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SUBJECT:  UCSD Values for Learning and Professional Development

In the Spring of 2001, the Staff Retention and Support Steering Committee listened to staff concerns and suggestions regarding access to training and development opportunities and the need for well-trained employees and supervisors at all levels of the organization. From the comments, it became clear that the University needed to develop and publish a statement of values to convey UCSD's commitment to training and professional development, as well as its expectations for employee, supervisor, and manager participation.

After significant collaborative effort within the UCSD community, it is my pleasure to present to you today the UCSD Values for Learning and Professional Development, a set of declarations grounded in the following statement from the UCSD Principles of Community: We value each member of our learning community for his or her unique talents and recognize that each individual's effort is vital to achieving the overall goals of the University.

Please see the UCSD Values for Learning and Professional Development:
http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/learningvalues.

The University's ongoing tradition of innovation and risk-taking stems from our love of learning and our passion for finding new and better ways of thinking. Together, we can overcome any challenge--not by neglecting the underlying source of our success, but by drawing upon our creativity and resourcefulness, with each of us increasing personal and professional excellence, believing in our ability to achieve our wildest ambitions, and respecting our colleagues for their unique and important contributions.

I see the UCSD Values for Learning and Professional Development as the firm foundation of a learning culture as well as the catalyst for action. I encourage managers and supervisors to work with their staffs to develop effective, targeted learning and professional development strategies, as well as to provide access to those opportunities through approvals of release time. Significant resources are already available to staff to support this effort. Staff Education and Development, a division of the Human Resources Department, offers a dynamic and innovative low-cost curriculum, both in the classroom and online at http://enrollmentcentral.ucsd.edu. UCSD Extended Studies and Public Service provides discounts to university employees so that they can take advantage of their rich program. For a look at their courses and programs, please consult http://www.extension.ucsd.edu/.

With appreciation to those who shaped the values and to all of you who make up this remarkable learning community, I offer you the UCSD Values for Learning and Professional Development.

                                                Robert C. Dynes
                                                Chancellor