Certificate Training Series for FSU Employees

The Academic Advising 101 training series provides participants with the requisite skills, policies, theories, and introductions to various advising systems that are essential to supporting students.

• The program is designed with the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) advisor core competencies in mind: conceptual, informational, and relational.
• All content reflects specific policies and practices currently utilized by Florida State University, along with attention given to the various student populations, resources, and offices that help make up the university.

The certificate series is 100% online, in a self-paced online course. To earn credit for completion of this certificate, you must complete the required course modules and score a minimum of 80% on each quiz. 

Steps to Participate:

• To participate in this certificate, review the requirements and enroll in the Academic Advising 101 course.

Want to improve your data analysis skills or learn how to use data visualization tools? FSU Institutional Research hosts a variety of workshops. Participants who complete any IR training session will earn a digital badge of completion for each class!

Institutional Research Data Literacy and Analytics Certificate

The Institutional Research Data Literacy and Analytics Certificate is awarded to individuals who complete at least 2/3 of the data-related training classes offered by the Office of Institutional Research (IR). These training sessions introduce users to several tools and techniques that are available for data analysis and then advance those skills with additional classes building on the skills learned. A wide array of data-related training topics are available, ranging from an Introduction to Data class all the way to Advanced Power BI. The certificate is awarded by IR each semester.

Certificate Requirements

To earn the certificate, you must complete two-thirds of the total core coursework. As of Fall 2024, this includes 8 core courses out of 12. Elective courses count towards your 8 total, offering flexibility and recognizing advanced coursework without increasing the minimum requirement for new participants. As the program evolves, IR will adapt these requirements to reflect the growing curriculum and better meet participants' needs.

Core Courses

• Intro to Data
• Fundamentals of Data Handling
• Fundamentals of Data Literacy
• Basic Excel
• Intermediate Excel
• Advanced Excel
• Power BI Introduction
• Power BI Intermediate
• Power BI Workspace Management
• Oracle BI Term Statistics
• Oracle BI Class Enrollment
• Highly Effective Teaming

Electives

• Oracle BI Class Meeting Pattern
• Student Data Analytics Toolkit
• Introduction to Power Automate
• Data Catalog for Collection Managers

Excluded From Certificate

• Excel Day 0

Campus Connect Expert 

Campus Connect Expert is designed to offer a comprehensive overview of the Campus Connect Platform and how it is utilized for undergraduate students. The required training classes provide insight and best practices for navigating and utilizing the platform to identify students in need of assistance and provide targeted outreach, support, and referrals. To participate in this certificate series, users must first complete Campus Connect 101: Introduction to the Academic Support Platform (course number CC101) and have access to the Campus Connect platform, which is a prerequisite to participate in the following three certificate training classes: 

To Self-enroll in the Canvas module, click here: https://canvas.fsu.edu/enroll/MF68KC

Curriculum

1. Targeted Outreach and Strategic Messaging (Course Number CCTSM): this interactive training will provide the necessary tools, tips, and strategies to provide better, more efficient outreach to your students utilizing the Campus Connect platform. Attendees will learn how to utilize the Advanced Search feature to identify students and how to utilize the messaging services in the platform to craft intentional, engaging messages to students.  (pre-requisite:  Campus Connect 101)
2. Designing and Assessing Outreach Campaigns (Course Number CCDOC): In this interactive training, participants will learn best practices for designing and implementing appointment and messaging campaigns in the Campus Connect platform. Attendees will also learn how to assess the effectiveness of their campaigns through the evaluation of campaign-specific metrics. (pre-requisite:  Campus Connect 101)
3. Platform Analytics and Dashboards (Course Number CCPAD): this interactive training will introduce analytics, dashboards, and reporting tools available to Campus Connect staff users. Participants are expected to identify a population of interest before the session and use that example population throughout the session to understand better how these tools can be implemented into existing workflows while also brainstorming new strategies for student support. Employees must complete all courses and any associated post-training quiz to receive a digital certificate/badge of completion.  (Campus Connect 101)

For additional information, contact Jill Flees, Director, Graduation Planning & Strategies Office, at jill.flees@fsu.edu. Upon conclusion of the program, a certificate of completion may be requested.  Return completion form to training@fsu.edu.

The series is designed to empower employees to excel in meeting the needs of both internal and external customers at Florida State University.

Participants will learn how to:

• Forge positive relationships with customers.
• Effectively communicate in both individual and group contexts.
• Maintain a positive attitude when interacting with others.
• Navigate challenging situations using effective strategies.

Furthermore, participants will acquire communication strategies to enhance their proficiency and refine existing skills, contributing to elevated customer satisfaction.

Participants who enroll in the series and complete all required training requirements can earn recognition through a digital badge and certificate. Enroll in the Customer Service is Our Business series here: https://canvas.fsu.edu/enroll/AJA9WH.

Curriculum

1. A Guide to Empathy at Work. Self-Paced Online. Empathy—the ability to understand and share other people's emotions—is critical in the workplace. Customers want to feel appreciated for their business and acknowledged when they have a problem. Employees often want to feel valued and for their coworkers and managers to notice when they are happy or in distress. In this course, you will first learn what empathy is and why it is an essential business skill. Then, you will uncover how to communicate with empathy and overcome roadblocks. Finally, you will work on strategies to help you build empathy.


2. Building Rapport with Customers. Self-Paced Online. In this course, you will learn how to establish rapport within the first few seconds of a customer service interaction and simple techniques that can help you kick off a conversation in a way that makes your customers feel respected, listened to, and at ease. Discover techniques to help you build rapport in specific situations, including chat interactions, emails, and circumstances in which you need to deliver unwelcome news.


3. Conflict Communication Skills. (Course Number: PDCCS1). Instructor-led. Conflict is unavoidable. And though it can cause damage if handled poorly, it can strengthen your workplace, relationships, and/or organization. Learn about different conflict styles, including your own, and how to constructively engage in conflict.


4. Workplace Communication Basics. Self-Paced Online. What do most great employees have in common? Stellar communication skills. In this course, you will learn why excellent communication skills are important in the workplace and how to improve yours. To become an expert communicator, you must know how to leverage and enhance all three types of communication - verbal, nonverbal, and written.

For certificate information visit: eSPEAR Certificate Series.

Financial Administrator Certificate Series

The Financial Administrator Series is sponsored by Florida State University Controller’s Office. The series builds onto the Basics Series by adding courses covering higher level accounting concepts as well as ledger review and budgeting.

Objectives:

• Build upon the understanding learned in the Financial Basics Series
• Understand higher level accounting concepts as they are implemented at Florida State University
• Learn and apply policies and procedures as they relate to ledger review and budgeting

Completion Requirements:

Participants must complete all course requirements and achieve a minimum score of 80% on the course posttests to receive their digital credential.  For questions regarding the curriculum content, please contact the Controller’s Office Communication Department at CTL-Communication@fsu.edu.

Enroll in the Financial Administrator Certificate Series here: https://canvas.fsu.edu/enroll/JJN4KY 

Courses:

• Introduction to University Accounting (BTAC01) - This course is for users who are new to the OMNI Financials system or university accounting. Participants will learn about OMNI Financials, how money flows through FSU, and will discuss important accounting topics like ledgers and chartfields.
• Intermediate University Accounting (BTAC02) - This course is for users who have completed Introduction to University Accounting (BTAC01) and are ready to learn more about general ledger account usage. A significant portion of the course is devoted to reporting tools available to financial staff such as OBI (Business Intelligence) and PS Query in OMNI Financials.
• Procurement Policies (BTPUR2) - This online class outlines the fundamentals of the procurement process at FSU and helps departmental personnel understand their role in that process through an interactive, scenario-based structure. It covers common pitfalls, threshold limits when competition is required, types of solicitations and provides a brief overview of P-Card. The course provides a basic overview for new employees and acts as a refresher for all others.
• Travel Expense & Concur (BTTE03) - This course trains travel representatives, Travel Cardholders, and approvers in the fundamentals of travel & expenses and the travel card in Concur. Participants will understand travel & travel card policy and Concur concepts such as: creating, submitting & approving travel requests, processing expense reports for travel reimbursements & Travel Card purchases.
• Internal Billing (BTUIB1) - This course targets users from buying departments who order goods from internal auxiliaries or users who are new to OMNI Financials. Participants will gain an understanding of internal billing processes from the perspective of the buying department. Topics covered range from understanding how to create internal purchase orders to researching invoice and payment data via queries and reports. Primarily geared towards PO requestors, budget managers, and staff responsible for processing financial transactions.
• Internal Controls (COIC01) - Learn what it takes to establish and maintain a sound system of checks & balances in your workplace so that fraud and other forms of unethical behaviors are less likely to occur. This class is beneficial for those offices that deal with fiscal matters.
• Accounts Payable (BTAP01) – This class covers the fundamentals of accounts payable and topics such as expenditure guidelines, unencumbered vs. encumbered payments, and Purchasing Card compliance.
• Advanced University Accounting (BTAC03) - This course provides a deep dive into university accounting for those who have completed both Introduction to University Accounting (BTAC01) and Intermediate University Accounting (BTAC02). Users will learn more about accrual accounting, general ledger accounts, and journal sources. This course also provides an overview of common accounting pitfalls.
• Departmental Ledger Review (BTAC04) - The final course in the BTAC series equips users to perform their monthly ledger reviews by incorporating all the knowledge gained during the BTAC01 – BTAC03 courses and applying it to real-world examples. Users are encouraged to bring samples of confusing ledger data or questions related to the reconciliation process.

The Financial Basics Series is sponsored by Florida State University Controller’s Office. The series is designed to provide a core curriculum of classes for university staff that handle some operational tasks related to university finances but who are not necessarily involved in more advanced financial responsibilities.

Objectives:

• Understand the accounting structure at Florida State University
• Learn and apply policies and procedures in procurement, travel, accounts payable, and internal billing
• Demonstrate an understanding of internal controls and why they are important
• Demonstrate an understanding of the reporting tools available to financial staff

Completion Requirements:

Participants must complete all course requirements and achieve a minimum score of 80% on the course posttests to receive their digital credential.  For questions regarding the curriculum content, please contact the Controller’s Office Communication Department at CTL-Communication@fsu.edu.

Enroll in the Financial Basics Certificate Series here: https://canvas.fsu.edu/enroll/JJN4KY 

Courses:

• Introduction to University Accounting (BTAC01) - This course is for users who are new to the OMNI Financials system or university accounting. Participants will learn about OMNI Financials, how money flows through FSU, and will discuss important accounting topics like ledgers and chartfields.
• Intermediate University Accounting (BTAC02) - This course is for users who have completed Introduction to University Accounting (BTAC01) and are ready to learn more about general ledger account usage. A significant portion of the course is devoted to reporting tools available to financial staff such as OBI (Business Intelligence) and PS Query in OMNI Financials.
• Procurement Policies (BTPUR2) - This online class outlines the fundamentals of the procurement process at FSU and helps departmental personnel understand their role in that process through an interactive, scenario-based structure. It covers common pitfalls, threshold limits when competition is required, types of solicitations and provides a brief overview of P-Card. The course provides a basic overview for new employees and acts as a refresher for all others.
• Travel & Expense (BTTE03) - This course trains travelers, travel representatives and travel approvers in the fundamentals of travel and expense policy. Participants will learn travel policy, order of operations and where to find helpful resources to guide travelers and Concur users through FSU’s travel processes.
• Internal Billing (BTUIB1) - This course targets users from buying departments who order goods from internal auxiliaries or users who are new to OMNI Financials. Participants will gain an understanding of internal billing processes from the perspective of the buying department. Topics covered range from understanding how to create internal purchase orders to researching invoice and payment data via queries and reports. Primarily geared towards PO requestors, budget managers, and staff responsible for processing financial transactions.
• Internal Controls (COIC01) - Learn what it takes to establish and maintain a sound system of checks & balances in your workplace so that fraud and other forms of unethical behaviors are less likely to occur. This class is beneficial for those offices that deal with fiscal matters.
• Accounts Payable (BTAP01) – This class covers the fundamentals of accounts payable and covers topics such as expenditure guidelines, unencumbered vs. encumbered payments, and p-card compliance. 

The Human Resources (HR) Bootcamp is an in-person, intensive training series. This series provides comprehensive overviews of HR and department timeliness, tasks, deadlines, and processes. HR subject matter experts facilitate Bootcamp in partnership with an expert-level department representative. This unique format provides both the HR and Rep perspective for completing HR duties in the department. There are three HR Bootcamp courses in the series.

Participants who complete HR Bootcamp I and HR Bootcamp II sessions will receive a digital training badge.

Curriculum

HR Bootcamp I (HRBC01): This course covers topics related to Compensation and Employment & Recruitment practices.

HR Bootcamp II (HRBC02): This course covers topics related to Employee Data Management and Attendance & Leave. HRBC01 is a prerequisite to this course.

HR Bootcamp III (HRBC03): The course covers faculty and graduate assistant classifications, appointments and recruitment, pay practices/compensation, union requirements, contracts, and leave. This independent course does not require participation in the HR Bootcamp I and II sessions.

The HR Department Representative Certificate consists of an inclusive set of required training courses to help those serving as Human Resource Representatives at FSU learn key information and develop skills needed to be successful. Participants who complete the required training courses successfully will earn recognition for their newly earned professional designation through a digital badge and certificate. Enroll in the HR Department Representative Series here: https://canvas.fsu.edu/enroll/T9KRLW.

Curriculum

1. Attendance and Leave Policies and Procedures (COAL01 or COALO): Provides in-depth knowledge of the attendance & leave policies and procedures at Florida State University. Utilizing an open lecture method of communication, attendees will be encouraged to share their experiences and question the proper way to handle individual situations regarding time entry. Topics include, work and leave rules at FSU, the differences in employee classifications for leave purposes, leave accruals and the proper ways to report leave, available leave types, and roles and responsibilities in the termination process. An overview of Faculty leave is included in this class.
2. Criminal History Check Process (COCHB1): Provides an overview of when a background check is required, how to request a background check, the background check review process, and associated statutes. This course is highly recommended for both department representatives and hiring managers.
3. eTime for Department Reps and Supervisors (BTTL01 or BTTLO): This course is focused on time reporting in the FSU HR system (OMNI) for various types of employee classifications. This training provides a broad overview of Attendance & Leave policies, but more detailed information is covered in the Attendance & Leave class (COAL01). This course also covers important payroll processes that will help Department Representatives and Supervisors navigate the payroll cycle.
4. Family Medical Act of 1993 (COFML1 or COFMLO): Provides an overview of the FMLA of 1993 and strategies on how to manage employees who are on FMLA leave. This course also counts toward the Frontline Leadership Program Certificates.
5. Staff Hiring Team Training (COSST1): Provides those selected to serve on Staff Hiring Teams with guidance on recruitment, interviewing and compliance issues as well as a toolkit of easy access links to useful forms, documents and other resources to ensure excellence and consistency throughout the screening and hiring process.
   OR
   Faculty Search Committee Training (COFST1): Required for all Faculty Search Committee members.  Provides those selected to serve on Faculty search committees with guidance on recruitment, interviewing, and compliance issues, as well as other resources to ensure excellence and consistency throughout the screening and hiring process. Everyone involved in faculty hiring is encouraged to enroll.
6. Form I-9, Guardian and E-Verify (COI92): An in-depth look at the I-9 Process including how to properly complete the I-9 Form, how to navigate the Guardian software, how to complete an E-Verify case, and how to approach an I-9Audit.
7. The Nole eRecruit Experience (BTREC1): By attending The Nole eRecruit Experience course, HR Representatives will learn how to successfully navigate and manage the OMNI recruiting module for advertised faculty, staff, and OPS hires from job opening through job offer. 
8. The OPS Hiring Express (BTREC2): Take a ride on the OPS Hiring Express and learn how to appoint candidates via the OPS Express, GA Express, and Faculty OPS Express processes.
9. Records – What to Keep and What to Throw Away (CORMT1): Provides an overview of laws and regulations regarding the identification, maintenance, access, and retention of public records (including electronic records management) to ensure FSU's records management program is in compliance with Florida's Public Records Law. This course is highly recommended for individuals who are responsible for managing and maintaining records, including, but not limited to: Records Management Liaison Officers, HR Department Representatives, Financial Department Representatives, Administrative Staff, Office Managers, and IT Professionals.
10. Onboarding Portal Training for Department Representatives (BTSMT0): Trains HR representatives how to process and track candidates through the FSU Onboarding portal. The course provides a detailed overview of the process for candidates and required department steps.
11. Workers Compensation (COWC01): This class will provide department representatives and supervisors with an overview of the University’s Workers’ Compensation Program. Participants will gain knowledge of how to report a workplace injury or illness, reporting leave time for injured workers, and the roles and responsibilities of the department representative, supervisor, and employee when managing a work-related injury or illness.

This energy-packed, cohort-based, blended learning experience provides leadership development to employees over eight weeks of immersive and interactive training.  If you have the desire to improve your leadership skills and build relationships with other like-minded people across campus, click here  to learn more about the program and application process. 

Coaching Skills training provides participants 10 skills that have proven to be effective in supporting and empowering students. The FSU College Life Coaching Program, housed in Advising First, serves several student populations across campus by utilizing skills that are presented here. Topics include strengthening connection with students, empowering students via questions, making meetings efficient with time constraints, and developing strategies to find realistic student-driven solutions.

It is most efficient to compete all four (4) sessions within one semester, however, you may complete all sessions within 1 year in the following order: Coach Skills I and II during one semester, and Coach Skills III and IV during the following semester. 

Please note: The Student Coaching Skills courses are available to FSU employees twice a year, during fall and spring semesters.

To Self-enroll in the Canvas module, click here: https://canvas.fsu.edu/enroll/HR4XTA

Curriculum

Coaching Skills I - Building Authentic Student Connection (PDSCS1)

This workshop will provide participants with the fundamentals for effective student meetings, which begins with connecting and practicing non-judgement. Participants will be presented with recent research on the importance behind connection as well as opportunities to role play and practice building connections with others.

Coaching Skills II - Guidelines for Listening and Asking Questions (PDSCS2)

This workshop will provide participants with the skills necessary to listen to students and ask appropriate questions geared toward understanding and empowering students. Participants will be provided sample verbiage and time to practice their listening and questioning skills with others. Prerequisite: Coaching Skills I and working toward the Student Coaching Skills Certificate.

Coaching Skills III - Framing Student-Centered Meetings (PDSCS3)

This workshop will provide participants with the skills necessary to frame meetings with students in order to address the students goals and ensure the meeting remains efficient and timely. Participants will be provided time to review skills, sample verbiage to assist with achieving the students meeting goals, and opportunities to role play. Prerequisites: Coaching Skills I and Coaching Skills II and working toward the Student Coaching Skills Certificate.

Coaching Skills IV - Implementing a Solution Focus Technique with Confidence (PDSCS4)

This workshop will provide participants with the skills necessary to uncover solutions with students and exhibit confidence in utilizing the skills in order to best support various student populations regardless of the issue. Participants will be provided sample verbiage and role play opportunities. Prerequisites: Coaching Skills I, Coaching Skills II, Coaching Skills III and working toward the Student Coaching Skills Certificate.

The Supervisor Excellence: Compliance Essentials Series offered by the Office of Human Resources is designed to enhance the understanding of employment compliance policies and practices essential for success in supervisory roles at FSU. 
This series equips participants with essential knowledge and skills to effectively manage operations and enhance employee performance while maintaining ethical standards and minimizing risks.

To participate in this training series, complete the required training courses and submit the completion form. Contact training@fsu.edu with any questions.