Category Archives: ABSO Training

Celebrating Staff Achievement: Honoring our first cohort of the ABSO Certificate Program

Three people stand together. The woman in the center holds flowers and a certificate. A blue and yellow decorated backdrop is behind them.

Celebrating Staff Achievement: Honoring our first cohort of the ABSO Certificate Program

On March 19, 2025, in a heartfelt ceremony, we proudly recognized five exceptional staff members who completed the foundational track of the ABSO Certificate Program, Pathway to Employee Excellence. Launched in Fall 2023, this professional development initiative aims to refresh, strengthen, and teach new skills to staff employees within Academic Affairs.

Since its inception, the program has offered three comprehensive courses focusing on basic personnel management, basic budget and financial management, and event planning. With approximately 100 Academic Affairs staff participating in at least one course, these five individuals demonstrated remarkable persistence by completing all three courses, which included assignments and quizzes.

Congratulations to:

  • Nima Abrishamkar, Senior Analyst, Programs and Operations, Applied Data Science
  • Sarah Kam, Senior College Resource Analyst, COSS Dean’s Office
  • Kristina Luna, Administrative Services Specialist, School of Information
  • Lydie Rashel, Administrative Analyst, Mechanical Engineering
  • Mahasti Tayebi, Administrative Support Coordinator, Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

During the ceremony, Provost Vincent Del Casino and AVP Sami Monsur presented certificates of completion, joined by colleagues, directors, and deans who came to celebrate and support their staff’s professional growth. The honorees can proudly showcase their ABSO training badge in their professional portfolios, highlighting their achievements and skills.

Honoree Highlights:

“I love communicating and being in touch with students…I love the training.” — Nima Abrishamkar
“I’m grateful for this training… it gave me exposure to how the university works.” — Sarah Kam
“I love my job. I grow and learn every day… this training was wonderful.” — Mahasti Tayebi
“The better I am, the better our faculty and students can focus on their work.” — Lydie Rashel
“I’ve learned in each module… it’s necessary to stay fresh.” — Kristina Luna

Leadership Reflections:

AVP Monsur encouraged participants to see this as a stepping stone: “These trainings show that the campus is open to you — even beyond our division — as growth opportunities arise.” The program seeks to empower employees through knowledge. 

Provost Del Casino applauded the dedication shown: “This is above and beyond your day-to-day work. It’s inspiring to see people invest in each other and build community. Congratulations to everyone!”

What’s Next?

We’re excited to announce new courses in the exploratory track this summer: Fundamentals of Enrollment Management and Intro to Change Management (ADKAR Method). We’re also offering Introduction to Courses & Class Scheduling as part of the foundational track. Stay tuned for more details!

Again, congratulations to our first cohort for their dedication and achievement. We look forward to seeing more staff continue to grow and thrive through this impactful program.

Exciting Training Opportunities for Staff this Fall

ABSO is excited to offer two new specialized training courses for department staff this fall semester. These courses are part of the ABSO Certificate Program and are designed to provide key skills and insights into event planning and budgeting, essential for effective departmental operations. Both courses will be delivered through Canvas, using a mix of in-person, Zoom, and pre-recorded sessions for flexible learning.

Event Planning (October 2024)
This course offers a comprehensive overview of event planning at SJSU, from initial concept development to post-event follow-up. Led by campus subject matter experts, you will participate in four interactive modules scheduled throughout October, with the first module starting on October 10. This course is ideal for those responsible for organizing small or large events. However, all department staff are welcome to join and enhance their skills!

Basic Budget & Financial Management (November 1, 2024 – January 17, 2025)
This training series aims to equip staff with the essential skills needed to manage departmental finances. From understanding budgeting basics to navigating financial processes and systems, the course provides practical insights and tools tailored for beginners and those seeking a refresher. The series consists of seven sessions, beginning on November 1 and concluding on January 17. Sessions will be delivered via Zoom and pre-recorded videos, offering flexible participation.

If you’ve already completed previous courses in the ABSO training program, this is your opportunity to fulfill the requirements for the Foundational track and earn a badge! Don’t miss out on the chance to grow professionally and contribute more effectively to your department’s success. Sign up now!

Courses & Their Classification Workshop Recording & Slides

Yesterday, Tuesday, February 6, 2024, we offered our workshop on Courses & Their Classifications. This workshop is part of the suite of ABSO Training Courses announced last November, and was co-hosted by the staff in the Office of Academic Scheduling and Space Management and the Office of Undergraduate Education (Curriculum). We are sharing the workshop recording and slides with those of you who may have missed the workshop or would like access for future reference.

The workshop reviewed the curricular structure (courses vs. classes), how they relate to course classifications and how this impacts requirements for class time, and the process and timelines for curricular changes as published officially in the annual Academic Catalog. This workshop was primarily designed for department schedulers, but any SJSU staff or faculty are welcome to review the recording and slides. We are planning to include this workshop recording as a small part of a larger “Introduction to Academic Scheduling” class planned as part of the ABSO Training Courses.

Courses & Their Classification Workshop

As part of the suite of ABSO Training Courses announced last November, we are excited to announce a workshop on Courses & Their Classifications on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 from 11:00-11:45 AM via Zoom. This workshop is co-hosted by the staff in the Office of Academic Scheduling and Space Management and the Office of Undergraduate Education (Curriculum).
The workshop will review the curricular structure (courses vs. classes), how they relate to course classifications and how this impacts requirements for class time, and the process and timelines for curricular changes as published officially in the annual Academic Catalog. This workshop is primarily for department schedulers, but any SJSU staff or faculty are welcome to attend.

Basic Academic Affairs Personnel Management Training Course

We are pleased to see so much interest in the ABSO Certificate Program. The first Basic Academic Affairs Personnel Management Course is scheduled in person on December 7th, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. There will be no virtual option for this first session; however, subsequent sessions will be conducted online or asynchronously in December 2023 and January 2024.​ You must attend this first in-person meeting to fulfill the requirements of this course.

If you are interested, please sign up here, and you will be added to Canvas to receive additional course information and materials.

Note that this course is part of the Foundational track.

If you have any questions, please reach out to abso@sjsu.edu.