Supporting Career Preparation:
It Takes a Village
Presentation by Kaplan University
HLC 2016 Annual Conference
Dr. Sara Sander, Dean and Vice President, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Tom Boyd, Dean and Vice President, School of Business and Information Technology
Jennifer Lasater, Vice President of Employer and Career Services
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ABOUT YOUR PRESENTERS
Dr. Sara Sander
Dean and Vice
President,
College of Social
and Behavioral
Sciences
Dr. Tom Boyd
Dean and Vice President,
School of Business and Information
Technology
Jennifer Lasater
Vice President of Employer and
Career Services
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PHASES OF STUDENT CAREER SUPPORT
Phase 3: Pending graduates
and alumni
Phase 1: Pre-enrollment
through first two terms
Phase 2: Established
students
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PHASE 1: PRE-ADMISSION/ENROLLMENT THROUGH EARLY TERMS
• Career Awareness
• Career Research and Degree Planning
• Professional Competencies
• Competency Report
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Admissions
Students speak to an Admissions Advisor
who can discuss degree programs in
terms of likely (and unlikely) careers,
required licensures and certifications,
background checks, etc.
Career Services
Students are provided with links to
various career and professional
organization websites and are
invited to complete a work interest
assessment.
Faculty/Advising
Faculty build training content for Admissions Advisors to use in career discussions with potential students.
CAREER AWARENESS
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Faculty
Students research the type of career
they want to pursue in their geographic area
and determine the skills, knowledge, and
qualifications needed.
Students work with faculty to identify elective
courses that support their career choice.
Career Services
Career Services presentations include
webinars and how to use
CareerNetwork.
Curriculum
The Curriculum Team works with faculty to create engaging assignments
designed to help students research their career interests.
CAREER RESEARCH AND DEGREE PLANNING
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Curriculum
Tracks the integration of professional competencies across the curriculum,
ensuring coverage
Works with faculty to implement competencies in courses
General Education
Leads and organizes faculty
committees that define competencies
and design assessment rubrics
Faculty
Members of General Education Teams
Work directly with Curriculum Team to create and implement course revisions to
accommodate professional competencies
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
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• Snapshot of student achievement of academic and
professional skills and competencies
• Guide for students in recognizing strengths and
areas of opportunity
• Easily located
• Customizable
COMPETENCY REPORT
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• Employer Spotlights: collaboration between
Career Services, Assistant Dean of Students,
and faculty
• Professional competencies
• Experiential learning
• Alumni Spotlights: collaboration between faculty,
Career Services, and Office of Student Life
PHASE 2: ESTABLISHED STUDENT SUPPORT
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• Live virtual presentations
by employers
• 1 hour for presentation and Q&A
• Promoted via social media, email
blasts, faculty, newsletters
• Recorded and shared on
CareerNetwork, also accessible by
prospective students
• Over 40 Employer Spotlights
conducted in 2015
EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHTS
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Career Services Works with Assistant Dean of Students to
provide updates on employers
Works with faculty to identify employers and student interests
Works with Marketing Team and faculty to promote events
Assistant Dean
of Students Works with Career Services to
coordinate promotion and calendars
Works with faculty to get news to students in appropriate classes/majors
Faculty Work with Career Services to identify a good “fit” with majors and employers
Work with Assistant Dean of Students to create strong communications in the
classroom
EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHTS
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Career Services
Reinforces the importance of competencies via Employer Spotlights, individual meetings,
and resume and cover letter tutorials
Registrar
Maintains and provides the
Competency Report to students
Faculty
Teach professional competencies in courses and provide feedback to
students on competency development
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
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o Alumni partner with Career Services to share a “Day in the
Life” in their career.
ALUMNI: DAY IN THE LIFE
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Career Services
Works with faculty and Education Advising to identify candidates
Publicizes and presents events
Faculty
Identify former students who have high achievement
Publicize Alumni Spotlights in
classrooms
Student Life
Maintains contact/relationships with alumni
Helps identify good candidates and
recommends them to Career Services
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS
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Faculty/Career Services
Faculty act as academic coordinators for internships
Career Services, Advising, and faculty
partner with students to help locate internships
Deans/Advisory Boards
Provide advice on what professional competencies need to be addressed by
experiential learning opportunities
Curriculum
Works with faculty to create internship courses and the in-house KapConsulting
course
Integrates experiential learning across the curriculum (e.g., labs, simulations)
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
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*Based on 1,266 student surveys
• Many Kaplan University students live
in rural areas, are without
transportation, or care for dependents.
• KapConsulting is a “company” that is
run by Kaplan University students
under the supervision of a faculty
“CEO”.
• Students complete an internship
entirely online while attending a
course led by a faculty coordinator.
• KapConsulting requires cooperation
between faculty, curriculum, IT, and
partner contacts.
Confidence when starting program
Confidence when
finishing program
KAPCONSULTING: AN ONLINE ALTERNATIVE
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• Tying it together: Career Services goals for staff
• Career touch points in the classroom
• LinkedIn profile reviews
• CareerNetwork
• Outcomes as a result
PHASE 3: ESTABLISHED STUDENT SUPPORT
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Students
Works with students on LinkedIn profile reviews, articulating results on the
Competency Report, resume reviews, and alumni presentations
Faculty/Others
Builds relationships through job shadowing, informational interviews,
“Meet the Dean” meetings, and quarterly meetings with chairs/faculty
Employers
Works with employers to facilitate Employer Spotlights and share job leads
or special opportunities for students
GOAL SETTING—CAREER SERVICES TEAM
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CAREER TOUCH POINTS IN THE CLASSROOM
Phase 3: • Career Options by
Concentration
• CareerNetwork
• Conducting a Job Search
• Resumes & Cover Letters
• Interview Prep
• Social Media Profiles
Phase 2: • Recap Career Options and Professional Orgs
• Networking • Gaining Valuable Skills • How to Find Volunteer
Opportunities or Internships
Phase 1: • Career Services
Overview • Career Network
Introduction • Career Options
• Professional Orgs • Work Interest Assessments
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• Use a checklist to ensure profile is
complete and professional
• Tailor profile to the types of positions
the student is seeking
• Coach students on adding connections
in a professional manner
• Encourage students to join and
participate in groups relevant to their
career goals
LINKEDIN PROFILE REVIEWS
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• Customized job search built for
student’s program of study and
geographical area
• Resume and social media reviews
• Gamification features to reward
students for ongoing professional
development
• Library of Employer Spotlights
and video content created
by staff
THE CAREER NETWORK
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● Grew the Career Services department to 70 staff
● Hosted over 250 presentations
● Added over 6,000 employer contacts
● Shared over 15,000 active job leads
● Conducted over 5,000 resume reviews
WHAT DID WE ACCOMPLISH IN 2015?
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• Kaplan University Academic Report: The Year in Review 2014-2015:
www.kaplanuniversity.edu/about/annual-report.aspx
• Kaplan University Website: www.kaplanuniversity.edu
• With thanks to Dr. Jody DeKorte, Dean of the School of General Education
and Open College at Kaplan University
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES