Monthly Workshop Series for Student Staff & Their Supervisors
(For Student Staff) Hands-On Learning: Thinking Through Mistakes for Success
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Presenter: Nora Bloch, Collections Care Librarian & Conservator, VCU Libraries
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Competency in focus: Critical Thinking
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When: Thursday, February 5th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
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Where: In-person at VCU Libraries - Cabell, 2nd Floor, Room 231
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Who: Working learners (Student staff)
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What: Join the VCU Libraries’ Collections Care Team where we will give you a behind the scenes look at where Collections Care Technician Interns practice a hands-on approach when learning book repair techniques for VCU Libraries! Have you ever made a mistake at work and not known what to do? In this session, we will discuss how you can reflect on mistakes as learning opportunities to develop critical thinking, confidence, and achieve greater success all around. Success means asking questions, sharing ideas, discussing what went well and what did not, figuring out individual learning styles, and supporting one another through this process.
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Registration: https://forms.gle/
UvZj9PYuojNVGacJ7
(For Supervisors) Hands-On Learning: Thinking Through Mistakes for Success
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Presenter: Nora Bloch, Collections Care Librarian & Conservator, VCU Libraries
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Competency in focus: Critical Thinking
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When: Thursday, February 5th, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
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Where: In-person at VCU Libraries - Cabell, 2nd Floor, Room 231
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Who: Supervisors of working learners (and other supporting staff, such as HR professionals)
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What: Interns develop critical thinking and confidence when they are given time to reflect on their work and reframe mistakes as learning opportunities, ultimately leading to greater success all around. Success means asking questions, sharing ideas, discussing what went well and what did not, figuring out individual learning styles, and supporting one another through this process. Collections Care Technician Interns practice this hands-on approach when learning book repair techniques for VCU Libraries.
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Registration: https://forms.gle/
UvZj9PYuojNVGacJ7
Equity & Inclusion
- Date: March 2026
- Presenter: Katy Washington, Chief Accessibility Officer, Equity and Access Services
- More information coming soon
Leadership
- Date: April 2026
- Presenter: Roy F. Roach III, Director, Health Sciences - Office of Student Engagement
- More information coming soon
Past Workshops
Strategic Communication: Challenging Norms, Letting Go of Assumptions
Communication
- Presenter: Virginia Damron, Senior Career Counselor – Health Sciences, VCU Career Services
- Who: Supervisors of working learners (and other supporting staff, such as HR professionals)
- What: Now that you've had a chance to work with your student staff for one semester, this is your opportunity to recalibrate your communication style to help them achieve continued success in their current role and into the future. In this session, we will discuss how active listening and solution-focused communication can result in better outcomes for you as a supervisor and the quality of work your student provides in their job. Learn how your unconscious bias can prevent your students from consciously listening to you versus passively hearing you.
Navigating how to Communicate with your Supervisor to Help you Achieve Success at Work
Communication
- Presenter: Virginia Damron, Senior Career Counselor – Health Sciences, VCU Career Services
- Who: Working learners (Student staff)
- What: Learn about your communication style and how to leverage it. In this session, let's demystify what it means to "Manage Up" and how it assists in effective communication with your current supervisor now, and the ones you'll have in the future. Discover the importance of non-verbal cues. This interactive workshop gives practical tips so you can take action.
REAL RAPP for Supervisors: Empowering Growth Through Raw, Authentic, Purposeful Practices
Career and Self-Development
- Presenter: Shay Lumpkin, Director, TRIO Programs
- Who: Supervisors of working learners (and other supporting staff, such as HR professionals)
- What: Supervisors play a critical role in helping student workers develop essential life skills, gain self-awareness, and strengthen workplace morale. This session invites supervisors to reimagine development in their everyday work by integrating feedback, reflection, and shared learning opportunities. Participants will identify practical ways to turn management into mentorship, connect daily tasks with long-term goal-setting, and build more empowered teams.
REAL RAPP for Student Staff: Empowering Growth Through Raw, Authentic, Purposeful Practices
Career and Self-Development
- Presenter: Shay Lumpkin, Director, TRIO Programs
- Who: Working learners (Student staff)
- What: Every role you hold shapes the skills, mindset, and confidence that build your future. When you learn to connect everyday work experiences with long-term goals, you become more intentional, adaptable, and empowered. This session invites working learners to explore how self-awareness and development can guide professional growth. Participants will practice tangible goal-setting, engage in guided reflection, and identify practical tools to measure success.
Deconstructing Professionalism: Building Authenticity and Readiness in the Workplace
Professionalism
- Presenter: Monique Sample, Student Programs & Employer Partnerships Specialist, VCU Career Services
- Who: Working learners (Student staff)
- What: Professionalism has often been presented as a rigid checklist of behaviors and appearances rooted in outdated norms. But today’s workplaces are shifting toward a model that values authenticity, accountability, and equity. In this session, student employees will explore the history of professionalism, how those expectations have been shaped by systemic inequities, and what professionalism means in modern work settings. Together, we’ll discuss how you can show up as your best self at work while balancing your dual role as a student and employee, and practice strategies for building integrity, responsibility, and respect in any workplace.
Supervising Beyond the Suit: Deconstructing Professionalism as a Supervisor of Working Learners
Professionalism
- Presenter: Monique Sample, Student Programs & Employer Partnerships Specialist, VCU Career Services
- Who: Supervisors of working learners (and other supporting staff, such as HR professionals)
- What: Traditional views of professionalism often focus on conformity: dress codes, speech patterns, and rigid workplace norms. These expectations can unintentionally reinforce barriers for student employees navigating diverse identities and experiences. This session invites supervisors to unpack the historical roots of professionalism, recognize its impact on equity and inclusion, and reframe it around accountability, integrity, and equitable workplace practices. Participants will leave with practical strategies for setting clear expectations, fostering inclusive environments, and supporting student staff in developing career readiness skills that align with today’s evolving workplaces.
Managing Projects with Working Learners that Use Technology: A Showcase on Preserving, Sharing, and Exhibiting Global Heritage
Technology
- Presenter: Bernard Means, Associate Professor of Anthropology & Director of Virtual Curation Laboratory
- Who: Supervisors of working learners (and other supporting staff, such as HR professionals)
- What: Although technology pervades our lives and we are connected to each other and the world around us, especially through smart phones, we don't always recognize how we can use this technology to make a positive contribution to our communities. This workshop will introduce ways to document and share our community heritage through accessible 3-D scanning applications as well as through 3-D printing. Come explore unique examples of using technology in the workplace as a supervisor of student staff!
- Alternative learning experience: Creating a Culture of Learning; or another 30-60-minute LinkedIn Learning on supporting technology use in your workplace
Using Dynamic Technological Approaches at Work: A Showcase on Preserving, Sharing, and Exhibiting the Past
Technology
- Presenter: Bernard Means, Associate Professor of Anthropology & Director of Virtual Curation Laboratory
- Who: Working learners (Student staff)
- What: Although technology pervades our lives and we are connected to each other and the world around us, especially through smart phones, we don't always recognize how we can use this technology to make a positive contribution to our communities. This workshop will introduce ways to document and share our community heritage through accessible 3-D scanning applications as well as through 3-D printing. Come explore unique examples of using technology in your workplace as a student staff!
- Alternative learning experience: How to Learn a New Topic Quickly; Introduction to Google Mail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides; or another 30-60-minute LinkedIn Learning on a technology used in your workplace
Let’s Talk About Teamwork: Supervising Through Dialogue
Teamwork
- Presenter: Marci Logsdon, Assistant Director of Student Leadership, Office of Student Leadership & Engaged Learning
- Who: Supervisors of working learners (and other supporting staff, such as HR professionals)
- What: Supervising student employees means leading teams with diverse strengths, communication styles, and motivations. In this interactive dialogue for supervisors of working learners, participants will reflect on their own supervisory experiences, unpack common teamwork challenges, and explore how dialogue-based communication can strengthen trust and accountability. Through guided reflection, peer discussion, and a role-play activity, supervisors will practice strategies to navigate challenging conversations, foster collaboration, and support students in growing as team contributors and emerging professionals.
Talking Through Teamwork: A Student Leader Dialogue
Teamwork
- Presenter: Marci Logsdon, Assistant Director of Student Leadership, Office of Student Leadership & Engaged Learning
- Who: Working learners (Student staff)
- What: Teamwork can be rewarding and challenging. In this interactive dialogue, student leaders will reflect on their own experiences working in groups, explore behaviors that build effective collaboration, and practice communication strategies that turn conflict into connection. Participants will engage in reflection, peer discussion, and a role-play scenario designed to strengthen leadership through dialogue.