Professional growth at USC is built around skills that matter for your career, well-being, and the university’s success. Our offerings are flexible and delivered in multiple formats — in person, virtual, self-paced, or through AI-powered tools. Use this catalog to explore resources, then capture your plan in your Individual Development Plan (IDP + AI).
Your Skills. Your Career. Your Future.
OPD is moving from certificates to skill-building because your growth isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Build the skills that matter most for you, chart your own career path, and take your
next step with confidence.
Delivered Training
Facilitator-led sessions that provide real-time practice, feedback, and dialogue to build complex, interpersonal, and culture-shaping skills that require human connection.
Business Management Certificate Program (through USC Columbia, Purchasing)
| Program Curriculum | Dates |
|---|---|
| Methods of Procurement | October 21 |
| University Policies and Procedures | October 28 |
| Generalized Purchasing Card Information | November 11 |
| Small and Historically Disadvantaged Business Initiative | November 18 |
Managing High Performing Teams Certificate Program
| Remaining Courses | Date/ Resource Links |
|---|---|
| Team Dynamics | Live Webinar (available October 13) |
| Building Cohesive Teams | On-Demand Learning Resource |
| Creating Positive Group Norms | On-Demand Learning Resource |
| Team Decision Making Methods | On-Demand Learning Resource |
| Team Problem-Solving | On-Demand Learning Resource |
| Lean Process Improvement | Live Webinar (available October 30 & December 11) |
| Measuring Team Performance | On-Demand Learning Resource |
| Managing Change | Live Webinar ( available November 14) |
| Managing Inclusive Meetings | On-Demand Learning Resource |
| Giving and Receiving Feedback | On-Demand Learning Resource |
| Setting Team Performance Expectations | On-Demand Learning Resource |
Effective Communications Certificate Program
| Remaining Courses | Dates/ Resources Links |
|---|---|
| Communicating Effectively | Live Webinar (available November 6) |
| Difficult Conversations | Live Webinar (available November 20) |
| Generational Differences | Live Webinar (available October 16 & December 2) |
| Conflict Resolution Skills | Live Webinar (available October 14 & November 4) |
| Emotional Intelligence | Live Webinar (available October 1) |
| Effective Online Presentations (Part 1 & 2) (consists of two 2-hour live webinars) |
Live Webinar (available October 2 & 9 and November 3 & 10) |
Browse the HR training calendar to register for a live webinar. Click the link to the course-specific on-demand learning resources to register for access.
The Managing High Performing Teams and Effective Communications programs will retire on December 31, 2025. To earn a certificate, all required coursework—including live webinars and on-demand
learning resources—must be completed by that date. Please use the updated Managing High Performing Teams Checklist and Effective Communications Checklist.
- Conflict Skills: discover your style, expand your range, strengthen your impact.
- Tough Conversations: skills for Clarity, Candor, and Connection
- Emotional Intelligence: awareness, empathy, and impact
- The Generational Lens: insights into today’s diverse workforce and student body
- Psychology of Retirement: redefining purpose, identity, and fulfillment beyond higher education.
In collaboration with campus partners, OPD also offers an array of professional and
personal development topics:
- Employee Benefits and Payroll Information
- Managing Student Employees
- Peoplesoft, Banner and Data Warehouse
- Purchasing
- Travel and Expense Proxy
- SAVIP, Recovery Zone,Green Zone, and Support Zone
- Personal Development such as Investing, Wellbeing and Preparing for Retirement
- Safety on Campus (Columbia)
See our course calendar or course list for current offerings and schedule to attend.
Live, Online EAP Webinars scheduled (August – December, 2025)
| Webinar | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dealing with Difficult People | 1-Oct | 12:00-1:00 p..m. |
| Managing Your Time Effectively | 14-Oct | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. |
| Building Better Mental Health | 22-Oct | 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| Creating the Resilient Child | 30-Oct | 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. |
| Recognizing and Overcoming Burnout | 6-Nov | 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. |
| Combating Negative Thinking | 13-Nov | 12:00 - 1:00p.m. |
| Decreasing Financial Stress | 20-Nov | 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. |
| Making the Holidays Less Stressful | 4-Dec | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. |
| Creating a Fulfilling Life | 9-Dec | 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. |
Review more recorded webinars available through MyGroup.
Build your Skills with AI as your Coach
AI as Your Thought Partner | Practice Lab | Coach
Technology-enabled skill building through AI-powered practice labs, simulations, and guides that give learners a low-stakes space to practice, reflect, and build habits before demonstrating competence, earning badges, and applying skills on the job.
Technology-enabled practice labs that use AI as a private coach and practice partner, giving learners a low-stakes space to develop micro-skills, reflect, and build habits before being assessed or performing live.
Foundational AI + Skills (perform effectively today)
- AI + Conflict [pdf]
- AI + Emotional Intelligence [pdf]
- AI + Feedback [pdf]
- AI + Hard Conversations [pdf]
- AI + Inclusive Meeting Design and Facilitation [pdf]
- AI + Problem Solving [pdf]
- AI + Resilience and Adaptability [pdf]
- AI + Time and Priorities [pdf]
- AI + Wellness and Well-Being [pdf]
Future-Ready AI + Skills (prepare for tomorrow)
- AI + Project Management (coming soon)
- AI + Change Management (coming soon)
Step-by-step guides with practical tools, templates, and AI prompts that help employees apply structured processes like project management, change adoption, or problem solving without needing deep expertise.
- Project Management Playbook (coming soon)
- Change Adoption Playbook (coming soon)
Self-Guided Assessments
Personal insight tools to build self-awareness and identify growth opportunities. Use results to further your development with your Individual Development Plan (IDP).
- EQ Self-Assessment: Workplace Strategies for Mental Health. Covers four EI areas plus suggestions for improvement. Useful for integrating in IDP as “Where can I grow in dealing with stress / others’ perspectives?”
- Personal Growth Mindset: Assess your own personal growth mindset to identify areas where you need to improve and track your progress.
- Accountability: Assess your level of accountability and identify areas for improvement.
- Time Management Test: Psychology Today. How well do you use your time.
- Do You Run Meetings Effectively: Find out how effective your meeting management skills are with this quick and easy self-assessment.
- Team Psychological Safety Assessment [pdf]: Asses psychological safety within teams.
Here are ideas for integrating these tools into your IDP process:
- Step 1 (Analyze Needs & Future Skills): Take one or two of these assessments (say, an EQ test + a team effectiveness quiz) to surface “blind spots” or skill gaps. Use AI to help interpret the results (e.g. “Given my EQ test results, what are 3 skills to prioritize?”).
- Step 3 (Identify Activities): Use assessment results to pick development activities (e.g. if your meeting effectiveness score is low, take a workshop or try a meeting-facilitation lab).
- Step 4 / 5 (Measure & Adjust): Re-take a tool (or similar one) after some months to see improvement; use AI prompts like “What's my progress in meeting productivity from the last self-assessment?”
Additional Learning Resources:
Tap into university-based training and compliance resources.
- Access and Opportunity: Inclusive Excellence Programs
- Civil Rights and Title IX: Training and Education
- Community Engagement: access to Campus Compact webinars, resources & communities of practice
- Communications and Marketing: Brand Training
- Controller: Resource and Training Toolbox
- Digital Accessibility: Toolbox
- Environmental Health and Safety:Training
- Faculty Affairs: Faculty Development Programs, Continuing Education
- Human Resources: Learn and Grow, HR Toolbox, Supervisor Tools
- Information Technology: Garnet AI Foundry, CESR Security Awareness and Insider Threat Awareness training and Security Awareness Training
- Law Enforcement and Safety: Safety on Campus
- Organizational Excellence: Knowledge and Skill Building and Toolbox, access to Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI) improvement webinars
- Research: Training and Education Services
- Student Health and Well-Being: Employee Well-Being
- University Libraries: Workshops
- University Registrar: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974
External Learning Resources or Networks (Role-based)
- Advising: NACADA, The Global Community for Academic Advising
- Business Officers: SACUBO Home
- Human Resources Professionals: ATD, AIHR, CUPA-HR, Human Capital Institute (HCI), OD Network, SHRM
- Student Affairs: NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education