Tag 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.

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.

Announcing ABSO Certificate Program for AA Staff

The ABSO Certificate Program is a career-building experience for professional staff in the Academic Affairs Division. ABSO will offer various courses each semester to help you develop your full potential and grow professionally at SJSU. The courses in this program are organized into three tracks to help you decide which path to focus on.

  • Foundational
    Courses offered in this track will introduce fundamental topics and help build a foundation for your future career path at SJSU.
    A minimum of 3 courses must be completed for certification
  • Exploratory
    As you explore pathways toward your career development at SJSU, these courses will pique your curiosity and help you understand more about the functional aspects of the Academic Affairs Division.
    A minimum of 2 courses must be completed for certification
  • Specialty
    Courses focused on specific areas of interest so you can level up your career development or leadership skills.
    A minimum of 2 courses must be completed for certification

To view specific courses in each track, please visit the ABSO Certificate Program webpage.

Expectations
Courses are offered as synchronous and asynchronous and are administered in Canvas. Some courses may have multiple modules and dates. Participants can enroll in as many courses in each track but must complete the minimum number of courses to earn a certificate of achievement for the finished track. Assignments and quizzes are required and will impact the successful completion of the program.

Manager approval is required if a participant takes the course during work hours.

Timeline
Each track can be completed within 18 – 24 months if participants follow the course schedule.

Course Schedule
Fall 2023
Basic Academic Affairs Personnel Management (10 – 12 hrs). This course consists of four modules.

  • Module 1: Position Management (time certain, in person)
  • Module 2: Assigned Time (pre-recorded, set time frame to complete)
  • Module 3: Student Employee Recruitment & Hire Process (time certain, Zoom)
  • Module 4: Academic Affairs Processes & Resources (time certain, Zoom)

 As new courses become available, they will be posted on the AA Resource Hub and announced via the ABSO blog.

Registration
This program is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and is free to all professional staff in the Academic Affairs Division.

If you are interested in participating in the ABSO Certificate Program, please register here and indicate which track you are interested in. You will be added to Canvas and grouped with your cohort. We will use Canvas to communicate information and course schedules and materials.

Questions
Contact abso@sjsu.edu.

Training Materials for Intro To Budget Management

Earlier today, we announced that the ABSO Training Site is now live.  Under “Past Training Courses”, you can find materials that accompany our Intro to Budget Management training series:

  • Slide decks for all sessions
  • Department Funds Tracking Spreadsheet
  • Start-Up, RSCA, and Faculty Grants Tracking Spreadsheet
  • ABSO User Guide for Expense Tracking Spreadsheets

 

Navigation:

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

 

Please contact abso@sjsu.edu if you have any questions or require further information.

ABSO Training Site

ABSO is pleased to announce that the ABSO Training Site is now live! This site is meant to be a tool that will provide training and professional development opportunities on a variety of topics for employees in Academic Affairs. For example, here you will find the presentation and training materials from our first workshop series. 

This site can also be found directly via the ABSO Hub. Also, the Hub’s front page has been updated to make navigation easier! Tiles have been added, replacing the old selection menu which was on the top right of the page.

Please contact abso@sjsu.edu if you have any questions or require further information.