Core Competency Curricula

Looking for professional development opportunities curated BY your NODA colleagues FOR NODA colleagues? Take a deep dive into each of our NODA Core Competencies through our upcoming courses!

Core Competencies graphic

The NODA Core Competencies provide a common framework and foundation of skills for professionals involved in Orientation, Transition, and Retention work. The NODA Core Competencies also create opportunities for all levels of OTR professionals to advance their skills and experiences professionally.

Content experts from within the fields of Higher Education and Orientation, Transition and Retention developed virtual and in-person with both synchronous and asynchronous components to educate NODA members on our core competencies and create the opportunity for you to learn alongside a cohort of your peers.

Current Course Offerings:

  • Program Delivery and Management
  • Organization and Leadership
  • Curriculum and Content Development
  • Diversity, Inclusion, and Access
  • Financial Management
  • Research, Assessment, and Evaluation

Check out the NODA Calendar to view and register for our upcoming courses.

Module participants will:

  • Gain new tactics, insights, and increased ability to improve the success of their institution.
  • Learn exclusive, real-world content on topics for each core competency.
  • Practically apply learnings at their home institution and beyond.
  • Engage in peer-to-peer idea-sharing with other participants and content experts.

Each curriculum engages participants in a combination of plenary, concurrent general knowledge, and breakout sessions providing attendees the ability to tailor their curriculum experience based on their professional experience level.

Content Delivery:

Each module is specifically designed by the content expert/facilitator to meet the predetermined goals and competency level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) as advertised. While modules may look slightly different between competencies, there are several common requirements you can expect regardless of which course you enroll in:

  • Pre- and post- competency level assessment 
  • Weekly self-paced module content for review and engagement within the Learning Management System Canvas, hosted by the University of Minnesota 
  • Group discussion opportunities
  • Final project or deliverable that’s applicable to your role/department.

Participant Expectations and Course Completion:

While these courses are designed to meet the flexible and busy schedules of OTR professionals, it is imperative to your development of the competency that you participate fully in the course. Participants should ensure they are available for the predetermined weekly meeting time before enrolling in the course. This will allow you to fully participate and engage in dynamic group discussions, where much of the content development and synthesis happens. Through these discussions, you will engage in the content while also learning from your peers.