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