Excellence in Supervision

Anyone who oversees the work of someone else on campus is considered a supervisor.  You could be overseeing faculty, staff, graduate students, or undergraduate students (or any combination) in any kind of setting such as an office, lab, facility, college, department, etc. Excellence in Supervision is designed for all kinds of supervisors.

In EIS, you’ll develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes to:

• Create positive work experiences and environments
• Foster growth, success, care, and inclusive excellence

• A 20-minute introductory video
• A 2.5-hour instructor-led session covering these topics:
  • Understanding and connecting to the University’s mission and commitments
  • Soft skills are real skills
  • Introduction to coaching
• Three 20-minute self-paced eLearning modules covering these topics:
  • Fostering inclusion and belonging
  • Creating expectations and accountability
  • Giving effective feedback
• One 90-minute in-person practice session
• Optional individual and group coaching support

• Session 1 covers these topics:
  • Creating and maintaining psychologically safe environments
  • Mattering matters
  • Expertly navigating check-ins and difficult conversations
• Session 2 covers these topics:
  • One size does not fit all: Understanding and meeting diverse employee needs
  • Coaching for growth and development
  • Challenging self and others to seek multiple perspectives
  • Balancing consistency, equity, and flexibility
• Three 20-minute self-paced eLearning modules covering these topics:
  • Navigating and communicating University policies, procedures, and processes
  • Leading with care: Enhancing employee well-being
  • Acknowledging and addressing bias
• One 90-minute in-person practice session
• Optional individual and group coaching support

You can complete the Foundations level in 5.5 hours and the intermediate level in 7.5 hours. You have 9 months from the time you start each level to complete the level to receive a certificate of completion(s). 

Yes! Sixty percent of the participants in the pilot of Excellence in Supervision had 6+ years of supervisory experience (43% had 10+ years of experience). Many of those participants commented on the value of discovering new techniques, taking time to reflect on their experience as a supervisor, and sharing their knowledge with newer supervisors.

No. The components of the program build from the material taught in the Foundations level.

Courses are offered on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Foundations level courses will be available beginning in February 2025 followed by Intermediate level courses in June 2025.

The instructor-led sessions and the practice sessions for the Foundations and Intermediate levels are primarily in-person courses held in various locations on campus. A limited number of virtual sessions will be offered and are reserved for faculty and staff who work across the state of Maryland or who have work accommodations that restrict their ability to come to campus.

No! The expenses for the design, delivery, and maintenance of  Excellence in Supervision are covered by the University through strategic plan funds.

You’ll start by registering in Workday. Registration for Foundations opens in January 2025.

The process of developing Excellence in Supervision began in February 2023 when the Strategic Plan’s Invest in People and Communities steering committee charged the Center for Leadership & Organizational Change (CLOC) and University Human Resources (UHR) to create new and expanded supervisor training and development.

In February 2024, the Foundations program was piloted with participants from the Department of Residential Facilities, College of Education, College of Information, University Relations, and the Finance and Personnel team in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. Participants overwhelmingly found the program valuable and useful. More than 87% agreed or strongly agreed that they learned foundational information about supervision as well as techniques and tools they could use on the job.

UMD’s Excellence in Supervision approach:

• is grounded in the University’s mission and values, the guiding principles of Fearlessly Forward, UMD’s Strategic Plan, (values-driven excellence, DEI, impact, innovation, collaboration, service to humanity), and the values of TerrapinSTRONG (community, connection, inclusion)
• is informed by the needs and insights of UMD supervisors and supervisees as well as broad workplace and leadership trends and research
• incorporates both high-tech and high-touch learning opportunities
• seeks to transform workplace culture by adopting a human-first orientation to supervision driven by clear expectations and mutual accountability

Contact the Center for Leadership & Organizational Change at cloc@umd.edu.