University of the Fraser Valley
EN-9: Staff Professional Development and Training

The following are workshops offered by UFV to staff and non-academic staff:

Responding with Respect: Workplace Mental Health Skills for Managers – 24 participants
This workshop has been designed specifically for managers and supervisors to build on their knowledge and skills to support an employee when they are struggling with what may be a mental health challenge, or with a situation that is affecting their mental health – 30 participants

Coping with Change – Homewood – 7 participants
Change is a fact of life, but letting go of the familiar can be challenging. When we understand the need for change, and are resourced to manage it, we transition with greater ease. Participants in this half-day workshop explore strategies, frameworks, self-care tools and resources to navigate the change process successfully. Participants will also get an opportunity to reflect on their own reactions to change and discuss common issues relating to coping with change

Building Resilience: Understanding Challenges, Learning Strategies, and Accepting Change – 5 participants
Resilience training is the journey toward knowledge and mastery of the body, heart, mind, and spirit. This session will help you break negative thought patterns and find healthier ways of thinking and behaving, by drawing on a series of effective practical strategies in the areas of looking after your physical health, respecting your mental/ emotional health and building a strong social network

Leading Through to the Next Normal – Wellness Works – 15 participants
What will it take to navigate this crisis, now that our traditional metrics and assumptions have been rendered irrelevant? More simply put, it’s our turn to answer a question that many of us once asked of our grandparents: What did you do during the war? Our answer is a call to act across five stages, leading from the crisis of today to the next normal that will emerge after the battle against COVID-19 has been won: Resolve, Resilience, Return, Reimagination, and Reform.

Internationalization, Intercultural Communication, and EDI: What’s the difference and how does it apply to me? – 22 participants
This workshop is a friendly introduction to internationalization.
What is internationalization? Well, it is about much more than recruiting and supporting international students. It's about creating spaces that are culturally and linguistically inclusive. That means confronting key myths about speakers of English as an additional language, understanding the experiences of international and racialized students, and preparing all students to work in a diverse environment.
To begin your internationalization journey, in this workshop, participants will:
learn about the relationship between intercultural communication, internationalization, and EDI. Recognize and reflect on their own cultural practices and beliefs as a first step towards internationalizing their practice
learn a few key facts about the typical international student experience at UFV
explore a few examples of course activities and workplace interactions that are inclusive of diverse cultural perspectives

Creating a Positive Culture of Acceptance and Inclusion - 9 participants
Diversity is part of all workplaces and is something to be respected, celebrated, and encouraged. In fact, workplaces thrive when there are strong diversity and inclusion practices. But it’s not enough to just have a diverse workplace. We need to ensure that everyone feels safe, valued, and respected.

During this one-hour wellness session, participants will:
Learn what diversity is
Understand the benefits that a culture of acceptance and inclusion can bring to a workplace
Develop increased self-awareness regarding our own attitudes around diversity
Identify strategies for harnessing the benefits of diversity and fostering a cohesive and respectful workplace

Agenda
Defining diversity
The challenges and benefits of workplace diversity
Exploring unconscious bias
Individual and workplace strategies to create a culture of acceptance and inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion:
How to engage a diverse workforce – 16 participants
This diversity training course discusses the benefits of diversity in the workplace, provides guidelines to interact with different personalities and cultures, and coaches staff on how to approach diverse people with inclusion and respect.

Insights Into Stress - 13 participants
Stress is a factor in every workplace and impacts us not only as individuals but can impact all those around us.
One of the key factors in emotional intelligence is Stress Tolerance – an individual’s ability to manage stress – to be resourceful and resilient under pressure rather than fall prey to “flipping out” or getting “emotionally hijacked.”
During this Lunch & Learn, we will take some time to understand stress and its impact on ourselves, our team and our performance so where possible we can mitigate any negative impact. We can all become more attuned and can help mitigate the effects of stress for each other.
Objectives:
Recognize what situations cause you stress in the workplace.
Understand some of the observable behaviours and signals you display when you are under stress.
Identify how you can help yourself and others recover during a ‘stress response’ (Remedies)

Psychological Hygiene – 12 participants
From a very young age, we adopt common physical hygiene habits such as brushing our teeth, washing our hands and taking regular showers. What about hygiene habits that focus on our mental health? This one-hour hour, interactive session will increase participant awareness and understanding of psychological hygiene and highlight the factors that can promote and preserve good mental health. Participants will gain practical tools and resources to activate their own personal psychological hygiene practice.

During this one-hour wellness session participants will:
Become familiar with the concept and importance of psychological hygiene

Enhance their knowledge of the factors that can promote good mental health

Be equipped with tools, resources and strategies for the development of a successful personal psychological hygiene practice


Gratitude in the Workplace – 7 participants
Over the past two decades, the field of positive psychology has expanded rapidly, and one of the most discussed areas has been gratitude. We know that people who practice gratitude lead healthier lives both physically and emotionally. We also know that gratitude has a positive impact on both the workforce and workplace. Expressing and receiving gratitude at work, directly and indirectly, contributes to a culture of cooperative, motivated and effective employees who give back and feel supported, appreciated and recognized. The research on workplace gratitude goes deeper than a simple thank you. This session will also address the dark side of gratitude, and disentangle some of the complexities in order to present a balanced view of the topic. By attending, participants will gain awareness of research-based strategies to improve the well-being of employees and the culture of organizations.

During this one-hour wellness session participants will:
Better understand how expressing gratitude positively impacts our health and happiness
Discover the benefits of expressing gratitude and appreciation in the workplace
Learn strategies to promote gratitude in the workplace

UFV was one of the AASHE GCSHE conference hosts, and so faculty and staff were provided with the opportunity to participate in the conference and gain knowledge and training through the sessions.

The above participation figures are given for the last year (2021-2022). Unfortunately, a breakdown between staff and non-academic staff is not available but will be included in future submissions.