3rd Annual Professional and Organizational Development Conference (2013)
On February 10, 11, and 12 Professional and Organizational Development colleagues from higher education gathered for the 3rd Annual Professional and Organizational Development Conference at Wake Forest University. The event, hosted by Wake Forest’s Professional Development Center, offered an informal opportunity to bring together professionals in this field to share best practices and to gain insight from each other.
Sunday night’s kick-off featured a welcome reception and dinner in the Autumn Room followed by a presentation by the Professional Development Center Staff. Andrea Ellis, Melissa Clodfelter, Tomma Guastaferro, and John Champlin presented “The PDC Story” which outlined the formation and growth of the Professional Development Center at Wake Forest. Lessons learned and growth strategies were shared before the conclusion of the evening.
After breakfast on Monday morning, participants were welcomed by Wake Forest’s Chief Human Resources Officer Carmen Canales and the University Provost, Rogan Kersh. Both individuals shared than thanks for those in attendance and their appreciation of the efforts given to develop faculty and staff. Provost Kersh introduced the topic of Health and Well-Being as it relates to current students who are a part of Generation Y. Conversation continued in a roundtable format as attendees discussed how they were incorporating health and wellness into their developmental offerings.
Shirley Mosely and Mitzi Vazquez-Long of Case Western Reserve University led the second session of the day by outlining their coaching philosophy at Case Western Reserve. They explained how they use the Intentional Change Process in their L.E.A.D. Certificate Program for supervisors to reinforce the power of “Coaching with Compassion.”
One of the PDC’s key partners, Linda Smith, offered her insights into developing meaningful metrics for professional development. Linda, a Wake Forest University alumnus and lead consultant at Splash Performance Inc., offered best practices for measurement during and after development events revolving around Kirkpatrick’s four levels of learning.
Following a lunch in the Magnolia Room, Texas A&M University’s Anne Mayer presented about the Leadership Institute at Texas A&M. She explained their competency model and the questions that drive their programs: “What?,” “So What?,” and “Now What?”
A Case Study Roundtable concluded the afternoon as participants went off to explore Winston-Salem’s culinary offerings for dinner.
Tuesday morning, Mike Comer, a Consultant at The Hayes Group International, used a “Dear Abby” format to lead attendees in developing strategies for strategic planning. Building mission statements and leading brain storming sessions were just two of the topics Mike covered as he offered his professional experience to the group.
With the remaining time, several other topics were discussed by the group including performance management, assessments, governance groups, and more.
The Professional Development Staff would like to extend its thanks to all of the representatives who attended the conference and hope that you will all remain in contact.
Attendee Quotes:
“I wanted a booster shot of energy from attending this conference and, I’m glad to report, I got that plus a whole lot more! Thanks, all, for your generous sharing of ideas. A special thanks to the Wake Forest team for being such gracious hosts.”
~Anne Mayer, Texas A&M University
“…My head is still spinning with all the new ideas, different concepts and ways to take programs to the next level that were discussed during our time together. It was so great to meet everyone and hear about the things you’re all doing. Thanks also to our Wake Forest hosts…it was a fabulous event, and much appreciated.”
~Kathy Bryant, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
“I gained so much from interacting with all of you that my supervisor this morning told me that I couldn’t seem to stop talking (in a good way) about my experience at the conference. My thanks to each of you for bringing such value to each of the sessions and to the discussion overall.”
~Valerie Wallen, University of Richmond
Institutions in attendance: Case Western Reserve University, Colorado College, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, South Piedmont Community College, Texas A&M University, University of Massachusetts – Lowell, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, University of Richmond, University of South Carolina, Virginia State University, Washington & Lee University.