General Note:  The MSU Retention, Tenure and Promotion (RTP) system does not require you to document or submit your professional development activities.  However, you may wish to include and notate involvement in and impact of these activities in other places in your RTP dossier. For example, it may be helpful to share your activities and the impact of participation in the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) workshops, Common Threads meetings, or the College Teaching Certificate in your teaching or scholarship statement. You would also want to include any awards you may receive under the relevant section (teaching, scholarship, service/outreach) in your RTP dossier. We also recommend including a section about professional development in your CV.

Designed for graduate students, aspiring faculty and current faculty who wish to hone their college teaching skills.

  • Common Threads Network of Indigenous Communities’ Research Partners (Contact E. Bird for information)

Common Threads is a network of faculty and staff engaged off campus with Indigenous communities to conduct research and/or provide service program support.  Common Threads has a listserv, a Box folder, and monthly meetings devoted to networking, learning and MSU policy advising.  Common Threads is also a registered CFE Faculty Interest Group.

Note: new faculty and staff should automatically get added to the Professional Development and Training listserv which anounces upcoming offerings and links to register.  However, if you're not receiving these, email the Help Desk and ask to be added to the msu-faculty-staff@listserv.montana.edu.

Crucial Conversations

Crucial Conversations is a 16-hour copyrighted course (developed by VitalSmarts) that teaches skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics – at all levels of the university.

Diversity & Inclusion Series

Training for students, staff, and faculty to expand their awareness, knowledge, and skills related to diversity and inclusion to better serve in their role at MSU.

Financial Development Series

Covers financial and accounting practices at MSU.

Leadership MSU

Management Development Series

Builds the skills of managers and supervisors.

Monthly Workshop Series

Varied fun, educational or critical topics.

Mountains & MInds Toastmasters

Supervisor Training Series

Tuition Waivers

MSU employees are eligible for a Faculty/Staff tuition waiver and employee dependents may be eligible for a dependent partial tuition waiver to attend courses at MUS universities. 

 

  • Indian Education for All (MUS)

This course is just one part of an overall effort to ensure that every member of the Montana University System (MUS) team is engaged with the Montana Constitutional mandate that "every Montanan, whether Indian or non-Indian, be encouraged to learn about the distinct and unique heritage of American Indians in a culturally responsive manner."

MSU currently holds an institutional membership in this rich resource for Faculty development.  Click on the institutional membership link to set up your confidential and personal membership as part of MSU.

MUS Wellness offers a variety of services and programs to improve your life and well-being, including the opportunity to earn gift cards for taking care of yourself (!) through the Incentive Program.