Learning Resources
The California State University system and CSUMB provide multiple avenues for learning and growth.
- SumTotal: robust, cloud-based platform with on-demand content for employees of the CSU system
- CSYou: CSU's Learning & Development recommended learning opportunities
- CSU System Instructor-Led Training - CSUs Got Talent & Cross Campus Collaboration
- CSUMB Digital Libraries & eBook collections
- Empathia-LifeMatters: Employee Assistance Program for CSUMB employees and family
CSU Learn (SumTotal)
A comprehensive library of content that includes eLearning courses, podcasts, books, and webcasts.
New to SumTotal:
Aspire Journeys
Skill Benchmarks
Want to gauge your knowledge on a subject and get a curated list of learning opportunities? Skillsoft's Skill Benchmarks have you covered.
- Login to SumTotal
- Click the library icon on the left navigation menu
- Search a specific topic to narrow your options.
- Click the 'Skill Benchmark' box under 'Activity Type'.
- Complete the assessment and learn.
A Few Helpful Reminders When Accessing Training in SumTotal:
- SumTotal trainings are currently available on PCs and Laptops.
- The time frame from effective date (entered into CMS) to SumTotal accessibility is usually 3 business days. This usually applies to New Hires. If you are a current employee and have been assigned a training, access is typically available the next business day.
- It is best to access SumTotal via Google Chrome. from the CSUMB Dashboard. If using Chrome, make sure Flash is enabled. Switching to Firefox too might be helpful.
- A majority of the trainings are available for self-assigning. We auto-assign a few trainings for new hires, and any others by request as needed.
- When you begin a new training, make sure to keep all windows open to stay connected.
- Please reference the listed job aides to assist with cookies/cache clearing, self-assigning, and some trainings that require extra steps.
Helpful Job Aides
- How to Register for a Curriculum
- How to Self Assign a Training Course
- Printing Certificates
- Manager Dashboard - How to Track Completion Status
Issues with SumTotal Access
SumTotal can be a little finicky. If you experience an issue with accessing a training, please empty your cache/cookies. If you continue experiencing issues, please send an email with screenshots (if possible) to sumtotal@csumb.edu, or open an IT Ticket for assistance
SumTotal Mobile App
Did you know that SumTotal has a mobile app? You can read or listen to book summaries or the complete book. There are hundreds of titles available on many different subjects. This is a great free resource for your personal development. Just login using our CSUMB credentials.
CSYou is your central resource for employee development opportunities from the university system.
CSU Learning & Development
The Systemwide Learning & Development Team provides a wide range of learning experiences and tools to support CSU employees in developing job-related knowledge and skills.
CSUs Got Talent
Pre-recorded or live, interactive web meetings; virtual classes, on-demand presentations and courses; and group collaboration. Effectively share a wide range of content, including PowerPoint slides, live and recorded video, rich media content, live screen sharing, whiteboard overlays, presenter and participant cameras, application sharing, audio and multiuser text chat.
Compliance Training
Federal, State and CSU policies drive our organization to instill safe regulatory practices in the workplace. L&D provides mandatory human resources and risk management compliance courses to ensure our campuses are meeting these regulations.
Leadership Development
Leadership Development is dedicated to preparing university professionals to lead organizational change and to meet today and tomorrow's higher education, leadership needs. We are invested in progressive leadership approaches that offer action-oriented, inclusive, and mindful practices. In order to best prepare our leaders to meet the current climate of higher education, we provide innovative resources, tools, research, and infrastructure to support the professional, individual and collective leadership capacity of all 23 CSU campuses.
Talent Management Toolkits
L&D advances the use of internal and external human resources content by developing toolkits that provide models, ideas, e-learning, industry articles, books, and other resources in the following areas:
- Change Management
- Performance Management
- Recruitment
- Principles of Supervision
- Workforce Planning
Online Learning
L&D believes learning is an ongoing, life-long process which can enhance the personal and professional development of the CSU employee. Through a myriad of self-paced e-learning courses, books, videos and on the job trainings, employees are able to grow in the workplace.
Instructor-Led Training
L&D strengthens the ongoing development of learners by providing instructor-led training, or ILT. L&D provides in-person, face-to-face classroom-based training in a variety of areas according to campus training needs.
Instructor-Led Learning Opportunities 2023
CSU's Got Talent
CSU system generated professional and personal development webcast recordings.
Month Title Speaker January Webcast Recording Stick With It: A Scientifically Proven Process for Changing Your Life – For Good Sean Young, Ph.D., Executive Director of the UC Institute for Prediction Technology February Webcast Recording Overcoming Impostor: Silence Your Inner Critic & Lead with Confidence Kris Kelso, Executive Coach, Author, and Keynote Speaker March Webcast Recording Best Team Ever: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams David Burkus, Award-winning Thought Leader, Speaker, 4x Best-selling Author April Webcast Recording How to Achieve: Peak Productivity Through Strategic Self-care Dr. Alka Patel, Lifestyle Medicine Physician, Longevity Coach, Author, Speaker May Webcast Recording The Secret to Getting Along: 3 Steps to Creating Better Teams Gabrielle Hartley, Attorney, Author, and Speaker June Webcast Recording Manage Conflict So It Doesn’t Manage You: Effective Methods to Reach Positive Outcomes Lisa Johnson, SHRM-SCP, Founder & Owner, HR Know-How, LLC July Webcast Recording Know No Limits: Achieving Successful Change Inevitably Means Overcoming Obstacles Oz Sanchez, SDSU Graduate, 3x Paralympian, 7-Time World Champion September 26 Psychological Safety: The Key to a Collaborative and Healthy Hybrid Workplace Garth Sheriff, CPA, CIA, Founder, Sheriff Consulting October 24 Career Management: Being the CEO of Your Life Paula Boggs, Veteran, Former Assistant U.S. Attorney and General Counsel at Starbucks November 29 Unstoppable Resilience: Avoiding Burnout and Discovering How to Flourish Instead Dr. Eva Selhub, Physician, Author, Founder, Resiliency Experts, LLC Cross-Campus Collaboration Workshops
Many classes that were formerly in-person are now offered virtually. This gives us a unique opportunity to extend campus classes beyond campus borders and offer a new way to share professional development across the CSU!
Registration is OPEN for all classes!
As a CSUMB employee, you have access to multiple digital library platforms with a comprehensive selection of titles.
- ACLS Humanities eBooks - a collection from the American Council of Learned Societies in the humanities. Access to these titles is limited to CSUMB users.
- Ebook Central (Proquest) a multidisciplinary collection of ebooks from numerous academic publishers
- EBook Collection (EbscoHost) - a multidisciplinary collection of ebooks
- Gale Virtual Reference Library - a collection of online subject encyclopedias and other reference titles.
- O'Reilly Tech Books - a collection of computer and information technology books in electronic format. Access to these titles is limited to CSUMB users.
Publicly available ebook collections
- California Digital Library eScholarship Editions - offers more than 500 publicly accessible ebook titles.
- National Academies Press - search by title or for words in the full-text of over 3,000 online books from this major publisher of scientific and policy works. You may also browse their list of titles by subject category.
LifeMatters is an Employee Assistance Program developed by Empathia. The Training Portal contains many diverse resources available to you and your family to support personal and professional growth.
Information about Empathia Pacific, as well as information on its grievance policy, can be found on its member website below.
Empathia EAP Combined - CSU Monterey Bay Website Guide
Login User ID:
email: humanresources@csumb.edu
subject: LifeMatters by Empathia Login User ID
Quick links: