it to life. The ensuing gains for our staff will be gains for our entire institution.