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Case Study: Online Training Helps University Earn "Straight A's" in Compliance Training and Workers Love It!

Along the banks of the Mississippi River in St. Cloud, Minnesota resides St. Cloud State University, founded in 1869, an official university in 1975. As the second largest university in Minnesota, St. Cloud State is proud of their 200 plus academic programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. The 100-acre campus includes academic buildings, residence halls, and facilities for the arts, sciences and athletics all sprawling along the riverside of the great Mississippi. It is clear to keep this scenic campus up to the standards of the Huskies a large staff and faculty is working around the clock to maintain and preserve the grounds.

With over 18,000 students and 900-plus faculty and staff, the University grounds undergo a fair share of wear and tear. The maintenance and facilities crews span a wide-range of jobs from electrical work to landscaping. With a large staff to manage and coordinate it is crucial every team member is working effectively and safely.

Range of Training Needs

The Buildings and Ground Management Department at St. Cloud State makes use of Mastery Technologies’ online training and Learning Management System to fulfill their compliance training and training administration needs. Joseph Teff, Safety Administrator at St. Cloud State, administers and tracks the training through the MasteryNet® Learning Management System, which allows him to categorize learners into groups and assign groups relevant training courses.

The variety of courseware allows Teff to ensure the training of many, from the maintenance crews and groundskeepers to the faculty of the chemistry and biology departments. From universally useful titles such as bloodborne pathogen training to topics covering infection control and laboratory safety, Teff is able to provide courseware to fulfill compliance needs as well as to support other areas where training is beneficial.

Switching to Online Training

Just about four years ago St. Cloud State initialized their online training program with Mastery Technologies. Previously, most of their training sessions were one-on-one or conducted with small groups of people. This method required holding multiple training sessions in order to accomplish one small training task, as not all employees were available or would show up at the same time.

Currently, employees can train at an assortment of computer-stations across campus, allowing them to fit their required training into their work schedule when it is most convenient. While the initial switch to online training required some time spent with those unsure of the technology, it has been proven to be worth the effort.

Raising Completion Rates

Preventing accidents and injuries is the main priority for training the staff of St. Cloud State, and with their present 95-99% completion rate of training they seem to be well on their way to achieving this goal. The flexibility employees have with taking their training and the selection of titles available has been a plus for St. Cloud State. Employees and supervisors alike find the course interactions, quizzes, and reviews useful in helping retain knowledge of the training materials and apply it to actual job practices.

Amazing Organization

Instead of looking at training as a “break from work,” employees at St. Cloud State take the presented materials to heart. When describing employee reactions to the training materials, Teff mentioned how workers express finding enjoyment in the training and often find themselves learning new things about their work. Teff notes, “Some employees have asked their supervisor or someone in the department if job tasks should be changed based on information they learned in training.” This demonstrates how not only do workers retain information from the training, but they find it relevant and applicable to their day’s work.

Representatives of St. Cloud State University exude a commitment to safety and excellence within the community of their organization. The pride St. Cloud State employees take in their institution can clearly be seen by taking a just a single look at a photo of the picturesque campus. Mastery Technologies is proud to contribute one of the resources St. Cloud State University utilizes to continue to build their amazing organization.