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  3. Administrative Professionals Learning Circles

Administrative Professionals Learning Circles

 

logo for administrative pro learning circle The Administrative Professionals Learning Circles are a peer-to-peer educational experience that offers social learning opportunities and conversations about a trending topic. 

goals

Administrative professionals include executive assistants, administrative specialists, administrative and program coordinators, administrative assistants and more. If you provide some form of administrative support, we invite you to join this learning circle.   

2024 Administrative Professionals Learning Circle dates:

  • February 20, 10:00-11:00 a.m., on project management tools
  • April 24, 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Administrative Professionals' Day Lunch
  • additional dates to be announced!

2023 Administrative Professionals Learning Circle dates:

  • October 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Excel and Outlook tips and tricks
  • June 22, 10:00-11:00 a.m. on professional memberships and certifications
  • April 26, 2:30-3:30 p.m. to celebrate Administrative Professionals Day

How do I join? I missed the first Learning Circle!

  • A Teams workspace has been created - we invite you to join via this link
    • Within the Teams space, we’ve created channels based on our initial conversation:
      • Introductions and connections – please introduce yourself!
      • Professional development opportunities – for sharing upcoming workshops, interesting articles, etc., related to professional development
      • Technology tips and questions – for sharing anything related to specific technologies (since this came up a lot!)
      • Shared resources – for collaborating on and sharing resources
      • AP Learning Circles – for sharing topic/speaker ideas (including volunteering to speak and share your strategies and tips), and planning the next every-other-month live Learning Circle
      • General – for anything else
    • As you think of new channels for focused conversations and sharing, we invite you to suggest them or create them – this space is for you and we want it to be as useful as possible
  • Notes from the 4/26 Learning Circle are available within the Teams workspace (in the AP Learning Circles channel under the files tab)

What's next?

  • Join the Teams space, introduce yourself in the introductions channel, and pop into other channels to share any questions or ideas
    • In the AP Learning Circles channel, respond to the poll to decide on our next conversation topics
  • Share the Teams workspace link with administrative professionals in your network at VU, so they can join the conversation (and so we can grow this community!)
  • If you’d like to take on a leadership role to help grow this learning circle and community of practice, please email ele@vanderbilt.edu 

Creation of the Administrative Professionals Learning Circle  

In 2022, HR ELE held multiple focus groups with administrative professionals across the university to understand better their experiences, challenges and needed resources. Peers were the most frequently noted valuable resource: making connections with those in similar roles within and outside of your department, and learning about and through each other’s experiences.   

HR ELE plans more development opportunities for administrative professionals soon, focused on key skills for success in the field as identified by focus groups and topics covered in professional credentialing programs. Together, the programming and learning circles will empower administrative professionals to invest in their professional growth and development, provide an opportunity to recognize and celebrate their expertise and skills and create opportunities for administrative professionals to build community and share resources.   

To read more about the creation of the Adminsitrative Professionals Learning Circle, please visit the April 2023 article in myVU.