We are pleased to announce that the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (VCFA) has again provided scholarship funding for UW–Madison employees to attend select professional development courses offered by the Division of Continuing Studies (DCS). This marks the fifth consecutive fiscal year of professional development funding for DCS courses being made available to UW employees by the vice chancellor. This program is part of the Engagement, Inclusion and Diversity initiative.
University staff, academic staff and faculty employees may apply by filling out the form below. The scholarship will pay for the full cost of the course, and we estimate about 100 awards will be made. The application period ends Wednesday, April 27, at 9 a.m.
Eligible professional development courses in this program are offered by the Division of Continuing Studies and include training in the areas of Spanish language, leadership development, business management, diversity and inclusion, human resources and training. All courses offered will be held live online. View all VCFA courses and descriptions.
The application allows for three course choices. If the first-choice course is full at time of award, we will automatically award the second-choice course and then the third-choice course if first- and second-choice courses are full. Apply now.
- The application period ends Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at 9 a.m.
- After the application period ends, awards will be made by random draw and until the funds are exhausted.
- Last year’s (FY21) awardees will not be eligible for a scholarship this spring.
- All applicants will be notified of their award status by email early in the week of May 2, 2022, and will receive a link to register.
- One application per employee.
- Employment status and past awardee status will be verified before awards are made.
- This program is for university staff, academic staff and faculty employees with an appointment FTE greater than zero.
- Before submitting your application, please reserve the course dates on your calendar and obtain approval to attend the course from your supervisor, if appropriate.
- All DCS policies regarding cancellation and transfer will apply.
Employees who are awarded the scholarship will be notified and receive a nontransferable code to use for complementary registration for their first, second or third choice (depending upon space availability). Please see special notes for Spanish 0, 1 and 2 registrations below.
After awardees register with their nontransferable code, they will receive a registration confirmation from registrations@pyle.wisc.edu.
Email questions to vcfascholarships@dcs.wisc.edu.
Languages
You may request a scholarship for these courses only if you supervise or regularly interact with Spanish-speaking colleagues, students or external stakeholders as part of your position. Course dates are available through the summer and fall of 2022. If you select this option and are awarded a scholarship, you will be contacted regarding specific section availability.
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Spanish 0
This newly-revised mini-course sets you up for success in Spanish 1 with a slow introduction to the fundamentals of Spanish with proven strategies for learning a new language.
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Spanish 2
We have made this practical high-beginner's course (A1.2) better with a new curriculum. Explore the cultural richness of the Spanish-speaking world while taking your skills to the next level. Improve your ability to converse about a wider range of common topics in the present tense, take your first steps in conversing with past tenses, and grow your comprehension, reading and writing skills, all in the context of real-life situations.
Leadership & Management
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A Coach Approach to Work Performance Feedback
- Jan. 26, 2023–Feb. 10, 2023 - Live online - $459; Gov't/Nonprofit $359
This specially designed class will focus on the how-to's of adopting a coaching style for giving work performance feedback. This is a class for leaders and managers who are ready to learn this approach and who want to understand and practice the key elements to utilize them right away.
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Agile Scrum for Project Management
- May 3–10, 2023 - Live online - $589; gov't/nonprofit $489
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.
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Beyond the Basics of Project Management: Managing Risks, Resources, and Post Project Reviews
- Not scheduled at this time. See page for program description.
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.
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Building Effective Teams
- Not scheduled at this time. See page for program description.
One of the most important tasks facing an organization is building a cohesive team. Learn proven techniques for effective team development and management that can help you strengthen participative management in your organization and promote long-term enthusiasm for team projects.
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Facilitating Effective Meetings
- Jan. 10–11, 2023 - Live online - $399; gov't/nonprofit $299
- June 28–29, 2023 - Live online - $399; gov't/nonprofit $299
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.
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Fundamentals of Project Management
- Dec. 7–14, 2022 - Live online - $595; gov't/nonprofit $485
- April 5–12, 2023 - Live online - $589; $489* gov't/nonprofit *This rate is available to nonprofit and public sector organizations, government agencies and nonprofit educational institutions. For questions about eligibility, please contact the program director.
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.
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Grief and Resilience: Managing Life's Transitions
- Online: Anytime - $250
This class is designed for human resources managers, staff supervisors/managers and others who work with employees experiencing various losses. It shares information, strategies, tools and resources to best support employees to heal and grow in the midst of these losses.
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Leadership
- Dec. 8–9, 2022 - Live online - $389; gov't/nonprofit $289
- March 8–10, 2023 - Live online - $439; $339 gov't/nonprofit
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.
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Management Assessment for Personal Planning and Development
- March 1–2, 2023 - Live online - $459 Standard; $359* gov't/nonprofit; $359 TIC *This rate is available to nonprofit and public sector organizations, government agencies, and nonprofit educational institutions. For questions about eligibility, please contact the program director.
This class will use the DiSC® assessment instrument to build self-awareness and explore the many facets that shape the way we see our world and function at work. By incorporating neuroscience and the DiSC® framework, we will learn to better understand our perspectives, identify and adapt to the perspectives of others and to capture insightful synergies. We will discuss how to use tools and strategies to make this process easier so we can discover more options and solutions in our teams and projects.
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Managing Change Using Project Management Skills
- June 27–29, 2023 - Live online - $489; $389* gov't/nonprofit *This rate is available to nonprofit and public sector organizations, government agencies, and nonprofit educational institutions. For questions about eligibility, please contact the program director.
Project management protocols don't often account for the changes in attitude and behavior that people will need to make to ensure successful adoption of change. This workshop will focus on the integration of change management and project management processes and tools.
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Managing Organizational Change
- Not scheduled at this time. See page for program description.
A key challenge for today's leaders is helping employees to understand the need for change. They must help employees discover new ways of working and embracing these new ideas. We explore strategies for communicating the need for change and building employee commitment to that change.
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Managing Time, Multiple Priorities and Interruptions
- Dec. 7, 2022 - Live online - $329; gov't/nonprofit $229
- Feb. 8, 2023 - Live online - $329; gov't/nonprofit $229
- April 19, 2023 - Live online - $329; $229* gov't/nonprofit *This rate is available to nonprofit and public sector organizations, government agencies and nonprofit educational institutions. For questions about eligibility, please contact the program director.
Identify behaviors, create strategies that help you manage multiple priorities and handle interruptions so you are more effective at work. Cover the myth of multitasking, how daily goals and objectives lead to success, strategies and best practices in putting out fires and doing more than one job.
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Professional Writing: Effective Workplace Communication
- Not scheduled at this time. See page for program description.
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.
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The Manager's Role in Work Satisfaction and Engagement
- May 4–11, 2023 - Live online - $579; gov't/nonprofit $459
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.
Diversity & Inclusion
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Honoring Our Common Differences: Reflective Leadership for Inclusivity
- May 23, 2023 - Live online - $395; gov't/nonprofit $295
Inclusivity is the practice of radical hospitality, where people of diverse social and cultural groups experience uncompromising respect and dignity. Inclusive leaders value and encourage multiple perspectives. Gain insights into unconscious bias and inclusivity on individual/organizational levels.
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Intercultural Communication: Foundation for Cultural Competency
- Not scheduled at this time. See page for program description.
Communication across cultures often breaks down due to basic cultural differences that are misunderstood and frequently invisible. We introduce you to tools that enable you to identify and understand cultural differences and lay a foundation for strong cultural competency, domestically and globally.
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Listening for a Change: Skills for Inclusivity
- April 25, 2023 - Live online - $399; gov't/nonprofit $299
Only through true listening and understanding can we hope to create communities of integrity that sustain us and elicit our best actions. Whether you're facilitating a discussion among members of your family, workplace, or community, learn to listen with curiosity and welcome multiple perspectives.
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The Art of Conflict Transformation
- Dec. 6–7, 2022 - Live online - $529; gov't/nonprofit $429
- June 13–14, 2023 - Live online - $529; gov't/nonprofit $429
Conflict can open us to new possibilities and deepen our relationships. This workshop will help you embrace both-and thinking, transforming conflict into win-win solutions. Discover how to increase your comfort in dealing with conflict and to build more trust and communication in relationships.
The 2022 VCFA scholarship application period has ended.