Professional Development
If you are interested in attending a training, please discuss and get permission from your supervisor before registering. After you receive verbal permission, please complete the online Training Report/Request Form. By doing this, it will be logged in a divisional professional development record and supervisors will receive an email reminder regarding event attendance.
Training Resources
Listing of All Trainings Offered by Business Services
UW–Madison Professional Development website
Information on courses, programs, conferences, campus communities, and other training-related resources.
LinkedIn Learning (Formerly Lynda.com)
14,000 free online trainings available 24/7.
Knowledgebase (KB)
Thousands of searchable knowledge documents with content ranging from technical documents to directions to policies and procedures.
Professional Development Grants/Scholarships
Steps for seeking approval to attend professional development events
The steps required for attending a professional development event (training/conference/etc.) depends on the cost of the event.
- Discuss your interests with your supervisor and secure verbal approval from them.
- Complete the online Training Request/Report Form.
- Make arrangement/register to attend.
- Discuss your interests with your supervisor and secure verbal approval from them.
- At least 2 weeks prior to any early bird registration fee deadline, complete the online Training Request/Report Form
- Your request will be emailed to your Director. Please wait to receive email approval from your Director via this routing process. If not received within 5 business days, please contact the training coordinator (dawn.rekoske@wisc.edu).
- After receiving email approval from your Director via the routing process, make arrangements/register to attend.
- Each January and June the training coordinator will send out this “Call for Conference Interests” to remind everyone that these are the ideal months to research and submit conference interests to their supervisor 6-12 months in advance.
- These emails will coincide with approaching windows for University Staff professional development reimbursements and Academic Staff grant applications. Employees are expected to watch for these announcements and consider applying for funding to help the department cover costs. Approvals to attend conferences/events will not be contingent upon funding awards, but efforts to seek financial assistance is appreciated.
- University Staff: Applications for reimbursement are typically accepted beginning in early January and July. Watch your email from the Office of University Staff (OUS) and visit the OUS Tuition Reimbursement page for details.
- Academic Staff: Competitions for grants typically begin in late January and July. More details are on the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff Professional Development Grants page.
- Exploring other avenues (such as presenting) is also encouraged.
- At least six months prior to any conference of interest, employee should provide information in email to supervisor about the event. CC the training coordinator (dawn.rekoske@wisc.edu). The following must be included:
- Conference name, dates and location
- Conference host org
- Estimated registration fee (can be based on previous years if not yet available)
- Estimated travel costs (can be based on online searches):
- transportation costs
- hotel costs
- meal costs
- Estimated miscellaneous costs
- A statement explaining the value in attending
- Discuss the above information with supervisor and secure verbal or email approval to proceed. Supervisor will advise whether or not financial assistance should be sought.
- If supervisor is supportive, they will discuss your attendance with Director and ensure the above information has been entered into an Annual Conference Cost Projection Spreadsheet by the training coordinator. This gets your interest on the Business Services professional development budget radar.
- At least three weeks prior to any early bird registration fee deadline, complete the online online Training Request/Report Form using actual costs, updating information from Step 3.
- Your request will be emailed to your Director and then the Assistant Vice Chancellor. Please wait to receive email approvals from both your Director and the Assistant Vice Chancellor via this routing process. If full approval has not been received within 8 business days, please contact the training coordinator (dawn.rekoske@wisc.edu).
- After receiving full email approval via the routing process, make arrangements/register to attend.
DoBS Employee Travel Guide (link to Box)
If you are approved to travel to attend training or a conference, this guide has all the information you might need to help figure out making arrangements, payment, reimbursement, and more.
Learning transcript and registration how-to’s
You are able to see a transcript of all trainings you have registered for through the UW–Madison OHR system.
Registrations should be canceled 36 hours or more in advance of the session by following these steps:
- Visit the Professional Development Website and log in using your NetID/password.
- Select “Review Your Course History.”
- A list will come up showing the classes you are registered for. At the right of each class is a “cancel” button.
- Click the “Cancel” button for the session you want to cancel your registration.
If unforeseen circumstances develop and you must cancel less than 36 hours in advance, please email dawn.rekoske@wisc.edu.
Registrations should be canceled 36 hours or more in advance of the session by following these steps:
- Visit the Professional Development Website and log in using your NetID/password.
- Select “Review Your Course History.”
- A list will come up showing the classes you are registered for. At the right of each class is a “cancel” button.
- Click on the cancel button for the session you want to cancel your registration.
If unforeseen circumstances develop and you must cancel less than 36 hours in advance, please email dawn.rekoske@wisc.edu.