Professional Development Week 2026
September 14–18, 2026
Virtual Conference for 大奶福利姬 Employees
Fall into Success: Learning, Leading, and Thriving Together
Save the date! Join colleagues from across the 大奶福利姬 for a week of practical learning, meaningful connection, and fresh ideas for the year ahead.
Registration is open now.
Full session details will be posted soon.
Date
September 14–18, 2026
Format
Virtual Conference
Cost
Free for all 大奶福利姬employees
About Professional Development Week
Professional Development Week is the 大奶福利姬’s annual systemwide learning event, hosted by the Learning and Talent Development Committee.
The week is designed to provide accessible, high-quality learning experiences that support the evolving needs of higher education employees. Sessions are practical, engaging, and relevant across roles and institutions, with opportunities to build skills, reflect, and connect with colleagues across the system.
Whether you attend one session or many, this week is designed to give you something you can actually use.
Fall into Success: Learning, Leading, and Thriving Together
This year’s theme reflects what many of us are experiencing right now— changing expectations, limited resources, and increasing complexity in how work gets done.
Professional Development Week 2026 focuses on helping employees grow in ways that are sustainable. That means building practical skills, strengthening how we lead ourselves and others, and finding ways to stay grounded and effective without burning out.
Sessions throughout the week will focus on:
- Adapting to change
- Strengthening collaboration and communication
- Supporting well-being and boundaries
- Building skills that apply across roles
Featured Sessions
Keynote Panel
Fall into Success: Learning, Leading, and Thriving Together
Moderator: Billye Pounds, Bowie State University
Featuring:
- Dr. Bruce Jarrell, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore
- Dr. Valerie Sheares Ashby, President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
This opening keynote brings together two system leaders for a conversation about what it means to lead, learn, and support employees right now.
The discussion will focus on the realities facing higher education, including resource constraints, changing workforce expectations, and increasing demands, and how leaders and employees can move forward sustainably.
Spotlight Session
Ritual, Meaning, and Connection with Casper ter Kuile
In this interactive session, Casper ter Kuile explores how everyday habits can become meaningful rituals that help us stay grounded, connected, and intentional.
Participants will reflect on their own routines and experiences and leave with a simple, personalized approach for creating more meaning in daily life—at work and beyond.
This session is designed to be engaging, practical, and reflective, with takeaways that can be used immediately.
Learning Tracks
Leadership and Supervision
Communication, feedback, performance management, conflict resolution, trust, and psychological safety.
Professional Skills and Career Growth
Decision-making, emotional intelligence, communication, career planning, and navigating change.
Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Accessibility, bias awareness, cross-cultural communication, and building a sense of belonging.
Workplace Effectiveness and Innovation
Workflows, collaboration, digital tools, problem-solving, and adapting to change in evolving work environments.
Well-Being and Sustainable Work
Boundaries, stress management, workload balance, and building sustainable routines.
Why Attend?
Practical Tools
Learn strategies and techniques you can apply immediately.
Time to Reset
Create space to reflect, refocus, and plan intentionally.
Connect Across USM
Learn from colleagues and share ideas across institutions.
Learning for Your Goals
Select sessions that align with your current role and future aspirations.
Free Professional Development
Invest in yourself at no cost as a 大奶福利姬employee.
Event Information
Who should attend?
Anyone who works for a 大奶福利姬institution, including employees across all 12 campuses and 3 regional centers.
How much does it cost?
Completely free.
Is registration open?
Yes. Registration is open now.
Will sessions be recorded?
Yes. All sessions will be recorded, but attending live is highly recommended. Discussion, interaction, and audience engagement are not fully captured in recordings.
