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W&M 2025 Professional Development Initiative
About the Initiative
National and global events will continue to prompt challenging conversations at William & Mary. The more open faculty and staff can be in engaging substantively, respectfully, and compassionately with each other and our students, the stronger W&M will be as a learning community.
This summer and early fall, W&M has programmed professional development to collaboratively engage employees. This dynamic programming draws on campus expertise to prepare thoughtfully for the fall in ways that prioritize our values and our mission of teaching, learning, and discovery.
Navigating Conflict
The W&M 2025 Professional Development session is now available in full online! Programming for 2025 centers on navigating conflict with confidence and compassion. The session features Law Dean A. Benjamin Spencer; Phillip Wagner, clinical associate professor in organizational behavior; Emily Gerst, director of conflict resolution & education; and co-chairs of the Democracy Initiative, Dean of W&M Libraries Carrie L. Cooper Ed.D. ’24 and Senior Vice President for Student Affairs & Public Safety Ginger Ambler ’88, Ph.D. ’06.
Looking for more? The Professional Development Committee shared Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen as a common read for those interested in exploring the topic further. While book club programming completed in the early fall, faculty and staff are encouraged to read this book and explore all of the professional development offerings from W&M Libraries.
What's Your Conflict Style?
Learn more about how you respond when things get tense at work. This short survey was developed by W&M's director of conflict resolution & education and will help you engage with the 2025 W&M Professional Development Days armed with knowledge you'll need to get the most out of the session.
Past Session: Handling Vulnerability
Professor Atwater offers helpful tips on how best to negotiate the situation when you or others lack certainty, control, or both. Also available: Atwater's specific suggestions on awareness, personal well-being, community well-being and communication during times of vulnerability.
Need more background? Watch his presentation on The Confidence Map: Charting a Path From Chaos to Clarity.
2024 W&M Better Arguments
The Democracy Initiative and William & Mary staff storytellers outline how adopting Better Arguments' five principles have improved their ability to work, and live, with others.
About the Initiative
The W&M Professional Development Initiative reinforces the university's commitment to democracy in the Vision 2026 strategic plan. As the Alma Mater of the Nation, William & Mary has a responsibility to cultivate the practice of respectful disagreement across divides. As professionals and colleagues, each of us has the opportunity to model this every day at William & Mary for our students.