PPD Personal and Professional Development course timetable

This programme offers an introduction to management skills and is externally accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM). It is highly participative and there is a strong emphasis on applying new learning to your work situation for the benefit of your team and your department.

The course is primarily aimed at those who currently have management responsibilities for others (including managers, team leaders or supervisors) or equivalent responsibilities (e.g. for managing services, projects, resources). All participants must have the opportunity to meet the assessment requirements which are specified by the ILM – please see further details below.

Please note that there is currently a waiting list for this programme. If you are interested in attending please complete the application form at the link below and send a signed paper copy to PPD. Your application will be considered and your name will be added to the waiting list if you are eligible. When a place becomes available we will contact you to confirm your place.

Level 3 Award in First Line Management Application Form - your application to attend the programme will not be considered until we have received a copy of this application document.

This participative workshop will review learning activities and highlight areas where barriers could exist along with best practice in avoiding them. It will provide an opportunity to discuss best practice and work through concerns about including students. The session will focus on practical strategies to ensure that inclusive practice is included in planning and thus becomes straightforward and mainstream to include.

If you are new to supervising graduate students at Cambridge (who are studying both for one-year courses or PhDs) the Board of Graduate Studies strongly recommends you to take part in some form of professional development. In collaboration with BGS, Personal and Professional Development offers training and support for newly-appointed supervisors of graduate students and for those new to the Cambridge system. The workshops, which run over lunchtime, are designed to consider reciprocal expectations and duties, as well as approaches to supervising, and to raise awareness of possible issues and where to go for support.

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a conflict wondering how you got into it and how to get out? This course sets out to identify and examine the causes of conflict and to offer a range of practical techniques for resolving disputes. Skilled negotiation is often crucial and this course introduces a proven approach that is used widely by professional mediators and negotiators. You will have the opportunity to explore and practice key ideas using presentation, self assessment, role play and discussion in a friendly and informal group setting.

The rights and responsibilities outlined in the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts increasingly impact upon the University’s academic and administrative work. This course explores the key concepts in the Data Protection Act 1998 and illustrates how the ‘data protection principles’ affect various day-to-day working scenarios. It introduces the fundamental aspects of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and details the ways in which the University handles responses to individual requests under both Acts. Finally, it outlines various records management and information security measures that can aid compliance with the legislation and lead to a more efficient working environment.

This programme offers an introduction to management skills and is externally accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM). It is highly participative and there is a strong emphasis on applying new learning to your work situation for the benefit of your team and your department.

The course is primarily aimed at those who currently have management responsibilities for others (including managers, team leaders or supervisors) or equivalent responsibilities (e.g. for managing services, projects, resources). All participants must have the opportunity to meet the assessment requirements which are specified by the ILM – please see further details below.

Please note that there is currently a waiting list for this programme. If you are interested in attending please complete the application form at the link below and send a signed paper copy to PPD. Your application will be considered and your name will be added to the waiting list if you are eligible. When a place becomes available we will contact you to confirm your place.

Level 3 Award in First Line Management Application Form - your application to attend the programme will not be considered until we have received a copy of this application document.

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.

What do supervisions contribute to student learning at Cambridge? This session will provide an interactive introduction to supervising, including aims and objectives of supervisions, different approaches to supervisions, the roles and responsibilities of the supervisor and ways of dealing with common problems. Given the breadth of supervisions, this course is not subject specific.

Would you like to gain nationally recognised accreditation of your teaching experience? Many UK universities now expect teaching staff seeking tenure to have undertaken or to undertake a structured teaching and learning development course accredited by the HE Academy. This session provides an overview of the route by which those with some experience of teaching in Higher Education may gain accreditation. It also provides a short introduction to the HE Academy itself.

The Staff Review and Development process provides the opportunity for supervisors, managers and academics to engage in constructive discussion with their staff or academic colleagues about current and future work and their personal and career development.

This course will focus on practical advice and development of a range of skills and techniques that may be used effectively when reviewing others. It will provide an opportunity for review practice, discussion with other reviewers and provide useful reminders of good practice.

If you are regularly required to write, or offer advice on writing, CHRIS/PD33s, either as a line manager or a departmental administrator then this course is for you.

Listening, communicating and supporting effectively are vital skills for many roles throughout the University. However, they are often areas in which individuals feel under-skilled and inexperienced. This series of four sessions has been designed to increase knowledge, ability and confidence in these key areas. Learning will be through theoretical and experiential input, small and large group participation.

If you are new to supervising graduate students at Cambridge (studying both for one-year courses or PhDs) the Board of Graduate Studies strongly recommends you to take part in some form of professional development. In collaboration with BGS, Personal and Professional Development offers training and support for newly-appointed supervisors of graduate students and for those new to the Cambridge system. The workshops, which run over lunchtime, are designed to consider reciprocal expectations and duties, as well as approaches to supervising, and to raise awareness of possible issues and where to go for support.

This course will consider the teaching and learning strategies helpful when working with students with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD, such as Asperger’s Syndrome). It will help you to reflect on your responsibilities towards students with ASD within the Equality Act 2010 and to consider common barriers experienced by students with ASD and ways of eradicating these.

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.

A review of ways in which equality and diversity issues relate to admissions interviewing. Participants will consider possible responses to a number of case studies in order to explore what ‘good practice’ really means.

Please note: this course addresses equality and diversity considerations and is not a substitute for participation in the Admissions Selection Workshops. New interviewers are asked to register for one of the Admissions Selection Workshops, for an introduction to Cambridge’s admissions selection process, including discussion of how interviews and admissions decisions relate to the University’s agreement with the Office for Fair Access (OFFA). Note that the Admissions Selection Workshops also include opportunities to practise by interviewing current first-year undergraduates. Dates for these workshops will be released in early October. Please check back again then in order to book a place.

The Senior Tutors' Committee expects those involved in the undergraduate admissions selection process to receive appropriate training. Because of the new procedures being introduced, this year’s workshops will be about the entire selection process as well as interviewing techniques. Led by Admissions Tutors, these workshops are designed to help you make your contribution to the admissions selection process as effective as possible. They include opportunities to practise by interviewing current first-year undergraduates, using authentic paperwork, and they explain how interviews and admissions decisions relate to the University’s agreement with the Office for Fair Access (OFFA).

Before attending the workshop, please 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 and contributing to the selection process.

This programme aims to develop the leadership skills of Heads of Institutions in support of developing world class research and teaching.

The programme comprises four core modules which each explore a different aspect of leadership. In addition, a number of short briefing sessions with an emphasis on information giving sessions but allowing time for questions. These briefings will cover key aspects of the role that have been identified as important. Participants will be encouraged to select which briefings they wish to attend. There will also be other development opportunities as required such as working with peers in small self managed learning sets or working with experienced external coaches.

Module 1: Head of Institution as Leader
Explores the challenges of the role, the skills required and styles of leadership.

Module 2: Personal Leadership
Investigates the practise of leadership and how leadership may affect performance. As part of the module, participants will develop an objective measure of their current leadership strengths.

Module 3: Leading Research and Leading Change
Considers the challenges in leading research, including allocation of resources and setting priorities and examines the differences between operational and strategic management.

Module 4: Leading Others
Participants will discuss how their ability to lead and support staff may be enhanced through techniques for giving constructive feedback and managing conflict.

This course will consider the academic barriers experienced by students with Specific Learning Difficulties. It will cover a range of teaching environments and increase your awareness of best practice in implementing support. Most importantly it will give practical advice about best practice to ensure an effective learning environment for all involved. The course will focus on dyslexia, dyspraxia and dysgraphia.

Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties: Identification and Diagnosis (Briefing) is a useful precursor to this workshop, as it will not cover diagnosis or identification of specific learning difficulties.

The Senior Tutors' Committee expects those involved in the undergraduate admissions selection process to receive appropriate training. Because of the new procedures being introduced, this year’s workshops will be about the entire selection process as well as interviewing techniques. Led by Admissions Tutors, these workshops are designed to help you make your contribution to the admissions selection process as effective as possible. They include opportunities to practise by interviewing current first-year undergraduates, using authentic paperwork, and they explain how interviews and admissions decisions relate to the University’s agreement with the Office for Fair Access (OFFA).

Before attending the workshop, please 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 and contributing to the selection process.