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The Staff Senate believes in you and we want to help you succeed in your career endeavors. For the fourth year in a row, the Staff Senate has partnered with the Office of Administration and Finance to provide supplementary funds for departments that do not have adequate funding to support their staff’s professional development goals.

A note of thanks from one of last years recipients.

Travis Bulluck, Director of Academic Advising, said “As a recipient of funds from the WCU Staff Senate Professional Development Fund, I can attest to their impact on my professional development. Limited institutional budgets restrict our staff from having opportunities to grow and develop outside of those opportunities provided through WCU Human Resources. Professional development opportunities offered by organizations and associations connected with our fields in higher education can be quite expensive. The knowledge shared at events, institutes, and conferences keeps staff up-to-date with high-impact practices to better support and serve our students. 

Information shared at the conference I attended, with the help of these funds, better supports the mission of the Advising Center, in addition to our Catamounts regarding academic advising. I strongly encourage staff to talk with their supervisors about professional development interests and opportunities and to apply for funding through the Staff Senate Professional Development Fund to help them grow and develop as practitioners in higher education.”

The Staff Senate is beyond thankful for a generous budget this academic year.

Eligible professional development activities are funded up to $750, per employee, and are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you plan to participate in professional development activities this year and your department doesn’t have sufficient funds, consider applying for this opportunity. This fund is intended to be a supplemental fund; therefore, you must ask your supervisor for departmental funding before applying for this award.

Click here for more information.

Eligible activities include conferences, workshops, college admission exams, seminars, certification programs, memberships, travel expenses related to professional development.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Kathy Boland, mkboland@wcu.edu.