About the Institute
Institute Purpose
The University Professional Development Institute (UPDI) is a strategic initiative designed to strengthen institutional capacity by cultivating a culture of continuous learning and leadership excellence across the university workforce.
Institutional Impact:
Employee engagement and retention
Organizational effectiveness
A university-wide culture of shared responsibility anchored in leadership, integrity, and student success
UPDI provides participants with:
Research-informed, semester-based professional development model
The competencies needed to support a student-centered, high-performing institution
Integration of leadership theory, cross functional collaboration, and career-long development
History
Kent State's former Institute for Excellence (I4E) inspired the development of UPDI. Led by the former Division of Human Resources, I4E was a renowned leadership development program for KSU faculty and staff.
Different tracks were offered for participants depending on their management role. The administrator track was available for individuals who supervise others, whereas the individual contributor track was available for individuals who did not supervise, but had a desire to sharpen their leadership skills. The I4E Levels program acknowledged the achievement of completing the program and incentivized continued return. As members accrued development hours for the Institute for Excellence programming, they progress toward Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. A digital badge is awarded to a member once they complete a set number of programming hours.
Former participants of I4E continue to speak highly of their experience. Their feedback not only focuses on the curriculum, but on the strong connections they made with other participants.