PPD Personal and Professional Development course timetable

Do you recognise any of these problem solving approaches in yourself: not looking before you leap, leaving it to fate, letting someone else decide, putting it off until tomorrow or acting ‘on a hunch’? Or simply feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to do? If so, you may find it useful to learn a more planned and rational approach to problem solving and making decisions.

This short session will focus on how to break down a problem and work towards a justifiable and confident decision to achieve the best outcome you can. It will focus on work-related scenarios however the key principles are applicable in all areas of life.

This course has been discontinued. If you have questions, please contact PPD.

PHEP is Cambridge's professional development programme for probationer University lecturers and new College teaching officers. With contributions from academic and key administrative staff from the collegiate University, the seminar provides a platform for orientation and exploration of the opportunities, cultures and conventions of the University of Cambridge.

This course has been discontinued. If you have questions, please contact PPD.

PHEP is Cambridge's professional development programme for probationer University lecturers and new College teaching officers. With contributions from academic and key administrative staff from the collegiate University, the seminar provides a platform for orientation and exploration of the opportunities, cultures and conventions of the University of Cambridge.

Springboard is a personal development programme for all female staff/graduate students. It will give you the opportunity to take stock and consider your personal and professional goals.

During the programme you will explore your future in a practical way and learn how to develop your potential. You will undertake realistic self-assessment and set challenging goals.

Key areas covered include communication skills, assertiveness, self confidence, improving your work/life balance and developing positive skills and attitude. If you want to progress and develop, then this programme is for you.

The programme comprises four days over a three-month period and a workbook to be completed between sessions.

This course has been discontinued. If you have questions, please contact PPD.

PHEP is Cambridge's professional development programme for probationer University lecturers and new College teaching officers. With contributions from academic and key administrative staff from the collegiate University, the seminar provides a platform for orientation and exploration of the opportunities, cultures and conventions of the University of Cambridge.

This session will provide an introduction to implicit or unconscious bias and will help you start to understand how our biases influence the decisions we make. These may include decisions around recruitment, selection, assessment and broader interactions with others.

The session will include tutor input, group activities and videos and to raise awareness about how to recognise and begin to manage the impact of implicit bias. We will also consider further sources of guidance to support individuals in their roles with specific responsibilities e.g. for managing others, teaching etc.

This programme offers an introduction to management skills and is externally accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM). It is highly participative and there is a strong emphasis on applying new learning to your work situation for the benefit of your team and your department

The course is primarily aimed at those who currently have management responsibilities for others (including managers, team leaders or supervisors) or equivalent responsibilities (e.g. for managing services, projects, resources). All participants must have the opportunity to meet the assessment requirements which are specified by the ILM – please see further details below

Please note that there is currently a waiting list for this programme. If you are interested in attending please complete the application form at the link below and send a signed paper copy to PPD. Your application will be considered and your name will be added to the waiting list if you are eligible. When a place becomes available we will contact you to confirm your place

Level 3 Award in First Line Management Application Form - your application to attend the programme will not be considered until it has been approved by you line manager - please ensure that you enter their email address correctly into the form.

Would you like to learn exercises that will reduce vocal strain, improve vocal range, variety, clarity and pronunciation to gain and hold the attention of an audience?

Would you like to make a positive initial impact and keep control of difficult situations?

In this individualised and confidential one-hour session you will determine the objectives and work on exercises to address your specific interests.

Would you like to learn exercises that will reduce vocal strain, improve vocal range, variety, clarity and pronunciation to gain and hold the attention of an audience?

Would you like to make a positive initial impact and keep control of difficult situations?

In this individualised and confidential one-hour session you will determine the objectives and work on exercises to address your specific interests.

Would you like to learn exercises that will reduce vocal strain, improve vocal range, variety, clarity and pronunciation to gain and hold the attention of an audience?

Would you like to make a positive initial impact and keep control of difficult situations?

In this individualised and confidential one-hour session you will determine the objectives and work on exercises to address your specific interests.

Would you like to learn exercises that will reduce vocal strain, improve vocal range, variety, clarity and pronunciation to gain and hold the attention of an audience?

Would you like to make a positive initial impact and keep control of difficult situations?

In this individualised and confidential one-hour session you will determine the objectives and work on exercises to address your specific interests.

Would you like to learn exercises that will reduce vocal strain, improve vocal range, variety, clarity and pronunciation to gain and hold the attention of an audience?

Would you like to make a positive initial impact and keep control of difficult situations?

In this individualised and confidential one-hour session you will determine the objectives and work on exercises to address your specific interests.

Would you like to learn exercises that will reduce vocal strain, improve vocal range, variety, clarity and pronunciation to gain and hold the attention of an audience?

Would you like to make a positive initial impact and keep control of difficult situations?

In this individualised and confidential one-hour session you will determine the objectives and work on exercises to address your specific interests.

Increase your confidence and skills in one-to-one communication with this highly participative course. Effective communication starts in your head and it isn’t just about the words you say. Your tone of voice, facial expression and body language all communicate a message. This course will help you get your message across more clearly. You will also have the opportunity to practise communication skills on a one-to-one basis.

The Staff Review and Development process provides the opportunity for supervisors, managers and academics to engage in constructive discussion with their staff or academic colleagues about current and future work and their personal and career development.

This course will focus on practical advice and development of a range of skills and techniques that may be used effectively when reviewing others. It will provide an opportunity for review practice, discussion with other reviewers and provide useful reminders of good practice.

Engage in Learning is a theory and practice informed supervisor development programme on how to build supportive learning relationships. It is aimed at supervisors of Cambridge students with a minimum of three to five years’ experience of teaching in higher education.

Participants will explore approaches and challenges to building supportive supervisory relationships through dialogical learning activities — small group discussions, reflection exercises based on experiences, film clips, case studies and dilemmas drawn from practice. Readings will be provided prior to each workshop. The programme will emphasise building on participants’ own experiences. Between each workshop participants will be asked to observe and keep a written log of specific experiences of supervision; these will be discussed in the subsequent workshop.

Workshops (key topics covered)
A maximum of 12 participants will attend four two-hour-long workshops. Each workshop will be held between 16:30 to 18:30.


25 January 2018
Workshop 1 (Principles 1 & 2)
Relationships for learning: theory, context. Building supportive relationships

• Attachment theory
• Mindfulness
• Institutional identity
• Communication

22 February 2018
Workshop 2 (Principles 1, 2 & 3)
Empowering and facilitation growth

• Growth mindset
• Relational power
• Transformational learning
• Self-efficacy

***22 March 2018*** - NOW RUNNING ON 28 MARCH 2018
Workshop 3 (Principles 1, 2, 3 & 4)
Maintaining a supportive relationship

• Boundaries
• Balance
• Dialogical reflection

19 April 2018
Workshop 4
Engaging in learning together

• Synthesis of themes and topics

Prior to registration please make sure that you are available on each of those days.

All workshops will be held at the Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning, 25 Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1QA. The map gives directions to PPD, where the Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning is located.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most widely used personality instrument worldwide, based on over 50 years’ research and development.

It presents a framework for understanding how you operate, how others operate, and how you can use that understanding to get more from yourself and the relationships you have with others.

This workshop is led by a qualified MBTI practitioner and will involve taking the MBTI questionnaire, investigating the four areas of preference covered by MBTI, self-assessment of type with group exercises, looking at your best fit type and investigating how it could help you at work.

Learning about your personality type can help you to understand your role within your team and the role of others. It can also help you to cope with organisational change, deal with stress effectively and develop your emotional intelligence.

Recommended for those responsible for the recruitment and selection of staff, who are interested in developing further skills in this area. This course prepares you to effectively carry out the recruitment and selection process taking you through the stages of producing a person specification, short listing effectively against selection criteria, designing questions, structuring and conducting interviews, and making the final decision. University policies and procedures will also be covered.

Change is a constant feature in today’s workplace and yet many of us find it hard to navigate successfully through change.

Studies show that the line manager has a critical role to play in ensuring staff are ready for change and in successfully implementing it. These sessions will equip you with the skills and attitudes you need to guide, support and motivate your team through the process of change.

Case studies, discussion and activities will provide the opportunity to share ideas and embed skills.

Change is a constant feature in today’s workplace and yet many of us find it hard to navigate successfully through change.

Studies show that the line manager has a critical role to play in ensuring staff are ready for change and in successfully implementing it. These sessions will equip you with the skills and attitudes you need to guide, support and motivate your team through the process of change.

Case studies, discussion and activities will provide the opportunity to share ideas and embed skills.

This participative workshop will enable attendees to confidentially discuss their reactions to students in emotional distress and consider effective ways of supporting them while managing attendees' own boundaries.

The workshop will be conducted in a relaxed and open way and will result in those attending feeling more confident in these interactions.

The workshop will also update attendees on available sources of local support for students.