Workshops

Active Shooter Preparedness Training: Safety Tips

Audience: All Employees

An active shooter scenario occurs when one or more persons are present on the university grounds whose only objective is to cause serious injury or death to as many people as possible by the use of a firearm. Come to this 1.25-hour session to learn some practical tips (PDF) on what to do in the unlikely event of a gunman on campus. This program is open to faculty, administrators and staff.

Adapting to Change

Audience: All Employees

Can you distinguish between change and transition?  Have you wondered why you are comfortable with some changes and less so with others?  Attend the workshop on Adapting to Change and learn the ways in which we experience change, the transition phases, and the skills or strategies used to work through the phases. 

Business Ethics Training

Audience:  Required for St. John’s Leaders, Managers, and all recipients of the Conflict of Interest Questionnaire

In an effort to maintain compliance with University policies and practices, the Offices of the General Counsel, Business Affairs, Internal Audit, and Human Resources have collaborated to create a Business Ethics training program. This two-hour required training is an informational session where St. John's leaders and managers will gain clarity on our conflict of interest, travel, and entertainment policies and learn how they translate into day-to-day transactions. The program emphasizes the importance of avoiding even the appearance of a conflict of interest and helps to facilitate decision-making on behalf of the University

Coaching For Exceptional Performance

Audience:Current and new supervisors who need to learn the art of coaching and providing feedback as a management tool.

Everyone would love to manage a team of exceptional performers.  And learning to manage well, so that you can provide your team members with every opportunity to succeed, takes knowledge, skills and preparation. Topics that will be covered in the workshop include understanding the difference between compliance and commitment, identifying what may keep team members from achieving exceptional performance, identifying the guidelines for giving feedback, and conducting a formal feedback session.  Attend this one-day workshop and take with you the tools to coach for exceptional performance!

Communication Skills Module I: Active Listening and the Art of Asking Questions

Audience: All Employees

Communication Skills Module I: Active Listening and the Art of Asking Questions focuses on the importance of listening, the techniques to use when engaging in active listening, the use of the ladder of inference to ask oneself questions, the dimensions of a powerful question, and the factors that affect the impact of our questions. Participants will practice active listening techniques, examine what makes a meaningful question and explore the use of targeted questions in our everyday communications with others.

Communication Skills Module II: Interpersonal Strategies and Conducting Difficult Conversations

Audience: Employees who have attended Module I: Active Listening and the Art of Asking Questions

Please Note: Communications Skills Module I is a prerequisite for this workshop.

Communication Skills Module II: Interpersonal Strategies and Conducting Difficult Conversations focuses on the interpersonal strategies we use when interacting with others, the difference in impact “You” and “I” statements have on our communication exchanges, the elements of giving and receiving feedback (non-performance related), and how to conduct difficult conversations.   Participants will learn how the use of “I” statements may halt the defensive reaction of people engaged in communication exchanges, ways in which to give and receive feedback, and the suggested steps to follow when conducting difficult conversations. Additionally, participants will learn how to manage their responses during difficult conversations as well as ways to avoid escalating conversations.

Concur Travel & Expense System

Audience: Open to those who use and approve Travel and Expense Reports

The University’s current GERS Travel and Expense (T&E) System will no longer be supported by IBM.   As a result, the University will replace the GERS T&E system with Concur’s Travel and Expense Reporting system.   Business Affairs, in conjunction with Information Technology, evaluated a number of T&E systems and determined Concur to be the preferred solution.   Concur provides an integrated T&E solution used by over 25,000 Corporate and University clients while utilizing the latest technology.   Additionally, the new system will eliminate the need for the double entry of transactions related to the Purchasing Card (P-Card).  Participants are strongly encouraged to bring laptops and smartphones for use during the training.

Conducting Effective Meetings

Audience: Anyone who facilitates meetings

Have you ever attended a meeting that lacked focus, where participants discussed anything that came to their minds, and it lasted for hours without any decisions made or problems solved? If so, attend this workshop and learn strategies for keeping meetings and participants focused, on task, and on time. Participants will learn the value of an agenda in planning and preparing for meetings, techniques for structuring and controlling meetings, the importance of documenting meeting notes, and strategies for dealing with distracting and distracted participants.   

Conflict Handling Modes

Audience: All Employees

The workshop introduces participants to five different conflict-handling modes or styles (competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating), types of conflict, steps to analyze conflict situations and a framework to resolve conflicts.

Participants who attend Conflict Resolution will be asked to complete an assessment that identifies their typical behavior in conflict situations. The workshop introduces participants to five different conflict-handling modes or styles (competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding, and accommodating), types of conflict, steps to analyze conflict situations and a framework to resolve conflicts.  This workshop is part of the Continuing Education Certificate. 

Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training (Online)

Audience: All University Employees, Volunteer, and Affiliates

The annual Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Prevention online course is required for all university employees, volunteers, and affiliates. The course provides information on the New York State and City mandated discrimination and sexual harassment content. It covers what constitutes sexual harassment in the workplace, the two main types of sexual harassment, it looks at discrimination and the protected classes, sex stereotyping, retaliation, and the managers' responsibility for reporting instances of sexual harassment and discrimination not only to the University, but also to the NY State Division of Human Rights, U.S. EEOC, and NYC City division of Human Rights.

Emergency Readiness Training for Faculty

Audience: Full-Time Faculty

This informational session has been designed especially for faculty members to be informative and provocative. All full-time faculty are required to attend.

The session consists of two parts. Presented by Public Safety, the first part describes the University's emergency response plan. It reviews systems of communication and notification to the University community in the event of an emergency, and describes appropriate protocol in an evacuation or stay in place situation.

The second part is presented by the Office of Student Wellness. It addresses student behavioral issues and how to recognize and respond to a student who is in distress and/or who is exhibiting disruptive behavior. It further describes the University resources for handling student issues and the University's proscribed reporting protocol for students in crisis situations. The speakers are open to questions for an interactive and informed dialogue.

Emergency Readiness Training for Managers and Employees

Audience: All Administrators and Staff

In spring 2007, the University convened an Emergency Response Committee comprised of leaders of various departments to assess primarily policies and processes, and communications and notification systems relating to the prevention, readiness, response and recovery of emergencies affecting the University. One critical initiative resulting from the Committee's review was a directive to provide staff, administrators and faculty with emergency readiness training. Working together, the offices of Public Safety, Student Affairs, Student Wellness and Human Resources designed a two-hour program that will:

  • Highlight key elements of the University's Emergency Plan
  • Clarify the roles of key players in an emergency
  • Review the systems of notification used to communicate with the University community
  • Alert participants to signs, symptoms and responses related to mental health issues
  • Train participants to defuse potentially volatile situations

Employee Assistance Programs

Audience: All Employees

Workshops offered as part of our Employee Assistance Program are one-hour workshops, and are typically offered once each month. Topics covered range from emotional well-being, family and care giving, daily living, legal and financial assistance, and health and wellness. Whether your challenge is stress management, healthy aging, parenting, relationships or substance abuse, the free, confidential services offered by the Employee Assistance Program can help.

EPCF (Electronic Personnel Change Form) Training

Audience: Individuals Responsible for Processing EPCF’s

This session will provide assistance to those individuals that are currently processing EPCF's. Please arrive to this session ready to log in to UIS and bring with you any EPCF's with which you would like assistance.

Equity & Inclusion:  Module I:  Foundation

Audience:  Administrators and Staff

The Foundation workshop explores and reviews basic concepts related to diversity - dimensions of diversity, respect, privilege, prejudice, discrimination, and bias to name a few – and does so through a series of exercises that seek to enable participants to develop a foundation of self-awareness, understanding and respect. The goal of the foundation workshop is to help participants practice inclusivity and learn to celebrate the intrinsic worth of all members of the campus community.

Equity & Inclusion:  Module II:  Race, Power & Privilege

Audience: Administrators and Staff

Please Note: Equity & Inclusion: Module I:  Foundation is a prerequisite for this workshop.

The Race, Power, and Privilege workshop examines the foundation concepts in more detail; it looks at the issues of race and discrimination and asks participants to examine those social identities that afford privilege and marginalization in their lives. The workshop looks at a case study of oppression and the effects such oppression has on the marginalized group in the case study. Lastly, the workshop explores the concepts of privilege and power, and the importance of developing a critical consciousness and the role each one of us plays in addressing bias and discrimination.

Equity & Inclusion:  Module III:  Bias & Microaggression

Audience: Administrators and Staff

Please Note: Equity & Inclusion: Module II:  Race, Power & Privilege is a prerequisite for this workshop.

The third workshop on Confronting Implicit Bias and Microaggressions defines and provides examples of bias and microaggression, reviews the increased awareness of the potential impact of these phenomena, provides tools for recognizing and effectively responding to implicit bias and microaggressions and provides resources for reporting discriminatory behavior on campus.

I-9 Training

Audience: Only employees who are responsible for completing I-9 forms for their department        

The University is legally obligated to verify the employment eligibility for all newly hired employees by accurately completing the Form I-9.

In the event of federally-mandated updates to the Form I-9 or procedures associated with this form, the Office of Human Resources sponsors mandatory training that provides instructions on completing the new Form, highlights important changes to the Form, and answers any questions concerning the Employment Verification process.  Only employees who are responsible for completing I-9 forms for their department should attend this training, when available.

Influence without Authority

Audience: All Employees

Do you wish you had more influence over others? If so, attend this workshop and find out about the sources of one’s personal power and the keys to influencing others. In this workshop, participants will learn the principles of influence and have the opportunity to practice the strategies that can be used to effectively influence others. Additionally, participants will learn and apply the steps that have proven successful when attempting to influence others.

Lunch & Learn Technology Series

Audience: All University Employees

The Office of Human Resources is excited to invite you to a series of Lunch & Learn workshops with Information Technology.  During the interactive sessions, you will learn various topics including WebEx, Office 365 Basics, Outlook Essential Training, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Planner.  Bring your lunch and your questions.

New Employee Orientation

Audience: Newly Hired Full- and Part-Time Administrators and Staff

Program Objectives for New Employee Orientation:

  • To welcome new employees to St. John’s University community
  • To introduce new employees to St. John’s history, culture, and mission
  • To review St. John’s employment policies and procedures
  • To present employee benefits and process benefit enrollments

People Management: Corrective Action

Audience: Managers Who Supervise Staff and Other Administrators

Are you stressed about employees who have performance or behavior issues on the job and you don’t know what you can do? Do you find that you reshuffle work responsibilities because one of your employees is not doing his/her part? The University’s Corrective Action Policy will help steer you down the right path. Come spend a half-day on this topic and save a great deal of time in the future when handling employee issues.

Learn to:

  • Communicate with, provide feedback and coach your employees
  • Put someone on a verbal and/or written warning
  • Maintain good employees overall
  • Partner with Human Resources to treat employees equitably and fairly throughout the process
  • Be aware of legal obligations in handling matters of behavior and performance

People Management: Interviewing Techniques – Hiring the Best

Audience: Administrators who supervise other Staff or Administrators          

Hiring a new employee for your department can be a challenging, time-consuming experience. The Interviewing Techniques: Hiring the Best workshop will give you the skills you need to hire the best candidate; one who will positively impact your department’s functioning and productivity.

Learn how to:

  • Work together with HR to best manage the hiring process
  • Identify selection criteria and required competencies for the position
  • Create questions that will let you know how the candidate will perform in the job
  • Develop a rapport with candidates and build a positive interview climate
  • Probe for more information in the interview process
  • Transition through each stage of the interview seamlessly
  • Use effective behavioral questioning techniques
  • Ensure legal compliance
  • Attract qualified candidates to your department, and the University
  • Use your time wisely to get the most informative responses from candidates
  • Gather information to make a well-informed hiring decision

People Management: Managing for Success

Audience: Administrators who Supervise Staff and other Administrators

Are you fully transitioned to your role as a manager or do you still approach your work as an individual contributor? Are you a manager who spends more time doing vs. leading? Research data shows almost 50% of all managers still function as individual contributors. This takes away from their effectiveness as managers of a team. Your job as a manager is to build successful relationships with your team and develop them to reach higher levels of performance. This workshop in the People Management Series is intended to challenge the way you think about managing.

Learn how to:

  • Know Yourself
    • Your role: functional, management, and leadership aspects
    • How you act: your behavioral style and that of others
  • Know Others
    • Top ten motivators
    • How to manage and motivate different styles
    • Strengths, triggers, and weaknesses
  • Get Work Done Through Others
    • Communication that empowers
    • Delegate for growth and development

Performance Management Training for Employees

Audience: Non-Supervisory Staff and Administrators

This workshop will introduce you to Performance Management Training at St. John's. This is an opportunity for you to become comfortable with how the performance management process works and your role in the process. The workshop introduces you to the revised form Recognize Excellence and Development (RED) that is used as part of the performance management process.

Learn:

  • About each of the major components of Performance Management, including Objective Setting, St. John's University Values and Competencies, Development Planning, Periodic Check-In, Self-Assessment, and the year-end performance evaluation
  • How to write objectives that focus on results
  •  What you can do to participate in the performance discussion with your supervisor

Performance Management Training for Supervisors

Audience: Administrators that Supervise Staff and Other Administrators

This workshop is essential training for managers at St. John's. Whether you supervise one employee or 40, you will need to know how the University's performance management system works, and how you can maximize the process to yield the greatest benefit for you and your staff.   The workshop introduces you to the revised form Recognize Excellence and Development (RED) that is used as part of the performance management process.

Learn:

  • About each of the major components of Performance Management, including Objective Setting, St. John's University Values and Competencies, Development Planning, Periodic Check-In, Self-Assessment, and the year-end performance evaluation
  • How to use the form to document your employees' performance.

Policy Training

Audiences: Newly Hired, Newly Promoted or Existing Managers

Are you a newly hired or newly promoted manager?  If so, attend this session to make sure you are aware of everything you need to know to be an effective manager at St. John’s.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Audience: All University Employees

As part of this workshop, participants will learn to distinguish between types of problems and the different approaches to use when solving problems.  Participants will learn to test assumptions, create new perspectives, and take prudent risks as part of the creative problem-solving process.   Additionally, the workshop will cover the steps in the decision-making process.   Participants will learn to develop and narrow down options and apply process tools to improve analysis.   Please Note:  Participants are asked to think of a decision they need to make, either personal or professional, over the course of the next week or so.  That decision will be used as the basis for working through the steps of decision making during activities used in the course of the workshop.

Presentation Skills

Audience: Anyone who is asked to make a presentation before an audience

Presentation skills training focuses on the two main elements of any presentation: content and delivery. Participants will learn how to plan for a presentation, elements that include: analyzing the purpose of their presentation; analyzing their intended audience; identifying the main points to be conveyed during the presentation; the use of visual aids; and the stages of preparation for a presentation. Participants also will learn ways to overcome nervousness when speaking to groups, the effect of gestures and body language on audiences, how to build rapport with an audience, and strategies for dealing with challenging participants. Throughout the one-day workshop, participants will be asked to make several presentations, culminating in a five-minute presentation at the end of the day. Participants are asked to bring to the workshop a work-related topic that will be the focus of their final presentation.

Quality Service Module I: Adapting to Change and Avoiding the Campus Runaround

Audience: All Employees

Module I is a prerequisite for Module II and lays the foundation for the other modules in the Quality Service series. Quality Service Module I focuses on introducing you to Quality Service at St. John’s University, adapting to a changing environment and working across departmental lines. Learn what you can do as service providers to help prevent one of the biggest frustrations for our students: the campus runaround.

Quality Service Module II:  Effective Communications and Handling Difficult Situations in the Age of Technology

Audience: All Employees who completed Module I 

Module I is a pre-requisite for Module II.

Quality Service Module II focuses on effective communication skills and the impact it can have on the level of Quality Service you provide. This module offers you the opportunity for hands-on skills practice in face-to-face communication, active listening techniques, and defusing a difficult situation. This program will also focus on understanding the role of technology in providing quality service to our Millennial students and working in a multi-generational environment.

In this workshop, you will learn:

  • How effective communication is defined and its role in providing Quality Service
  • How to use active listening to help you become a better listener
  • How to defuse a difficult situation and reach agreement
  • Tips for communicating with your supervisor
  • The role of technology in providing Quality Service
  • The myriad technology in use at St. John’s today
  •  Ways to maximize your time by using technology
  • Your email communication style and about email etiquette: some do’s and don’ts

SOCIAL STYLES and Interpersonal Effectiveness

Audience: All Employees                                                   

Have you often wondered why you are comfortable interacting with some people and less so with others?  Do you wonder how others view your style of interaction?  If so, attend the workshop on SOCIAL STYLES. This 2.5-hour workshop provides an introduction to SOCIAL STYLE and Versatility. The session presents information about the fundamental concepts of behavior versus personality, provides insight into four SOCIAL STYLES (Analytical, Amiable, Driving, and Expressive), and demonstrates the impact that SOCIAL STYLE behavior has on others through the concept of Versatility. Specifically, the workshop seeks to guide participants to:

  • understand the SOCIAL STYLE Model;
  • complete a paper-based self-perception questionnaire;
  • increase their understanding of their style and how others tend to view people with that style; and
  • identify ways to use SOCIAL STYLE in order to be more effective with others.

Student Worker Orientation (Online)

Audience: Student Workers who have not yet completed the online Orientation

Student Worker Orientation will help student workers:

  • Recognize the advantages of Student Worker employment
  • Understand what to expect of Student Worker employment
  • Understand compensation
  • Improve Quality Service and communication and skills

Student Worker Supervisor Module I: Defining the Job, Interviewing Candidates, Selecting Student Workers and Orienting Student Workers to the Job

Audience: Supervisors of Student Workers

Module I training focuses on defining the job description, assessing applicants’ experience and fit for the position, interviewing and selecting the student workers, orienting the student worker to the job, and establishing job expectations. Participants will learn what to look for when reviewing student workers’ resumes (if submitted), the types of questions to ask during the interview process, the steps to conduct the interview, and the elements to include when onboarding the student workers.

Student Worker Supervisor Module II: Assigning Work, Coaching and Providing Feedback

Audience: Supervisors of Student Workers

Note: Student Worker Supervisor Training Module I is a pre-requisite for this course.

Student Worker Supervisor Training: Module II focuses on the importance of establishing performance objectives for student workers, delegating work, as well as coaching and giving feedback to student workers. The workshop will review the importance of establishing performance objectives as a means to guide and evaluate performance, the steps involved in delegating, the behaviors and skills associated with coaching, and the art of giving feedback.

Successful Presentation Skills

Audience: University Administrators

Successful Presentations is designed for administrators who want to improve results from briefings, presentations and other speaking situations in the workplace. If you’ve never made a presentation or had no previous presentation skills training, you’ll acquire fundamental preparation and delivery skills. If you are more experienced, you’ll fine-tune skills to produce increased effectiveness with your audiences.

During this two-day workshop, you’ll focus on your presentation strengths, learn what an audience really expects and needs, develop additional skills and confidence, and practice techniques for successful presentations.

Note: This is a two-day workshop held on two consecutive days, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.

Suicide Prevention Training for Administrators and Staff

Audience: All Employees 

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for college students with approximately 1100 deaths each year. Research has shown that approximately 10% of the college student population is thinking about suicide at any one time; yet 80% of completed suicides never had any contact with a mental health provider. This program was developed at Syracuse University and is currently used at over 125 campuses nationally. It has been designed specifically for the campus environment, has research to support its effectiveness, and has been included on the Best Practices Registry of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center/American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Participants in our campus training have included faculty/staff and students from the Law School; Athletics; Campus Ministry; Residential Life staff; Global Studies; Student Affairs and Student Life; Freshman Advising Center; Greek student leaders; peer mentors, etc. This program is not intended to turn participants into therapists or counselors. It is aimed at gatekeepers - those individuals who have one-on-one contact with students which may occur in a variety of contexts. In collaboration with Human Resources, we are making this training program more broadly available and will offer several sessions. This is a 2-hour interactive program which includes: Understanding helping roles as administrators/staff members in managing students who are in distress; Learn helping skills and refer the student for psychological assistance; Understand different types of concerning student behaviors; and Recognizing and understanding the warning signs of suicide.

Suicide Prevention Training for Faculty:  Working With Students Who Are in Distress

Audience: All University Faculty

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for college students with approximately 1100 deaths each year. Research has shown that approximately 10% of the college student population is thinking about suicide at any one time; yet 80% of completed suicides never had any contact with a mental health provider. This program was developed at Syracuse University and is currently used at over 125 campuses nationally. It has been designed specifically for the campus environment, has research to support its effectiveness, and has been included on the Best Practices Registry of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center/American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Participants in our campus training have included faculty/staff and students from the Law School; Athletics; Campus Ministry; Residential Life staff; Global Studies; Student Affairs and Student Life; Freshman Advising Center; Greek student leaders; peer mentors, etc. This program is not intended to turn participants into therapists or counselors. It is aimed at gatekeepers - those individuals who have one-on-one contact with students which may occur in a variety of contexts. In collaboration with Human Resources, we are making this training program more broadly available and will offer several sessions. This is a 2-hour interactive program which includes: Understanding helping roles as faculty members in managing students who are in distress and disruptive; Learn helping skills and refer the student for psychological assistance; Understand different types of concerning student behaviors; and Recognizing and understanding the warning signs of suicide.

Time Management: You Are in Control

Audience: All Employees 

What do we all have in common? Time.

With the same number of hours in the day, the only difference is how each of us chooses to use the time we have. This workshop will provide you with the tools and techniques to maximize your use of time and minimize your stress, while you learn to make time management choices based on Mission, Values, Goals and department objectives.

Learn to:

  • Identify and make time for what is most important, prioritize your workday and breakdown tasks into manageable pieces
  • Recognize common time management challenges and how to best handle them
  • Implement new tools/skills to help manage your time
  • Do the right things, rather than just doing things right

Note: Please bring your current to-do list for the day of the workshop.

Title IX Training: Reporting and Responding to Sexual Assault on Campus

Audience:  Administrators, assistant or associate deans, coaches and assistant coaches and staff who have contact with students

This training program, offered by the Office of General Counsel, Human Resources, and the Center for Counseling and Consultation, will provide a comprehensive overview of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. Title IX is a federal law focused on eliminating discrimination on the basis of gender for all educational programs receiving federal funds. This training program will define discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. You will learn appropriate ways to respond in the event that a student approaches you with a claim that he or she has experienced or witnessed such treatment. The Title IX training program will educate participants about the possible effects discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual violence have on the victim(s) and on all members of the University community. The training program thoroughly explains St. John’s policies and procedures for addressing complaints, as well as your responsibility as a University employee to report complaints (to whom and how you should report).

Vincentian Mission Orientation

Audience: All Employees

As part of your orientation to the University, we invite you to participate in the Vincentian Mission Orientation.

This program has been designed specifically as an orientation to the history and traditions of St. John's. While our dynamic university continues to evolve, our strong Vincentian Mission remains the same. Come learn more about how our Vincentian founding drives the work we do and resounds throughout our University Community. As a representative of St. John's, you need to be able to articulate to students, peers, alumni, parents, the community, the world, why "We are St. John's!"