About IT Professional Development (ITPD) courses

ITPD courses:

• Offer standard courses at various levels,

• Make it easier for staff to choose courses to take,

• Help ensure staff have the prerequisites necessary to take courses,

• Provide more in-depth training. The first part of some courses will be used to demonstrate and practise the skills necessary to complete various tasks. The second part for these courses, will be project oriented,

• Provide easy access to course handouts and projects.

• Implement a registration system that will discourage people from missing courses they have registered for, and

• Provide you and your manager with your current professional development record in Workday.

Please note, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hands-on-style courses are currently unavailable.

• Some courses consist of demonstration and hands-on exercises in a computer lab.

• Some of the courses are presentation style and do not have hands-on practice.

Notes and sample files for current and past courses can be found on the ITPD Notes SharePoint Site (login with username@uwaterloo.ca).

Note: As an IT Green Initiative, we no longer provide printed handouts for presentation-style courses. Two business days before the course, attendees will be emailed the handout file. The handout can be printed and brought to the class and/or downloaded to a portable device.

Course delivery

• For any workshops hosted in Microsoft Teams, an invite will be sent to you by the workshops facilitator(s) close to the offering date. You will also be sent the course notes.

Technical requirements

• Please ensure you have:

• Access to a computer/device with internet connection.

  • Access to Microsoft Teams (available to you as part of your Microsoft 365 experience through Waterloo).

  • Other Applications you may use include Mentimeter.com, and your facilitator(s) will provide direction on accessing/using this feature.

  • Audio and/or video capability to engage with course participants and/or facilitator(s). 

Course registration

• Course registration and cancellations are completed through Workday.

• All online workshops are currently hosted in Microsoft Teams. An invite will be sent to you by the workshops facilitator(s). You will also be sent the course notes.

• Once all session components are completed, you will receive credit in your training record on Workday.

• If you have questions, or have not received your invite prior to the course, please contact itpd@uwaterloo.ca. 

Tips to ensure a great course

• When you join the meeting, explore the Teams toolbar (pictured below) to familiarize yourself with the features, such as the "Raise Your Hand" feature and the chat window.

  • You can ask questions during the course by either raising your virtual hand or asking in the chat window.

• Ensure your camera is turned off and your microphone is muted at the beginning of the course.

  • When called upon or participating, state your name, first.

• Have a notebook or paper ready for any notes you wish to capture.

• ITPD courses are open and free to all staff at Waterloo, including temporary/contract employees and employees of the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo. 

• Space is a limitation, though, as our class sizes are limited. Due to the limited course availability, it is highly recommended that you register early.