‘Purdue Pursuits’: Strategic Training and Resources Program

As Taylor May inched toward the completion of her Purdue Global master’s degree in the spring of 2025, she began mulling over ways she might set herself apart from the crowd during the looming postgraduate job search — one she hoped would end with securing an academic advising role.

Meanwhile, her mom and former Campus Support Staff Advisory Committee chair, Rendi Tharp, was in the midst of helping CSSAC and Human Resources launch the Strategic Training and Resources (STAR) Program — a professional development experience that positions Purdue staff members for career growth and advancement.

It was the perfect opportunity for May, at the time a Purdue Counseling and Guidance Center clinic coordinator, to gain a few new skills as she prepared to take the next step in her Purdue career. So with some encouragement from Tharp, May joined the pilot cohort of the program.

“It was my first big professional development opportunity, and I knew that it would be a good steppingstone, being a new grad,” May says. “I also knew that, coming into academic advising, I’d have a lot of different projects to manage, so I wanted to learn more about prioritizing tasks.”

Created for employees in the professional, operational support and skilled trades career streams, STAR is a six-month, primarily virtual program that centers around four pillars — customer service, digital literacy, leadership development and project management — with each pillar containing its own list of core skill areas and competencies that guide training.

STAR Program participants select one or more pillars that align with their career goals and then identify which STAR certification they intend to achieve — basic proficiency (bronze), intermediate (silver) or advanced (gold).

May opted to pursue a bronze certification in project management — a field she had never received formal training in before. After attending an in-person orientation that covered the ins and outs of the STAR Program, May began completing assigned LinkedIn Learning training modules tailored for her pillar and certification selections, spending around an hour each week on various video and discussion board assignments.

Though the learning modules are completed asynchronously, participants have multiple opportunities to connect with other members of the 25-person cohort, including three, 30-minute check-in sessions designed to encourage collaboration and networking. The meetings were extremely beneficial to May, whose Purdue network was previously limited to mostly coworkers.

“I had worked at Purdue for about three years when I started the program,” May says. “I didn’t realize how small of a network I had, so this definitely helped me make more connections throughout campus. I still talk with a couple people from my cohort pretty regularly.”

In August, shortly before completing her bronze STAR certification, May’s job search came to a close when she accepted an academic advisor position within the College of Health and Human Sciences. Today, she routinely puts her STAR skills to practice, drawing upon those lessons to manage her student caseload, committee responsibilities and other tasks with confidence and ease.

“The project management pillar helped me develop a more formal system instead of relying on the chaos of Post-it notes and colorful pens — that’s been the biggest benefit,” May says. “It gave me a good foundation for planning out my week, staying on top of everything and making sure I’m finishing all of my tasks on time.”

May looks forward to building upon that foundation by completing additional certifications in project management and eventually tackling the leadership pillar, which she hopes will better position her for a management role later on in her career.

Just like her mom nudged her to take the leap, May encourages anyone interested in expanding their skill set and setting themselves up for future success to consider joining the program.

“I would say it’s definitely something to go for,” May says. “You’ll get a lot of learning out of it.”

How you can participate

Employees in the professional, operational support and skilled trades career streams who have been employed at Purdue for a minimum of one year are eligible to apply for the STAR Program.

Applications for the spring session of the program, which will establish a 25-person cohort, will be accepted until 5 p.m. April 3. The program will begin April 16.

The application is administered through Docusign, and access instructions can be found in this Quick Reference Guide.

Additional program details are available on the STAR Program webpage. Questions should be directed to oestar@purdue.edu.

About Purdue Pursuits

A variety of programs, workshops, fellowships and trainings are offered to Purdue faculty and staff each semester. How can Purdue employees use these opportunities as small steps in reaching their personal and professional goals? Purdue Today’s “Purdue Pursuits” series will share employees’ stories of growth and development during their experiences as active participants of their campus communities. Suggestions for the “Purdue Pursuits” series may be emailed to purduetoday@purdue.edu.