Innovative Strategies for Conducting Career Center Assessment Presented by Marian Higgins, Nicole Lechene & Penny Benton The University of Georgia

 Learn the importance of engaging (vs. mandating) staff from all operational areas in the departmental assessment process.  Develop ideas for assessment beyond the typical ‘semester survey’  Learn about and practice the ‘post-it’ brainstorming technique, which depends on everyone’s input and leads to focused assessment. This session will help you…

 Gain insight on the preparation and facilitation required for an annual assessment retreat  Learn to effectively close the assessment loop by taking action on the results to add value to the department and its constituents.  Discover ways technology can be used in the assessment process. This session will help you…

The career center staff facilitates, motivates, and empowers students to explore options and pursue careers. The center provides a comprehensive range of services, programs, and materials focusing on career exploration & decision-making, skill development, experiential learning, and career employment. The career center is committed to assisting employing organizations and establishing university partnerships for the benefit of University of Georgia students. Mission

 Career Exploration & Decision Making  Skill Development  Experiential Learning  Career Employment  Employer Relations  University Partnerships Goals

 Georgia’s flagship institution serves more than 34,000 students  Providing more than 160 major areas of study in 16 colleges Population

Liaison Model & Structure

 DAWGlink – online job board  Individual career counseling  Walk-in hours for resume assistance  Assessments (for career decision-making)  Career Library and Online Resources  Career Classes  Intern for a Day  Mock Interviews Services

 More than a dozen career fairs each year  “Careers In…” panels  Job Search Workshops and Seminars  College-Specific Events  Business Dining & Etiquette  Diversity Programs Programs

 Moving at the speed of business  Technology-focused  Innovative; fresh ideas welcome  Fast-paced and frequently changing  Collaborative Culture

 Effort to incorporate assessment into our operations began in 2007  Prior to 2007 we would deploy basic surveys after events in a sporadic manner  Not much was done with the information gathered Oh no!!! Not Assessment!!!

 The use of assessment in our field was growing  Introduction to StudentVoice services provided the perfect tool to get us started  Excellent tool to show our value both internally and externally Why Now?

 Committee Style model  Voluntary participation  Office wide initiative open to all staff  All functional areas represented  Varied staff = varied input Ok…..Now What Do We Do?

 A variety of technology is used  Student Voice is the main survey tool  Palm Scanners capture student attendance at events  Career Center Contact Manager (C3M) system allows us to target specific populations and assess workflow needs Technology

Student Voice

Palm Scanner

Career Center Contact Manager (C3M)

Assessment Retreat

 Led by Career Center Director or members of the administrative team  Review the results from previous year’s assessments Retreat Agenda

 Place the results into three buckets:  Programmatic Changes -Major & Minor  Bragging Points - Demonstrates Program’s Value  Further Investigation - Necessary to Clarify Results Retreat Agenda

 Brainstorming Session  Identify 3-4 areas to assess  Previous Areas Assessed Include:  Career & Life Planning Class (Pre & Post)  Customer Service  Resume Critiques  Graduate Students  Diversity  Undecided Students  “Careers In …” Series Retreat Agenda

 Subcommittees are created based on the areas to be assessed.  Assessment committee members select the subcommittee they would like to serve on.  A subcommittee chair is identified. Subcommittees

 Project Title  Specific Area Being Assessed  Type of Assessment Being Used  Survey Distribution  Rationale for Assessing this Area Subcommittee Charge

 1st Year: Trial and Error  2nd Year: Staff Presentations  3rd Year: Presentations to Director Assessment Design Feedback

 A scribe to record notes  Laptops, projector, screen  Post-it pads  Markers  Space for Subcommittee Breakouts Helpful Tools for the Retreat

Activity Facilitation Now it’s your turn!

 Given the categories below, identify areas within your department that you would like to assess.  Student Services  Outreach Programs, Walk-Ins  Technology  On-line Resources, Student Tracking  External Constituents  Employer Relations, Campus Collaborations Your Charge

 Write one idea per post-it.  Place the student services ideas on the blue post-it  Place the technology ideas on the yellow post-it  Place the external constituents ideas on the green post-it  Think of as many ideas as you can.  Stick your post-its on the appropriate area. Post-It!

The facilitators will group the post-its and determine the themes. Ask for clarification on some post-its. The themes generate ideas about the areas that we will assess. Form subcommittees and give charge. Pulling It Together

Reflection Q & A

Thank You!