Pew 2006

Professional and Career Preparationfor Science Students:

Making Them Ready for the Real WorldPresented by

Dr. Douglas ArionCarthage College

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Presented toPew Midwest Math and Science Consortium

5 March 2006

Pew 2006

Setting the Stage: An Incredible Story

• What kind of thinking do we want graduates to be able to do?

An anecdote demonstrating extremely non-linear thinking X

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How can we get students to think this way? What is the transition they need to make?

Lots of DirectionClearly Defined ProblemsVarious Levels of Performance

Largely Self DirectionIll Defined ProblemsOnly Highest Levels of Performance

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The Problem

• Transitioning from the guided, safe college environment to the less determined, risky real world is difficult and frightening

– Skill set is different

– Performance expectation level is much higher

– Level of individual responsibility is much higher

– Risk is much greater

• Background Research:– Hettich, P., From College to Career

– Gardner, J. N., Van der Veer, G., and Associates (1998). The senior year experience: Facilitating integration, reflection, closure, and transition.

Pew 2006

What Kind of Experience/Capstone Meets These Needs?

• Students need to experience a progression of activities to bring them along– Can’t ‘spring’ the new demands/concepts/expectations on seniors!

• Students need to explore career choices early– Students may develop a love for a career or discover they do not like their

choice• A progressively greater level of responsibility/level of performance is required• A capstone that requires a high level of performance and topical synthesis is

important• Career/Professional skills topics need to be brought in on a ‘just in time’,

developmentally appropriate basis• Background Research:

– Secor, M., Helping College-Aged Students Survive and Thrive Their College Experience: A Review of Relevant Literature.

– Chickering, A. W. & Reisser, L., Education and Identity– Evans, J. E., Forney, D. S. & Guido-DiBrito, F., Student Development in College

Theory, Research, and Practice.

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The Current Carthage Program:History and Background

• The ScienceWorks Entrepreneurship Program was founded in 1994

• The Nation’s first undergraduate technology entrepreneurship program

• Founding member of the National Collegiate Innovators and Inventors Alliance

• Staffed by faculty with industrial and technical experience

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Program Goals: Two Different Views

• ‘As Define’:

– Entrepreneurship

• Startup business topics

• Angel/Venture financing

• Risk Management

• Growth

• Exit Strategies

Few Students will Start Companies

• ‘As Executed’:

– Career Preparation

• Core business skills

• Communications Skills

• Interviewing

• Dressing

• ‘Intrapreneurship’

Most Students will have Jobs – Will need the same skills!

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ScienceWorks Entrepreneurial Studies Program Layout

Junior Courses

ESNS 310/320: Communications Skills Intellectual property Business structures and cultures Incorporation Finance Taxes Legal Regulation Bids and Proposals Contracts Purchasing and PropertyESNS 325 (J-Term) Commercial Technologies[Total: 12 Credit Hours]

Internship/Work Experience

Business and Technical ActivitiesMust generate a Business Plan Project[Non-Credit Bearing- Recommended but Not Required]

Senior-Level Business Plan Courses

ESNS 410/430 Full-fledged Business Plan

• New Product• New Business/Spinoff• SBIR/IR&D Proposal

Defended before Advisory Board of Experts[Total 8 Credit Hours]

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Examples of ESNS Business Plan Projects

• DNA Enzyme Biotechnology (Pfaffle)• Sports promotion software (Heavy Hitters

LLC)• Business assessment software (Acumen,

Ltd.)• Computer Imaging Software (Digital

Collages)• Biotechnology Models (Molecular

Designs LLC)• Blood Testing Technology and Biological

Agent Detection (Precision Research, Inc.)• Chiropractic Clinic Expansion (Fleuchaus

Chiropractic)• Hospital Expansion Plan (United

Hospitals)• Software (Express Payroll Systems)• Golf Ball Finder (Nike)

• Secure Mail Delivery System; MIGGA Blood Handling System

• At-Home Medical Tests• Baby Monitor System (Swarthmore

College)• Food Monitoring (Johnson Prof., Inc.) • Neurological Detector and Amplifier

System• Street Level Gallery Art Gallery• Computer Keyboard System for the

Disabled• Quickscope Manufacturing Software

(Innavision, Inc.)• Bioadhesives (CATI)• Wideband communication (WIFI Spots)• Economic Development through GIS

(Teska)

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Program Issues

• Not all students have the same goals – may not be served well by a single delivery method

• Not all students are suited to current business plan capstone projects

• Don’t touch the students until they are juniors

• Topical content emphasizes technical applications

– Other populations not addressed

• Single-pass on topics means that repetition-experience-further development don’t happen

• Limited time means it’s hard to cover all topics with sufficient depth

– Skills/abilities/attitudes in multiple areas need to be developed

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The (Near) Future Program (We Hope!):Professional Studies in the Liberal Arts

College Success Seminar (CSS)

First Year Experience

Discipline-specificIntroductory

Courses

Discipline-specific

Upper Courses

PSLA CoreCourses asElectives,

WI/CS

InternshipsSeminars

Workshops

High Achievers(Grades/Participation)

Other Students

CATI BPlan

Other BPlan

Other CapstoneProject

Major Courses

InternshipsSeminars

Workshops

InternshipsSeminars

Workshops

PSLA CoreCourses WI/CS

PSLA CoreCourses WI/CS

Profe

ssion

al M

ajors

Minors

General Student Body

College Success Seminar (CSS)

First Year Experience

Discipline-specificIntroductory

Courses

Discipline-specific

Upper Courses

PSLA CoreCourses asElectives,

WI/CS

InternshipsSeminars

Workshops

High Achievers(Grades/Participation)

Other Students

CATI BPlan

Other BPlan

Other CapstoneProject

Major Courses

InternshipsSeminars

Workshops

InternshipsSeminars

Workshops

PSLA CoreCourses WI/CS

PSLA CoreCourses WI/CS

Profe

ssion

al M

ajors

Minors

General Student Body

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Key Features of PSLA

• Progressive set of activities from first year through senior capstone

– Introductory elements in orientation classes

– Sophomore experiential learning elements

– ‘Seamless Curriculum’ integrates courses plus co- and extra-curriculars to deliver core content

– A variety of capstones to suit different audiences

• Multiple entry points/implementations

– ‘Professional’ Major Tracks

– Minor

– Electives

– Experiences/Events

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PSLA Capstones

• CATI-based Business Plan Projects

– Synthesis of entire programmatic content

– Student paired/partnered with external company/technology to prepare full business plan

• Basic Business Plan Project

– Demonstrate competence/understanding of programmatic content

– Student given current technology idea to ideate/develop market plan/financial plan

• Topical (Major) Capstone

– Research project/research experience thesis

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Partnerships: Making it Happen

• Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation

• Kenosha Area Business Alliance

• Racine County Economic Development Corp.

• National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance

• Kern Entrepreneurial Education Network

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Outcomes

• Assessment Results from the Current Program– Triennial survey of all program participants and their

employers– Student Results: Considered most valuable college

experience• Business plans were key to being hired• Program experience manifested in their positions

– Employer Results: Most capable new hires/more advanced employees

We’re doing something right!

Pew 2006

Recommendations

• View the capstone as the culmination of a process

• Provide the necessary elements along the way so that the capstone is really meaningful

• Capstone should exercise technical knowledge, attitudes, and abilities as well as professional knowledge, attitudes, and abilities

• Real world experience and off-campus participants are needed to connect the capstone to real life for the students