August 06, 2026

Leadership training workshops for staff set for September

The final round of free leadership training workshops for 2026 will be offered Sept. 22-24 by the Staff Advisory Committee for the SIU System (StACSS).

The 3 1/2 hour, in-person, interactive workshops are appropriate for all staff and will involve individual, small group and large group activities. The sessions follow similar workshops offered since fall 2022 to all interested non-faculty employees at SIU Carbondale, SIU Edwardsville and the School of Medicine in Springfield. Nearly 2,000 people from all job classifications have attended the workshops, and participant ratings average 4.9 out of 5. There were 182 participants in the workshops in July.

Participants will leave each session with practical techniques, fresh perspectives, and actionable ideas that can make an immediate impact in their day-to-day work.

The facilitator will again be Dave Heth, who retired after 24 years as finance director at SIU Edwardsville and who has broad training experience. Taylor Sparks is the StACSS training program registration coordinator. 

Each workshop session is from 8 to 11:30 a.m. or 1-4:30 p.m. in Student Services Building Room 150/160. Participants are responsible for their own lunch. It is recommended to take The Roles of a Leader workshop first because the other workshops build on that. 

The workshop schedule with registration links is: 

Sept. 22

  • 8-11:30 a.m. — Section 519— The Roles of a Leader (recommended first).
  • 1–4:30 p.m. — Section 520— Problem Solving and Decision Making.

Sept. 23

  • 8–11:30 a.m. — Section 521— Motivation and Leading Without a Title.
  • 1–4:30 p.m. — Section 522— Giving and Receiving Feedback (NEW).

 Sept. 24

  • 8–11:30 a.m. — Section 523— Giving and Receiving Feedback (NEW).
  • 1–4:30 p.m. — Section 524— Time Management.

Please register for only one of Sections 522 and 523 on Sept. 23-24 — they are the same workshop.

Email Sparks at taysparx@outlook.com if you are unsure which workshops you have already taken. There is no deadline to register, but registration will close when a session is filled. If your plans change, email Sparks ASAP so the seat can be offered to someone else. 

As with the previous trainings, this workshop is supported by the system president, SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville chancellors, and the dean and provost of the School of Medicine. The administration encourages supervisors to allow their employees to attend this professional development opportunity, as operations permit. Staff should seek approval to attend from their supervisors as early as possible. Staff are not required to take vacation, personal time or lose their lunch hour to attend this event. 

For more information, contact Heth at dheth@siue.edu.