Professional Development Day Showcases Opportunities for St. John’s Employees

Committed to the advancement of all its employees and eager to address emerging workplace issues, St. John’s University hosted its first-ever Employee Professional Development Day on March 6 in the D’Angelo Center ballroom. 

The University’s Office of Human Resources and Office of Employee Belonging sponsored a series of 12 lectures—free and open to all employees—on subjects ranging from communication strategies to crisis management, leadership, staff motivation, work-life balance, and even effective use of Microsoft 365 software services.

Employees were encouraged to learn and grow with their colleagues during a day dedicated to skills enhancement and growth opportunities.

“We tried to design the programs for everybody,” said Keaton Wong, J.D., Associate Vice President for Human Resources. “St. John’s is a large place with many jobs and responsibilities. However, we thought everyone could use Office 365 tips and everyone could learn about using AI. Everyone could also benefit from how we support students.”

More than 200 employees registered for the hour-long workshops held throughout the day. Among the most popular workshops was a tutorial on the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies conducted by Roger S. So, Ed.D., Director of Emerging Technologies, Office of Information Technology, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Accountancy, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, and David Park, Multimedia Engineer, Office of Information Technology.

Dr. So and Mr. Park reminded employees that St. John’s encourages the responsible use of AI. “We want you to carefully embrace AI,” Dr. So explained.

Employees recognized the value AI tools can bring to the St. John’s community, particularly time management. Louis Saavedra ’05CPS, ’12G, Assistant Director of Academic Service Learning, Office of Community-Engaged Learning, said he came to the workshop because AI technologies are only growing in use.

“Learning is a journey that never stops, and you have to continue to learn about new topics,” Mr. Saavedra said. “AI is the future, and the more you can learn about it initially, the more prepared you will be later.”

Other workshops focused on building a better relationship with your manager, conflict resolution, navigating mental health concerns in the workplace, financial preparedness, and supporting students in distress.

Representatives from St. John’s employee benefit partners, including insurers Aetna, Cigna, and New York Life, and financial services firms Fidelity Investments and Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), spoke to employees about health care and retirement issues, and more.

St. John’s inaugural Employee Professional Development Day grew from a survey done by the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Equity and Inclusion in Summer 2024, and through anecdotal conversations with employees, Ms. Wong said. The agreed-upon date came one day before National Employee Appreciation Day, celebrated annually on the first Friday in March.

“We started to think about ways to engage St. John’s employees better,” Ms. Wong explained. “We heard that employees wanted more professional development and career growth opportunities. We thought it would be neat to have a conference-like environment, where employees could come together to check out these different programs.”

Waiting for a workshop on creating better work environments, Nataly Toro, Admission Counselor, Office of Undergraduate Admission, and Amy Wolfinger, Associate Director of Marketing, Recruitment, and External Partnerships, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, said sessions such as these are essential for personal growth and for maintaining employee morale.

“Things can be unsettled in any office environment, and you want to make sure people do not get too down,” Ms. Wolfinger said. “Plus, it is an opportunity to learn about yourself and maybe better yourself.”

“I have not worked at St. John’s all that long,” Ms. Toro added. “But programs like this represent opportunities to learn more about yourself,  how to build a better team, and how best to work with that team.”