Month: August 2018

Kudos

SoACE Kudos: August 2018 Edition

August 31, 2018 by 0 Comments

SoACE Technology KG
Kudos to the leadership team planning and coordinating the Summer Technology Bootcamp! Lots of logistics went into advertising, connecting speakers with engaged audiences, and directing a full two-day mini-conference. Well done!

Technology KG Boot Camp Presenters
All the Technology KG Boot Camp presenters rocked! We flexed our marketing and technology muscles with Kelli Gemmer (Florida State University), Sonia Hernandez (Florida International Univ.), Audrey Key (Middle Tennessee State), Katlyn Kurtz & Peter Thorsett (University of South Florida), Val Matta (CareerShift), Leslie Neal (Mississippi State Univ.), Tara Stevenson (Flagler College). Thank you all for sharing your time and talents.

Alabama Association of Colleges & Employers
The Alabama Association of Colleges & Employers (AACE) hosted their best summer conference ever this year! The programming and speakers were top notch. Kudos to the Alabama state association!

UNC University Career Services Team
I am so proud and impressed by all the great work done by the team at UNC-Chapel Hill. This group never ceases to be amazing.

University of Tennessee Center for Career Development
I work with some of the most amazing people. They are always there for you and ready to step in if you need help. I can’t imagine working anywhere else. We recently had multiple events happening this summer and everyone pitched in. No one ever says that’s not my job! They just ask how can I help, or just jump in and start helping. I am honored to be a part of such a great group of people!

Texas State University Career Services Team
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the best Career Services team ever! Each and every team member is geared up for a successful semester and ready to launch high-energy and impactful programs and services that will lead our Bobcats on the road to success. Many thanks to the Texas State University Career Services team for your creativity, innovation, leadership, and energy! You ROCK!! – Norma Guerra Gaier

Jay Skipworth, Auburn University Career Center
Big thanks to Jay on all of his dedicated work at Auburn and for our students. We wish you luck in your new adventure and you will be missed.

Dave Sargent, Clemson University
For his leadership and mentorship at work and collaboration with the Assessment and Data Analytics KG.

Kathy Horner, Clemson University
For her leadership and ability to take current practices to new levels.

Kristin Walker, Clemson University
Thank you so much for coming through with an outstanding blog post about assessments within a day of an on-the-fly all-call request! You are a superstar in everything you do and will be amazing in your new role. I hope you know how much you are appreciated!

Neil Burton, Clemson University
For his leadership and mentorship.

Troy Nunamaker, Clemson University
For his leadership and mentorship.

Alicia Smyth, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Kudos to Alicia for her service to the Florida Association of Colleges and Employers. She’s dedicated countless hours to enhance the organization, inspiring and mentoring members to their fullest potential. We won’t be the same without you but can’t wait to see where you’re headed as a growing SoACE leader!

Valerie Mandel, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Sincere thanks and appreciation for stepping up and going above and beyond during Orientation and the first week of classes. I really don’t know what I would do without you!

Erin Minta, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Thank you for all of the extra hours and effort you put into your role as Treasurer of the Colleges of Central Florida Career Consortium! You went above and beyond and really cared to ensure that things were done correctly. You leave behind big shoes to fill and you are appreciated so much.

Sandi Ohman, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
You are rocking it as Chair of the Colleges of Central Florida Career Consortium! Thank you for staying on top of things, communicating effectively, and keeping our traditions alive while striving to make improvements.

Efigenia Gonzalez-Duran, Florida International University
Thank you for your leadership as we continue to grow, evolve, and change as a team. We can always count on your steadfastness during times of growth!

Ivette Duarte, Florida International University
Thank you for your smile, leadership, and patience as we transition into 2018-2019! We know with you, we can face anything!

Joseph Jutan, Florida International University
So proud of you! You have stepped up to the plate and batted a home run. I love seeing you take on student appointments, support orientation, and so much more! You will be going places.

Martha Rosa, Florida International University
So excited for the new chapter in your life! Congrats on the new job, and you will be missed.

Sonia Gonzalez, Florida International University
Congratulations on your new role!

Erin Dabbs, Georgia State University
Erin and Ashley Watts from Georgia State University Career Services agreed to have their ‘2018 Employer Breakfast’, held on 7/17, spotlighted on the SoACE Employer Relations Knowledge Group’s twitter (@SoACEerkg). They gave us insight into a successful employer engagement event and we are appreciative.

Kelly Atwood, Mississippi State University
Kelly did an amazing job coordinating the Technology Boot Camp for the Technology KG! Thank you for all of your hard work!

Kelly Atwood, Mississippi State University
Kelly did an AMAZING job as Coordinator of the Technology KG Summer Boot Camp program! Her efforts ensured that this year’s programs covered a wide range of topics and were well attended! Thank you, Kelly, for a job well done!

Leslie Nea, Mississippi State University
SoACE Technology KG Boot Camp was Leslie’s first presentation! We are proud of her challenging herself to submit a proposal & her execution of an amazing webinar. First of many to come, Leslie. – MSU Career Center Family.

Sara Concini, N.C. State University
Sara was conference chair, leading a cohort of North and South Carolinians to successfully pull off a great 2018 annual conference! I’ve served with Sara on several committees over the years, but bringing together two state teams with a unified mission, was a monumental task, one that she did with grace, tact, and energy! She deserves much more than KUDOS, and sincere appreciation from both states for her dedication to the career education field!

Emilio Lorenzo, Nova Southeastern University
Since Emilio has been promoted to Associate Director of Employer Relations, he has done an incredible job of redefining the vision of his team and creatively improving strategies to engage with employers and get them on campus. He is a true leader and is inspirational to many SA Pros. Kudos Emilio!

Kanika Brown, Oklahoma City University
Kanika is a bright ray of sunshine in our office, always bringing joy and laughter our way, and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our students. She is encouraging and always positive about the work we do. She goes above and beyond in setting up for events and presentations, and made our kick-off event just amazing! She is such a valued member of our team!

Jennifer Fonseca, Palm Beach Atlantic University
Kudos to Jennifer on her her recent Keynote Address at the Annual FloridaACE Conference this summer! Her inspirational messages left members motivated to begin a new academic year with excitement, reflection and positive direction.

John Sheehy, Stetson University
Keep up the great work as the FloridaACE President!

Katlyn Kurtz, University of South Florida
Katlyn is a quiet force making sure our marketing operations keep humming along. She is also generous with her time and talents helping colleagues across Florida and around the region on everything from conference marketing to leading a webinar on Asana! We appreciate all you do for us, Katlyn!

Peter Thorsett, University of South Florida-Tampa
Kudos to Peter for his innovative ideas and educational savvy to engage members in implementing their own technological programs. His ability to inspire any career development individual to adopt a new idea and feel competent in their own skills to effect change is unfounded and incomparable! We all have so much more to learn from his expertise.

Tim Harding, University of Tampa
For mentorship and leadership with the Competency Symposium.

Marc Holcomb, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Special recognition is owed to Marc Holcomb who approached a new project with enthusiasm and solid planning. He served as the Creative Director for a significantly redesigned Career Guide which involved a great deal of collaboration with others. We would not have completed this undertaking without his investment in the project.

LaMar Black, Center for Career Development – University of Tennessee, Knoxville
LaMar Black joined our employer development team in June and has jumped right in. He has already traveled to Houston to develop relationships with companies and is planning our 2nd annual Employer Relations Summit in August. I’m so glad he is on our team.

Jamie Blackmon, Wallace State Community College
Jamie is a fantastic person to work with! Seeing her enthusiasm and dedication motivates me to do better every day! Our students appreciate her effort and Wallace State Community College is better because she is a part of it!

 

Best Practices - Hot Topics

Four Unexpected Lessons from Learning about Assessment in a Career Center

August 24, 2018 by 0 Comments

by Emily Braught, M.Ed.

When I set out to find a practicum experience in assessment skills, I did so because I was genuinely curious about applying information to improve student affairs practice. The Center for Career and Professional Development at Clemson University, with its reputation for producing quality work and its high touch with students, felt like the perfect place. I thought I might learn some practical excel skills, different approaches to analysis, and gain a few trendy bullet points for my resume. I knew it was a topic I was interested in, but I did not expect to uncover a new passion area.

I learned almost everything I expected to, from analyzing data to presenting key findings to leadership in the department. Since I wasn’t in the career center for an extended period of time, my learning process was expedited. As a graduate student, many of my takeaways were centered on how I could apply the shortened practicum experience to starting a new role in a new office while maintaining a passion for assessment. And, having just started a new role in a new department, a lot of these lessons from my quick learning practice experience, have proven to be valuable reflection.

  • Assessment feels different in every department

When starting a new position, identifying the way assessment makes employees feel is incredibly important. Is assessment viewed as punitive in the office or is it viewed as an opportunity to recognize and celebrate fellow employees? Is data collected with purpose and then used in real-time to make adjustments to practice or is it collected as an afterthought and not used in decision making processes? Is it part of the daily function of the office or does it feel like a monthly or yearly chore? Identifying current employee’s feelings towards data collection and analysis can be incredibly important to implementing new assessment initiatives or joining in on existing projects. Finding out who drives assessment planning in the office and having a conversation about their perspective is a good start, but don’t forget about talking to those who are excited about assessment don’t hold an official assessment role or talking to those who are very hesitant about assessment and are expected to implement. Gathering multiple perspectives can also be a highly impactful way to build relationships and identify how you can positively contribute to your office assessment practices.

  • Assessment looks different in every department

Of course we know that people’s styles of data collection and information sharing is different depending on every department, division, and institution. In part, this is due to resources available and what divisional leaders may be looking for, but so much of an employee’s relationship with assessment is office culture dependent. These office culture differences could have a major impact on the skills, technology, and knowledge base you need to be successful. For example, data presentation might be fine on an excel spreadsheet with highlights in graphs in some departments, whereas other departments might want a summative report with all information present. Some departments might be looking for one sheet with key bullet points that need to be considered in decision making while others may be expecting as far as IRB approval for some of the more serious projects. No matter how big or small, identifying what kind of assessment presentation and facilitation expectations are present in the office is essential to success in the office. New professionals should consider ways they can gain practical skills in new systems earlier in their employment so that they are equipped with what they need to be successful when they are asked to share information or present on their personal findings.

  • Macro and Micro level assessment both have a place

Depending on the positions of the people you are working with, the type of information they are expecting to receive will be different. A director or higher level professional may be looking for bigger picture information that demonstrates overall success of all their programs. Total number of students interacted with, total number of hours, total numbers of students who attended the career fair all have their place. Smaller pieces of data, like how many students visit the career center on Mondays compared to Fridays in the fall semester can have just as much important to the overall functioning of the office and might have a huge impact on the professionals that work with individual programs or initiatives. New professionals have the responsibility to identify which pieces of macro and micro information are important for their success in the job and identifying new pieces of information.

  • The aggregate doesn’t always tell the whole story

Looking at massive spreadsheets of career attendance can be helpful, especially for those employees interested in the big picture data.  Disaggregating that information by different student populations, different colleges, and other classifications is even more helpful for identifying ways to improve. When starting a new position and integrating into a new office, spend time disaggregating data by different classifications. Figure out what which student populations are being focused on in the department, division, and institution so that you can share your data more meaningfully, or uncover new ways to support different student populations. This can help you help identify categories of students who may be falling through the cracks of your services. For new professionals, spending time with information such as this can give you a much more robust picture of the scope of your office and the students that you serve. It could also help you build stronger relationships or even employees in your office who work with specific programs or initiatives.

 

Spending a semester absorbing assessment practices of a career center has proven incredibly valuable to my overall success as a professional. Overall, whether or not assessment is a passion area for you, taking the time to learn an office’s culture around and perspective on assessment can be very useful to any professional starting a new role. I hope a few of these points stick with you as you reflect on your current role or as you pursue your next step!

__________

Emily Braught, M.Ed. currently serves as the Residence Coordinator for Academic Initiatives for Housing and Residence Life at Indiana University Purdue University – Indianapolis. Prior to this position at IUPUI, Emily spent two years as the Graduate Assistant for Residential Learning with University Housing at Clemson University, with an emphasis in assessment practices and student learning. While completing her Master of Education, Emily gained additional assessment experience in the Center for Career and Professional Development and the Calhoun Honors College. 

Letters from the President

Letter from the President – Mark Colvenbach

August 17, 2018 by 0 Comments

A Look Ahead: The Conference and Beyond.

SoACE leadership and the many volunteers who make this association so incredible are hard at work planning an amazing conference in Atlanta for members this December.  In addition, it’s becoming just as important to provide relevant resources and content throughout the year.  From webinars to best practices, SoACE has truly become a colleague you can rely on to assist you in meeting your goals.

Just last month, the new SoACE board met to discuss what’s going on with membership, Knowledge Groups (KGs), Diversity & Inclusion, professional development and everything in between.  It was during this time that we also discussed the next year and beyond.   A quick snapshot is included to provide you with some insight into the goals leadership will be focused on.

An exciting venture we are working on is how SoACE can continue to work collaboratively with state associations and related consortia.   This has always been critical to SoACE, but we are excited to further explore opportunities to learn from each other, share best practices and expand resource and leadership opportunities for our members.   We believe by doing this, SoACE will further develop its membership and create additional quality leadership opportunities within the organization.

It is imperative that SoACE continues to seek opportunities to strengthen our employer membership while providing an opportunity for employer members to both engage with each other and with career services partners.   A task force was appointed earlier this year to identify opportunities to expand employer services.  The Conference Planning Committee has done a tremendous job of focusing on this initiative, as exemplified by the planned reception at the Metro Atlanta Chamber during the conference.  Please register in advance to take advantage of this great opportunity to connect with current SoACE employer members as well as local Atlanta company reps.

For most, professional development and networking are the key reasons why members choose to join SoACE.   With this at the center of nearly everything we do, SoACE will continue to offer a variety of opportunities throughout the year, while focusing on what brings value to our members the most.  We want to ensure that your time is used wisely; whether it is participation on a webinar, KG, networking session or through a variety of other outlets.  We have taken steps to improve the sharing of best practices utilizing technology that our leadership and KGs are currently piloting.  We look forward to continued and newfound success in the near future.

In closing, I want to thank you for your membership in SoACE.   Your continued involvement and future interactions will help shape what’s next for SoACE in many ways.  I want to encourage you to register for the conference being hosted in Atlanta, GA, December 2-5, 2018. I can assure you this year’s theme of Activate | Transform | Lead will hit on everything you expect and more from a conference.  If early indications are correct, we are in for a truly amazing conference as registrations are up, keynotes are set and events are being planned.  Don’t miss out – we look forward to seeing each of you there.

 

Mark Colvenbach
2018-2019 SoACE President
The University of Tampa