Connecting Campus Resources to Help Liberal Arts STEM Majors

Articulate Competencies/Skills Valued in the Workplace

Chavonda J. Mills, Ph.D., Interim Associate Dean Chavonda J. Mills, Ph.D., Interim Associate Dean Chavonda J. Mills, Ph.D., Interim Associate Dean Chavonda J. Mills, Ph.D., Interim Associate Dean

College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Chemistry

Georgia College & State UniversityGeorgia College & State UniversityGeorgia College & State UniversityGeorgia College & State University

Rosalie A. Richards, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Faculty Development Rosalie A. Richards, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Faculty Development Rosalie A. Richards, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Faculty Development Rosalie A. Richards, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Faculty Development

Professor of Chemistry and Education Professor of Chemistry and Education Professor of Chemistry and Education Professor of Chemistry and Education

Stetson UniversityStetson UniversityStetson UniversityStetson University

Lilia C. Harvey, Ph.D., Associate Dean for STEM Teaching and Learning Lilia C. Harvey, Ph.D., Associate Dean for STEM Teaching and Learning Lilia C. Harvey, Ph.D., Associate Dean for STEM Teaching and Learning Lilia C. Harvey, Ph.D., Associate Dean for STEM Teaching and Learning

Professor of ChemistryProfessor of ChemistryProfessor of ChemistryProfessor of Chemistry

Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College

Dawn Killenberg, MBA, Director of the Office of Internship Dawn Killenberg, MBA, Director of the Office of Internship Dawn Killenberg, MBA, Director of the Office of Internship Dawn Killenberg, MBA, Director of the Office of Internship and and and and Career DevelopmentCareer DevelopmentCareer DevelopmentCareer DevelopmentAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College

Session Goals

• Discuss ideas for connecting and leveraging existing resources

to help students articulate the value of their STEM skills and

experiences in a liberal arts context

• Explore reflective practice as a strategy for students to

connect curricular and co-curricular experiences to workplace

skills; and

• Leverage your expertise to uncover your institutional assets to

help students effectively synthesize their curricular and co-

curricular experiences for postgraduate success

Three institutional examples

WHO ARE YOU?

ROLE

Faculty?

Student?

Administrator?

Student Affairs?

Staff?

Profit or non-profit?

Other?

PLACE

Community College?

Research?

Liberal arts?

Two-year?

Four-year?

Other Higher Ed?

Open access?

Selective?

Online?

Other?

EXPERIENCE

Neophyte?

Emerging?

Proficient?

Expert?

THINK-PAIR-SHARE (5 minutes)

What experience do you have connecting campus resources

to help liberal arts STEM majors articulate competencies

and skills valued in the workplace?

• Introduce yourself to the person next to you

• Discuss your response

• Switch

Curricula &

Co-Curricular

Experiences

Intentional

Scaffolding

Integration

Reflective Practice

Workplace &

Life Skills and

Competencies

BLAH BLAH

This is

where we

ask students

to spend

most of

their time

AAC&U Essential Learning

Outcomes??• acquire Knowledge of Human Cultures

and the Physical and Natural World

• grow Intellectual and Practical Skills

• deepen Personal and Social

Responsibility

• demonstrate Integrative and Applied

Learning

• Quick Facts

– private, co-educational

– 3,081 undergraduates

– 70+ majors and minors

– graduate programs in business, counselor Ed, law

• Demographics

– 27% ethnic diversity undergraduate student (25% faculty)

– 40% Pell-eligible

– 94% students from the state of Florida (33 states; continents)

• US News & World Report 2019 Best Colleges

– No. 1 in Trial Advocacy

– No. 2 in Legal Writing

– No. 3 in Best Colleges for Veterans

– No. 5 in Best Colleges Regional Universities South

– No. 13 in Best Undergraduate Teaching

Curricula & Co-Curricula Experiences

Writing, speaking, listening

wellCreativity

&

Innovation

Work well with

diverse people

Think clearly about

complex problems

Solving problems

Analysis

&

solutions development

STEM Literacy

Apply knowledge, skills and abilities in

new settings

Ethics & integrity

Intercultural competence

The

Hard

Skills

Strengthen

Career Readiness

& Graduate

Success

Professional and Career Readiness Competencieshttp://www.stetson.edu/administration/career/professional-and-career-readiness-competencies.php

• Office of Career & Professional Development

• Focus groups with students, faculty, staff and employers

• Stetson University adapted the National Association of Colleges and Employers Career

Readiness Competencies to fit our unique student culture

o Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

o Teamwork & Collaboration

o Communication

o Professionalism & Productivity

o Digital Literacy

o Career Navigation

o Leadership

o Global & Intercultural engagement

Stetson Focus – What Advising Tools/Strategies help advance these competencies?

Translating STEM Experiences to Transferable Skills & Competencies

Transferable Skill Translation GridStudent Experiences Teamwork with

diverse others

Outstanding

Leadership

Ability

Persistence Conflict

Resolution

Excellent

Ethics

Good

judgement

Creativity &

Innovation

Intercultural

Competence

Alternative Spring Break

BLUE Missions

(Dominican Republic)

� � � �

Alternative Spring Break

Site Leader

(Guatemala)

� � � � � � �

WELL Team

Team Member

(Stetson University)

� � � � � �

Student Ambassador

(Stetson Admissions Office) � � � � � � � �Member Services

(Hollis Center Gym, Stetson University) � � � � �Teachers Aid

(Plantation High Test Admin) � � � � � �

National Honor Society

(Plantation High School) � � � �National Art Honor Society

(Plantation High School) � � � � � � � �National Achievers’ Society

Urban League of Broward County

Secretary/History Bowl Captain

� � � � � � � �

Translating STEM Experiences to Transferable Skills & Competencies

TRANSFERABLE SKILL TRANSLATION GRIDStudent Experiences Teamwork with

diverse others

Outstanding

Leadership

Ability

Persistence Conflict

Resolution

Excellent

Ethics

Good

judgement

Creativity &

Innovation

Intercultural

Competence

Journal Article Co-Writer

3rd Year

(J. Chem. Ed)

x x x x x x x x

Team Leader

1st Year - Spring Break

Alternative Spring Break

BLUE Missions

(Dominican Republic)

Worked cohesively

and smoothly to plan

and execute the

project with people

from different

backgrounds including

domestic and

international students

as well as people

native to the

Dominican Republic

who spoke different

languages and held

different

cultural beliefs

Having had the most

proficient

knowledge of

Spanish, became a

de facto leader of

the construction

sites – became an

effective team

leader of a group -

was responsible for

translating,

delegating, and

accountability for

ensuring proper

execution of tasks

between the

construction

foreman and the

team.

x x x x x x

What Matters?

Hart Research Associates. (2015). Optimistic About the Future, But How Well Prepared? College Students’ Views on College Learning and Career Success Selected Findings

from an Online Survey of College Students Conducted on Behalf of the Association of American Colleges & Universities Hart Research Associates. Washington, D. C.

Retrieved from https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2015StudentSurveyReport.pdf

Rank top 3 YouBroadly Educated

StudentEmployer

Knowledge of Human Cultures

Knowledge of the Physical and Natural

World

Critical Thinking

Creative Thinking

Written Communication

Oral communication

Quantitative literacy

Information literacy

Teamwork

Problem Solving

Civic Knowledge and Engagement

Intercultural Knowledge and

Competence

Ethical Reasoning and Action

Foundations and Skills for lifelong

learning

https://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2018EmployerResearchReport.pdf

• Quick Facts

– ~ 1,000 undergraduates

– 34 majors and minors

– 58% FY students take a STEM course

• Demographics

– 51% students from underrepresented groups

– 41% Pell-eligible

– 45% students from 43 states outside of GA

• US News & World Report 2019 Best Colleges

Rankings

– No. 1 most innovative liberal arts college

– No. 2 for Best Undergraduate Teaching

– No. 1 in Social Mobility

Agnes Scott College

Development of workplace skills in courses

STEM skills = leadership skills = workplace skills

Broadly implemented across courses and departments

leadership skills = workplace skills

Internship/Research Coaching

for Students and Faculty

Major-to-Career Roadmaps

Focus on Transferrable Skills

– by co-curricular activity, by major, by course …

What might work for your campus?

Our Tools Your Tools?

Course/Department Focus on

Workplace Skills

• Syllabus/course design

Beyond Departments and Courses – Focus on

Workplace Skills

• 1st year resume and 4th year portfolio

• Alumnae engagement

• Career Literacy

• Skills Worksheets

Faculty Workshops

• Major-to-Career Roadmaps

• Internship/research focus

Internship and Research Profiles

(with skills highlight)

• Student marketing

• Milledgeville, Georgia– close to geographical center of the state– Lake Sinclair about 8 miles north of campus– beautiful main campus with Central Campus residence halls

• History–1889 - founded as Georgia Normal and Industrial College–1922 - Georgia State College for Women–1996 - designated the state’s Public Liberal Arts University

• Quick Facts– small classes in about 70 majors from four colleges– SAT - 1202; ACT - 25– approximately 5,900 undergraduate students– about 1000 graduate students– 95% students from the state– growing international student population– graduate programs in education, business, biology, nursing– 335 fulltime faculty; 79% with a terminal degree– student to faculty ratio is 17:1

• Demographics– ~62% female– ~18% under-represented minority– faculty demographics mirror student population

Georgia CollegeGeorgia’s Public Liberal Arts University

Think Independently. Lead Creatively.

Study

AbroadResearch

LeadershipCommunity

Engagement

InternshipsSenior

Capstone

STEM Disciplinary

Content Knowledge

Career Activity BiolBiolBiolBiol ChemChemChemChem EnvSciEnvSciEnvSciEnvSci MathMathMathMath PhysPhysPhysPhys PsycPsycPsycPsyc

Milestone Class Presentation Milestone Class Presentation Milestone Class Presentation Milestone Class Presentation ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Focus 2Focus 2Focus 2Focus 2 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Career Exploration Career Exploration Career Exploration Career Exploration ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Resume Review Resume Review Resume Review Resume Review ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Mock Interview Mock Interview Mock Interview Mock Interview ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Strategic Career Plan Strategic Career Plan Strategic Career Plan Strategic Career Plan ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

LinkedInLinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn ✔ ✔

HandshakeHandshakeHandshakeHandshake ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Resume Upload in HandshakeResume Upload in HandshakeResume Upload in HandshakeResume Upload in Handshake

Senior Check In Senior Check In Senior Check In Senior Check In ✔

Career FairCareer FairCareer FairCareer Fair

LinkedIn Presentation LinkedIn Presentation LinkedIn Presentation LinkedIn Presentation ✔

Internship PresentationInternship PresentationInternship PresentationInternship Presentation

Grad School Presentation Grad School Presentation Grad School Presentation Grad School Presentation ✔ ✔ ✔

Job Search Presentation Job Search Presentation Job Search Presentation Job Search Presentation ✔

Career Center and STEM Faculty Partnership

Identify Academic Support Partner

Determine Career Competencies

Map Program Goals to SLOs

Course Design or Redesign

Assessment and Reflection

Connecting Curriculum to

Career Competencies

Case Study: Chemistry Program

Exploration: introduction to the Career Center, GC Journeys, information literacy, portfolio software, Focus 2 assessment

Preparation: resume/CV, literature review, oral presentation, mentor first-year majors, peer-review lab reports

Planning: mock interview, literature review, oral presentation, create LinkedIn account, portfolio

Implementation: original research oral presentation, portfolio, reflection essay

CHEM 0001

CHEM 2920

CHEM 3920

CHEM 4920

Program Goals/SLOs

• Application of Chemical

Knowledge

• Analytical Skills

• Information Skills

• Communication Skills

• Professionalism

Case Study: Chemistry Program

Student Quotes“By working in groups, I have

strengthened my professionalism in

various areas, including working with

difficult partners, taking responsibility in

a timely manner, and other factors that

commonly arise in group work”

“[Undergraduate] research further

developed my laboratory and chemical

knowledge skills as this type of laboratory

study is independent with the guidance of

an advisor”

“I have developed a large amount of

problem solving skills…we were required

to rely on our own research to develop our

procedures in the biodiesel and aspirin

labs.”

CHEM 4920: Senior Capstone

• Oral research presentation

• Portfolio

• Abstract of research

• CV/Resume

• Publications

• Sample work

• Reflection narrative

(using rubric as a guide)

• Career prospectus

What’s Next?

Mapping Curriculum to Career Competencies

Academic

Support Unit

Workplace

Competency

Program

Goal(s)

Possible Course

and Course

Outcome(s)

Activities and

Assessments

Student

Reflection

Assignments

Connecting Campus Resources to Help Liberal Arts STEM Majors

Articulate Competencies/Skills Valued in the Workplace

Questions?Questions?Questions?Questions?