May 21-22, 2014
Mt. Airy Casino Resort, Mount Pocono, PA
Conference Schedule
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
8am – 10am Registration OPEN
10am
Welcome and Keynote Speaker
11am
KNOWLEDGE SESSION I
Welcome to PennACE
Heather Balas, Tina Moyer, Tammy Manko
This program is geared towards attendees new to the organization and/or attending their first conference.
Members of the PennACE Executive Board will share tips for navigation the conference as well as more
information about our organization.
 Backpack to Briefcase Creating and Implementing a Successful Conference for Juniors and Seniors
Amy Saul, Moravian College
Moravian College’s Backpack to Briefcase is an interactive two-day program for juniors and seniors that
takes place every winter. The event includes topics like: personal life management skills, professional
development, and on-the-job information. This program also includes hands-on programs with industry
professionals including; resume critiques, an etiquette dinner and mock interviews. Come to this session to
learn about how this engaging program for students can be successful at any sized institution 0– even those
with a tight budget and small staff!
 Finding the Men On Campus: Partnering with Residence Life to Promote Career Development
Whitney Purcell, Susquehanna University
At small liberal arts colleges, male student involvement on campus can often be limited. As Student Affairs
professionals wrestle with questions of how to get men to turn out to programs, today’s session explores
the intersection between Career Services and Residence Life offices as a potential opportunity to recruit
males who “just came to college to get a job.” From judicial sanctions to business majors as stealthundeclared, collaborations between departments may help us find the men on campus.
Noon
Lunch and Student of Year Presentation
1:30 pm
KNOWLEDGE SESSION II
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
 First-Year Students’ Perceptions of Career Messages
John Rindy, Slippery Rock University
Qualitative research study aimed at learning what types of career0related messages (rational, factual, or
fun) will motivate first-year students to visit their career office earlier in their educational career. The
purpose of this research was to identify the types of messages to be used in on campus |marketing
materials to ensure that the messages compel students to act. Surveys administered to FYRST Seminar
(first-year experience) courses and data collected from over 250 first-year SRU students.
 Forging Active Relationships with Faculty through the Career Liaison Approach
Alana Albus, Muhlenberg College
As career practitioners, we know that there is so much competing for student attention. We also know that
the faculty do not always want to hear the ‘career talk’ with regards to their students and gaining faculty
buy-in is challenging. To help build bridges, Muhlenberg College has been working on partnerships with
faculty through the Career Liaison program. We will share our successes with the Physics Department and
ideas to continue to grow the program moving forward.
 Develop a ‘Brand’ New You!
Jessica Kirkwood & Katy Rush, Kutztown University
‘Personal branding’ seems to be all the buzz in career development. We will explore the definition of
branding and why it is important, help you identify and improve your own personal brand, and connect it
to how you can be an advocate for positive change. This engaging and interactive workshop is designed to
help you have fun thinking about your own brand while walking away with a ready-made kit to use on your
campus with students.
2:45 pm
KNOWLEDGE SESSION III
 ePortfoli Evolution—A Sure Bet
Julie Ambrose, Tina Moyer & John Loughman, Lehigh Carbon Community College
LCCC supports students on their path to a degree, encourages their personal and professional development
through increased engagement in their education, and celebrates their accomplishments by providing a
venue for them to showcase their achievements and goals using their ePortfolio as a tool. The “Payoffs”
include measurable campus impacts on student engagement and retention, employer evolvement, and
program marketing. Learn how pioneering the ePortfolio initiative also helped integrate the Career
Development Center into the Strategic Plan, an NSF Grant, the Peer Mentor program, the Honors Scholars,
and the Teaching & Learning Center.
 Peer Advisers; More Than a Full House!
Zachary Saeva, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
This session examines the hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation process for the Career Development
Advocate (CDA) position at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. CDAs play a pivotal role in the Career
Development Center by providing preliminary resume and cover letter reviews, presenting career topics to
student groups and organizations, and assisting with marketing efforts through print advertisements and
social media. This presentation will examine the CDAs’ contributions to the department’s mission, while
identifying current and future goals for the CDA program.
 How Central Penn College has created a successful Graduate Track Down Process
Amber Kreger, Central Penn College
Have you been paying attention to the NACE standards on the First Destination Survey Have you been
wondering how to increase your knowledge rate? What about your outcome rate? During this session,
Central Penn College will share our best practices for gathering data to write our 1-year Graduate Survey.
4pm
PennACE Game Show
5pm
Reception
6:30 pm
Group Dinners or Dinner on your own
Thursday, May 22, 2014
9am
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
EXPRESS IDEAS SESSION I
Landing and Keeping an On-Campus Job: Working with the financial Aid Office to Promote Professional
Development for Student Workers
Whitney Purcell, Susquehanna University
At Susquehanna University, the Career Development Center partnered with Financial Aid to promote oncampus employment, develop training for student workers in departments across campus, and encourage
students to view our office as a one-stop-shop for job applications rather than redirecting them to another
office. Our results? We’ve seen increased traffic from first-year students, better brand recognition, and
stronger partnerships with offices university-wide! We’ll highlight how we did it and review some
recommendations for what we’d do differently next time…
 Producing Alumni and Parent Webinars on Career and Life Topics
John Rindy, Slippery Rock University
Many administrators are beginning to understand that career professionals are not just resume mechanics.
We can help to attract new students, inform and retain students, while bringing value to parents and
alumni, as well. This express session uncovers how the Slippery Rock University career office uses webinars
to add value to the lives and career development of parents and alumni.
 Professional Development Series—Marketing Tricks to Increase Student Attendance
Darwin Kysor & Michael Pennington, Juniata College
Career Services Offices around the US have offered workshops for years. However, recently attendance at
workshops has declined to the level that many offices have suspended the practice. This program series is
an effort to address the need to reach more students with a comprehensive package of workshops related
to critical career development tasks in a meaningful way to enhance career readiness. The Juniata College
Career Services Office offered a four-part workshop Professional Development Series with outside speakers
open to any student during Career Development Month in November. A ninety minute program was
presented each Monday evening addressing critical career development tasks: Resume Writing, Job
Search, Interviewing and Professionalism. The series was offered in conjunction with the Advancement &
Marketing and Alumni Offices. Students who pre-registered and attended all four sessions earned a leather
portfolio, business cards and a Certificate of Completion.
9:30am
EXPRESS IDEAS SESSION II
 Explore Your Options: Service Year Conference for Student Leaders
Heather Balas, Thiel College
GRANT
Students from Thiel College, Slippery Rock University, and Westminster College were invited to participate
in a conference to learn more about pursuing a year of service after graduation. The program included a
keynote, workshops to aid students in the application and decision making process, and ended with a fair of
a variety of service organizations. This session will give an overview of the event, discuss outcomes and
challenges, and how we can expand on the event in future years. The program was created through the
PennACE Grant.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
9:30am
EXPRESS IDEAS SESSION II (continued)
 Advocate & Educate: Careers for the Common Good
Laura Garland, Muhlenberg College
GRANT
Ten institutions collaborated to create an event for students to learn about careers in advocacy, education
and not-for-profit work. Students are aware of national organizations such as Peace Corps, but they do not
realize that there are local organizations making a difference every day. Students could participate in an
information expo, speed learning sessions, and a unique raffle with 15 community partners. Learn about
our collaboration, format, outcomes, and challenges in this round table discussion. This program received a
2013-14 PennACE grant.
 G.R.O.W. Before “Lean In” Circles Pine
Melanie Vallone & Julie Ambrose, Lehigh Carbon Community College
Sheryl Sandberg, author of National Best Seller Lean In, drew attention to an issue that exists on every
campus. Many female students lack the confidence and know-how to achieve their goals. G.R.O.W Getting
Ready to Optimize at Work, was developed at LCCC to address the lack of self-assurance that several of our
top students experienced facing their job search. We will share the programming and results from our first
year of implementing GROW, a series of Brown Bag “Grab” Lunches that support, motivate, and challenge
our students to meet their full potential.
10:15am
KNOWLEDGE SESSION IV
 Collaborating with Toastmasters to Enhance Career Fair Outcomes
Steve Hassinger, Central Penn College
Learn how Career Services at Central Penn College collaborated with the local Toastmasters organization to
prepare students for greater success at their Fall Career Expo. Students learned how to prepare an elevator
speech, what to do to best prepare for success at such an event, and heard/practiced some common and
tough interview questions, all in one workshop. Learn how outcomes were assessed and how to offer such
a workshop with minimal effort on your part.
 Employer Relations & Development: What is Your Approach?
Tammy Manko, Indiana University of PA
Given the seeming recent and ongoing scrutiny being placed on institutions of higher education relative to
return on investment, employer relations and development ins more important now than it ever has been.
This session will focus on trends in the field as well as provide one approach or model for employer
relations and development to provide insight to career center professionals as they further develop their
employer relations strategy and program.
 Senior Transitions Conference—Year 2 and Growing Leaps and Bounds!
Nichole Lefelhoc, Mansfield University of PA
GRANT
The 2nd Annual Senior Transitions Conference, a collaborative event of 6 colleges in North Central PA,
provides opportunities for graduating seniors to gain knowledge and develop skills related to transitioning
from college to career, as well as to engage and network with professionals in a comfortable, yet
educational environment. The second year of the conference brought a much larger student turnout. The
session will focus on the event format, challenges and successes.
11:30am
LUNCH AND GENERAL MEETING