From well-being training to leadership development, Towson University empowers faculty and staff to grow their careers without leaving campus.

The Office of Human Resources’ training and development team offers free, on-site programs during workdays throughout the year so employees can build new skills, unlock leadership potential and deepen their connection to the TU community.

These sessions are designed to help faculty and staff advance their goals — whether they’re exploring leadership, improving student support skills or preparing for the next step in their careers.

“Not many employers can say they offer free professional development during the workday that’s applicable to the employee,” says Amy Levine, training and organizational development coordinator at TU.

“We're really working hard to make sure we are offering a wide array of professional development, and we want to make sure we're meeting the needs of our faculty and staff.”

Workshops are organized into categories such as student support, well-being, career growth, leadership partnerships and performance management. Sessions typically last just one to two hours, with some leadership development sessions lasting longer.

We're really working hard to make sure we are offering a wide array of professional development, and we want to make sure we're meeting the needs of our faculty and staff.

Amy Levine

Professional development opportunities are listed on the Human Resources' Training Calendar. Each event includes key details, prerequisites and a simple registration process.

“We want people to feel supported in their career growth at Towson University,” Levine says. “We want you to stay. We want you to grow. Whether that means being promoted within your department or finding a new role across campus, we want you to feel prepared to take those leaps.”

In addition to scheduled workshops, Human Resources welcomes faculty and staff to pitch new training ideas or volunteer as facilitators.

One example of a staff-led workshop is a joint effort between the Counseling Center and Student Outreach and Support, which helps faculty and staff learn how to support students in need. The workshop remains part of the current training calendar.

“I love that we have this wide array of experts on campus who reach out to us and say, ‘This topic is important and should be on the training calendar,’” Levine says. “Human Resources isn’t facilitating every training — we rely on subject matter experts from across campus and are happy to support those who want to share their passions.”

Examples of current offerings:

  • Manager to Leader — Through a special partnership with the Dr. Nancy Grasmick Leadership Institute, this session helps managers refine and enhance their leadership skills to become more influential and impactful. Participants practice intentional influencing through different leadership styles, build collective leadership to drive goals forward and apply hands-on strategies to foster higher levels of employee engagement.
  • Building Bridges Across Maryland — A cohort for administrative professionals across nine area institutions that provides staff with opportunities for shared learning and professional growth. Topics include discovering strengths, living a productive life, success skills, networking, career planning and self-care.
  • CliftonStrengths — In this workshop, participants explore their CliftonStrengths and deepen their understanding of their own leadership potential, applying their talents more productively toward personal, academic and career aspirations. To request a session for an employee team, contact the Training & OD team.