The UConn Center for Career Development is excited to share its knowledge, success stories, and best practices at several conferences this summer, including the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the Career Leadership Collective (CLC), and the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE). The Center will also be accepting the EACE Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion and Innovation in Program Development Awards at the annual conference.
“Every member of the Center for Career Development team serves as thought leaders in all areas related to student outcomes and career options post-graduation,” states Jim Lowe, Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of the Center for Career Development. “The Career Center team continues its history of being recognized annually with awards and speaking engagements. These recognitions are a testament to the innovative and impactful services and programs offered to every UConn student.”
This year’s awards and presentations include:
EACE Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion Award – Identity & Career Development Research Study
UConn’s Center for Career Development has had a long-standing commitment to delivering comprehensive, innovative, and inclusive programs and services for all students. Recognizing that our diverse students continue to face new and ongoing challenges, we set out to learn more about our students’ experiences through a DEI lens and to evaluate how well our existing services are meeting their needs. We conducted a university-wide research study to examine how diverse students experience career development at UConn and to utilize the information collected to make data-driven decisions about future programs and services. While the primary focus of the research was to identify unique career experiences facing affinity groups and how we could provide tailored support, we also explored how the intersectionality of multiple identities further affects our students’ career planning and development.
EACE Innovation in Program Development Award – Career Everywhere
To provide increased equity and access to career planning for all students, the Career Center has reimagined how career education is delivered to students at UConn. We have shifted from the siloed career planning approach toward embracing career readiness conversations occurring throughout the University community. Career Everywhere (CE) was developed to create a university-wide career readiness culture that prepares students for post-graduation success. The intention and design were to fundamentally inform and guide the career-relevant conversations that were already happening in every aspect of a student’s life. The Career Champion program, designed to enable Career Everywhere, was the central vision created with the intention of providing formalized training and communications around data, trends, programs, and services to a broad cross-section of stakeholders. Since Career Everywhere launched in 2019, the program has grown substantially, outcomes and deliverables are tangible, and results are clearly visible.
Presentation at NACE, EACE, and CLC: Researching the Intersections of Identity & Career Development
UConn’s Center for Career Development Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee designed and conducted an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study on the impact of identity on career development among UConn students. Our Center has had a long-standing commitment to delivering comprehensive, innovative, and inclusive programs and services for all students. Recognizing that our diverse students continue to face new and ongoing challenges, we set out to learn about our students’ experiences and evaluate how well our existing programs and services are meeting their needs. We established a goal to examine how diverse students experience career development at UConn, including interactions with our office, and to utilize the information collected to make decisions about programs, resources, and services.
Presentation at NACE: How to Recruit & Engage Career Champions to Support a Mission of Career Everywhere
The Center for Career Development at UConn has created a Career Champion Program to support the mission of Career Everywhere, and to integrate career development and career competencies more broadly across campus. The success of Career Everywhere rilies on recruiting and engaging Career Champions. During this presentation, members of the Center’s Career Everywhere team will detail how it recurits Career Champions and how we engage Champions to enhance participation and involvement.
Presentation at EACE: Leveraging Technology to Drive Engagement and Provide Personalized Content for Students.
To meet the Center’s mission to deliver comprehensive, innovative, and inclusive programs and services for all students, we developed a stackable suite of technologies designed to drive engagement on a personalized level and reach as many students as possible. Platforms used to create the stackable technology suite will be presented, and we will discuss how staff is organized to support the initiative.
Presentation at EACE: Becoming Career Ready – Getting Started and Building Momentum with Career Competencies
If career centers know the importance of career competencies, and so do employers, how can we provide meaningful opportunities and resources for students, faculty, and staff on campus to accept and adopt this reality? Participants will have access to a repository of information including planning outlines and documents, the Career Leadership Experience (CLE) syllabus, a career competency reflection activity, survey questions for student stories and experiences, access to a student webinar providing career competency information, and access to a webinar for our Career Champions.
Presentation at CLC: Career Everywhere Growth Over the Years
In 2020, UConn’s Center for Career Development was recognized with the Innovation Award by the Career Leadership Collective for launching Career Everywhere. Now in its 3rd year, we are sharing how the program and outcomes, both measurable and anecdotal, have evolved. Some of the updates include a Career Champion Advisory Board, faculty subcommittee, collaboration with the Center for Education, Teaching, and Learning, and Student Employment. Currently, the Career Champion program, a program supporting CE, has over 420 participants including faculty, staff, employers, and alumni.
