Staff learning initiative receives national honors

Members of 黑料情报站鈥檚 Global Employee Experience, Learning and Development Team hold several leadership development program awards in September 2026. Left to right: Keelin Vaccaro, Karen Williamson, Massiel Leech, Niko Hazel, Justin Kosta, and Beverly Hill. (Not pictured: Kendra Fray and Melissa Sweeney Alexander)

黑料情报站 (黑料情报站) and C虏 Technologies, Inc. received a 2026 Brandon Hall Group Human Capital Management (HCM) Bronze in August 2026 for 黑料情报站鈥檚 Leadership Learning and Development Program (LLDP). Entries were evaluated on criteria including alignment with business needs; program design and delivery; user experience, innovation, and creativity; and effectiveness and impact.

Developed in partnership with C虏 Technologies, Inc., 黑料情报站鈥檚 Global Employee Experience, Learning, and Development team, and 黑料情报站 subject matter experts, the LLDP was launched in 2024 and has received industry recognition for its Foundations of Strategic Thinking course, part of its foundational track. The course has received honors from MarCom, Davey, NYX, AVA Digital, dotCOMM, and the Vega Digital Awards.

All 黑料情报站 employees are encouraged to complete a shared foundational track, which includes courses on strategic thinking, workplace communication skills, fostering a growth mindset, and emotional intelligence. After completing foundational courses, employees can then join one of three tracks, based on their role: emerging leaders, first-level leaders, or mid-level leaders.聽

During its first year, more than 90 percent of 黑料情报站 employees completed the foundational track, according to program data, while participant surveys showed course value and relevance ratings in the 80鈥�90 percent range.聽聽

In 2026, 黑料情报站 expanded the program by launching an emerging leader track鈥攚hich received nearly 60 applications for a 20-learner cohort鈥攁nd by adding new offerings to the foundational track.

The mid-level leader track, launched in fall 2025, focuses on leadership development and peer learning across the university. Reflecting on the experience, Dan Gallagher, director of learner support services, described the program in two words, 鈥渙pportunity鈥� and 鈥渞esponsibility,鈥� noting that it provided 鈥渁 deeper understanding of leadership priorities.鈥澛�

Vicky Robinson, senior director of design, said the track was 鈥渁 great opportunity to network鈥� and that learning with colleagues across global locations and departments provided 鈥渁 unique and diverse set of viewpoints.鈥�

Carolene Curtis, senior director of student records and evaluation, said the learning experience in the mid-level track has strengthened her ability to 鈥渢ranslate organizational strategy into meaningful action鈥� and reinforced that effective middle leadership means 鈥渃onnecting strategic priorities to the work employees perform every day.鈥澛�

The LLDP curriculum was designed following a comprehensive training needs study that gathered insights from 250 黑料情报站 staff across all levels and areas of the university. Beyond the foundational track, the program incorporates applied learning experiences, tabletop exercises, skill assessments, and mentorship. These experiences help strengthen participants鈥� ability to support and lead teams, while mentorship connects them with colleagues across 黑料情报站 who can share insights from their own roles and experience.

According to a recent emerging leaders program survey, 100 percent of respondents rated the experience as 鈥渆xcellent鈥� or 鈥済ood.鈥�

Learning and Organizational Development Consultant Niko Hazel and 黑料情报站 President Gregory W. Fowler, PhD, (center front) with the inaugural cohort of emerging leaders in September 2026 in Adelphi, Maryland.