POD Restructuring FAQs
POD is going through a strategic reorganization in response to financial realities and institutional priorities. Please see below for program-specific questions.
When can I register for summer classes?
This summer, POD will be offering UW Management Fundamentals, Welcome Day, Level 1 of the Strategic Leadership Program and SLP Supervisor Orientation. Registration is open for July classes.
Why is the Quarterly Course program ending?
POD’s strategic reorganization reflects the end of a self-sustaining model for individual career development that could no longer be supported, particularly after the University’s March 2025 pause on non-essential spending. With this shift, we are retiring the Quarterly Course program at the end of the current spring quarter.
This change also impacts related programs, such as the POD Certificate Program and POD Scholarship Program, and self-sustaining ventures like the annual Spring Retreat.
What training will still be available?
POD continues to offer self-paced online training; Welcome Day new employee orientation; SLP Supervisor Orientation and Strategic Leadership Program Level 1 workshops; and UW Management Fundamentals for supervisors. These trainings are now all centrally funded and available at no cost to UW staff, leaders and departments. We anticipate expanding our self-paced online training in the near future.
For individual career development, POD will curate and promote on-demand options through LinkedIn Learning and UW-developed online content.
The University Consulting Alliance will continue.
When will registration open for future offerings?
POD currently has offerings scheduled through the end of June. We will open registration for summer offerings later this spring. Stay tuned.
Can I still access my training history?
Yes, you can still access your training history online. We hope to maintain this self-service feature beyond June, but it may function differently; stay tuned.
Why is the POD certificate program ending?
The certificate program is based on quarterly classes and those classes will no longer be offered after the end of spring quarter.
Does my POD certificate credit still count?
Absolutely! If you have successfully completed a POD certificate, your completion still counts towards six months of credit when applying for related jobs at the University.
Can I complete my POD certificate?
If you are enrolled in the certificate program, you should have received an email from POD asking those with four or fewer requirements left to complete a survey indicating their intent to complete their certificate.
We are working with participants who have four or fewer requirements to complete and who responded to the survey on pathways to completing their certificate before June 30. Please check your email or send questions to pod@uw.edu.
Unfortunately, due to the unanticipated closure of the quarterly course program, if you have more than four requirements left, we are not able to offer options for completing your certificate.
Why is the BIPOC Staff Development Program ending?
POD did not receive additional funding to renew or continue this program. In addition, positions supporting this program are ending, which means POD no longer will be able to support this program or aftercare.
Can I complete my BIPOC Staff Development Program certificate?
Staff who work with this program have been reaching out to enrollees to provide options for completing certificates. Please check your email or send questions to uwhrdei@uw.edu.
What is happening with tuition exemption?
UWHR will continue processing tuition exemption waivers, but this service will shift to a different unit. You can send queries to hrhelp@uw.edu.
What is happening with the POD Scholarship Program?
POD Scholarships provided an avenue for those wanting to participate in POD’s fee-based quarterly classes or Spring Retreat. Since these programs are ending and POD is moving to a centrally funded model, the POD Scholarship Program is no longer needed.
Will POD be hosting the Spring Retreat?
No. POD is moving away from self-sustaining offerings, including the annual Spring Retreat.