Investing in Staff Development
Working often behind the scenes to ensure the daily success of our campus operations and student experiences, staff play an indispensable role in The Beach community. That’s why supporting opportunities for their professional development is an investment in the well-being of our entire university.
A centralized fund dedicated to supporting staff professional development at Cal State Long Beach launched campus-wide in spring 2023, part of a program by Beach 2030’s Reimagine Staff team that aims to expand access for staff to gain new skills and take part in growth opportunities.
As we prioritize actions that build community at CSULB and within our region, our collective vision is for an environment in which all our members feel supported to experience meaningful opportunities for professional growth.
“One of the challenges that our campus experiences is differing levels of discretionary funds for staff development,” Stacey Schack, associate director of CSULB’s Learning, Development & Recognition Programs, said earlier this year.
“The program implementation begins to level the playing field, to allow greater access to professional development dollars and more equitable opportunity.”
As we work to enhance pathways for personal and professional achievement — a core objective of the Reimagine Staff team’s efforts — the Staff Professional Development Fund aims to make clear CSULB’s commitment to supporting employee growth. The program provides up to $1,500 per person in reimbursements for professional development events like conferences, specialized training, networking and collaboration opportunities, and participation in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Anti-Bias experiences and trainings.
Through meaningful staff input as part of the Beach 2030 process nearly five years ago, a desire for enhanced focus on staff well-being, retention, professional development, and community culture were emerging themes of the feedback collected, and became core to identifying projects that would aim to improve the staff experience on campus.
To further enhance the investment in employee advancement, a Staff Development Center is now being developed, too, aimed at supporting employees’ skills growth and career advancement. This center, modeled after the Faculty Center, will provide dedicated space and opportunities for professional and skills development, including workshops, onboarding programs, individual coaching, mentor support, learning lab space, training in efficiency tools, and more.
As we forge a new path through the intervening decade, we are guided by our strategic priorities — statements that declare CSULB’s charge for the next several years, characterized by their responsiveness to forces of change and ability to inspire and guide action, focus resources and amplify our institution’s values. Our focus on building community is an avowal to take actions that support an environment where all members of the campus community feel like they belong.
