ASU network provides career development for university trainers

Sun Devil staff now have the opportunity to join the Learning, Training and Development (LTD) network group, which supports professional development for learning professionals at Arizona State University.

The group aims to gather university staff members to collaborate and share ideas to streamline the training process.

Kiersten Gjerstad and Julie Binter started the group over a year ago while they were working in the Offices of Human Resources; however, the LTD is directed through a steering committee so that it may exist out of any particular department.

One of the key members of the committee, IT services analyst Mindy Trittipo, wants the group to create simpler access to people who do training at the university — whether formally or informally — so they can exchange ideas to further strengthen the staff of the university. 

“A lot of people do training as part of their job, but perhaps not their job title,” Trittipo said. “We already have so many people who can come to the table with different experiences, so it makes sense we would try to put together a group of people where we could collaborate.”

The collaboration includes discussions on determining when to use a certain database, program, or method to improve upon the resources the university already provides. 

“We’ll answer questions like, ‘when do I use online learning or in class learning?’ When is it effective?” Trittipo said.

The LTD meets regularly throughout the year and plans hold a conference at ASU in January.

In the meantime, the group relies on a grassroots effort to get the word out and uses Blackboard as a main communication hub. There, various members post updates and maintain connections made over the course of the year. 

“We know a lot of people who might not know about the network, and they might enjoy it,” Trittipo said. “We’re interested in training in development, and we’re hoping this also helps for career development.” 

For more information and to learn how to be involved, contact the LTD at ltd@asu.edu. Those interested in joining are invited to complete this survey by Aug. 12 so they can be invited to the next meeting.