11/25/08 From: Eric Howell, Associate Director, Center for Professional Development Brian Thanks for your thoughts Rani Monson and the innovation team will field your questions to the proper discussion groups Compensation is a partnership between the National BSA HR group and your local council
CPD's discussions include: 1. Continued support of MSU as designed. Note: MSU is developing on-line courses to enhance this program 2. Add local council identified degree programs for budget support. MSU does not work for everyone. This option will not work for everyone 3. Add a service contract component to higher degree program support. 4. Create a formalized MSU discussion group for graduates and those currently enrolled
I agree that BSA should invest in the intellect of its current employee base and for two major reasons:
1. Retention; people who are developing at all levels are more likely to invest more time into a career with BSA 2. An employer of choice; leverage the investment into your current employee base which will support our search in hiring in the future
The investment in the above consequently develops highly qualified employees who are engaged, inspired and dedicated. It is a win-win.
I agree wholeheartedly. Among my life goals are to seek higher education - but making it a reality with my work will be difficult. Then, no incentive at work for completing it...
I agree that we should encourage folks to pursue advanced degrees. I earned my M.S. in Nonprofit Management in 2005. I don’t think we as an organization encourage any outside learning enough. If anything I felt that some, not all of the upper management of my council actually frowned on the whole idea, actually even joked about how I was wasting my time. “Boy Scouts will teach you everything you need to know to be successful in this career” was another comment.
I think it was a great learning experience just to be in a classroom with other professionals in the same field, and see what they all do differently. Can’t teach that CPD (not a shoot, I have never been to a session with CPD that I didn’t learn something).
It would have been awesome to have some financial help to obtain my degree; I had to just add that to the debt I already was paying from my undergraduate degree. Being considered for promotion would have been even better. I understand that our system works over time, but it is a detractor from wanting to put time, effort, and money into something that is going to take more time away from your family, and isn’t given the consideration it should be.
This is somewhat already in play with the Executive knot, sort of. However, it would be great to have some online or study from home options to working towards a degree. It would take longer, but would be something I could more easily fit into my schedule. A lot of professionals wouldn't be able to fly somewhere for additional training, since they're picking up functional assignments at summer camps.
I was able to earn my Pro Circle earlier then I would have been able to. I was able to earn my M.S. in Nonprofit Managment is an Executive program. It is designed for MBA canidates. Everything I did was able to be done in 19 months only going to class every six weeks or so. I did have to go Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, but I was even able to make it work with being a Resident Camp Director, and manging 11 Day Camps.
Since coming on the job, I have gotten the impression, through conversations with others professionals around the country, that obtaining a graduate degree is highly discouraged in certain councils. This is a problem as many people have stated in their comments above. Limiting continuing education for professionals to internal training and online degrees is ultimately self-defeating. If a professional has a better local option for a graduate program, they might feel as if they have to resign their position just to be able to better themselves and their professional credentials. Education should ALWAYS be encouraged by upper management as it shows motivation and responsibility on the part of any professional. It should NOT be something that someone is afraid of doing for fear of it hindering their advancement in the Scouts. I believe the negative feelings of upper level managers towards continuing education are due to their fear that these executives would become more marketable for careers outside of the Scouting Movement. However, what needs to be recognized, is that if a professional is dedicated to the program, they will stay in the Movement no matter what. If a professional would consider a career change WITH a graduate degree, they would be just as likely to consider one WITHOUT a graduate degree. Therefore, we should always encourage continued education for professionals in order to provide the best service to the youth and communities we serve.
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