“Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century”
~ S.J. Perelman ~
Continuous learning is critical to enhancing the excellence of our staff in supporting the mission of our campus. Employees have many options for developing their knowledge, skills, and abilities, and are strongly encouraged to explore these opportunities and talk about them with their supervisors.
If you are a UC Merced employee, here are some important thoughts to help you get started:
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You are primarily responsible for your own development.
Your supervisor and the University are partners with you in that effort. You should have a written development plan that is part of your Performance Evaluation and Summary of Accomplishments/Goals form, which should be updated regularly.
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There are many possible goals for employee learning and development. The four primary ones are:
- To improve skills and knowledge in order to raise the level of job performance
- To leverage strengths more fully in your job in support of your unit's goals and the mission of the University
- To learn new skills and knowledge that prepare you for new responsibilities
- To learn new skills and knowledge that will increase your potential for career advancement at UC Merced
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There are many different ways to develop. Some of these include:
- Challenging assignments on the job
- Serving on committees or project teams
- Training classes
- Using online instruction available through the UC Learning Center
- Networking with professional colleagues
For more, check out this expanded list of development activities (PDF).
Always look for development opportunities, and how you can mine your work and personal experiences for learning and application on the job.
Look through the rest of the Learning and Development pages of this website to find more specific information.
