Higher education is undergoing an era of transformation. With the evolution of AI programs and administrative processes at universities across the country, a national conversation has popped up amongst student affairs professionals on how to best adapt in the face of these changes. Naturally, staff in the Division of Student Affairs may also be pondering: What can I do, and how can I make my work more impactful?
One resource available to staff is the Division of Student Affairs Professional Development Grant program. Administered by the Staff Development Team, an internal committee dedicated to professional development, the program provides funding for staff to participate in conferences and webinars, pursue certifications or learn new skills. These opportunities supplement existing funding channels allocated to each department for staff development and training.
Empowering Career Growth, Positive Impact on Aggies
With more than $57,000 awarded to 35 individuals during the 2024-25 academic year, professional development grants help staff customize their learning to stay on top of trends and increase professional fulfillment. Eligible full-time staff and graduate assistants with at least six months of completed service can seek out opportunities with supervisor approval.
“The professional development grant enables staff to stay current with evolving technologies, adopt more efficient practices and bring fresh ideas back to their teams,” said DJ Scott, chair of the professional development grants subcommittee and assistant director of strength & conditioning at Recreational Sports.
This initiative reflects a fundamental truth in the Division of Student Affairs that staff are vital to our mission in creating a supportive environment for Aggies. It’s even highlighted in the division’s strategic priority of “Investing in Our Staff,” recognizing the necessity for staff to gain skills and knowledge for career advancement inside and outside of Texas A&M.
Ultimately, when staff are able to grow through professional development opportunities, the positive impact reaches students.
“Because our division is student-facing, every improvement in staff knowledge, service delivery and responsiveness enhances the student experience,” Scott added. “Whether it’s streamlining a process, improving student-to-professional interactions or connecting a student to a new opportunity, there is a clear ripple effect from staff professional development to our students.”
Justin Majors and Mary Compton are two division staff members who were able to use professional development grants to upskill themselves, strengthen their departments and better help Aggies.
How Justin Majors Went Outside the Box to Improve Communication in Residence Life
While most professional development grants are used for conferences, Justin Majors identified a unique opportunity to pursue a certification that would help him grow as a leadership educator.
Two years into his role as assistant director of leadership and engagement in Residence Life, Justin Majors was looking for a way to augment his work in training students and staff on leadership, collaboration and community engagement. After researching several options, he landed on the Everything DiSC certification. DiSC stands for dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness, and the assessment tool categorizes personality types based on individual communication and working style to improve teamwork and productivity in the workplace.
After being approved for a professional development grant, Majors participated in the virtual two-week training that certified him to be able to lead DiSC-based training. As a result, he has integrated DiSC language during live-in staff training and facilitated more than 20 DiSC learning sessions over the past year. He mentioned how this has led to a tangible shift in how staff communicate.
“DiSC has helped our team establish a shared language and has encouraged individuals to reflect on their tendencies and adapt their approach when collaborating,” Majors said. “It’s also been instrumental in bridging differences between individuals who have very different working styles.”
With these noticeable improvements, Majors encourages staff to apply for a grant to uncover non-traditional professional development opportunities that match their career goals.
“Conferences continue to be an incredible way to connect, learn and recharge, but exploring something different like a certification pushed me to grow in new ways,” he said. “It’s expanded my skills, strengthened our department’s communication and helped me recognize how diverse forms of professional development can create lasting impact.”
Mary Compton’s Grant-Funded TEDx Journey Creates New Opportunities for Aggies
For Mary Compton, the impact of her professional development grant is featured on stage. Compton is an assistant director in MSC Programs who oversees the MSC Aggie Leaders of Tomorrow (MSC ALOT), a freshman leadership organization that provides programming and service opportunities that foster student leadership and personal growth.
MSC ALOT organizes and hosts the annual TEDxTAMU Conference and TEDx salon events, which are smaller and more intimate meetings. Bringing together thought leaders and innovators across Aggieland, the TEDx program at Texas A&M offers students and the local community the chance to immerse themselves in new topics and engage in deeper dialogue.
In order to maintain the rights to the TEDx license, Compton was required to attend a qualifying conference. With the aid of a professional development grant to offset registration and travel costs, she hopped on a flight to attend the international TEDx conference in Vancouver.
Describing the experience as one-of-a-kind, Compton was connected with the head of TEDx, in addition to other university organizers, to coalesce around similar challenges and share tips on how to facilitate their programs.
“While the intent in going to the conference was simply so I could qualify to apply for our annual TEDx license, the experience was so much more,” said Compton. “It got our organization plugged into the TEDx community that allows us to tap into additional resources like speaker preparation guides and videos for the students to help them prepare speakers and to offer critical feedback."
From those conversations, Compton and MSC ALOT are building a more robust TEDx program this year, recently kicking off the 2025-26 season in October with a salon event focusing on how to give a keynote TEDx speech. TEDx salon events later this semester will cover how to prepare for final exams and professional networking.
Mapping Next Steps with Professional Development Grants
As Texas A&M and the Division of Student Affairs continue to invest strategically in professional development, staff have the opportunity to reflect and chart out where they want to go and how they want to get there.
While the opportunities can seem overwhelming at times, a helpful starting point is to figure out which workshops, conferences and skills can bolster existing work processes. From there, professional development grants can be a catalyst to launch staff into their next chapter and contribute to the best student experience for Aggies.