Classes & Workshops

Note: All listings on this page reflect Pacific Time. Unless noted otherwise, classes are held virtually via Zoom.

Class Spotlight

UCOP Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification: This dynamic, interactive training program is designed specifically for UCOP staff. Through a hands-on group simulation, you’ll explore essential process improvement concepts and methodologies that can be directly applied to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in your daily work.

STEP Deadlines & Resources

STEP learning resources | Watch the short STEP overview video

Reminders for the 2024/2025 Performance Year (April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025)
– Define Criteria: Complete by May 31, 2024
– Check In #1 : Complete by August 31, 2024
– Check In #2 : Complete by December 6, 2024

Questions? Contact step@ucop.edu
Having Technical Issues with STEP? Review this FAQ

Upcoming Classes and Workshops

Featured

Project Management for Non-Project Managers

Online : Tuesday, January 21, 9:00am - 12:00pm

This workshop is designed for business professionals who want to enhance their project management skills and better manage projects of all kinds. While traditional project management concepts are covered, this session is focused on bringing innovative insights and practical techniques to revolutionize managing projects of all sizes.

Key topics and takeaways

Project management defined
Tasks, durations, dependencies
Resources, availability, assignment
Big projects, small projects, micro projects
Planning and micro-planning
Issue tracking and issue management
Defining results and driving to completion
Streamlining communication and collaboration
Setting expectations and negotiation
Project meeting facilitation
Project management tools

Box Fundamentals

Online : Wednesday, January 22, 10:00 - 11:00am

This course will give you an overview of Box, the cloud-based service that provides secure file storage and file sharing. Topics covered include:

How to use Box
How to collaborate with UCOP and non-UCOP people
How to comment directly on files, folder permissions, shared links, and many other tips that will help you when using Box.

Administrators from IT will be on hand to answer your questions and review the best features of Box. More info on Box can always be accessed on our webpage.

GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers

Online : Tuesday, January 28, 9:30am - 12:00pm

GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers is the second part in 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 having role Accountability Conversations using the UCOP GROW Plus framework. This training is part of the STEP training plan developed by the STEP workgroup made up of people from all divisions. The previous STEP trainings are all prerequisites to this training.

Reflective Listening

Online : Friday, January 31, 10:00am - 12:00pm

Reflective Listening is one of the keys to better communication and ultimately, better performance in the workplace. People have a fundamental need to feel heard and understood. When they do feel heard and understood, problems are more easily solved or averted and both trust and psychological safety grow. Reflective Listening is a necessary skill for today’s workplace, both as a leader and a team member. It is a skill that you can learn. This course will teach you some of the fundamentals of Reflective Listening so that you can start practicing today.

Accomplishing More with Less Stress

Online: Tuesday, February 4, 9:00am - 12:00pm

The workshop deals with today’s most pressing issues in the workplace, covering topics relating to managing time, managing priorities, managing interruptions, managing e-mail, calendar, and to-do lists, as well as organizing electronic and paper documents, and most importantly being invigorated and re-energized in the workplace and elsewhere. Join this workshop if you want to make breakthroughs, respond instead of react to today’s demanding work environment, and establish sustainable practices that will help you effectively manage the information overload and get outstanding results.

Excel: Intro to Data Analysis

Online: Wednesday, February 5, 9:00am - 12:00pm

Microsoft Excel includes several tools that allow one to analyze large amounts of data. Master the use of these tools and you change the way you do business. Making sense of your data is essential in making key decisions for your organization. This 2-session course will teach you how to use some of the tools built into Excel that enable you to mine the answers hidden in your data records and unlock the analysis power of Excel.

Course Outline

Analyzing Data in Lists and Tables
Summary Based IF Functions
Chart Tools
Building and Working with Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts

Note: Participants must attend both sessions from 9am-12pm on Wednesday, February 5 and 12 to receive credit for the course.

People Leader Forum: Promotion Process

Online: Friday, February 7, 1:00 - 2:00pm

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.

February 7: Promotion Process – In this session, UCOP Compensation Manager JJ Lerma will explain the promotions process.

UCOP STEP: Setting Goals & Competencies

Online: Wednesday, February 12, 11:00am - 12:00pm

In this instructor-led training on the Staff Talent Evaluation Process (STEP), we will expand on the materials presented in the STEP Fundamentals for Employees eCourse by going into detail on the first stage of STEP, Define Criteria. You will practice writing goals and review how to align them to the UCOP Competencies. This course is designed to support new employees and employees who would like a refresher to elevate their STEP goals.

UCOP Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification

In-Person (Oakland, Franklin Lobby 1): Thursday, February 13, 8:30am - 4:00pm

This dynamic, interactive training program is designed specifically for UCOP staff. Through a hands-on group simulation, you’ll explore essential process improvement concepts and methodologies that can be directly applied to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in your daily work.

Key Features
• Immersive learning experience using the DMAIC model (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control)
• Practical application of value stream mapping, Lean 5S, and data analysis tools
• Real-time implementation of Lean Six Sigma concepts

Additional 2025 Offerings:

April 30
June 5
August 7

UCOP Safety: Basic Awareness

Online: Thursday, February 13, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Melissa Collins, Program Manager for Security, Risk and Resilience, will facilitate this live virtual class that will provide basic safety tips to help employees feel informed, alert, and safe as they travel to and from the workplace. Extra time will be allotted for questions and feedback.

GROWing your Check In Conversations for Managers

Online: Friday, February 14, 10:00am - 12:00pm

GROW is a popular coaching framework used around the world for problem solving, goal setting and performance improvement. This interactive session provides managers the opportunity to discuss and practice using GROW framework as a strategy and tool to support engaging STEP checkpoint conversations.

The framework breaks down the conversation into 4 parts: Goal, Reality, Options, & Will:

Determine Goal
Discuss Current Reality
Discuss Options
Determine the Will

Note: The ecourse “GROWing your Checkpoint Conversations must be taken prior to this class”

Box Advanced

Online: Tuesday, February 18, 10:00 - 11:00am

Want to learn how to securely store sensitive data in Box? Interested in how to get data into Box via email or URL? Sign up for this advanced Box class and we will cover a wide range of topics including setting up alerts to monitor folders and using Box groups to manage department collaborations.

UCOP Safety: Active Attacker Training

Online : Wednesday, February 19, 1:00 - 2:00pm

Melissa Collins, Program Manager for Security, Risk and Resilience, will facilitate this live virtual class in which participants will learn skills and strategies to respond if exposed to active attacker situations. The course will review real-life incidents and discuss options in the event of potential similar encounters.

Mindfulness at UCOP

Online: Friday, February 21, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Less stress. Enhanced awareness and focus. Improved health.

These are some of the benefits shown in research studies on mindfulness. In this one-hour workshop, you will learn how to both reduce your stress and increase your effectiveness at work through simple mindfulness techniques. Some highlights:

Research on mindfulness benefits
Mindfulness vs meditation
Simple mindfulness practices at work

Design Thinking to Focus, Collaborate and Play

Online: Tuesday, February 25, 9:00am -12:00pm

Have you been curious about Design Thinking and want to learn more? This hands-on workshop includes an overview of the design thinking process and leaves you equipped with the key design thinking concepts and techniques that you can apply right away. Design Thinking helps build ability to think creatively and work collaboratively to solve significant problems.

Key takeaways

Understand the key aspects of design thinking including working with your stakeholders to co-create innovate solutions together
Get insights into the challenges related to workplace interruptions and solutions to address them
Learn valuable tips and techniques for collaborating and problem solving in the workplace and beyond

Subtle Acts of Exclusion

Online : Wednesday, February 26, 9:00am - 12:00pm

The term “microaggression” has become widely used, yet just as widely misunderstood. Join us as we reframe microaggressions as Subtle Acts of Exclusion (SAE). Explore the SAE framework and participate in group dialogue on how to normalize interrupting these acts and engage colleagues in discussion.

In this session, participants will:

Reflect on socialization and its impact on our outlook, attitudes, and behaviors
Understand the shift in language from Microaggressions to Subtle Acts of Exclusion
Explore the Subtle Acts of Exclusion Framework
Participate in group dialogue on best practices to interrupt SAEs

LinkedIn Learning for Managers

Online: Thursday, February 27, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Learn how to use LinkedIn Learning with your team as a professional learning tool. As a UCOP Manager or Supervisor, LinkedIn Learning has tools and features to make assigning and tracking team learning easy!

GROW Plus: Accountability Conversations for Managers

Online: Friday, February 28, 9:30am - 12:00pm

Additional Classes

Using the UC Learning Center

Registration: Log in to the UC Learning Center using your UCOP login and password. In the Search box on the left, enter the name of the class you want. Select the session you want, then select the Register box and Submit.

Cancellation: You can cancel your registration through the UC Learning Center. We ask that you cancel 48 hours before the scheduled class time so that others may sign up, or contact the Learning & Development Team.

If you require any assistance or accommodation with finding, registering or attending a class please email the Learning & Development Team.