Always Room to Grow

Certificate programs facilitate post-graduate specialization and career advancement

Twice a week, instructor George Chieffo fires up a Zoom session that draws in an increasingly rare and enviable cross section of partisan professionals. His students discuss their political affiliations openly and with collegiality because they share a common purpose: to understand the ins and outs of political campaigns.

They also share a common goal, one that makes them different from most Richmond students. They’re pursuing a certificate, not a degree.

The program in political campaign management is one of more than 20 certificate programs offered by the School of Professional & Continuing Studies. Some, like that program, award continuing education units, contact hours, or some other form of recognition that can be applied to a professional development goal, such as a promotion or sitting for a certification exam. Others are post-bachelor’s or post-master’s programs that earn academic credit. All of them offer a shorter time to completion and lower costs than a degree, filling a niche that is ideal for some students, said Jamelle Wilson, SPCS dean.

“We’re always thinking about how we position SPCS to educate broadly, and we want, within that broad education, to include opportunities for upskilling and reskilling,” she said. “Our professional education certificates are one among a continuum of opportunities for individuals and an important piece of the professional and continuing education puzzle.”

Chieffo’s program draws cohorts of a dozen students who complete the course over six modules. The spring group included students from eight states and Australia — a mix made possible because the program went online in 2020 — who typically work on issue advocacy or campaigns for political parties. SPCS’s certificate program is meatier than weekend programs but not the full commitment of a master’s program, which makes it ideal for working practitioners with degrees who are looking to move up.

“This gives students the ability to understand areas of communications, finance, fieldwork, opposition research — all that goes into campaigning in a way that would take them years to learn by doing those particular roles on campaigns,” Chieffo said. “One of the big benefits of a program like this is that students are exposed over multiple sessions to the viewpoints of their classmates. It’s important to know how the other side thinks.”

That notion of advancement in one’s current profession is also a big draw for students in the paralegal studies certificate program, said Ann Hodges, its chair. The post-bachelor’s program requires 18 semester hours of coursework, a little more than half of a master’s program. Some students are working to advance as paralegals — a major growth field, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — or are in legal-adjacent fields, such as compliance or insurance, where understanding of the law is helpful.

The paralegal studies program also attracts students exploring a career shift, perhaps with the intent of becoming attorneys. “They see this as a way to get some exposure to the law and see whether it’s something they will enjoy before investing in three years of law school,” Hodges said.

Alongside moving up, another motivation is keeping up, said Justin Madron, an instructor with the geographic information systems certificate program. His program attracts teachers, archaeologists, and people who work for government agencies with ongoing mapping needs, such as the U.S. Forest Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Some students are seasoned profes- sionals, but tech being tech, there are constant evolutions of existing technology and new tools to learn. For example, many government agencies are currently undergoing a shift from a tool called ArcMap to one called ArcGIS Pro.

“ArcGIS Pro is very different, so folks that have been doing this a long time are saying, ‘I’ve got to learn this new stuff,’” Madron said. “They’re not in it to learn the foundations of GIS. It’s neat because we’ll have one or two in every cohort, and they almost act as a teaching assistant because they know the concepts. They’re just trying to figure out the software.”

Wilson uses the metaphor of a spectrum to describe how certificate programs fit into the broader portfolio of SPCS offerings.

“I encourage anyone who’s thinking about the lifecycle of their employment and their trajectory to think about different ways that they can build their skill set, expand themselves, and continue learning,” she said. “Whether it’s a professional certificate, an individual course, or a degree, we embrace this notion of continuing education and all it encompasses.”

Students in the permaculture design certificate program, offered through a special partnership with the Shenandoah Permaculture Institute, visit a local farm to learn techniques for building more sustainable communities.

Options Galore

SPCS’s certificate programs range widely in focus. Here are a few of the selections:

• Cybersecurity boot camp

• Information systems

• Interior decorating

• Nonprofit studies

• Permaculture design

• SHRM Learning System

• Technical writing

• Women in leadership

DASH,

SPIDER! DASH!

Campus beauty took center stage on March 25 as several hundred staff, faculty, students, retirees, and dependents participated in UR’s first Spider Dash 5K. Some ran; some walked; some pushed strollers — everyone had a great time!

“I loved that it brought together people from different parts of the UR community for a fun event.”

“What a great new tradition!”

“The vibe before and after the race really showcased some great leadership from students and staff.”

“As a student, I was able to map out an accessible and fun 5K route that I can run with friends now outside of the race.”

“I loved the community engagement piece. Such a fun way to get some exercise and connect.”