Target Session Audience:

• COL = College Professionals
• EMP = Employers
• ALL = Both College Professionals & Employers

Skill Level:

• 0-3 = Rookie, 0-3 years
• 4-9 = Team Captain, 4-9 years
• 10+ = Coach, more than 10 years

Description: In Fall 2017, the Career Center at Towson University was tasked with answering the question: how do we prove our unit's significance and impact on the university and local Maryland community? The addition of a stand-alone assessment role has provided the Center the opportunity to consolidate data collection efforts, ensure alignment with strategic planning at the unit, divisional, and university levels, and engage in more creative and time sensitive storytelling that implicates our impact. The largest responsibility of this new role being the attainment of an increase in destination outcomes knowledge rate. So for the first time (and right after converting to a new career management system) the Career Center has 'taken over' management of the First Destination Survey - administered to over 5000 graduating undergraduate students each academic year - from the university's Office of Institutional Research. This ownership allows for more concise outcomes data collection, greater ability for meaningful storytelling, and it has opened the door for collaboration with campus units including our assessment office, academic affairs, and institutional research. Because FDS completion is not a graduation requirement at Towson and the 100% response rate eludes us for the time being, the creative means and third party platforms we've used as an attempt to improve our knowledge rate will be discussed. 

Presenter: Emily Tipton, Assessment & Analytics Coordinator, Towson University

Description: One-size-fit-all career models do not work well for liberal arts majors. How do you best serve students beyond traditional career fairs and on-campus interviews?   Thanks to the University of Maryland's unique embedded model, we have been able to pilot some new and exciting initiatives for arts and humanities majors including the Visual Arts Hiring Fair (a reverse career fair for students skilled in graphic design, video production & animation), a Digital Media Bootcamp led by employers, a Language Career & Internship Fair, bilingual employer-led mock interviews in Spanish and Arabic as class requirements and a Communication Speed Mentoring Night, among others.   Brief details will be provided about these programs and a larger discussion will be facilitated to gather ideas of creative program ideas from other schools.

Presenter: Kate Juhl, Program Director, University of Maryland College Park

Description: This year during Homecoming Week, I asked alumni from my college to come back, not for the Big Game or to donate money, but to come back share their time in an informal mentoring event with current students. This two day event came about from a partnership with the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Science's Alumni Board who helped develop the idea, outreach to alumni and fund the event. Come hear about the planning process, structure of the event and sharing of ideas how you can plan a similar event on your campus. 

Presenter: Rachel Wobrak, Program Director, University of Maryland College Park, College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences

Description: We all know the feeling of walking out of a session and thinking "Wow, that is such a great idea!  I want to do that on my campus!"  Upon returning to campus, life takes over - prepping for the school year, attending meetings, coordinating existing programming, etc. And then comes the overwhelming feeling of - we don't have the resources, staff, or time to make big changes! This past summer, York College spent time going over all of the fantastic ideas we brought back from the annual EACE conference and worked on implementing changes that made the most sense for our campus. Lesson learned: Even the BIG ideas can be implemented in small-scale ways. And some ideas take time. By attending this session, attendees will learn how our Career Development Center of four people made some small, medium, and large changes, including programming, delivery of services, and career education. We'll explore how to take bits and pieces of various sessions to create change, and how to adjust certain programming to fit the needs of your office and campus. Bring your thinking caps and lists of ways you've implemented change on your campus as a result of attending conferences, and engage in a lively discussion on how we can continue to answer the question "How can I do that?!"   

Presenter: Brittany Langletz, Assistant Director of Career Development, York College of Pennslyvania

Description: The First-Year Engineering Career Conference at the University of Pittsburgh brings to life the practical application of one's degree in the workplace. The annual conference, hosted by The Office of Career Development and Placement Assistance and the Swanson School of Engineering, provides undeclared students insight into various engineering career paths. Students hear honest stories from alumni employers about the challenges and rewards of pursuing a degree in engineering, become more informed thus more equipped when choosing a specific career path in engineering. Learn how and why this conference is successful and the processes used for implementing a similar conference at your institution.

Presenter: Jeff Porter, Employment Development Specialist, University of Pittsburgh Office of Career Development and Placement Assistance

Description: Do you sometimes feel you and your technology students are speaking a different language?  You probably are-- and in other ways then you considered. In this session, we will review typical communication styles and preference types of both counselors and technology-types. We will also review tools and resources to help you make sense of all the technical jargon and better understand and serve your technology students'  career development needs.

Presenter: Ann Martin, Career Advising Specialist, University of Maryland University College

Description: This session will provide an overview of how The College of Education and Human Services at Montclair State University successfully established a comprehensive Student Success Center model. The model provided an opportunity to best deliver services to all students most efficiently with limited personnel and minimal resources. We will highlight the services of the Student Success Center to include how the SSC provides a full service operation to address all student career development and academic advising needs; the strategy and rationale for delivering academic advising for all majors in the college; and in what way internship coordinators can assist in streamlining processes with career services to deliver a comprehensive one-stop experience for every student. We will explore the benefits and challenges of this endeavor and demonstrate how the Student Success Center supports students with programs, services and resources that enhance learning, student engagement, retention and professional development.  Additionally, we will highlight the value added to the University partnerships across campus.   

Presenter: Lynda Flynn, Director, CEHS Career Services, Montclair State University

Co-Presenter: Tammy Samuels, Assistant VP for Experiential Education and Career Management, LIM College

Description: The First Year Interest Group Seminars (FIGS) began at Rutgers University in 2000 with five sections and have grown to 79 sections in 39 topics in fall 2017. Juniors and senior undergraduates individually create and teach 10-week FIGS courses, blending content from their major/career path with information and resources critical to a student's transition to college. The FIGS program joined University Career Services in January 2017, inspiring a new focus on the career readiness Peer Instructors develop through their teaching experience. Utilizing the NACE career competencies that prepare undergraduates for the world of work, professional skills are introduced early, reviewed often, and assessed in all peer instructor performance measures. Join Lyn, the Director of the program, to learn more about the transferable skills, reflection exercises, and assessment tools we've used to enhance and measure the career readiness of our FIGS peer instructors.  

Presenter: Lyn Baier, Associate Director for First-Year Engagement, Rutgers University

Description: The APEX program will allow students to apply for funding to engage in work experience and study/research opportunities to enhance their career decision-making, increase their opportunities after graduation, and inspire them to find their passions in life. We spent 18 months crafting a program and funding model for applied and experiential learning opportunities. This workshop will review objectives of the program, learning outcomes for students, eligibility, experience criteria, tracking, funding, the listening tour, marketing, and pilot program.

Presenter: Amanda Baker, Director, Alfred University Career Development Center

Description: Re-imagine your fairs and prep sessions through one stop shopping for all years and all majors. Build relationships beyond students and employers by engaging faculty, alumni and local vendors. Increase fair attendance through integrated marketing and campus buy-in  driving up visibility of Career Center.

Presenter: Laura Pellecchia, Associate Director for Internships, Providence College

Description: Many times we focus on the new, the innovative, the next big thing. But sometimes the best strategy may be to take a step back, regroup, and focus on the fundamentals before you can move forward with innovation and cutting edge services. Learn how a small career services office increased student engagement and satisfaction, boosted their image across campus, and began functioning as a high performing team, by strategically going back to basics. You will learn how they used data and assessment, as well as collaboration and strategic partnerships, to revitalize the culture on campus regarding Career Services.  Participants will also get the chance to engage with their colleagues in small group discussions focusing on current challenges and best practices. 

Presenter: Jocelyn Coalter, Director of Career Services,St. John's University Staten Island

Description: Three years ago, the Career Center at Shippensburg University underwent internal and external operational transitions that included adding multiple new staff members, creating new student worker roles, and including new functional areas. Increasing from a staff of five to a staff of 11 brought several challenges, including minimizing student staff turnover. In an effort to train and retain the "best of the best" the SU Career Center developed and implemented a training program for student workers to achieve three goals; 1.) Improve the front desk experience for students and employers; 2.) Train front desk staff to provide exceptional customer service that includes creating a welcoming environment for campus and community members; and 3.) Elevate student workers to a level of professionalism where they are gaining more than a paycheck, but acquiring real-world skills that will be useful in their future careers. This presentation will outline how the SU Career Center improved the front desk staff training program as well as lessons learned along the way. Join us for an interactive session that will help you create new ideas on how to leverage your student staff to make a broader, positive impact on your entire campus community.

Presenter: Kimberly Rockwell, Administrative Assistant and Employer Relations Coordinator, Shippensburg University, Career Center

Description: Do you coach students on job searching techniques but feel bored with what you can offer them? Research shows that paper is making a comeback, and bullet journaling is a creative and effective method that can be used by your students to organize their job search from start to finish. Learn the basics of this organizational method, which is part list-making, part task management, and part goal setting, so you can add it to your personal toolkit of coaching techniques. 

Presenter: Emily Pelkowski, Assistant Director of Career Services, Nazareth College

Description: Do you have creative ways to find budgeting dollars or to use what you have? Bring them to this speed learning session to share!

Presenter: Robbin Beauchamp, Director, COOPS + CAREERS, Wentworth Institute of Technology

Description: Learn more about Averett's unique approach to career development. In 2014, Averett decided to formally partner it's career development office with service-learning, volunteerism, and community engagement. The university's goal is multifaceted. The local community benefits from student engagement and students benefit from lessons learned and connections made.

Presenter: Angie McAdams, Director of Career Development, Averett University

Description: College students love posting selfies, but when it comes to promoting their skills and accomplishments during the job search, they hold back. Why?

Presenter: Barbara Zito, Career Development Specialist, Rutgers University New Brunswick

Description: Have you ever sat and started your programming for the semester and thought there has to be more than a resume workshop and career fair to get students actively involved? The results are in: Employers look for teamwork and collaboration, leadership, and Professionalism. So let's plan accordingly and provide that to them in our students and programming! We took our planning to the extreme! During the presentation we will talk about our most highlighted events from a year SpartaNation, The Evening of Networking, and our brand new Developing Leaders Program. These programs alone have brought over 650 students, alumni, and community together in one year with just three programs! How did we make that happen? One answer; with our college partnerships! During this workshop, Jolynn Varano, Associate Director of Career Development, will describe programming of these exciting events and how to tie Students, Alumni and the Community together and explain how you can begin to implement this on your campus. Prepare to have fun and let your imagination soar!

Presenter: Jolynn Varano, Associate Director of Career Development, York College of Pennsylvania

Description: Have you ever been part of a program and thought to yourself - this could be so much better if "(insert your awesome ideas here)"? Maybe the student turnout was less than stellar. Perhaps the content seemed to be lacking or wasn't engaging for students. Whatever the reason, you saw potential, but how can you achieve better when asked to do more with less? Answer: vision, strategy, and outcomes. In this session, you will learn how a newcomer to a university with over 11,000 employees fostered a strategic partnership with three staff members in the School of Education, resulting in the creation of a new event to promote interest, knowledge and professionalism of students considering careers in Teaching. Anchored in student learning outcomes derived from VCU's commitment to students engaging in relevant, experiential, and applied learning experiences, as well as the vision of the School of Education, this event connected students with teaching professionals to clarify perceptions and provide insight into the realities of a teaching career. Come discuss strategies of how to move collaborative career development program planning forward on your own campus.

Presenter: Danielle Pearles, Associate Director, Employer Development, Virginia Commonwealth University

Description:  This presentation will address the rise in Higher Education mergers and how student affairs practitioners can proactively prepare themselves. The presenters will briefly provide some background information into the rise of higher education mergers as well as steps taken to combine administrative functions through the case study of how Philadelphia University and Thomas Jefferson University were able to prepare to become Jefferson University. Representatives from both campuses will discuss best practices when merging policies and programming, as well as discussing how both departments were able to navigate running as one institution during the Fall 2017 semester.

Presenter: Chris Miciek, Director, Thomas Jefferson University - Center City Campus

Co-Presenter: Patrick Ryan, Associate Director of Career Education, Thomas Jefferson University - East Falls Campus

Description: Have you ever seen a student doing amazing things at their internship?  Telling the campus community about their opportunity can spark a wave of excitement that extends beyond the Career Development Office. From an admissions marketing tool, to deepening faculty belief and commitment, to connecting corporate partnerships, following an intern's journey can become more than just another stop on the academic path. Join us to learn how we built stronger bridges within our university and beyond, how we strengthened student engagement within our internships and how our spotlights became a part of what makes our campus different. We will explore how to create this tool to make your internship program a shining star on your campus, how to use spotlights to engage faculty and employers and how to use it as a motivational tool for other students.

Presenter: Kathy Krause, Internship Program Coordinator, DeSales University

Description: Let's flip the classroom. Traditionally, career conference presentations often come out of institutions with larger staffs and/or budgets, while smaller schools wonder how they can possibly implement similar solutions at their colleges or universities. Smaller offices need to be strategic at allocating time, assets, and energy. They are expected to deliver NACE-sized results with pocket-sized resources. This session will explore how larger offices can employ smaller office strategies to improve their level of service, staff engagement with university communities, and student satisfaction. Regardless of size, each career center must address the following 6 areas: career education, internships, professional development, alumni, employer relations, and assessment. We will examine each one through the lens of the smaller office and offer tips and best practices that can be implemented by an office of any size. By attending this session, attendees will discover concrete ways to improve office efficiency and connect more deeply with students and other university partners. Career offices of all sizes will walk away with small solutions that have a big impact.

Presenter: Sarah Todd, Director for Talent and Career Development, Eastern University

Co-Presenter: Joanna Craig, Assistant Director for Talent and Career Development, Eastern University

Description: Diversity U is the University of Pittsburgh's answer to the gap in career programming aimed at preparing students to navigate the complexities of a diverse workforce. This series goes beyond traditional workshops and career center offerings to include targeted programs on disclosure for underrepresented groups, a diversity career conference including TED-style talks, networking events with employers, and a unique cohort-style class of students exploring and discussing issues of diversity in the workplace. This session will detail all efforts and strategies surrounding development, implementation and marketing of Diversity U, as well as program results and future vision. 

Presenter: Anastasia Lopez, Career Consultant, University of Pittsburgh Career Development and Placement Assistance 

Description: Learning how to conduct oneself in a formal dining setting is a new experience for many of our college students, especially those who are first generation or international students. Proper dining etiquette used to be a part of the family dinner experience, but times have changed. Family members are on different and hectic schedules, contributing little opportunity for the traditional family meal where etiquette is practiced. Career services offices can assist students in offering dining etiquette workshops. How well they use a knife and fork and conduct small talk is often part of the evaluation process. But why stop with the learning experience? Working with student groups and employers who are already interested in diversifying their workforce, career services offices can ramp up the outcomes from an etiquette workshop. At this speed session, practitioners and employers will learn how NJIT Career Services brought together diverse student clubs and organizations, employer who sponsored the dinner, and a dining etiquette professional to offer a multi-level, four part event facilitated entirely by the students. Highlights include different levels of employer engagement and contributions to the participating diversity clubs’ treasuries.  

Presenter: Jo-Ann Raines, Director, Student/Alumni Career Development, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Co-Presenter: Dominique Clarke, Associate Director, New Jersey Institute of Technology