Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Follow-Up
Report
Institutional Assessment
Guidelines:
Career Services
(A Guides and Handbooks Report)
Todd V. Titterud
Revised 06/25/2007
The materials in this guideline have been collated to assist your department in the
institutional assessment process. The examples from similar departments in other
institutions are included for comparison purposes to help you develop or revise your own
department’s efforts. They are not intended as recommendations but as efforts to be
reviewed and critiqued to improve your own learning and understanding. While some may be
models of best efforts, others may reveal the range of understanding and interpretation which
is still prevalent. Each department and institution is following their own learning curve toward
the common goal of establishing a culture of evidence-based continuous improvement
founded on student and institutional learning.
The office supports the university’s academic units by providing information on career
options and employment trends and by collaborating on programs that increase
awareness of skills and competencies sought by today’s employers.
The Career Services office accomplishes this by providing the building blocks that help
students make educational career decisions, develop lifelong learning skills and thrive
in an ever changing economy. Valuing continued improvement process of assessing
and addressing customer’s perceptions and needs.
2 Sample Goals
4. Act as the liaison between the College’s educational programs and the business
community for assessment of institutional and program effectiveness and for workforce
development.
Seattle University
University Strategic Goals:
1. Promote student involvement and leadership development.
2. Co-create a campus culture that fosters intellectual engagement and promotes
integrated student learning and development.
3. Develop a campus community that values diversity and puts the care of students first.
4. Help students to develop a coherent set of values and ethical standards consistent
with Seattle University’s Jesuit Catholic Mission.
5. Develop effective systems and practices that utilize assessment and technology to
enhance the student learning experience.
Career Development Center Goals:
1. Assisting students in making decisions about the types of careers they may want to
pursue (Aligned with strategic goals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).
2. Connecting students to employers and employment opportunities in a variety of ways
(Aligned with strategic goals 1, 4 and 5).
3. Provide opportunities for students to link their academic programs to careers and the
world of work (Aligned with strategic goals 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).
4. Provide training in job search strategies and job ready skills to enable students to be
successful in their job search (Aligned with strategic goals 1, 3, 4 and 5).
Goal 2: Tyler Junior College will provide occupational programs designed to prepare
students for employment in career fields.
Objective: To track student progress toward successful employment, military service,
or pursuit of a higher degree
Measurement 1: Percentage of graduates employed
Measurement 2: Percentage of completers who pass licensure exams within
one year
3 Sample Objectives
a sample of regional employers in a given field indicating that their employees who
received training at DSC exhibit skills and job performance rates equivalent or
superior to all employees)
• Alumni Satisfaction
Composite score from periodic alumni survey about level of general satisfaction
with campus academic programs and services (The proportion of a sample of
alumni who respond to a survey regarding DSC educational programs and student
services)
CSU Chico
1. Self awareness and self assessment to prepare for choosing a major and or a career.
Success can be estimated by students' satisfaction in major selection and the
pursuit of a career path that he/she is passionate about. We consider all students
who graduate and pursue a satisfying career path to be successful in this regard.
2. Learning the methods of a successful career search, including research, resume
preparation, interview skills, salary negotiation, networking, etcetera.
Success can be measured by student feedback (e.g. students will often comment
that they feel they are improving in the area of interviewing, networking, etc.),
recruiter feedback (e.g. recruiters telling us that our students are well-prepared for
the job search process), and ultimately the gainful employment of our registrants.
All job offers reported to our office can be attributed to this learning objective.
3. Understanding the politics and the organizational structure of businesses and
organizations with the goal of securing and understanding career level position.
The customer, upon receipt of appropriate job placement service units, shall be able to
• Access and utilize basic resources in an effective job search process. (service units)
• Create a functional resume, cover and thank you letters. (service units)
• Respond appropriately to standard interview questions. (service units)
• Interpret results of self-assessment analyses for use in career planning (service units)
Mendocino College
The SLO's listed below are what we expect our students to be able to do when they graduate
from Mendocino College with an AA or AS degree. Many of these skills are taught both in the
classroom and by students' interaction with college offices and activities. Please fill in the
chart below indicating how your department helps students to learn these skills. Be specific
and give examples. You may enter "Not Applicable" as appropriate.
1. Assume responsibility for your actions, and work effectively as an individual and as a
member of a group.
Career Center and Student Employment: Students are taught job skills which are
required by employers such as positive attitude, attendance, and getting along with
others.
Cooperative Work Experience: Responsibility: By identifying and completing
specific, measurable learning objectives; Group: completing these objectives while
employed and generally working with others
2. Express ideas with clarity, logic, and originality in both spoken and written English.
Career Center and Student Employment: Students learn how to create cover letters
and effective resumes.
Cooperative Work Experience: By discussing and identifying potential objectives
with workplace supervisor(s) and instructor, and by writing clear, specific and
measurable learning objectives
Goal: Build student capacity for effective career and life development
Outcome: Students will learn effective resume writing skills
2. Faculty will agree that Career Services programs achieve the faculty’s intended
student learning outcomes
3. Faculty will be satisfied with the Career Services campus and in-class services.
External Constituents Outcomes (Career services fosters relationships with alumni,
employers, professional organizations, and others that will provide opportunities for students
to develop professional competencies, integrate academic learning with work, and explore
future possibilities)
1. Career services will provide opportunities for alumni, employers, professional
organizations, and others to support Mason students’ career exploration and
development
University of Arizona:
General Outcomes:
1. Students will be knowledgeable about the career-planning process
2. Students will have the tools to gain career-related experience prior to graduation and
to develop post graduation plans.
3. Employers will have services to meet their recruitment needs
Specific Outcomes:
Student usage of services:
1. Increase the number of students utilizing Career Services by 15 % this year (2004-
2005) over the previous year and ensure that 55% of the total student population will
take advantage of services offered through Career Services.
2. Increase the number of minority students utilizing Career Services by 5% this year
(2004-2005) over the previous year and ensure that 50% of the total minority student
population will take advantage of services offered through Career Services.
At least 25 percent of juniors and seniors will use Career Services for this purpose in
2006-07.
Intended Outcome # 2 (Services): Career Services staff will assist students with oral
presentation/interview skills in 2006-07
Assessment Measures, Techniques, and Target Activities:
Staff will maintain a list of students using the center to prepare for job interviews.
Assessment Criteria/Expected Results:
At least 25 percent of juniors and seniors will use Career Services for this purpose in
2006-07.
Intended Outcome # 3 (Satisfaction with Services): Students will report a high level of
satisfaction with the assistance received from Career Services with resume development
and/or oral presentation/interview skills.
Assessment Measures, Techniques, and Target Activities:
Students will complete a spring satisfaction survey, which contains several items
related to services provided by Career Services. Institutional Research staff will
evaluate students’ responses to the items.
Assessment Criteria/Expected Results:
At least 90 percent of survey respondents, who received assistance from Career
Services with resume development and/or oral presentation/interview skills, will report
a high level of satisfaction with the assistance.
Intended Outcome # 4 (Student Learning): Students utilizing Career Services will
demonstrate competency in resume development skills.
Assessment Measures, Techniques, and Target Activities:
Students will develop resumes during the junior or senior year. Staff will use an
assessment rubric selected by the program assessment committee to evaluate
students’ resume development skills.
Assessment Criteria/Expected Results:
The average rating of student achievement in each performance category will be 3 or
higher on a scale of 1-4.
Intended Outcome # 5 (Student Learning): After working with Writing Center tutors,
students will demonstrate marked improvement in writing skill and grammar.
Assessment Measures, Techniques, and Target Activities:
Students will revise resumes. Staff will utilize a rubric (same one used for assessment
of original resumes) to measure student performance on the revised documents.
Assessment Criteria/Expected Results:
The average rating of student achievement in writing skill and grammar will improve
from 2.6 (on a 4.0 scale) on original resumes to 3.0 or higher on the revised
documents.
Intended Outcome # 6 (Student Learning): Students utilizing Career Services will display
practical expertise in oral presentation/interview skills.
Assessment Measures, Techniques, and Target Activities:
Students will participate in a mock job interview during the junior or senior year. Staff
will use an assessment rubric selected by the program assessment committee to
evaluate students’ oral presentation/ interview skills.
Assessment Criteria/Expected Results:
The average rating of student achievement in each performance category will be 3 or
higher on a scale of 1-4.
An Example of SLO’s
Check out the Mission Statement and Student Learning Outcomes from San Jose’s Career
Center. Learn more about the affective, behavioral and cognitive Student Learning
Outcomes for Career Programs in: Q: The Ultimate Techno Student-Info Scene Handout 1
Handout 2
Source:
Career Development Advisory Committee, Chancellor’s office, California Community
Colleges, http://www.careerdevelopmentadvisory.org/CDA/uploads/SLO.html
Source:
Larry Kelley Educational Services: Center for Assessment and Planning Support
http://www.angelfire.com/ia/kelley/supportpresentation.doc
improvement. If fewer than 50% of all interviewing students achieve an average score
of 3.0, Career Services will institute immediate interventions.
Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Data will be collected from both students
and employers. Employers will rate each student’s performance in “explaining how
their background and skills match the employer’s needs” using a standardized
assessment question with a five point response scale ( 5 equals “exceptional”, 3
equals “average” and 1 equals “poor”) which will be incorporated into the student
evaluation form. Before the interview, each student waiting to be interviewed will
complete a short survey concerning their interview preparation. One of the questions
on that survey will ask whether the student has attended a UCS Interview Workshop.
At the end of the semester, Career Services staff will compile the data collected from
students and employers and calculate average results. The scores of students who
attended a UCS interviewing workshop will be compared with the scores of students
who did not.
Utilization of Results: If more than 15% of students who attended a workshop and
had two campus interviews achieve an average score below 3.5, UCS will review and
improve the content and delivery of its Interview Workshops. In addition, individual
students who have attended a workshop and fall below an score of3.5 will be
contacted by a career counselor and offered an individual counseling session on
improving interview skills. UCS will also calculate the aggregate data for all campus
interviewing students (including both students who did attend a UCS Interview
Workshop and those who did not); if more than 50% of all students fall below a score
of 3.0, UCS will in the next semester require an online or in person workshop before
participation in Campus Interviewing. If more than 80% fall below 3.0, UCS will
recommend a required course in Career Development and Job Search which teaches
students how to integrate their past experiences into future goals to the University
administration.
Intended Outcome # 2: Students who participate in UCS programs and events will report
satisfaction with the experience
Effectiveness Indicators: UCS will measure the degree of student satisfaction with
each of its programs and events using a standardized scale on evaluation forms
provided at the end of the program/event.
Success Criteria: The following results will indicate success: Students who participate
in UCS sponsored programs will report an average satisfaction score for all categories
of programs of 3.5 on a 5.0 scale. If the average satisfaction score for any category of
programs is less than 3.5, there is a need for improvement in that group of programs.
If the average satisfaction score for any category of programs is less than 3.0, there is
a need for immediate intervention.
Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Career Services will collect data from
students who attend any UCS sponsored program during the fall semester 2004/2005.
At the end of each program, Career Services staff will distribute evaluation forms that
include a question designed to measure satisfaction (on a five point Likert scale, from
very dissatisfied to very satisfied) and an open-ended question for areas of
improvement. This form will also give students the opportunity to provide their contact
information for further follow-up. The coordinator of each program or event will be
responsible for distributing the forms and for collecting, analyzing and reporting on the
data. At the end of the semester, Career Services staff will collate the results of all
events and produce an overall report on student satisfaction
Utilization of Results: Feedback from the evaluation forms and student follow-up will
serve as the primary source of information to drive our improvement effort. Programs
and events that receive a 3.0 – 3.4 satisfaction rating will be reviewed for
enhancement. Programs and events that receive a 2.5 – 2.9 satisfaction rating will
undergo immediate review and Career Services will make significant content, format,
and /or delivery changes. Programs/events that receive a 2.0 satisfaction rating will be
reviewed for total rework or elimination.
Intended Outcome # 3: Students who participate in career counseling can describe three
steps involved in making career decisions.
Effectiveness Indicators: During academic year 2004/2005, UCS will use a
standardized evaluation form to measure students’ ability to describe three steps
involved in making career decisions at the conclusion of each career counseling
session.
Success Criteria: The benchmark for success will be that 85% of students
participating in a career counseling session are able to describe three steps involved
in career decision-making. If fewer than 85% of students can describe three such
steps, there is a need for improvement. If fewer than 70% of students can describe
three steps, immediate intervention is indicated.
Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: At the end of each career counseling
session time will be allocated for the completion of a written evaluation survey which
will ask students to describe three steps in career decision making. On a quarterly
basis career development staff will review and collate students’ responses and report
on the results to determine which step(s) student’s have the greatest success or most
difficulty describing.