Leslie Rogers (Submitted photo)
This month marks the beginning of Leslie Rogers’ first fall semester as the new director of Learning & Development, housed in University Human Resources. As the director, Rogers oversees professional educational opportunities for UGA’s faculty and staff so that they can grow in their work and personal lives and best serve the mission of the university.
Rogers joined the L&D team in June after teaching and developing curriculums for 21 years, including five with the Oconee County School District. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational practice and innovation at the University of South Carolina, with a concentration in learning design and technologies. Rogers holds a master’s degree in Latin from UGA as well as a bachelor’s degree in Latin and classical studies from Furman University.
Tapping into her years of instructional design experience, Rogers spent the past few months creating connections across campus and curating L&D’s fall course schedule (available through Dec. 20). A full list of course offerings can be accessed via the newly launched Course Catalog.
The fall 2022 schedule includes virtual and in-person classes related to:
- Emergency Preparedness;
- Skill Fundamentals;
- Health and well-being;
- Supervisory skills;
- Certificate in Academic Advising;
- Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion;
- Global Certificate;
- Faculty Learning Series; and
- Other topics designed for professional development.
To register for classes, visit the Professional Education Portal at pep.uga.edu. For assistance finding or registering for learning opportunities, contact the PEP help desk at PEP@uga.edu.
In addition to preparing semesterly course offerings, Rogers is re-envisioning onboarding for the university in conjunction with the UGA Staff Competency Model (SCM).
“I’m looking forward to emphasizing the Staff Competency Model, partnering closely with units and developing specific, internal onboarding processes,” she said.
PEP and SCM, both part of the Engage & Learn initiative, resonated with Rogers even before she joined UGA as a staff member.
“The opportunity that the Engage & Learn initiative provides for Learning & Development is invaluable because everything we do is oriented toward engaging faculty and staff and helping them learn and grow,” Rogers said.
For Rogers, growth is important at the individual level, as well as unit-wide. One of her long-term goals is to help reframe how teams within the university address conflict in their organizations.
Rogers believes that by focusing on team development, units will be better equipped to recognize and handle conflict when it arises.
“Conflict isn’t necessarily bad; it’s all in how we handle it,” she said. “I’m looking forward to partnering with units to ensure that we are strategically approaching conflict and treating it as an opportunity for growth.”
For more information about the fall Learning & Development course offerings and other resources, visit their webpage or email learnanddev@uga.edu.