The Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills recently brought together the second cohort of Career Readiness Faculty Fellows through a poster presentation and community gathering to kick-off the start of the semester. The room was full of excitement, and the 17 faculty were eager to share their curricular enhancements through well-designed posters displaying strategies for incorporating career readiness transparently and intentionally in their courses.
The conversations with the faculty fellows were impactful and inspiring as they each applied a career lens to a wide array of courses, including undergraduate-level, graduate-level, STEM, Humanities, Common Curriculum, and Writing intensive. Below are glimpses into the work of three of the Career Readiness Faculty Fellows.
Vasili Kharchenko, a Professor in the Physics Department, clearly understands the importance and the connection between what he is teaching his PHYS 5094 students and their ability to translate what they are learning into meaningful careers. Vasili’s work demonstrates the recognition that although technical skills are important within the sciences, the ability to get along with people and work within groups and collaborations is still of primary importance, which means that NACE skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership remain key to preparing STEM graduates for the workforce.
Bhoomi Thakore, an Assistant Professor in the department of Sociology, is teaching a large Introduction to Sociology course which is a Common Curriculum course. Bhoomi mentioned when discussing her poster how relevant and useful a career-centered approach in Sociology can be for students. She highlighted the idea of being curious and having students ask questions about themselves, society and how things came to be; all areas that can be answered through a sociological lens. In a class this large, assignments and projects are often completed within groups. The connection with NACE competencies helps make the learning real and relevant for students. Specifically, with teamwork, the most effective teams are curious about each other’s thoughts and about the problem, task, or initiative they are working on. The ability to ask good questions can be learned and practiced in a sociology classroom, and Bhoomi is leading this effort through her work highlighting career competencies within the social sciences.
Finally, Anke Finger, a Professor of German and Media Studies, is incorporating career readiness into a Common Curriculum course on German literature, Science Fiction, and AI. The course revolves around questions focused on what it means to be human in a world increasingly focused on AI and the role of science in helping define the different perceptions of being or becoming human, especially within science fiction. Anke is focused on asking philosophical questions centered within a humanities-based inquiry while also grounding her work in helping her students connect their learning to a broader imagining of careers. Providing students with space to talk about and translate their interests, talents, and skills within the humanities to potential employers encourages students to articulate their competencies such as technology, communication, and career & self-development. The course offers opportunities for students to learn and practice reflection on how best to apply skills learned within the humanities in order to help humanity.
The methodology and strategies for incorporating career readiness were apparent in all seventeen faculty fellows’ posters and conversations, and the examples above provide a glance into the various ways that career readiness is being enhanced within curricula at UConn. All the posters showcased best practices to integrate Career Competencies into the academic classroom, and in doing so, get at the heart of ensuring students can recognize relevant ways to turn their academic learning into practical skills for employment. Additionally, the hard work of these faculty demonstrates the ways that faculty can partner with the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills to augment great work being done in the classroom that benefits the faculty, students, and potential employers. The Faculty Fellows serve as a model of what it means to support students in Becoming Career Ready and develop as academic scholars, global citizens, and a well-prepared future workforce. The connections happening in UConn classrooms with NACE career competencies support our students, our UConn community, the state of Connecticut, and the world.
Visit the Career Readiness Faculty Fellow program page or the Faculty Fellows About Us page to learn more.
