DePaul University Staff Council > Get Involved > Professional Development & Staff Leadership Opportunities

Professional Development & Staff Leadership Opportunities

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Staff Council aims to help staff from across DePaul University get involved with potential leadership and professional development opportunities.  If you have a staff opportunity you would like to see posted here, please e-mail the details to staffcouncil@depaul.edu.

Opportunities with upcoming deadlines

Developed by Human Resources, the Career Development Series is intended to provide structured, intentional opportunities for staff employees to focus on their career development and to add tools and resources to their career development tool kit.  

New this year, members of the talent acquisition team will offer one session per week, for 5 weeks, beginning May 5. Staff employees may attend one or all of the sessions. Most sessions will be recorded and available in BlueSky Learn if staff employees cannot attend a virtual session.

Registration is required. Please email staffing@depaul.edu with questions. 

List of sessions and topics:

Session 1: Finding Your Path (The Flower Exercise)
Date/Time: Monday, May 5 from 2- 3pm       
Location: In person – Loop Campus, Daley Building
RSVP here 
This career planning tool uses a flower metaphor to help you identify your values, goals, and passions for a fulfilling career. 

Session 2: Internal Networking/Creating Your Pitch
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 13 from 1-2pm
Location: Virtual
RSVP here 
Learn about DePaul groups and events, explore free resources to enhance your skills and how to create your own personal pitch.

Session 3: Building Your Online Presence through LinkedIn
Date/Time: Wednesday, May 21 from 12:30-2pm
Location: Virtual
RSVP here
Use LinkedIn to build your network, participate in current conversations in your field, enhance your reputation and presence, and more.

Session 4: Getting Past the Gatekeeper (Enhancing your cover letter and resume)
Date/Time: Thursday, May 29 from 12-1:30pm
Location: Virtual
RSVP here
Hear directly from DePaul’s talent acquisition team on what they look for in a cover letter and resume, as well as strategies to avoid common mistakes.   

Session 5: Acing Your Interview
Date/Time: Friday, June 6 from 1-2pm
Location: Virtual
RSVP here 
Learn how to be confident and prepared for your next interview! We will cover the different types of interviews, provide common interview questions and discuss how to handle difficult topics.

Application Link
Due Date: Monday, May 19, 2025

In order to engage staff around the key themes, initiatives, and priorities driving DePaul’s ongoing development work and public launch of the campaign, Advancement and External Relations’ campaign management team shall regularly convene with Staff Council and a select subset of DePaul staff, known as the Staff Campaign Ambassador Committee, to inform and educate members of the Council and the greater university staff community on DePaul’s fundraising work. These engagements will allow Ambassadors to share news on the initiatives and opportunities developing in their respective units with Advancement, and to further learn how they can support the University’s fundraising efforts.


Ambassador Charge
The Committee will be co-chaired by 2 sitting members of Staff Council (with assistance from Advancement staff) and comprised of 6-8 additional staff representing colleges and units across the university. Ambassadors will be charged with conveying information back to the units that they represent and to regularly engage, motivate, and recruit their peers to further support the campaign. To ensure reciprocal sharing of information, Ambassadors are encouraged to communicate feedback they receive from the units to Advancement’s campaign management team.

Responsibilities
Staff Campaign Ambassador Committee members are required to attend all Committee meetings, engage in conversation connecting university work with Advancement and Campaign efforts, connect staff to Advancement work as necessary, and share Campaign messaging updates with peers. 


Term and Requirements
This project will begin in June of 2025. Ambassadors will be expected to participate in bi-monthly to quarterly virtual and in-person meetings, plus report back to colleagues in units and follow-up with Staff Council. As this is a 2 to 3-year commitment to support the launch of the campaign, committee meeting cadence will be reduced after the public launch of the campaign.


Measure of Success
Increased engagement with university peers, awareness of Campaign fundraising priorities, and Campaign participation among staff.

Staff Council invites interested staff members to self-nominate for a position on the search committee for our next Vice President for Mission and Ministry. This is a vital leadership role crucial to fostering our university's Catholic, Vincentian, and urban mission.
 
The President is dedicated to a search process rooted in shared governance, and your perspective as a staff member is invaluable for a comprehensive and inclusive candidate review.

We are seeking individuals who:
    •    Are deeply committed to DePaul’s mission and understand our university’s faith-based identity.
    •    Can maintain strict confidentiality and will approach the search with thoughtfulness, professionalism, and discretion.
    •    Are ready to engage in respectful, mission-centered dialogue throughout the search process.
    •    Are willing to dedicate the necessary time for full participation in committee meetings, candidate interviews, and deliberations.

The anticipated timeframe for this search is May-July 2025.

If you are interested in serving on this important committee, please complete the interest form by May 23, 2025.

Learn more and apply here.

Accompany DePaul students as they travel over Winter or Spring Break to serve, learn about social justice, and build community together! This Division of Mission and Ministry program selects approximately 8 Staff Mentors every year. Staff Mentors attend pre-/post-trip meetings and travel with their immersion group for 1 week. They support their trip’s student leader, gain professional development experience, manage the trip budget and other logistics, and serve/learn alongside the group. DMM covers the cost of the Staff Mentor’s participation. Please contact Abby Rampone at arampone@depaul.edu with any questions.


Ongoing opportunities

Through BlueSky Learning, employees can access required training as well as professional development content on a variety of topics, including customer service, diversity and inclusion, human resource management and fiscal administration, interpersonal communication, leadership and management, ongoing professional development and training, and personal development. Access BlueSky Learning by navigating to https://mybluesky.depaul.edu, then clicking Me > Learning.

The Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity offers the BUILD Diversity Certificate, a professional development diversity certificate available to all DePaul staff and faculty.  The certificate program helps participants develop cultural competencies, offering the tools necessary for linking diversity to organizational and work performance, and connecting the university's Vincentian mission of dignity and respect for all individuals to our core operating business principles.

There is a Level 1 certifcate program, as well as an advanced Level 2 certificate.  Courses may also be taken individually for those who do not want to pursue the full certificate program.

Detailed information about certificate requirements, course descriptions, and schedules can be found on the BUILD website.

The Assessment Certificate Program (ACP) is a workshop-based program designed to provide training and support for faculty and staff engaged in the assessment of student learning.  This program is a collaboration between multiple departments at DePaul University and Loyola University Chicago.  To learn more about how to register and complete the certificate, visit the Assessment Certificate Program website.

Learn about the variety of certificate programs offered on the Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) website.  E-mail cperegistration@depaul.edu with any questions not answered on the website.

Connect with other DePaul parents and network on topics related to parenthood.  For more information, visit the DePaul Parent Connection website.

Learn about upcoming events and how to join on the DePaul Women's Network website.  E-mail DPUWomensNetwork@depaul.edu with any questions not answered on the website.

The Division of Mission and Ministry has numerous opportunities available for staff, including:
  • Staff Mentor for Service Immersion Trips: Accompany DePaul students as they travel over Winter or Spring Break to serve, learn about social justice, and build community together! This Division of Mission and Ministry program selects approximately 8 Staff Mentors every year. Staff Mentors attend pre-/post-trip meetings and travel with their immersion group for 1 week. They support their trip’s student leader, gain professional development experience, manage the trip budget and other logistics, and serve/learn alongside the group. DMM covers the cost of the Staff Mentor’s participation. Please contact Abby Rampone at arampone@depaul.edu with any questions.
  • Heritage Tours and Vincentian Mission Institute:  The Division of Mission and Ministry offers regular opportunities for members of the university community to deepen their understanding of the university’s patron, by participating in guided Vincentian Heritage study tours to locations in Paris and throughout France associated with the life and works of St. Vincent de Paul.
  • Lunch with Vincent: A quarterly lunch dialogue program designed to foster reflection and conversation on Vincentian spirituality and its practical application to our life and work, while also enabling DePaul faculty and staff to connect with one another from across the university in meaningful dialogue and interaction.  Review upcoming dates and RSVP details on the Lunch with Vincent website.
  • A Day with Vincent: This day-long retreat experience seeks to help participants find the time and space in the midst of their busy lives to reflect more deeply on Vincentian spirituality and mission and enable them to meet and engage with other DePaul faculty and staff from across the institution.  Information and registration details for upcoming workshops can be found on the A Day with Vincent website.  E-mail Tom Judge at tjudge@depaul.edu with any questions.

Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW) provides holistic education, support, and resources for individuals to establish and sustain long-term, healthy behaviors, including hosting a number of trainings and workshops open to staff. View their events calendar here.

Staff are invited to use the Idea Realization Lab and attend Idea Realization Lab workshops at no cost. 

LinkedIn Learning is a resource available to DePaul staff looking to develop skills. Topics include Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, social media, web design, animation, photography, audio and video production, project management, leadership, marketing and communication, just to name a few.  DePaul employees and students have free unlimited access to a vast online library of instructional videos covering the latest software, creative and business skills.

Log In through the DePaul LinkedIn Learning Campus Portal using your BlueKey login credentials.  Take LinkedIn Learning everywhere you go with apps to stream or download courses for offline viewing. Download the LinkedIn Learning mobile app for iOS or Android.

  • Open the LinkedIn Learning app.
  • Select Sign in.
  • Select Organization Login.
  • When prompted for your organization's URL, type: depaul.edu
  • Log in using your BlueKey login credentials (username@depaul.edu email address and password).
Offered during the Autumn Quarter, Chicago Quarter courses acquaint first-year students at DePaul with the metropolitan community, its neighborhoods, cultures, people, institutions, organizations and urban issues. Students also learn about university life, resources and how to be a successful student through the Common Hour portion of each Chicago Quarter course.
 
See the Chicago Quarter website for more details on how to become a Staff Professional.  Information sessions on how to become a Staff Professional are generally held throughout the month of February.  E-mail nsfe@depaul.edu for more information on session dates and locations.

Staff who are currently managing (or planning to manage) student employees can pursue the Student Employment Manager Certification Program. 

Staff Council serves as the official liaison between staff and other university constituencies by advocating for staff, participating in shared governance, and engaging with staff about issues faced in the workplace.  Learn more about Staff Council, its upcoming meetings and events, and annual election information on the Staff Council website.

Did another staff member at the university do something stellar and you want to acknowledge their excellent performance? Submit a "Staff Shout-Out" form to celebrate them and simply acknowledge great work! There is no limit to how many times you can say "You are terrific at your job."

An email will be sent to your shout-out nominee. If you are unsure of the recipient's email, you can look them up in the Outlook directory.

Study Abroad has opportunities each year for staff to help lead short-term study abroad programs as a Staff Professional.  Staff Professionals partner with a faculty member to help teach class content through a Global Hour curriculum, then travel abroad with the group in a leadership role at the end of the quarter. 
  • FY@broad programs: FY@broad programs are short study abroad programs designed for first-year students, which combine travel with a Focal Point Seminar—a required course for most first-year students.  To apply to become a Staff Professional, go to the Staff Professional application page. 
  • Identities Abroad programs: Identities Abroad programs are short study abroad programs designed for, but not limited to, students of color, first generation students, and low-income students, which combine travel with a Seminar on Race, Power, and Resistance—a required course for most students.  To apply to become a Staff Professional, go to the Staff Professional application page.  

E-mail Scott Ozaroski at s.ozaroski@depaul.edu for additional information.

Information about values-centered leadership certification and training programs can be found on the Vincent on Leadership training website.  E-mail Pat Bombard at hayleadership@depaul.edu with any questions.

Learn about Workplace Learning training options on the Office of Human Resources Workplace Learning website.  E-mail training@depaul.edu with any questions not answered on the website.