Fall 2014 CESC Meeting Notes - DRAFT
Highline College
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Opening Remarks, Check in w/ITV Sites
Teresa McDermott (CESC President), Diana Baker (Site Host, Highline College)
ITV locations: Big Bend College, Spokane Community College
Welcome from Host College, Highline College
Toni Castro, Vice President of Student Services
Introductions/Activity
(Agenda item deferred to working lunch)
Executive Committee Reports
 President – Teresa McDermott reviewed the purpose and mission of the Career and Employment
Services Council (CESC). The CESC Workplan for 14-15 was introduced. A New Member Information
Session was held prior to the meeting. New members include: Julius Caesar Robinson, Tiffany
Windmeyer and Dawn Williams
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Treasurer - CESC account balance is $2697.43 Of 36 campuses, 8 have paid annual membership
dues. The membership information will be resent as a reminder to join and pay.
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Secretary - Minutes of the Spring, 2014 CESC Meeting were approved. Results of 3 surveys were
presented: Survey of Professional Association membership of CESC members, Survey of Career
Assessment tools used at colleges. Members provided additional data which will be incorporated
into the survey results which will be posted on the CESC website.
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Member at Large - Natalie Wilkerson introduced herself as new to the officer role
Workforce and Employer Engagement: State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC)
Joe Holliday, Director of Student Services at SBCTC, spoke regarding current Student Services topics
being discussed at State Board level:
 Presidents Board of WACTC (Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges) meeting
was 11/6-7 at Skagit Valley College and included a Workforce Education Programs report by Jim
Crabbe, Director of Workforce Education at the State Board.
 Workforce Education Council (WEC) meeting, October 23/24 at JBLM: The group discussed the new
WIOA legislation which will open opportunities for coordination and collaboration between Colleges
and One-Stop/WorkSource centers; raising the question “How can we work together?”, but much is
uncertain at this point.
 Position open at State Board: Director of Workforce Programs – in charge of Basic Education for
Adults, Student Services and Transfer Education
Impact of Career Assessment of Retention and Completion at Tacoma Community College (TCC)
Presenter: Shema Hanebutte, Dean of Counseling, Advising & Career Services at TCC
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December 18, 2014
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Co-Presenter: Natalie Wilkerson, Career Center Coordinator
 Tacoma Community College HD101 Student Success Seminar – results in greater student
persistence.
 “Intrusive Advising” approach used at TCC, expressed as “Catch them early, intervene appropriately,
resource immediately”. Tools mentioned in this vein include: Early Alert systems, Career Services,
Academic Advising, Mental Health support, Homeless vouchers (coordinated with Metropolitan
Development Council)
 Students referred for HD101: needs 3 credits, referred by advisor, tests into developmental English.
 HD101 – Student surveys showed that students wanted more support with career selection. HD101
is 20 year old course. Seven years ago class was revised with intentional curriculum and outcomes
that were supported by studies. Offered 2 times each year as 3 credit class. Frequently taught in
cohort model. Taught by Counselor teachers. It is considered as an elective, and as such is covered
by Financial Aid.
 With Faculty counselors covering a counseling load and HD101, most of the career counseling is
handled by Advisors
 TCC has: 6 – Counselors (faculty) and 10 – Advisors who do Academic and Career advising
 TCC population is about 9,000. There is one staff member (staffed at 80%) in the Career Center.
Hope to expand the career center next.
 Question: What career development is provided to advisors? Educate each other with readings,
rotate facilitation in meetings, learning from each other, provide off-line time. For Counselors,
American Counseling Association meetings; for Advisors NACADA (National Academic Advising
Association) summer institute.
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Career Coach (EMSI) Demonstration – Natalie Wilkerson, TCC
Natalie is currently Career Center staff at TCC (80%) focused on entry services with students
Added features in CareerCoach – Holland Assessment and Resume building feature that downloads
to Microsoft Word
Cost 11-16K/year, cost is partially assumed by Marketing and Enrollment Departments
Career Coach system provides a tangible marketing tool and helped Natalie building relationships
with marketing that will serve the Career Center well.
Audience comment: Spokane Community College District Office uses the system to support
disclosure of gainful employment
Audience comment: Big Bend uses Career Coach to help evaluate whether they should start up a
new program
Lunch – “Tiny Teach” exercise
Participants were asked to pair up and teach each other a new skill, then report on their learning to
the group. Teresa McDermott made the point that we are all in a continuous state of learning, and
we have much to learn from each other.
CESC Strategic Goals and Committee Work:
Teresa McDermott reviewed the CESC Work plan for 2014-2015.
The group engaged in a workgroup exercise related to the Work Plan.
o CESC Member broke into four groups focused on the following work group topics: Career
Services, Applied Learning, Student Employment, and Technology
o The groups were asked to discuss: Trends, Critical issues, “What your college currently
does”, and Best practices.
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December 18, 2014
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Each CESC member was asked to choose a workgroup topic, and to focus on the question of:
“By Winter CESC meeting, How will we engage the council in discussion about this
particular work topic?”
Group leaders were selected for each of the four groups:
 Career Services – Tiffany Windmeyer
 Applied Learning – Michael Reese
 Student Employment – Diana Baker and Susan Cable
 Technology – Edie Blakely
College Updates:
 Spokane Community College District has moved from CSO job posting system to Symplicity which
included InterviewStream in the purchase
 Big Bend has a new career center and will be contacting various colleges regarding best practices
 BFET – Washington State has submitted proposal to be a pilot site for a revised and expanded BFET
program which includes a significant work-based learning component. DSHS is the lead agency and
the new program would be piloted in King, Spokane, Pierce and Yakima counties. Washington’s
proposal is currently under consideration. The program seems to give emphasis to 3 populations:
homeless (or on the verge of homelessness), veterans, ESL.
 Bellevue College (Michael) talked about Work-based learning initiatives at BC
 Whatcom CC shared about an initiative to survey transfer students and understand their top 2
transfer institutions. They are using a tool called “Retain” from Hobsons. They also use Agile Grad
by Hobsons.
 Bellingham Technical College: We are happy for Meagan Bryson who has moved to a position as
Associate Director for Career and Academic Advising at Western Washington University – but we
will really, really miss her. We hope to get her successor hooked up with CESC.
 LWTech is piloting a graduation workshop among students in Workforce programs. The workshop
serves to support completion, and to link students to community partners who can assist them with
the transition to work.
 Participant asked for a list of acronyms used by CESC members to assist in understanding – a CESC
member volunteered to put an existing list on the listserv.
Dennis Long, Liaison to Washington State Student Service Commission (WSSC)
 Dennis shared comments about the day’s activities and pointed out that CESC workplan outcomes of
2 years ago have now been incorporated into a budget request that will be submitted to the
legislature. The CESC may be asked to support the process as the budget request goes forward.
 WIOA – employment goals and wage progression are areas of emphasis in the new legislation. For
colleges, the issue of tracking student employment outcomes is expected to take on additional
importance.
 Susan Cable mentioned that the Skills Coalition’s side-by-side of WIA vs. WIOA is a valuable
resource. We need to watch the WIOA launch process in our local areas and get involved to
influence outcomes.
 Dennis Long remarked that in this environment of change, the CESC’s multi-disciplinary nature will
be a strength.
 Encouraged the Council to undertake self-study and encouraged the CESC to connect with other
councils.
 CESC has been the most creative and flexible about scheduling meetings and continuing to meet
with members via ITV.
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December 18, 2014
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Edward Esparza – update on Student Services at State Board
 Spoke about the value and persistence of CESC group. Mentioned Joe Holliday’s Budget Policy
Request which incorporated elements of the CESC’s white paper on assessment, authored by the
CESC executive board during the period 2011-2013. He counseled CESC members that things “don’t
happen right away”, and indicated that some CESC members may be called upon to testify before
the legislature regarding the policy request. He recognized that CESC membership had been
decimated by budget cuts, but also pointed to success stories such as CESC members who are now
working at the State Board: Anna Nikolaeva and Danny Marshall who are Program Administrators
for Workforce Education at the State Board.
Edward reviewed recent and ongoing legislative initiatives:
 Senate Bill (SB) – 5669, Granting academic credit for prior learning via Military training
 SB 6523 – Expanding the definition of Washington State residence for the purpose of determining
eligibility for State Need Grant. The passage of this provision led to the state-wide training regarding
DREAMers/undocumented students and state financial aid eligibility.
 Discussions continue regarding awarding credit for prior learning
 College Bound Scholarship – 3rd cohort is on campuses now
 Opportunities for Interns with the legislature and state board – Council of Unions and Student
Programs (CUSP) had been instrumental in advocating for creation of these opportunities.
CESC Council Liaisons
 CTC Link – liaison needed
 Financial Aid Council (Diana Baker) – Funding is stable. Group had discussed acceptable
documentation in financial aid process
 WEC (Susan Cable) – a WEC subgroup is investigating labor market tools for possible state purchase.
Susan will present their conclusions to CESC at the Winter meeting. Candidates that were evaluated
include: LEMA, Burning Glass, EMSI (Analyst) and may also examine Help Wanted Online.
 Advising and Counseling Council Edie Blakely – will provide updates later as was unable to attend
ACC Fall meeting.
Wrap-up/Adjourn
 Winter CESC Meeting – January 22nd at Lower Columbia College with Brian Sharp as host
 Spring Meeting – proposed April 6th date for Spokane is up in the air because of conflict with WEC
meeting in Spokane April 30-May 1st. Concern that participants who are members of both WEC and
CESC will not want to make repeated trips to Spokane in spring.
 Susan Cable mentioned that she has been appointed by the Governor to the Military Transition
Council; formed to smooth the path for members of the military and Veterans transitioning to
employment. She is leading a project focused on compiling information on Veterans career fairs and
employment events into one place accessible to Veterans.
DRAFT CESC Fall 14 Meeting Notes
December 18, 2014
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