CPPD Training 2010-11

Increase your confidence and skills in one-to-one communication with this highly participative course. Effective communication starts in your head and it isn’t just about the words you say. Your tone of voice, facial expression and body language all communicate a message. This course will help you get your message across more clearly. You will also have the opportunity to practise communication skills on a one-to-one basis.

Always feel you are behind schedule and under pressure? Are you tired of working long hours? Not enough time in the day? It can be tough being a researcher these days dealing with the pressures to publish, meet research deadlines and apply for funding – to name a few! To be successful you need to be good at managing your time and this is why this course is essential.

This is a very practical course designed specifically for researchers. It covers the breadth of time management issues including prioritising, beating procrastination, effective planning and scheduling, dealing with distractions and changing bad habits. Be prepared to participate fully in workshop activities, attend ALL three sessions and undertake some work between sessions (minimum 2 hours) to put into practice what you learn.

Working in a group of no more than four you will practise lecture delivery and receive constructive feedback. You may choose to have your lecture videoed. You will be encouraged to identify your strengths as well as areas for improvement. This is a valuable opportunity to consider your approach to lecturing and discuss any concerns you may have in a developmental setting.

If you struggle to say no to people, or feel anxious about asking for something you need, then this course might be for you. Assertive communication strategies will not ensure that you get your own way all of the time, but if used appropriately, they do mean that you can walk away from any kind of negotiation feeling reassured that you have been honest and clear about your needs. This bite-sized workshop will explore how you can be assertive. Above all, assertiveness is not a facet of personality which some people have and some people don’t; it’s a process, or technique, that anybody can learn and employ successfully.

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, any individual or group has the right to demand information from the University. Written requests fall under the Act and the University must respond within 20 working days. This course will explain how to deal with these requests and outline the legislation behind them.

The University of Cambridge is committed to effective induction for all new members of staff. In addition to the welcome and induction you will receive in your institution, you are warmly invited to take part in the University’s two-stage induction.

The first stage comprises the University’s Induction Online programme. This web resource is a quick and easy way for you to learn all about what it is like to work here as well as understand your role and responsibilities. It provides key information to help you:

• settle quickly into your new role
• orientate yourself in your first few weeks at the University
• understand how the University works

The second stage comprises Welcome to Cambridge, an event hosted by the Centre for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD). The Welcome to Cambridge events are held once each term. Following a welcome from a senior member of the University you will have the opportunity to participate in an informal networking activity. The activity will enable you to meet and network with other new colleagues whilst learning some key facts about the University. There will also be an exhibition enabling you to browse the wide range of opportunities and sources of support available to you as a member of University staff.

This interactive course will give an introduction to sign language and an opportunity to review and revisit best practice in communicating with Deaf people. Through discussion and practice, participants will gain knowledge of sign language, as well as advice on how to take it further.

This workshop will allow you to explore issues in teaching and learning in supervisions through a series of group activities and discussions. Amongst other things, you will be given the opportunity to explore methods of dealing with common supervision scenarios, encouraging student participation and providing effective feedback to students.

Do you want to polish your conference presentations or hone your lecturing skills?

This is a one-day, intensive workshop specifically for postdocs. Feel confident writing and delivering top-quality presentations to your research group, at a conference or seminar, or as an undergrad lecture. Revise the principles of structuring a good presentation, discover the tricks of creating and using good visual aids, and manage your nerves. Practise and get feedback, plus watch video of yourself presenting.

This course will consider the academic needs of students with Specific Learning Difficulties (such as dyslexia), in a range of teaching environments and increase your awareness of what Specific Learning Difficulties are. It will help you to reflect on your responsibilities in terms of teaching and learning to these students within the Equality Act 2010. Most importantly it will give practical advice about best practice to ensure an effective learning environment for all involved.

This introductory workshop will examine the processes of preparing and giving lectures. It will encourage you to consider what makes a good lecture and what lecturing is for. The workshop is interactive: it is divided into two parts each of which begins with a presentation by an experienced lecturer after which you will have the opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas with peers. Part I covers the fundamentals and Part II explores more advanced issues.

Would you like to be in control of your day, enhance your reputation and gain more job satisfaction? Then this is the course for you! You will learn many practical time management tips to help you work smarter, not harder. This course will cover setting priorities, dealing with interruptions, managing the paper mountain and email avalanche, guidelines for saying ‘no’ and it will show you how to change your use of time.

What is the University for? Who makes the rules? How does the collegiate system work? Come and find out the answers to these and many more key questions at these entertaining and informative lunchtime sessions. This is a fantastic opportunity to put your questions to expert speakers.

The Colleges Connection - Professor Martin Daunton, Professor of Economic History and Master of Trinity Hall
What exactly are colleges? And from the point of view of colleges, what is the University? Apart from admitting, accommodating, teaching, guiding and caring for all its undergraduates, how do colleges influence the University? How has their role developed and what is its future?

This participative workshop will enable attendees to confidentially discuss their reactions to students in emotional distress and consider effective ways of supporting them while managing attendees' own boundaries. The session will be conducted in a relaxed and open way and will result in those attending feeling more confident in these interactions. The workshop will also update attendees on available sources of local support for students. This course is aimed at staff who currently deal with students on a one-to-one basis, e.g. tutors, graduate tutors, college nurses and chaplains. If you are uncertain whether this applies to you, then please contact Kirsty Wayland at DRC.

Do you dread speaking in public or giving presentations? This course aims to develop your skills, knowledge and confidence in both formal and informal presentation situations e.g. meetings, training sessions and conferences. You will have the opportunity to explore and practise key areas in both preparation and delivery of presentations through tutor input and group discussion. Participants are asked to prepare a short presentation to deliver in the afternoon, providing a chance to both give and receive feedback in a in a friendly and informal group setting. You will be sent further details once registered; please contact the tutor if you have any questions about the course or practical elements.

Always feel you are behind schedule and under pressure? Are you tired of working long hours? Not enough time in the day? It can be tough being a researcher these days dealing with the pressures to publish, meet research deadlines and apply for funding – to name a few! To be successful you need to be good at managing your time and this is why this course is essential.

This is a very practical course designed specifically for researchers. It covers the breadth of time management issues including prioritising, beating procrastination, effective planning and scheduling, dealing with distractions and changing bad habits. Be prepared to participate fully in workshop activities, attend ALL three sessions and undertake some work between sessions (minimum 2 hours) to put into practice what you learn.

The Senior Tutors' Committee expects those interviewing undergraduate applicants to Cambridge to receive appropriate interview training. These workshops are designed to help you make your interviews as effective as possible. They feature opportunities to practise by interviewing real first year undergraduates, using authentic paperwork; an Admissions Tutor is also on hand to answer questions.

Before the workshop, you are asked to study the online resource. This resource provides an overview of Cambridge's undergraduate admissions process and highlights some important principles and practices relating to conducting effective admissions interviews.

Developed in collaboration with the Admissions Forum, the Cambridge Admissions Office and the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges.

As a manager, it is your responsibility to motivate staff and enable them to achieve the best possible results. However, problems sometimes arise and tools such as the University discipline and grievance procedures are there to support you and your staff in resolving a particular situation. This session is aimed at managers who wish to know more or refresh their knowledge about how and when these procedures can be used.

Presentation, case studies and group discussion will be used to highlight key points and activities will give you an opportunity to practise in a safe and supportive environment, including the opportunity to take part in a mock hearing. Please note that although there is a new ACAS code in place since April 2009, the University D&G procedures remain in line with the new guidance and hence unchanged at this time.

The Senior Tutors' Committee expects those interviewing undergraduate applicants to Cambridge to receive appropriate interview training. These workshops are designed to help you make your interviews as effective as possible. They feature opportunities to practise by interviewing real first year undergraduates, using authentic paperwork; an Admissions Tutor is also on hand to answer questions.

Before the workshop, you are asked to study the online resource. This resource provides an overview of Cambridge's undergraduate admissions process and highlights some important principles and practices relating to conducting effective admissions interviews.

Developed in collaboration with the Admissions Forum, the Cambridge Admissions Office and the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges.

Want to be more efficient at planning projects and staying on schedule?

Do you want ways and measures to keep your project on schedule? Can you be certain that your project will be successful? Project management is often mentally defined (and taught) as a set of tools and techniques. However, they are things that an individual has to choose to apply. Every researcher is different, and so this course will also examine the nature of you as an individual researcher and how you might relate to actually managing a project from conception to completion.

The Senior Tutors' Committee expects those interviewing undergraduate applicants to Cambridge to receive appropriate interview training. These workshops are designed to help you make your interviews as effective as possible. They feature opportunities to practise by interviewing real first year undergraduates, using authentic paperwork; an Admissions Tutor is also on hand to answer questions.

Before the workshop, you are asked to study the online resource. This resource provides an overview of Cambridge's undergraduate admissions process and highlights some important principles and practices relating to conducting effective admissions interviews.

Developed in collaboration with the Admissions Forum, the Cambridge Admissions Office and the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges.

A team that works well is an exciting and creative place to be. This course will enable you to identify the important ingredients for a successful team and to reflect on your own team management skills. It will also look at different team-working styles and examine the need to balance the requirements of the task, the team and the individual.

This highly participative development programme draws on the expertise of senior figures in the University. It provides an introduction to the various strands and issues of University strategy and governance; it includes some skills development and offers a valuable opportunity to network.

Application for this programme is by nomination by Head of Institution. Heads of Institutions will be invited to make nominations in August/September.

The Senior Tutors' Committee expects those interviewing undergraduate applicants to Cambridge to receive appropriate interview training. These workshops are designed to help you make your interviews as effective as possible. They feature opportunities to practise by interviewing real first year undergraduates, using authentic paperwork; an Admissions Tutor is also on hand to answer questions.

Before the workshop, you are asked to study the online resource. This resource provides an overview of Cambridge's undergraduate admissions process and highlights some important principles and practices relating to conducting effective admissions interviews.

Developed in collaboration with the Admissions Forum, the Cambridge Admissions Office and the Director of Admissions for the Cambridge Colleges.