by By Courtney Pelfrey, Dina Abu-Jubara, and Jason Dodge, University of Central Florida
Higher education institutions emphasize the importance of academic success as a key milestone to landing a career. However, as we know, classes are not enough to prepare students for what is next. Student Learning and Academic Success (SLAS) at the University of Central Florida helps students select experiences that will give them a competitive edge for their post-graduate goals by blending what is learned in the classroom with real-world experiences. However, students may be overwhelmed by the abundant, and oftentimes disconnected, resources that universities offer. The UCF Downtown Campus is working to dismantle this challenge by bringing a holistic and collaborative approach to their student services team.
An interdivisional network was created at the downtown campus with the purpose of connecting students to high-impact practices across six departments through a one-stop model. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) recognizes the positive impact that High-Impact Educational Practices (HIPs) have on a student’s academics, including a positive influence on student retention, academic performance, and faculty and peer interaction (Kuh, 2008). This interdivisional network seeks to reduce barriers and create continuity by connecting departments that are mutually committed to supporting student well-being and success. Within this one-stop shop, students learn about ways in which each of the six departments can enhance their UCF experience by incorporating HIPs and other opportunities into their educational pathway. These opportunities include academic support and enhancement for students who are planning next steps at and beyond UCF, such as internships, undergraduate research, study abroad, and graduate school preparations. The newly developed HIP Coach position works closely with other offices, such as Career Services, to ensure that students are able to blend what they’re learning in the classroom with real-world experiences and translate their skills to resumes and interviews. The goal of this coordinated care network is to increase undergraduate student participation in HIPs with the understanding that increased participation “is a significant predictor of future career plans and early job attainment” (Miller et al. 2018). To facilitate this network, UCF Downtown hired and trained its first HIP Coach to support this work in the Fall 2020 semester.
Graduate student, Dina Abu-Jubara, formally worked for Career Services and is therefore equipped to coach students on a variety of career mapping needs, including resume gap analysis and subsequent planning for HIPs that could improve a student’s career outcomes based on their specific goals. For example, a Legal Studies student meeting with Dina to learn more about getting involved outside of the classroom, may learn that they can apply for a legal internship in the local community to bolster their communication and critical thinking skills. A Human Communication student may meet with Dina to better understand the impact that participating in a study abroad trip may have on their ability to explain their intercultural fluency during their job search. These HIP opportunities are able to take standard resume critiques one step further.
One initiative that other institutions could easily employ is the development of a HIP sample resume. Dina partnered with UCF Downtown’s Assistant Director of Career Services to create a sample resume incorporating several examples of HIPs and their ability to showcase transferable skills and experience to potential future employers. The resume, also used as marketing collateral, points students in the direction of Dina’s appointment availability to further the conversation. Additionally, the pair partnered to host a “Career Mapping” workshop for UCF Downtown students that put an innovative spin on the classic resume workshop. Students learned about the appropriate content and formatting for their resume, but also gained valuable insights about where they could begin adding the necessary skills and experience that employers seek – a perfect plug for Dina’s work and a showcase of the value of HIPs.
Citations:
Kuh, George D. 2008. High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access To Them, and Why They Matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.
Miller, A.L., Rocconi, L.M. & Dumford, A.D. Focus on the finish line: does high-impact practice participation influence career plans and early job attainment?. High Educ 75, 489–506 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0151-z
About the authors:
Courtney Pelfrey – Assistant Director for Downtown Career Services at the University of Central Florida, courtney.pelfrey@ucf.edu
Dina Abu-Jubara – Graduate Assistant for Student Learning and Academic Success at the University of Central Florida, Downtown Campus
Jason Dodge – Director of Student Success for the University of Central Florida, Downtown Campus
