Council on Student Affairs
Christina Rideout, PhD. Psychologist
Director, Career Connection
November 4, 2013
Career Connection
Career Connection
Vision: To empower students to make lifelong, responsible
and meaningful choices in a global and dynamic world.
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Career Connection
Career Connection
Mission: To serve the career development needs of OSU
students by providing high quality and diversity-sensitive
services through counseling, consultation and lasting
partnerships, designed to facilitate learning and advance
well-being, purpose, identity development and citizenship.
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Career Connection
We assist students achieve successful outcomes by:
• Connecting students’ interests, values, skills and personality with the
world of work.
• Aiding development of students’ interests by exploring various
majors and careers.
• Encouraging students to test their ideas with internships,
informational interviews, volunteering, and extracurricular activities.
• Providing customized attention to resumes, vitas, job search letters,
and interviewing skills.
• Listening and helping with personal concerns that relate to career
decisions.
• Assisting students’ implementation of decisions by learning how to
conduct a job search or plan for graduate or professional school.
• Informing students about the University’s employment assistance
services.
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Career Connection
Services:
• Individual career counseling/consultation for undergraduate,
graduate and professional students (hour appointments/brief walkins)
• Career assessments
• ESCE 2272 – career class
• Workshops and group counseling
• Assistance with graduate and professional school application
process (Graduate and Professional School Expo – Oct. 22, 2013).
• Job campaign assistance
• Career Resources
Highly collaborative with numerous campus partners.
Do not work directly with employers/recruiters.
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Career Connection
2012-2013 Statistics
(Typically 3 full-time career counselors, 2 half-time GAA’s.)
(This year staff vacancy about half year.)
! Number of career counseling sessions
2,258
Number of individual career counseling clients
1,267
Number of outreach programs
97
• Number of students attending outreach programs 5,154
! 328% increase since date of inception 1998-1999.
* Does not include job fairs, 547% increase since date of inception.
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Career Connection
Program Review Process
Comprehensive review of Student Life departments are
conducted in partnership with research and Planning and
the Office of Student Life. The purpose is to examine
current programming services, resources, organizational
efficiency and to reach high-level performance results.
Date of Review
Self Study – March 2006
Action Plan – February 2007
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Career Connection
Career Connection
Self Study Team
March 2006
Christina Rideout, Ph.D., Director, Career Connection (and Psychologist,
Counseling & Consultation Service)
Ana Berrios-Allison, Ph.D., Associate Director, Career Connection
Hollie Canter, M.A., Career Consultant, Career Connection
Stacie Stormer, M.A., Career Counselor, Career Connection
Kimberly Hendry, M.A., Career Consultation GAA, Career Connection
Pam Park-Curry, Ph.D., Director, Undergraduate Career Consultation and
Programs, Office of Career Management, Fisher College of Business
Donna Lamb, M.A., Coordinator of Career Services, Lima Campus
Lori Thomas, M.S.W., Director, Career Exploration Center
Sharon Black, Office Associate, Career Connection
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Kristen Hill, Office Associate, Career Connection
Career Connection
Career Connection
Internal Panel
Chair - Susan Jones Sears, Ph.D., Emeritus Faculty, OSU,
Educational Consultant
Jennifer Collis, Ph.D., Director of Student and Alumni Services,
Physical Activity & Educational Services
Samir Gambhir, (Student), GIS/Demographic Specialist, Kirwin Institute
for the Study of Race and Ethnicity
Kenneth M. Hale, R.Ph., Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and
College Secretary, Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
and Administration
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Career Connection
Career Connection
Internal Panel (continued)
Jessica Parkinson, (Student)
Alisa Paulsen, Ph.D., Assistant Dean and Director, Colleges of the Arts
and Sciences, Honors Program
Andy Zircher, MA, Academic Counselor and Staff Assistant, School of
Allied Medical Professions-Health Science Program
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Career Connection
Career Connection
External Panel
Kelley Bishop, Executive Director, Career Services and Placement,
Michigan State University
Lynne Milburn, Director, Career Exploration Center, The University of
Texas at Austin
Gail Rooney, Director, The Career Center, University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign
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Career Connection
Observations/Findings
• Career Connection highly valued by students and partners who use
their services (hidden gem, rarely turn down request for
assistance). Upper level administration not as aware of the high
regard.
• Stakeholders have different expectations of what Career Connection
provides to them. (Resources stretched thin).
• Career Connection’s mission and scope of responsibilities
blurred. (Filling gaps).
• Career Connection’s challenges reflect a larger University
issue. (Lack of comprehensive university plan of career services).
• Usage levels exceeded existing staff capacity. (Multiple modes and
duties).
• Career Connection not visible enough in the Younkin Center.
• Serving graduate students seems to be an issue too large for this
review.
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Career Connection
Recommendations/Action Plan/Achievements
1. University administrators should conduct a functional review of
university-wide career services.
Dr. J convened task group few years ago – Creation and
Implementation of Buckeye Careers.
2. Student Affairs administrators need to learn more about successes in
Career Connection.
10 year birthday event to thank partners and enhance visibility,
ongoing communication with AVP and VP, other Student Life
leadership, reports.
3. Develop incentive system to reward staff for exemplary performance.
Ongoing, part of Student Life plan, performance management,
merit.
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Career Connection
Recommendations/Action Plan/Achievements
(continued)
4. Rethink/revise unit’s mission in a way that permits it to do what it can
do best. (Not resourced in ways originally intended).
Reworked vision and mission statements to better reflect and
articulate philosophy of Unit and importance in Student Life.
Completed strategic analysis of student’ career and
developmental tasks to evaluate career development gaps,
outline CC learning outcomes, actions and measurements.
5. Pursue the creation of partnerships, e.g. shared positions, with
individual academic units to extend Career Connection's reach and
help bolster services to students within a specific unit.
Create criteria and identify strategic partners, clarify how
services will differ, possible financial partnerships.
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Career Connection
Recommendations/Action Plan/Achievements
(continued)
6. Career Connection should consider charging a fee for services, e.g.
workshops or individual counseling, provided to academic units.
No fee implemented. Night workshops limited.
7. Continue to offer career courses as a means of efficiently reaching a
larger number of students.
A class still offered ESCE 2272, enrollment has decreased
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Career Connection
Recommendations/Action Plan/Achievements
(continued)
8. Review computer-assisted career guidance systems and other
career resources (such as resume writing software programs) to
determine if and how computer-compatible programs might assist
staff in reducing the current workload and/or increasing their
outreach capabilities to students who are not utilizing career
resources.
Multiple resources developed and available. Redesigned
website includes many resources. OnPACE modules live this
summer/fall.
9. Collaborate with University Exploration to create a more seamless
service and referral process between the two units.
Have established regular meetings for collaboration and
sharing information.
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Career Connection
Recommendations/Action Plan/Achievements
(continued)
10. Support the hiring of a full-time director.
End of August 2013, CC Director moved to CC floor and
oversees unit (along with working with Buckeye Careers and
Culture Retreats). Previously Director continued as full time
staff at OSU, Director responsibilities as predominate
focus. Psychological concerns/barriers that significantly
impact student career development appropriately treated in CCS
environment when Director there part-time.
11. Full-time clerical worker or paraprofessional needs to be hired.
Currently, a 75% “Information Worker” staffs the office.
Information assistant increased to 100% FTE, position
upgraded, student assistants also hired.
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Career Connection
Recommendations/Action Plan/Achievements
(continued)
12. A space utilization review of their physical facilities (second floor of
Younkin) to see if additional space can be created to house the
director (currently on the 4th floor) and to provide a more studentfriendly space.
Receptionist desk moved, Career Connection signage modified,
ongoing discussions regarding space (numerous space issues
and requests), recent space created from conference room for
Director.
13. Staff should consider training person to assist in collecting/analyzing
data needed to continue to measure how well client outcomes are
being met.
Receptionist uploads student data, Systems Developer assists
with data retrieval.
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Career Connection
Future/Next Steps
• Enhance visibility; marketing, branding, identity, purpose,
resources.
• Develop additional OnPACE modules (Graduate and
Professional Students, other?) (Collaboration with multiple
other areas).
• Evaluate to enhance services to targeted populations—
i.e. graduate students, international students.
• Explore MayMester course offering.
• Continue collaboration with STEP.
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Career Connection
Future/Next Steps (continued)
• As feasible continue with Veteran Ambassador placed
with Career Connection & Buckeye Careers(new this
year).
• Continue streamlining processes (electronic).
• Expand measurement of learning outcomes.
• Continue collaborations (outside of career).
o Associate Director – Suicide Prevention
o Director – Culture Shaping
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Career Connection
Questions/Comments
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