Bobcat Beyond
Bobcat Beyond
Ready to Go Beyond? Explore Bobcat Beyond Today!
Bobcat Beyond is Ohio University’s dynamic professional development program designed to celebrate continuous learning and inspire faculty and staff.
Here is what makes it exciting:
✨ Earn digital badges that showcase your achievements
✨ Explore opportunities that fit your role, goals, and personal interests
✨ Join a community committed to growth and celebration
Whether you want to sharpen your expertise or explore new interests, your growth deserves to be recognized!
Bobcat Beyond badges are digital recognitions that highlight your learning and growth.
What badges can I earn?
You can earn:
- Tiered badges by meeting the minimum professional development requirements.
- Specialty badges by completing the specific criteria for each badge.
- Competition badges by winning designated competitions throughout the year.
How can I use them?
You can showcase your badges in several ways:
- Add them to your email signature.
- Layer them on your profile photos.
- Display them on external platforms such as LinkedIn.
Examples of how you can display your Bobcat Beyond badges in an email signature: | |||
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When will badges be awarded?
Badges are awarded four times a year after each progress point submission date. You can update your progress anytime—no need to wait! Badges are based on your overall professional development for the calendar year. Once you meet a badge criterion, you will receive your badge after the next progress point submission date.
Bobcat Beyond kicks off January 1, 2026! Submit your progress by each date to be considered for a badge:
📌Progress point 1: March 31, 2026
📌Progress point 2: June 30, 2026
📌Progress point 3: September 30, 2026
📌Progress point 4: December 31, 2026
Bronze Badge | Silver Badge | Gold Badge |
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| Requirement: minimum of 7 professional development activities or 15 hours of professional development. | Requirement: minimum of 11 professional development activities or 25 hours of professional development. | Requirement: minimum of 15 professional development activities or 50 hours of professional development. |
Knowledge Sharer
Teach or mentor at least one colleague or team on a skill or concept learned from professional development. Must be directly linked to a completed professional development activity. Minimum duration spent teaching or mentoring is 60 minutes.
Submission Requirements:
- Write one sentence that explains who you taught, when and where it happened, how long it lasted, and what you shared.
- List the professional development activity and provide documentation of attendance or completion.
Knowledge in Action
Share how a concept, tool, or skill from a professional development activity helped you improve a task, project, or workflow. Must be directly linked to a completed professional development activity.
Submission Requirements:
- Write a brief summary (2-3 sentences) explaining the change and outline outcomes or improvements (increased efficiency, cost savings, improved quality, enhanced collaboration, etc.).
- List the professional development activity and provide documentation of attendance or completion.
Lifelong Learner
Option 1: Demonstrate continuous commitment to growth. Must earn at least 1 badge per year for 3 consecutive years and is maintained by continuing to meet the requirements of one badge per year.
Option 2: Awarded to an employee when they complete a graduate, undergraduate, or certificate program.
Submission Requirements:
- Submit your professional development progress using the Bobcat Beyond Form. If you have completed a graduate, undergraduate, or certificate program, let us know in the Specialty Badge section on the form.
Learning Leader
Demonstrate leadership in promoting professional development across the team or department. Organize or lead at least one initiative that supports learning (e.g., workshops, learning circles, resource sharing, etc.).
Submission Requirements:
- Write a brief summary (2-3 sentences) on the initiative you led. Include dates, number of participants, and how your efforts contributed to a culture of learning (increased engagement, improved skills, enhanced collaboration, etc.).
- Include any supporting documentation (e.g., agendas, communications, feedback, etc.).
Health Affairs Leadership Achiever
Demonstrate a commitment to leadership development by completing 13 professional development activities or 35 hours of training focused on supervisory skills, management, or leadership. Individuals must work within HCOM/Health Affairs to earn this badge.
Submission Requirements:
- List the professional development activities you have completed in the Specialty Badge Additional Details. Please include the following:
- Professional Development Title
- Date(s) of Completion
- Duration of Professional Development Opportunity (in hours)
- Remember to select the Health Affairs Leadership Achiever Badge.
- Provide a brief summary (1-2 sentences) describing a leadership skill or concept you learned and how you plan to apply it in your role.
- Include any supporting documentation (e.g., agendas, communications, feedback, etc.).
Leadership Pathway
Demonstrate your commitment to leadership development by completing the Leadership Pathway within a calendar year. This badge is awarded to participants who successfully complete all eight required workshops within the Leadership Pathway outlined below.
Required Workshops
- Leadership Fundamentals
- Listening To and Supporting Your Team
- Team Building
- Trust and Delegation
- Giving and Receiving Feedback
- How Psychological Safety Improves Team Performance
- Managing Workplace Conflict
- Navigating Difficult Conversations
Submission Requirements:
- List the completed Leadership Pathway professional development activities you have completed in the Specialty Badge Additional Details. Please include the following:
- Professional Development Title
- Date(s) of Completion
- Duration of Professional Development Opportunity (in hours)
- Remember to select the Leadership Pathway Specialty Badge.
- Provide a brief (3–4 sentence) reflection describing a leadership skill or concept you learned through the pathway and how you plan to apply it in your current role.
- Include any supporting documentation (e.g., agendas, communications, feedback, etc.).
Campus Champion
Earn this badge by achieving the highest cumulative professional development hours for your campus during 2026! One individual from each Ohio University campus will be recognized with this badge.
Campus Locations:
📍Athens
📍Chillicothe
📍Cleveland
📍Dublin
📍Eastern
📍Lancaster
📍Southern
📍Zanesville
January 1 to March 31
Momentum Maker
Start the year strong by setting and achieving your professional development goals!
Earn this badge by completing the highest amount of professional development hours between January 1 and March 31.
April 1 to June 30
Leadership Champion
Showcase your leadership skills and commitment to growth!
Earn this badge by completing the most professional development activities focused on leadership between April 1 to June 30.
July 1 to September 30
Service Excellence Enthusiast
Kick off the academic year by sharpening your customer service skills!
Earn this badge by completing the most professional development courses focused on service excellence between July 1 and September 30.
October 1 to December 31
Wellness Wonder
Close out the year by prioritizing mental health and well-being!
Earn this badge by completing the most professional development courses focused on wellness between October 1 and December 31.
You can submit your professional development progress at any time throughout the year. Submissions will be reviewed, and badges will be awarded after each progress point submission date:
📌Progress point 1: Submissions due by March 31, 2026
📌Progress point 2: Submissions due by June 30, 2026
📌Progress point 3: Submissions due by September 30, 2026
📌Progress point 4: Submissions due by December 31, 2026
Important: You do not need to meet a badge criterion to submit your progress! Your professional development will be tracked continuously, and badges will be awarded once you meet the required criteria.
How to Submit
To submit your completed professional development, open the Bobcat Beyond Form. The form will require:
- Professional Development Title
- Date(s) of Completion
- Duration of Professional Development Opportunity (in hours)
Each professional development opportunity must include documentation of attendance or completion. Acceptable documentation includes:
- PDF of certificate
- Photo of certificate
- Screenshot of completion page
- Screenshot of attendance in an online presentation
- Photo of attendance at an in-person presentation
- Other documentation
Specialty Badges
If you are applying for a Specialty Badge, you must provide an explanation of how you met the badge criteria. Review each badge description for specific requirements and attach any necessary documentation on the form.
Competition Badges
Every employee will automatically be entered to win a Competition Badge based on the information submitted through the Bobcat Beyond form.
Bobcat Beyond Leaderboard
| Participant | Accomplishment |
|---|---|
| Sarah Lawrence | Associate Director, Student Events and Leadership | 🚀 15 activities completed Earned: Health Affairs Leadership Achiever Lifelong Learner Gold Badge Momentum Maker |
| Autumn Guy | Accounting Support Senior Specialist | ✨ 15 activities completed Earned: Gold Badge |
| Heather Sands | Manager of Communications and External Relations | 🎯 9 activities completed Earned: Knowledge in Action Bronze Badge |
| Donielle Flynn | Manager of Communications and External Relations | 🎉 Earned Lifelong Learner |
| Lisa Dael | Director, Center for Technology and Online Programs | ⭐ 7 activities completed Earned: Bronze Badge |
| Richard Benard | Transfer Credit Evaluator | 👏 5 activities completed |
| Kreig Prior | Interim Senior Director of Communications & Marketing for Regional Higher Education | 💫4 activities completed |
| Jennifer Cochran | Communication & External Relations Manager | 🎊 10 hours completed |
| Sarah Simmons | Communication & External Relations Manager | ✨ 4 hours completed |
| Tobey Witschey | RN Coordinator | 🎉 2 activities completed |
| Anna Pierre | Web Content and UX Specialist | 🌱 1 activity completed |
| April Butterworth | Training Manager | 👏 1 activity completed |
| Bridget Fenjac | Records Management Senior Specialist | 🎯 1 activity completed |
| Jessica Holliday | Director of Articulation and Credit Services | 🎊 1 activity completed |
| Mark Parker | University Custodial Services Manager | ⭐ 1 activity completed |
| Megan Gadbau-Myers | Learning Systems Analyst II | 🌱 1 activity completed |
Bobcat Beyond FAQs
What qualifies as professional development?
- Completion of a college course relevant to the employee’s role or career path.
- Participation in workshops, webinars, or training sessions (internal or external).
- Attendance at professional conferences with documented learning outcomes.
- Completion of certification programs or continuing education units (CEUs).
- Engagement in mentorship programs (as mentor or mentee) with defined goals.
- Leading or participating in cross-functional projects that build new competencies.
- Authoring or presenting research, papers, or professional content.
What does not qualify as professional development?
- Membership in a professional organization alone, unless accompanied by active participation in learning activities.
- Routine job duties or informal conversations, unless tied to a structured learning plan.
Looking for no cost professional development opportunities?
Lack of funding should not be a barrier to professional development. Examples of free opportunities include:
- Participation in university-led trainings, workshops, or development programs (Professional Development Catalog | Ohio University).
- Free online webinars or courses from reputable platforms (e.g. EAB, NACUBO, CUPA, etc.).
- Internal cross-training or job shadowing opportunities. · Reading professional literature or research relevant to the role.
- Serving on university committees or task forces with developmental responsibilities.
- Engaging in peer learning groups or communities of practice.
How do I participate in Bobcat Beyond?
No registration required! Simply track all the professional development activities you complete and submit your record by the designated deadlines.
Who do I contact for help?
Contact University Human Resources at uhr@ohio.edu or 740-593-1636.