No matter what your role is at UCOP, the Learning and Development team offers a variety of courses and resources to help you design a meaningful career. All resources shared here are offered at no charge to UCOP staff!

All listings reflect Pacific Time. Classes are held virtually unless stated otherwise.

Communication and presentation skills

Delivery Skills for Connecting with Your Audience
Feb. 4, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Public speaking and giving formal and informal presentations can be uncomfortable and daunting. Luckily, delivery skills can be practiced and improved with each presentation. In this interactive session, we will identify presentation anxieties, learn how to prepare for them, explore various presentation styles and audience-engagement techniques and review tips and tricks to make your next presentation a success. Please bring a recent presentation, outline or presentation idea to practice.

Emails for Professionals with AI
Feb. 10, 1 – 2 p.m.
Learn cutting-edge techniques to elevate your email game! Dive into effective writing strategies, inbox management, mastering email etiquette and utilizing tools like ChatGPT to revolutionize your messaging. Unpack actionable insights on crafting clear, compelling emails that drive results. Learn to harness the power of ChatGPT in refining your email structure and composition. This session is not just about writing — it’s about optimizing your email communication and management from start to finish.

Technology and project management skills

Excel Intro to Data Analysis
Feb. 5 & 12, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Both sessions required.)
Learn how to use Excel’s built-in data analysis tools to better understand your records and use them for decision-making purposes. We’ll cover analyzing data in lists and tables; summary-based IF Functions, chart tools and building and working with pivot tables and pivot charts.

Project Management 1
Feb. 11, Feb. 18 & Feb. 25, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
This engaging three-part course teaches a practical and scalable approach to managing projects from initiation through completion. Led by Raj Kapur, a trusted advisor to several UC locations, the course will teach you to apply the Project Process Architecture (PPA)™, a proven, adaptable project management methodology. Guided by a comprehensive toolkit that serves as a learning guide and on-the-job resource, you’ll focus on hands-on exercises and collaborative learning for real-world application. Build practical project-management capabilities, lead with confidence and deliver results in your complex work environment.

Box Advanced
Feb. 12, 1 – 2 p.m.
In this advanced Box class, we’ll cover a variety of topics, including securely storing sensitive data in Box; sending data to Box via email or URL; setting up alerts to monitor folders; and using Box groups to manage department collaborations.

UCOP Creating Accessible Documents 1: MS Office
Feb. 19, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
Digital accessibility ensures that users with disabilities can easily access and engage with digital content. In this course, you will learn the principles of digital accessibility, how to generate accessible Microsoft Office documents and how to export these to PDF. This is the first course in the series and a prerequisite for UCOP Creating Accessible Documents 2: PDFs.

Safety and wellness classes

UCOP Safety: Basic Awareness
Feb. 5, 1 – 2 p.m.
Safety expert Melissa Collins, program manager for Security, Risk and Resilience, will facilitate this 30-minute live virtual class. Learn basic safety tips to feel informed, alert and safe as you travel to and from the workplace. We’ll allow extra time for questions and feedback.

UCOP Well-being Monthly Lunch and Chat — Kindness, Reflection & Action: Your 2026 Brain Upgrade
Feb. 6, 12:10 – 12:55 p.m.
Take a mindful pause in your day to attend this virtual monthly series, designed for individual and collective well-being. There will be space for reflection, discussion and real-life application. In the February session, we’ll explore how to “upgrade” our brains in 2026 by practicing kindness, deepening self‑reflection and turning insight into action. You’ll leave with practical, science‑informed strategies to think more clearly, act more intentionally and create meaningful change.

21 Practices for Mindfulness and Happiness at Work
Feb. 24, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Presented by popular trainers People-OnTheGo, this workshop will help you develop and practice the mindfulness, emotional intelligence, growth mindset and productivity skills that are crucial in today’s workplace. We’ll focus on behavioral changes and initiative-taking, while also paying attention to self-care, stress reduction, fostering enjoyment and promoting self-fulfillment. The workshop includes a blend of short presentations, individual and group interactive exercises and a variety of mindfulness practices.

Connections in a Hybrid World
Feb. 25, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
Today, more than ever, it is important to be strategic about connecting with others, building relationships and expanding your network. Join us for this interactive workshop to explore the current realities of working in a hybrid environment and discuss tangible actions you can take to build authentic relationships in the workplace. The session will highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in building your social capital to leverage connections and accomplish more at work.

For people managers

GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers
Feb. 3, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
This is the second part of the required live training series on manager and employee performance conversations. This training answers the question: “What do I do when my coaching is not improving performance?” In this virtual, live and highly interactive workshop, we will cover: providing productive critical feedback, managing emotions, creating efficient documentation and holding effective accountability conversations. Managers will also practice role-playing accountability conversations using the UCOP GROW Plus framework.

ME@UCOP: Managing in the Modern Workplace
Feb. 19, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
ME@UCOP provides crucial knowledge and advice for managers and supervisors who are new to UCOP management. Through a series of seven classes, people managers learn essential UCOP processes, policies, competencies and leadership philosophies, while building community and connection with their peers. In this session, we will discuss UCOP processes and strategies that support building inclusive and engaged teams.

GROWing Your Check-In Conversations for Managers
Feb. 26, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
GROW is a popular coaching framework used worldwide for problem solving, goal setting and performance improvement. This interactive session allows managers to discuss and practice using the GROW framework as a strategy and tool to support engaging STEP checkpoint conversations. Note: The e-course “GROWing your Checkpoint Conversations” must be taken before this class.

People Leader Forum: STEP Tips and Support
Feb. 27, 1 – 2 p.m.
The People Leader Forum is a monthly opportunity for people managers to connect with one another to develop leadership skills, build community, share best practices, swap strategies for navigating current challenges and learn to better support themselves and their teams. In February, we will help managers navigate the STEP process, including actionable strategies to make performance reviews more meaningful and tips to streamline processes so you can spend more time on impactful conversations. Ask questions, discuss your ideas and get personalized support.

Check out all upcoming classes on the Link classes and workshops page. For questions, contact ucopld@ucop.edu.

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