FIU’s Micheal Creeden, seen here at UCF’s Trevor Colbourn Hall on September 17, 2021, leads a group of 20 professionals from UCF and USF in Emotional Intelligence training.
(September 23, 2021) – The Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities hosted the first-of-its-kind training at the University of Century Florida (UCF) on Friday, September 17, 2021. Two experts on Emotional Intelligence from member institutions were the guest instructors. Dr. Doreen MacAulay, from the University of South Florida (USF), and Florida International University (FIU) professor and associate chair in the Department of English, Michael Creeden, led a four-hour course on EI for nearly 20 professionals from a variety of programs at UCF and USF.
The training marked the first time in the history of the Florida Consortium that staff from our member institutions could participate in a course through one institution’s web courses and Canvas platform. In this case, staff participating from USF could access the curriculum through UCF Web Courses (Mr. Creeden was the only representative from FIU at the first face-to-face training).
MacAulay and Creeden define emotional intelligence as the capacity to be aware of, control, express emotions, and handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically (MacAulay & Creeden, 2021). Creeden talked about the importance of EI for students at the onset of their careers after they graduate in a recent FIU News article.
USF’s Dr. Doreen MacAulay opens up the Florida Consortium’s first-ever Emotional Intelligence training with a “Two Truths, and a Lie” exercise at UCF’s Trevor Colbourn Hall on September 17, 2021.
Creeden estimates, “The modern workforce needs people who are self-aware, can manage their emotions and can listen to and work with people from a variety of backgrounds” (“3 Skills critical for success in the 21st century- and how to develop them through newly launched micro-credentials”, 2021). He and MacAulay lead (led)? the staff in a discussion on developing soft or human skills to complement technical skills. Creeden believes soft skills are vital to career success for students landing their first jobs (Valencia, 2021).
MacAulay and Creeden say EI is about awareness in four different realms: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management (MacAulay & Creeden, 2021). The two instructors challenged training participants to visualize how they could work emotional intelligence into their student affairs practice. They also had participants reframe negative self-talk and thinking. Creeden also led the professional staff members through meditation. He believes mindfulness plays a role when establishing your best emotional intelligence practices.
The cohort ranged in experience from graduate assistant to associate vice president, and the staff represented nearly ten different programs at the two UCF and USF. The Florida Consortium plans to duplicate the workshop at FIU in the spring so more of our member institution staff can participate.
The Florida Consortium Emotional Intelligence training marked the first time staff at USF could access UCF Web Courses for curriculum.
If you are interested in learning more or being connected to Dr. MacAulay and Mr. Creeden, contact Scott.Mauro@ucf.edu or Dr. Preston at Michael.Preston@ucf.edu at the Florida Consortium.
References:
3 skills critical for success in the 21st Century- and how to develop them through newly launched micro-credentials. (2021, August 23). FIUNews.com. Retrieved September 24, 2021, from
https://news.fiu.edu/2021/three-critical-skills-youll-need-to-succeed-in-the-21st-century-workforce-and-how-you-can-develop-them-this-year.
MacAulay, D. & Creeden, M. (2021, September 17). Emotional Intelligence [PowerPoint slides].