VCFA Professional Development Program

This mini-course developed by UW–Madison sets you up for success in Spanish 1 with a slow introduction to the fundamentals of Spanish. Guided by an experienced instructor and proven strategies for adult language learners, you will feel success from day one.

This practical beginner’s course (A1.1), developed fully by UW-Madison for adult language learners, explores the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world while helping you master the basics of Spanish. Learn to talk about life, family, work and travel with our award-winning approach.

This practical high beginner’s course (A1.2), developed fully by UW-Madison for adult language learners, explores the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world while improving your ability to converse about real-life topics. Focuses on the present tense with an introduction to the past tense.

This practical low-intermediate course (A2.1), developed fully by UW-Madison for adult language learners, explores the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world, while growing your speaking and comprehension skills. Learn to discuss past events and express opinions with real-life Spanish.

This class will help build foundational knowledge of Scrum and equip you with skills to effectively manage, lead or be a member of a Scrum team. You will learn what kinds of projects call for an Agile Scrum approach.

Advance your project management skills by diving deep into some of the critical components of managing a project. Going beyond the basics of project management creates a culture of learning, accountability, transparency, high performance and successful delivery.

Gain an understanding of the mechanics of managing a meeting well. Learn to develop an agenda, manage meeting dynamics, deal with disruptive behavior, keep the meeting on track, track assignments and record the decisions and actions of the group. The session includes templates and models.

Gain foundational knowledge and explore best practices in project management to build the personal knowledge, skill and confidence you need to effectively lead projects. Whether you're leading your first project or looking for strategies to ensure project success, you will benefit from this class.

Explore leadership characteristics and ways to strengthen your organization and support others' work. Learn about different leadership styles, public perceptions of leadership by sector and servant-leadership basics. Develop a personal leadership philosophy that contributes to your mission.

We're seeing more organizations with employees who work from home, live in other states and often live in other countries. "Lead from a distance" by understanding the challenges and best practices. Build trust, navigate conflict, make decisions and conduct engaging meetings with virtual staff.

This class uses the DiSC® assessment to boost self-awareness and explore how personality and behavior impact our interactions. Learn to see things from different perspectives and leverage these insights to create powerful synergies in your team. 

Project management protocols don't often account for the changes in attitude and behavior that people will need to make to ensure the successful adoption of change. This workshop will focus on the integration of change management and project management processes and tools.

Our brains are hardwired to react and protect us. Through this skills-based training, we learn to calm our fear-based survival center and activate parts of the brain that facilitate creativity, critical thinking and interpersonal connection.

Master the skills necessary to communicate effectively with internal and external audiences in today's professional environment. Learn techniques of document structure, grammar and style proven to enhance credibility and influence. Learn credibility-damaging errors and tips for avoiding them.

Project Management for Everyone is designed to offer a gradual and effective introduction to core project management principles. Establish an understanding of foundational knowledge, concepts and tools related to project management. This course is ideal for individuals with little to no prior experience in project management or those seeking additional reinforcement before progressing to "Fundamentals of Project Management."

Strategic planning provides both a process and a set of outcomes that help you find answers to core questions about organizational identity and direction. Discover how to construct your organization's strategic plan, involve other stakeholders in its development and ensure successful implementation.

There are many myths about what managers can and should do to support employee work performance, satisfaction and engagement. Learn what decades of real-world management experience reveal about best practices and tools, plus gain insights into today's diverse and fast-moving environments.

Gain a basic overview of the knowledge and skills you need to teach in the online environment. Key topics include online course models, characteristics of online learners, understanding your role as an online instructor, how to plan content and learning activities and strategies to manage courses.

Learn to teach communication, teamwork, critical thinking and self-motivated learning — four transferable skills strongly linked to student success. College educators and administrators gain a strong foundation in the theory, research and practical applications of these crucial skills.

Intentional, strategic, and constructive mentoring can be a powerful tool for building a greater sense of belonging and engagement at work. Learn the fundamentals of being a good mentor through the research and the storytelling and interactions with your learning community.

This course empowers managers to support team members impacted by trauma while maintaining personal and professional boundaries. Learn to balance compassion with productivity and navigate complex situations guided by employment law. Reduce stress, boost morale and build a stronger team.