Blackjack! A Winning Combination Linking General Education Learning Outcomes to Career Development

Goals

Joanna DavisKim McNeley

University of Missouri – Kansas City

Engineer EducatorDoctorBroadcaster

Politician

VoterPatient

Homeowner

Graduation in FOUR Years

Discourse

Anchor

“Best fi t”

FOCUS

A

FOCUSB

FOCUSC

FOCUS

ELECTIVE

70% Majors

Change MIND

OH NO!!! I have to take

MATH

Unintended Messages

“Courses everyone just has to get through”

“Courses that will prepare you to be a great participant on Jeopardy”

Themes of Attrition

• Academic Boredom• Academic Underpreparedness• Lack of Certainty in Major/Career

Choice• Transition/Adjustment Difficulty• Dissonance/Incompatibility• Irrelevancy

What Employers Want

General Education ForAll Students

UMKC General Education Core

FOCUS

A

Arts and Humanities

FOCUS

B

Scientific Reasoning &

Quant. Analysis

FOCUS

C

Human Actions, Values & Ethics

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World

• Civic knowledge, skills, and judgment essential for contributing to the community and to our democratic society 82%• Broad knowledge in the liberal arts And sciences 80%• Global issues and knowledge about societies and cultures outside the US 78% Knowledge about science and technology 56%

UMKC CoreDiscourse

Written and oral communication 80%Information literacy 72%

Discourse I

Anchor I

Reasoning & Values Culture & Diversity Civic/Community Engagement

Discourse II

Anchor II

Discourse III

Anchor III

What Employers Want

General Education ForAll Students

Themes of Attrition

• Academic Boredom• Academic Underpreparedness• Lack of Certainty in major/career

choice• Transition/adjustment Difficulty• Dissonance/Incompatibility• Irrelevancy

ReinforcingRelevancy

For the Individual Student

What Do I Want?

Maximizing College Experience

Is the only structured activity on the campus in which all students have the opportunity for on-going one-to-one interaction with a concerned representative of the campus community (Habley, 1981)

Academic Advising

What Do I Want?

Maximizing College Experience

ValuesInterests

Skills

Integrating Career Development

withAcademic Advising

Holland’s Career Fit Theory• Personalities seek out

and flourish in career environments they fit

• Jobs and career environments are classifiable by the personalities that flourish in them

Holland’s 6 Personalities

Holland’s 6 Work Environments

Journey Assessment

Journey Assessment

• Scientifically validated career assessments measure interests, skills, and work values.• Provides latest information on occupations

including salary and job growth statistics both by state and nationally. (Green and Bright Outlook)• Begins with Your Experience, Interests,

Skills and Knowledge

Green Economy & Bright Outlook

• Projected to grow rapidly; employment increase of 22% or more over the period 2012-2022*

• Project to have large openings; 100,000 or more openings 2012-2022*

• New and Emerging workforce requirements; changing technology, society, law or business practices**

*Bureau of Labor Statistics**N&E Occupations Methodology Development Report

Economic activity related to reducing the use of fossil fuels, decreasing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the efficiency of energy usage, recycling materials, and developing and adopting renewable sources of energy.

• Green Increased Demand – increases employment demand in exiting occupation

• Green Enhanced Skills Occupation – significant change to work and worker requirements

• Green New and Emerging - generation of new occupation

Identifying Your Skills

Take a few moments and write down 4-5 skills or tasks required of your current job.

Identifying Your Skills

Take a few moments and write down 4-5 skills or tasks required of your current job.

Fit – Gap: Did you write down your current skills or tasks within the frame-work of your institution’s general education requirements/outcomes.

Identifying Your Skills

Take a few moments and write down 4-5 skills or tasks required of your current job.

What are 4-5 skills or tasks are required for a Natural Science Manager?

Empowering Advisors

• Provide Information/Training:• Occupational Resources• Career Development Theory

• AAC&U Key Resources

• Evidence supporting needed• Persistence – Allen and Robbins (2008)• Major Change in their advisees

(AAC&U, January 2015)

Empowering Advisors

• Provide Information/Training:• Occupational Resources• AAC&U Key Resources• Career Development Theory• Evidence supporting needed

• Integrate Career Development and General Education Outcomes into Advising Outcomes• Establish Advisor Expected Messaging• Multiple Touch Points with tools

UMKC Advising Learning & Development Outcomes

Craft an optimal educational plan for degree completion that:

• Utilizes early enrollment in critical courses to confirm “fit” of academic plan.

• Ensures timely completion of degree (optimally within four years)

UMKC Advising Learning & Development Outcomes

Articulate the knowledge/skills gained through coursework and co-curricular activities and integrate it with personal and career goals.

• Determine occupational skills requirements necessary to meet career goals (through UMKC Journey Assessment, O*Net and/or other occupational resources)

• Discuss learning outcomes of Discourse, Anchor and Focus requirements in the UMKC General Education Core

• Relate UMKC General Education Learning Outcomes to future occupational skill requirements.

• Connect Degree/Major Requirement Learning Outcomes to future occupational skill requirements.

• Identify co-curricular activities and internships to purposely build network, skills and experience to support career and personal goals.

Orientation: What

Employers Want

Year 1 Advising:

What I Want – Relevance to Gen Ed.

Skills, Major Fit, & On

Track Enrollment

Graduation

Year 2 Advising:

5-10 Possible Occupations - Skills and

Tasks (Journey or

O*Net) , Career

Network Registration

& Networking Interviews

& Beginning e Portfolio

Year 3Advising: 3-4 Posted Positions,

Aspirational Resume drafted, Portfolio Review & “Fit-Gap”

Evaluation, &

Goal-Setting (Key Elect.,

Internships & Co-

curricular)

Year 4 Advising: Elevator Speech,

References & Recommend-

ations, Interviewing

Employment or Graduate

School

Civic Engagement

Tools & Experiences to Optimize

Relevance onYOUR Campus

Engineer EducatorDoctorBroadcaster

Politician

VoterPatient

Homeowner

Graduation in FOUR Years

Discourse

Anchor

“Best fi t”

FOCUS

A

FOCUSB

FOCUSC

FOCUS

ELECTIVE

70% Majors

Change MIND

OH NO!!! I have to take

MATH

Allen, J., & Robbins, S. B. (2008). Prediction of college major persistence based on vocational interests, academic preparation, and first-year academic performance. Research in Higher Education, 49(1), 62-79. doi:10.1007/s11162-007-9064-5

Habley, W.R. (1981). Academic Advisement: The critical link in student retention. NASPA Journal, 18.

Prince, J.P. (2012). Strong Interest Inventory, Practitioner’s Tool for Helping College Students with Academic and Career Choices. Mountain View, California: CPP.

UMKC Major Maps: http://www.umkc.edu/majormaps/

AAC&U Public Opinion Research: http://www.aacu.org/leap/public-opinion-research