Learning and Development

Ellianne Gallardo, MBA, SHRM-CP | Associate Vice President of Organizational and Talent Development 
gallardoe@montclair.edu

Brianna Kondratiuk, MAOP | Performance Management Specialist
kondratiukb@montclair.edu

Samantha Bassford | Learning and Talent Development Specialist
bassfords@montclair.edu

Tools for Success @ Montclair is a self-paced professional development program available on the CANVAS Learning Management System. This program is designed to help employees navigate Montclair State University’s HR processes with confidence. Whether an employee is new to the university, looking to refresh their knowledge, or must complete an assigned training, the below Tools for Success @ Montclair provides helpful insights into key concepts, policies, and best practices that support their employee experience.

Understand Your Benefits @ Montclair

• New Hire Benefits for ALL Employees
• ADA and FMLA Training for Supervisors and Managers
• FMLA, NJFLA, and ADA for Employees

REGISTER HERE for a LIVE Benefits Q&A Webinar

Employee and Labor Relations Best Practices

• PAR Process Flow in Workday for Civil Service Employees

Essentials of Classification and Compensation @ Montclair

• Manage Period Activity Pay – Summer Salary
• Manage Period Activity Pay – Grant Funded
• Manage Period Activity Pay – Instructional
• Manage Period Activity Pay – Non-Instructional

HR Recruiting and Hiring Best Practices

• Workday Search and Hire Process (Live Webinar Recording)
• Workday Create/Edit Position and Create Job Requisition Process

RealTalk @ Montclair is where we get honest about the human side of the work we do by taking a fresh spin on our monthly webinars. Each month, we tackle the messy, nuanced, and often unspoken challenges that shape our day-to-day experience at Montclair. From conflict and tough conversations to emotional intelligence and collaboration, we go beyond theory to share real strategies, stories, and insights that resonate with Montclair employees. RealTalk @ Montclair is built to break silos, spark connection, and help you show up stronger at work. 

CLICK HERE to register for an upcoming RealTalk @ Montclair webinar:

Managing@Montclair is a dynamic professional development program designed for supervisors/managers of Montclair State University with one or more direct reports and who aspire to participate in Leadership University. This program aims to motivate, inspire, and empower managers by building core leadership skills and fostering a culture of inclusive and effective management. “M@M” is structured into six months of hybrid learning experiences, combining self-paced modules, interactive workshops, and in-person discussions detailed below:

The Manager Toolbox Series (Months 1–3)

• Format: Self-paced modules (via Canvas) + in-person discussions + a stretch assignment
• Topics Covered:
  • Leadership competencies
  • Legal aspects of management
  • Delivering feedback and coaching
  • Employee engagement

Direction – Alignment – Commitment (DAC)™ Workshop (Month 4)

• Framework: Center for Creative Leadership’s DAC model
• Focus: Leadership as a social process to achieve:
  • Direction
  • Alignment
  • Commitment

Listen to Understand™ Workshop (Month 5)

• Focus: Mastering active listening for stronger communication
• Skills Developed:
  • Identifying and overcoming listening barriers
  • Building empathy and trust
  • Preventing miscommunication

Navigating Difficult Conversations™ Workshop (Month 6)

• Focus: Turning workplace tension into productive dialogue
• Skills Developed:
  • Managing emotional responses
  • Conducting respectful, impactful conversations
  • Enhancing team collaboration and trust

For more information, please contact Ellianne Gallardo, Associate Vice President for Organizational and Talent Development

Program Overview

Leadership University is a high-impact multi-year professional development program tailored for Asst. Directors and above who oversee a team of two or more full-time/non-student employees at Montclair State University. As the next step following Managing @ Montclair, this program is designed to further develop the skills, confidence, and strategic insight leaders need to thrive in their careers and contribute meaningfully to the university’s mission.

Program Highlights:

Year 1:

L.U. 1.0

• Know Yourself by Working at the Speed of Trust
• Know How to Lead through Situational Leadership Essentials
• Know How to Manage with Management Best Practices in Montclair’s Union Environment -and- Practical Ways to Create Inclusion & Build Teams

Year 2:

L.U. 2.0 – L.E.A.D. Circles

• Gain access to a support network of other people managers at Montclair.
• Participate in monthly meetings led by a seasoned leader at the University focusing on topics that will resonate with participants.
• Gain access and share resources to build skills as a manager

Year 3:

L.U. 3.0 -Situational Conversations

This full-day workshop is designed to build upon Situational Leadership Essentials from L.U. 1.0 so participants can:

• Drive performance and engagement by leveraging a whole-person approach in performance conversations
• Enable greater alignment by engaging in conversations that create same-page status around performance expectations
• Nurture relationships by building trust, mutual respect and establishing shared goals around the work
• Enhance connection through meaningful conversations that empower team members to perform their best
• Improve long-term development through increased retention by making employees feel seen, valued and appreciated

For more information, please contact Ellianne Gallardo, Associate Vice President for Organizational and Talent Development

PM 101 Learning Series is offered monthly from September to July.  Each 2-hr. session teaches employees about the essentials of Project Management at Montclair State University and will strengthen your ability to plan and implement projects. In addition to the real-time workshops, the lectures are prerecorded in Canvas Learning Management System and adopted from MGMT436 Strategic Project Management.

Each of the workshops in this series focuses on a selective area of project management. The only exception is the first workshop, Introduction; this is offered twice per year. Collectively between the workshops and the Canvas eLearning modules, this series provides a rich coverage of the most important concepts, processes, concepts, tools, and techniques in project management.

By the end of this workshop and the course recording in Canvas, participants will:

• Understand and articulate selective principles, knowledge domains, processes, life cycle phases, tools, and techniques of project management.
• Apply selective project management tools and techniques, addressing or tackling certain challenges in project management.
• (Stretched goal) Tailor the project management processes, tools, and techniques to better accommodate your specific situation and needs.

The following topics are offered monthly over the course of 10-months:

1. – Introduction to Project Management (including project life cycle)
2. – Stakeholder Management
3. – Scope Management
4. – Schedule Management
5. – Resource and Cost Management
6.  – (Repeat) Introduction to Project Management
7. – Communication Management
8. – Risk, Issue, and Change Management
9. – Project Leadership and Working with People
10. – Agile Project Management

REGISTER HERE