The Learning Academies @ SHSU

Sam Houston State University offers staff and managers of staff professional development opportunities through The Learning Academies. The academies are tied to the university’s strategic priority to “Embody a Culture of Excellence.” The courses in The Learning Academies are all professional development opportunities meant to offer an option for staff to meet their professional development annual requirement (8 hours for staff; 12 hours for managers of staff); to maximize their potential; and to enhance effective leadership.

Schedule

Track Course Date Time Location Details
TRTRAIL Developing Your Leadership Philosophy 04/07/2025 2:00PM - 4:00PM LSC 242 (The Glass Room) Details

Not all leaders lead the same. Discover what strengths you bring to the table, and how you can craft your leadership philosophy to reflect the values that guide you. This course uses the CliftonStrengths assessment to provide insight into your talents and how you communicate, connect, and work with others.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Engager or Influencer Track

Professional Development Credit: 2.0

Core Competency: Provide Leadership

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Personal Branding 03/25/2025 10:00AM - 12:00PM LSC 324 Details

This course is designed for faculty and staff who want to build a strong personal brand within higher education. This course will provide a comprehensive understanding of personal branding in academia, drawing inspiration from the personal brands of leaders in the field. Participants will learn how to identify, refine, and communicate their unique personal brands to establish themselves as dynamic leaders in higher education.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Influencer track

Professional Development Credit: 2.0

Core Competency: Effective Communication

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL HR Update: TRAIL Certification Program 11/01/2024 2:00PM - 2:30PM Zoom Details

Are you ready to rise as a leader? Don’t miss this session providing a sneak peek at the new TRAIL leader development program, launching this November! The TRAIL (Texas Rising and Inspiring Leaders) leadership development certification program will boost potential and build meaningful connection in the workplace. Open to all staff and faculty, this program will prepare and empower leaders for the next steps in their leadership journey, offering engaging courses that build influence and elevate impact. Spaces are limited, so register today to be part of this exciting launch!

Professional Development Credit: 0.5

Core Competency: Provide Leadership

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Register
TRTRAIL Constructive Conversations: Delivering Impactful Performance Feedback 03/19/2025 10:00AM - 11:30AM LSC 242 (The Glass Room) Details

This training will equip supervisors with practical tools and models to deliver constructive feedback that fosters employee growth and enhances team success. Learn techniques for framing feedback to encourage employees to make meaningful adjustments, meet expectations, and reach their full potential. Participants will gain insights into effective communication strategies, methods for setting clear performance goals, and approaches for addressing challenges.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Engager or Influencer Track

Professional Development Credit: 1.5

Core Competency: Manage Performance

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Engaging Your New Employee 12/03/2024 3:00PM - 5:00PM TBD Details

30/60/90-day techniques, templates, and tools to introduce your new employee into the culture of the organization, create development goals and training plans, and encourage retention and engagement.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Engager Track

Professional Development Credit: TBD

Core Competency: Manage Performance

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Building a Culture of Trust TBD TBD TBD Details

Designed to help leaders foster--or rebuild--trust within their teams through practical strategies and insights.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Engager Track

Professional Development Credit: TBD

Core Competency: Build Trust

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Micromoving Your Way to Better Work Relationships 11/06/2024 10:00AM - 11:30AM LSC 320 Details

An interactive session in which you will learn about interpersonal- and technology-based tactics for fostering stronger connections with co-workers. You will also learn strategies for developing a workplace environment that fosters a culture of strong relationships. Presenter: Dr. Ashly Smith, COBA, Dept. of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Engager Track

Professional Development Credit: 1.5

Core Competency: Build Trust

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Register
TRTRAIL Written Communication for Leaders TBD TBD TBD Details

How to craft effective written communications as a leader.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Engager Track

Professional Development Credit: TBD

Core Competency: Effective Communication

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Using Visuals to Quickly Communicate Information TBD TBD TBD Details

How to create narratives, metaphors, visualizations from data to make the complex more simple and to give it an emotional immediacy.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Influencer Track

Professional Development Credit: TBD

Core Competency: Innovative in Thinking

Availability: All Faculty and Staff

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL The Art of Influence TBD TBD TBD Details

How leaders can motivate others through influence, persuasion, and inspiration.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Influencer Track

Professional Development Credit: TBD

Core Competency: Empower Others

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Overcoming Workplace Challenges TBD TBD TBD Details

Interactive, scenario-based strategies for handling common challenges that supervisors encounter with their teams that can cause friction but aren't necessarily grievance or termination issues.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Engager or Influencer Track

Professional Development Credit: TBD

Core Competency: Committed to Vision & Mission

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Crisis Communication for Current and Aspiring Leaders 02/13/2025 10:00AM - 12:00PM LSC 242 (Glass Room) Details

This session on crisis communication is designed for current and aspiring leaders who want to strengthen their ability to manage communication during crises within their team, organization, or community. Through real-world examples and interactive exercises, leaders will learn to maintain transparency, mitigate rumors, and prioritize the safety and well-being of their community. Participants will develop essential skills for crisis response, including identifying key stakeholders, crafting clear and timely messages, and selecting the right communication channels. By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped to navigate high-pressure situations with confidence and clarity.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Influencer Track

Professional Development Credit: 2.0

Core Competency: Effective Communication

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon
TRTRAIL Presentation Skills TBD TBD TBD Details

How to create your Leadership Presence by enhancing your presentation skills, from managing anxiety, preparing effectively, and using compelling storytelling.

TRAIL DESIGNATION = Influencer Track

Professional Development Credit: TBD

Core Competency: Effective Communication

Availability: All Staff and Faculty

Registration Coming Soon

Tracks

Training University | TU

Available to staff and faculty employees

This track focuses on broader development opportunities in the area of efficiency, effectiveness, communication, and life-long learning. Example topics include:

  • Career Planning
  • Time Management
  • Customer Service Best Practices
  • Effective Conflict Resolution

Training U. also includes the Come-for-Coffee sessions, which are shorter, more intimate sessions that bring a subject matter expert together with those who have a vested interested in learning more about that subject.

  • How the Money Flows
  • Changes to Mandatory Reporting (Title IX)
  • Reclassifications and Market Studies

Leadership at Every Level | LEL

Available to all staff and faculty employees.

This track is designed to improve leadership skills for employees of all levels. Example topics include:

  • Career Transitions
  • Verbal Aikido
  • Respect and Tolerance
  • Civility in the Workplace

Management Academy | MA

Available to supervisors of staff only

This track focuses on enhancing effective leadership and the larger implications of leadership while managing others. Example topics include:

  • Employment Law
  • Managing Performance
  • Building Trust in the Workplace
  • Verbal and Non-verbal Communication

Competencies

Staff & Faculty

  • Committed to SHSU’s vision & mission
    • Understand the mission and your place in it
    • Understand SHSU’s role in the community
    • Support the goals of the university
    • Work effectively with people from all backgrounds
    • Treat others with dignity and respect
  • Innovative in thinking
    • Think “outside the box” when problem-solving
    • Take calculated risks on new and unusual ideas
    • Take an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things
    • While respecting traditions, don’t be bound by traditional approaches for their own sake
    • Actively seek to improve programs or services
  • Effective in communications
    • Speak and write clearly and effectively
    • Listen constructively
    • Practice appropriate telephone and email protocol
    • Ask questions
    • Share information with those who need it
    • Understand and utilize different communication methods for different audiences
    • Understand you are the face of the university and act accordingly
  • Accountable for ourselves and to others
    • Honor commitments
    • Take ownership for all assigned responsibilities
    • Operate in compliance with university policy and state regulations
    • Hold yourself accountable for accomplishing departmental goals and meeting standards
    • Hold yourself to a higher standard of public accountability
    • Actively engage in teambuilding activities
  • Dedicated to life-long learning
    • Keep abreast of new developments in your own occupation or profession
    • Actively seek to develop yourself professionally and personally
    • Contribute to learning opportunities for teammates and colleagues
    • Show a willingness to learn from others
    • Seek feedback for continuous improvement
    • Take advantage of Just-in-Time training to improve your skill set
  • Efficient in operations
    • Deliver on time, within budget, and with the expected quality
    • Set goals and prioritize your work
    • Be flexible; adjust to changing circumstances
    • Use time wisely and efficiently
    • Develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed-upon strategies
    • Maintain work/life balance
    • Manage health and stress, adjusting habits to avoid foreseeable risks which may impact your ability to work

Supervisors

  • Support the strategic plan
    • Understand the Big Picture and communicate it to your team
    • Think globally
    • Manage change
    • Be flexible
  • Provide leadership
    • Let people know where they stand
    • Acknowledge and celebrate team accomplishments
    • Lead with courage—make decisions and stand behind them
    • Face up to problems quickly and directly
    • Don’t be afraid to take negative action when necessary (probation, firing, etc.)
  • Empower others
    • Hire good people and let them do their jobs
    • Use delegation as a developmental tool
    • Provide constructive feedback that helps people to learn from their mistakes
    • Invite input; share ownership, visibility, and responsibility
    • Be aware of each employee’s career goals
    • Encourage people to develop their gifts/skills – even if it means they may eventually leave you or the university
  • Comply legally and ethically
    • Keep up with the legal implications of various management practices
    • Make sure your management practices are well within legal parameters
    • Keep abreast of university policies and fulfill your responsibilities accordingly
    • Use fair and legal hiring practices
  • Manage performance
    • Hold yourself and your employees accountable for accomplishing departmental goals and meeting standards
    • Establish clear expectations and directions
    • Communicate priorities that will help people monitor their performance
    • Use coaching, mentoring, and feedback to help people perform well
    • Organize resources and processes to accomplish the work of the department effectively and efficiently
    • Take action to improve performance deficiencies
    • Recognize and reward good performance
    • Utilize contributions of people from different backgrounds and different behavioral styles
    • Promote team cohesiveness
    • Share information
  • Build trust
    • Use fair and legal management practices
    • Don’t discriminate
    • Avoid even the appearance of favoritism or impropriety
    • Do what’s right
    • Tell the truth and be direct
    • Be approachable