Ask anyone at UNLV and they’ll tell you that the world of higher education moves fast. For academic and administrative faculty and staff, this requires a constant dedication to keeping skill sets sharp and staying informed about best practices. 

Engaging in professional development is just one way that employees can invest in themselves and their careers. There are a number of free professional development tools that UNLV faculty and staff automatically have access to, with many offering broad libraries of resources.

Enter Academic Impressions

UNLV partnered with Academic Impressions (AI) in 2020 to bring personal, professional, and leadership education resources to faculty and staff, helping them to reach their full potential. Academic Impressions conducts thousands of hours of research each year to identify key themes and movements in higher education and bring you the job aids necessary to address them. Whether you work in an administrative or academic role, there are learning tools designed for you. 

This fall, Academic Impressions has launched an impressive slate of new training workshops, webinars, articles, and more, making it a great time to climb on board and level up your life.

Can You Say All-Access?

With a free all-access membership for the UNLV community, users can take advantage of Academic Impressions’ vast library of content. A great place to start is by perusing some of UNLV’s top picks.

Content is searchable by position (deans, chairs, etc.) and by topic, and there are more resources being added every day. The platform also offers a variety of formats to fit your learning style and schedule, including self-paced courses, full-length webinars, articles, and even multi-day boot camps and in-person conferences. If you miss a live event, you can always go back and view it later! 

Individuals all across campus are using these tools to not only boost their job performance, but to change unit culture and improve their own well-being. We interviewed a few of the platform’s superusers to find out how they use Academic Impressions to stay at the top of their game and why you should too.

Superusers Share Their Stories

UNLV’s top Academic Impressions users have accessed dozens of courses since the platform’s debut. Across the board, they indicated they have used Academic Impressions since it was introduced to the campus in 2020. It was a fortuitous time to offer the platform at UNLV, as many employees were working from home and were seeking out ways to grow and stay connected to the higher education space.

What made you decide to utilize Academic Impressions’ (AI) training courses and resources?

The largest draw of the platform is the variety of personal and professional development topics that users have access to. All of our superusers praised the breadth of topics and the range of formats, which can accommodate different learning interests and styles, as well as fit into tight schedules. 

Often cited was the benefit of connection that users get from AI. This engagement aspect is a big draw for Michelle Sposito, director and Title IX coordinator in the Office of Equal Employment and Title IX, who finds it helpful that “[participants] have the ability to talk through issues, attend breakout sessions, and connect with others in the same field.” 

How often do you use AI resources?

For Rebeka Patent, director of sponsorships in the Division of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement, it depends on the year. “I typically attend 12-24 [AI] webinars annually and throw in webinars from Bloomerang, NACRO, etc. to make sure I'm well rounded,” she says.

Others, like Sara Hunt, assistant dean of Behavioral Health Sciences at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, stay connected daily by subscribing to the Daily Pulse newsletter from AI, which allows them to see headlines and trending topics. AI’s weekly emails are also helpful for Levent Atici, executive director of Undergraduate Research. “I scan the topics and headlines and sign up for training when they seem interesting,” he says. 

What kinds of topics do you find most helpful in your line of work?

Amanda Lange, senior academic advisor in the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality says, “In my work as an advisor, I’m drawn to student success topics and finding ways to help [students] overcome life challenges, like family issues or food insecurity. Using AI resources makes me feel reinvigorated in my role.”

AI’s Title IX trainings are an integral part of Sposito’s work, since she and her team are required to complete regular training. “AI helps us satisfy this requirement and gain meaningful insight, since the content is taught by knowledgeable practitioners in the field,” Sposito says. Another benefit is that some courses provide downloadable content, which Sposito and her team integrate into their work.

Resources focused on leadership, organization, and national trends in higher education are of top interest to Atici. Project management training has been particularly helpful for “organizing the office and clearly defining roles and responsibilities. Learning these skills led me to bring project management tools to my team, which has been instrumental,” he says.

With her focus on workforce development, Hunt is drawn to topics including curriculum development, leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and health and wellness. “Sessions that have attendees from other institutions are very helpful because they allow me to hear others’ strategies and perspectives.” One particular webinar that Hunt found directly applicable to her job covered microcredentials. She later reached out to others at UNLV about implementing them in her unit!

How has using AI impacted your leadership skills and ability to navigate challenges in higher education?

Building leadership skills was very important to Atici when he transitioned from faculty into his administrative role. “I was looking for resources to upskill and prepare me to lead the [OUR] office. The training helps me to stay informed about my type of position and to better manage people and processes.” Ultimately, he says, “It helps me to keep the unit at the forefront of trends and innovations.” 

Both Atici and Sposito regularly encourage their staff to use AI resources, whether by discussing AI topics in their staff meetings or recommending training they found helpful to others. 

While many in education were challenged by remote instruction through the pandemic, Lange found guidance in the Covid-related webinars AI created. “Those tools really helped me overcome the challenge of engagement [with her advisees], which persists even three years later” she says.

AI has the resources to “meet a professional wherever they are at in their career,” says Patent. When she transitioned into her director role, she found leadership courses on imposter syndrome and public speaking that helped her to upskill and meet the demands of her position.

Is there a particular AI course or topic that you think everyone should take advantage of?

Patent sums it up for everyone when she says, “It's hard for me to recommend just ONE course/topic when each of us are experiencing different seasons in our lives and careers. I do think that there is something for everyone at AI.”