CCA Skillstudio is a staff professional development program that will be offering extended synchronous and asynchronous opportunities. We are excited to offer a variety of trainings and workshops throughout the year that address the following themes:

• Refining your technical skills with CCA platforms
• Creative reinvention for processes & procedures
• Back to basics
• Supporting a culture of care

Check out our upcoming sessions - we hope you can join us (please click on a title for more information)!

• November
  • No Cost Retirement & Financial Planning Online Consultations
  • Introduction to MURAL Digital Workspace
  • Project Management Fundamentals
• December
  • Discover the Features & Benefits of the CCA 403(b) Retirement Plan
• January
  • Medicare 101
  • Working with Students in Distress
• March
  • Manager 101 for Student Supervisors
• April
  • Bystander Intervention to Stop Antisemitic Harassment
• July
  • CCA Brand Overview and Design Workshop

• When: November 6th - 17th, 30 minute sessions available during business days and hours
• Where: Via Zoom
• Retirement Plan Consultant/Financial Advisor: Eric Weissman from SageView Advisory Group
• Please click here to schedule an online consultation (appointments are available from 11/6 - 11/17)
• Description: Providing retirement benefits is one important way we care for CCA employees and their families. SageView Advisory Group, CCA’s retirement advisor, offers individual financial consulting with a licensed financial advisor to discuss retirement plans or other financial matters. In order to help employees meet their financial goals, HR has arranged for personalized assistance at no additional cost. This includes connecting you with Eric Weissman, a Retirement Plan Consultant with SageView who provides service to the college. Click here for more information about CCA's retirement plans and how you can contact Eric if you have questions or if these dates do not work for your schedule. If you would like to have an online consultation to learn more about the performance of your retirement account or to discuss financial goals and planning, please use the link above to schedule an online appointment.

• When: Wednesday, November 8th from 11am - 12pm
• Where: Via Zoom
• How to Join: Please RSVP by emailing hr@cca.edu. You will then be sent a calendar invite with the link to join.
• Presenters: Daniel Ransom, Instructional Services Librarian and Mingyu Li, Instructional Designer, both from CCA Libraries
• Session description: Mural is a versatile web-based digital workspace and whiteboard application suitable for various collaborative and individual tasks, such as concept mapping, project planning, storyboarding, and creating process flowcharts. This beginner-friendly workshop, designed for the staff community, will guide you through Mural's basics. You'll learn how to navigate the Mural Canvas, utilize the toolbar to create content, export a mural canvas, and learn the process of sharing and collaborating in Mural both synchronously and asynchronously. Additionally, we will briefly introduce alternative digital whiteboard applications and provide opportunities for Q&As.

In this session, we'll cover some basic concepts and skills for managing projects effectively. From initial planning and stakeholder engagement to change management and project closeout, understanding key project components can set you up for more successful outcomes. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to apply some key concepts/tools to start planning their own projects.

• When: Monday, November 20th from 1pm - 2:30pm
• Where: In person, on campus in Blattner Hall
• Length of session: 90 minutes
• Session Leader: Nick Solomon, Strategic Projects Manager, Technology Services
• How to Join: We need your feedback! We would like this to be an in person session. Out of the dates and times listed above, please indicate on the Doodle poll what will work for your schedule. Please note you must complete the Doodle poll no later than Friday, November 3rd. On November 6th, you will receive a calendar invite with the finalized date and time.

• When: December 5, 2023 from 11am - 12pm
• Where: Via Zoom
• Presenter: Eric Weissman from SageView Advisory Group
• Please register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cCB5dZPtSWmC3RBy3krODg. Once you register, you will receive a calendar invite with a Zoom link.
• Session Description: In this presentation, we provide an overview of the features of the CCA 403(b) Plan. We will cover the tax benefits, employer contributions, investment options, and withdrawal rules, including Cross-Contract Transfers for employees who may still have a balance in the legacy TIAA-CREF accounts. The goal for this presentation is to help employees understand the value of the 403(b) Plan for their retirement income, as well as provide ideas for optimizing their use of the retirement plan that they can implement today. Click here for more information.

Join us for a compassionate and informative workshop with Counseling and Psychological Services, where we will explore strategies for supporting students in distress. We will delve into the crucial skill of distinguishing between distress and crisis, equipping participants with the knowledge of how to respond to varying levels of emotional concern. 

This workshop fosters community engagement through a blend of reflective exercises and interactive activities. By providing a dynamic platform for participants to share insights and gain information, together we will aim to cultivate a group experience of mutual support among staff and faculty related to navigating challenging encounters in supporting students.

• When: Monday, January 29th from 11am - 12:15pm
• Where: Via Zoom
• Presenters: Leah Oliver, Psy.D. and Brigette Stump-Vernon, Psy.D., Associate Directors, CCA Counseling and Psychological Services

You can access the recording here, and the slides and handouts can be found here.

CCA has partnered with our benefits broker, Burnham Benefits, to bring you a session led by Medicare guru Elliot Martin.

This session will cover:

• What your original Medicare benefits are
• The difference between Medicare Supplement vs. Medicare Advantage
• Medicare deadlines and avoiding penalties
• How to shop for prescription drug coverage
• What to do if planning to work past age 65

More details are below:

• When: Tuesday, January 30th from 11am - 12pm
• Where: Via Zoom
• Presenter: Elliot Martin
• To RSVP, please email hr@cca.edu. Once you register, you will receive a calendar invite with a Zoom link

Did you miss the session? Click here to access the webinar and slides.

Do you have questions about Medicare or do you need a benefit related employment verification? Please email benefits@cca.edu.

Come learn about manager basics for supervising student workers, including student employment eligibility requirements, hiring basics, compliance (rest & meal periods, worker’s comp) and performance management basics (setting up successful relationships, having difficult conversations). Bring your questions!

• When: Tuesday, March 19th from 10am - 11:30am
• Where: Via Zoom
• Presenters: Amanda Al-Shamari and Suzanne Guevarra, Human Resources

Please email hr@cca.edu to RSVP. Once you register, you will receive a calendar invite with a Zoom link.

This 75-minute training will teach you Right To Be’s 5Ds of bystander intervention methodology, created in collaboration with T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. Right To Be will talk about the forms of antisemitism that the Jewish community faces right now — from microaggressions to violence — using a tool they call the “Spectrum of Disrespect.” You’ll learn what to look for and the positive impact that bystander intervention has on individuals and communities. They will talk through five strategies for intervention: distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct; and how to prioritize your own safety while intervening. We’ll have time at the end for practice, and you’ll leave feeling more confident intervening the next time you see antisemitic harassment online or in person.

• Date: Tuesday, April 16th
• Time: 1pm - 2:15pm
• How to Register: Register now using this link

Debrief Group After Right To Be’s Session
Come back the next day after Right To Be’s session to share your insights and reflect on what you learned with your CCA colleagues. 

• Date: Tuesday, April 17th
• Time: 1pm - 1:30pm
• How to Register: Please email hr@cca.edu to be added to the calendar invite which will include a Zoom link.

Questions? Please contact hr@cca.edu.

Learn about CCA’s visual identity and how you can implement it in your designs. This session will consist of both a presentation and a workshop. First, we’ll cover the past, present, and future of CCA’s brand, including how it has evolved in recent years to better reflect the CCA community. You’ll learn about key elements of our creative strategy and visual identity and see examples of the brand in use. Next, we’ll give you a tour of our toolkit, where you can download brand assets. In the workshop section, we’ll guide you through an exercise practicing using templates to create your own branded content.

Date and time in July TBD!