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What is Focus and Learn Day?

Did you know employees who feel their wellbeing is important to their employer are 71% less likely to report experiencing burnout? Focus and Learn Days are a research-backed way to reduce stress and anxiety around your workload, boost your sense of wellbeing, and help you carve out time for intentional professional development. They’re your monthly chance to slow down and get intentional about your needs as an employee, and as a person. How you spend your day is up to you.

The first Focus and Learn Days were piloted in spring of 2021. Based on overwhelmingly positive employee feedback, the Focus and Learn Day Committee, with the support of SLCC’s Executive Cabinet, moved to establish Focus and Learn Days as a permanent part of the college’s annual calendar.

Now, these quiet days to pause and regroup fall on the third Friday of each month. We hope knowing about your Focus and Learn day ahead of time will help you prepare for a day free from phone calls, emails and other interruptions in the way that works best for you. Creating space to focus is most successful when it’s an institution-wide effort, which is why we’ve asked supervisors to come on board with Focus and Learn Day.

Wondering how to spend your day? Here are some ways SLCC employees make their Focus and Learn Days feel rejuvenating and fulfilling.

How to Make the most of Focus and Learn Days

Innovation and Ideation

  • Slow down, take stock of your current projects and how you divide your time.
  • Research a trend in your field that looks exciting.
  • Brainstorm solutions to problems you face in your workflow.

Focus and Learn Days 2024-2025

Mark Your Calendars

2024-2025 dates:

  • September 20
  • October 18
  • November 15
  • December 20
  • January 17
  • February 21
  • March 21
  • April 18

More Information & Registration

You must register for each training event. View the Registration Tutorial. Register in the MySLCC Employee Training Portal.

Search under “Information Technology” for the IT Workshops and search under “Staff Development” or “Faculty Development” for all other workshops.

These workshops are open to all staff and faculty. Adjunct faculty are compensated hourly for attending. Please note, that not all of the Focus and Learn Day Employee Wellness sessions are available for the Employee Wellness incentive.

If you need ADA accommodations, please contact Meredith John via Email: meredith.john@slcc.edu Questions? Contact Anjali Pai (anjali.pai@slcc.edu).

FAQs

Reach out to your supervisor. Suggest alternatives to the meeting that allow you to participate consistently in Focus and Learn Days. We want the whole college in on this!

If your Associate Dean has meetings planned for the third Friday of each month, try discussing alternate options. We hope the consistency of our new calendar will help you and your department benefit from Focus and Learn Days. 

SLCC’s Focus and Learn Days are intended for all employees. We recognize that Academic Departments and others may have work obligations that prevent them from participating on the dates scheduled, but this should not be a reason to keep departments from participating. The President encourages each of us to be “…intentional about your calendar and make sure you block off time for professional development and focused learning.” Departments are encouraged to be creative in how they support faculty's engagement with Focus and Learn Day efforts. Staggered half-day increments during the same week as Focus and Learn Day may work better for the department. Or consider consolidating meeting agenda items to better free up time for a Focus and Learn Day. Be creative in your efforts.

Contact a member of our team for help or if you have questions.

We know this can get tricky. Your supervisor is the best resource. They’ll help your team find a way to maintain essential operations while encouraging you and your colleagues to participate in monthly Focus and Learn Days.

Tempting, right? But the day is about creating conditions for employees to focus and learn. It's still a workday, albeit one free from interruptions and distractions.

We encourage you to respect your colleagues during Focus and Learn Day. This means avoiding calls, emails, texts and meetings. Try to postpone email correspondence until the following Monday. Utilize that “schedule send” feature!

Of course. We encourage all part-time, adjunct and full-time employees to participate in whatever way fits you best.