Education: Professional Development Workshops Subcommittee Annual Report 2023

submitted by Kristi Bergland, Laura Williams

Current Roster

  • Anna Schmidt, 2026
  • Elizabeth Berndt, 2026
  • Lauren Bennati, 2026
  • Margaret Corby, ex-officio, 2026
  • Liza Weisbrod, 2025
  • James Mason, 2025
  • Paula Hickner, 2025
  • Grover Baker, 2025
  • Laura Williams, co-chair, 2025
  • Kristi Bergland, co-chair, 2025

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  • 1. Assemble Professional Development Workshops Planning handbook
    • Goal area 4: Strengthen communication, refine and improve intraorganizational communication. Goal area 3.5: Prioritizing accessibility at all MLA events.
    • Documentation for proposing and assessing workshops has been inconsistent and inaccessible. Gathering and refining these processes and presenting them in accessible formats will reduce barriers to participation.
        • Handbook is in progress
        • Intake form completed
    • Ensuring accessibility is a priority in all steps of event planning, rather than an afterthought.
  • 2. Facilitating 1-2 Professional Development Workshops
    • Goal area 2: Develop and retain membership by enhancing support for career development at all levels and career stages. Goal area 3.5: Prioritizing accessibility at all MLA events.
    • Support member-proposed workshops which provide maximum flexibility in content and format.
    • Increasing accessibility and minimizing costs through online events.

List of Future Goals

  • 1. Assemble Professional Development Workshops Planning handbook
    • Goal area 4: Strengthen communication, refine and improve intraorganizational communication. Goal area 3.5: Prioritizing accessibility at all MLA events.
    • Documentation for proposing and assessing workshops has been inconsistent and inaccessible. Gathering and refining these processes and presenting them in accessible formats will reduce barriers to participation.
    • Ensuring accessibility is a priority in all steps of event planning, rather than an afterthought.
  • 2. Facilitating 1-2 Professional Development Workshops
    • Goal area 2: Develop and retain membership by enhancing support for career development at all levels and career stages. Goal area 3.5: Prioritizing accessibility at all MLA events.
    • Planning stages: LDWG wikidata event; Reading and responding to job ads
    • Support member-proposed workshops which provide maximum flexibility in content and format.
    • Increasing accessibility and minimizing costs through online events.