TRANSFERABLE SKILLS ASSESSMENT
UCONN HESA
NOTE: Skill items were generated from research by Pope & Reynolds (1997),
Waple (2006), Herdlein (2004), Burkhard et.al (2005).
Directions:
BACKGROUND STEP 1: Look at www.higheredjobs.com or www.chronicle.com
at position announcements that may of interest to you. For the most interesting
positions, you may be able to find specific information about preferred skills from
the position announcement. If you can’t find specific information, go to the
institution’s website to try to find a full position description.
STEP 2: Base this step on your review of preferred job announcements and
position descriptions and your reflections with faculty and prior supervisors. For
each of the skills listed, please indicate in the appropriate spaces, your general
level of current competence and the level of competency you desire to reach
by the end of your HESA program. Use the following rating scale:
4 = high level of competency [typically found among entry-entry level
professionals]
3 = moderate level of competency [typically found among graduate students]
2 = minimal experience with this skill [some exposure, but not significant]
1. = no experience with this skill
Example:
Current
Desired
competence competence
SKILL
1
2
Manage physical resources
Group facilitation
4
2
TOP seven that
may be
addressed in
practicum
**
STEP 3: Review your rankings and place two stars by the seven skill areas that
you would most like to develop through your practicum experience. These will
most likely be skills where there is a gap between current and desired
competence; however, you may also chose to strengthen some areas already
developed as well.
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS
Current
competence
Desired
competence
SKILL
TOP seven
that may be
addressed in
practicum
Recognize, articulate and advance the needs of
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Students of color,
Women students,
Students with disabilities,
LGBTQ students,
Students with various religious orientations
Others who have historically been underserved and
underrepresented.
Interact effectively with diverse students.
Build effective teams among students who have
diverse identities
Demonstrate cooperative relationships among
those with different cultural, ethnic, racial, gender,
sexual orientation identities
Demonstrate awareness of my own culture, biases
and cultural assumptions
Apply knowledge of cultural differences to make
sensitive and appropriate interventions/referrals
OTHER:
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COLLEGE STUDENT NEEDS AND DEVELOPMENT
Current
competence
Desired
competence
SKILL
Advise student groups
Advise individual students
Recognize and evaluate dynamics of student
groups.
Interpret and enforce university policies and
regulations
Apply student development theory
Understand, articulate and apply demographic
trends regarding students and student
characteristics
OTHER:
TOP seven
that may be
addressed in
practicum
PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES
Current
competence
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Desired
competence
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SKILL
Demonstrate flexibility in managing work
Use creativity in addressing problems effectively
Apply active listening skills
Utilize effective oral communication skills with
 groups
 colleagues
 supervisor
 formal presentations
 students
Mediate conflict
Understand and apply effective
assertiveness/confrontation skills
Participate as a university representative on
department committees, task forces, etc.
Utilize effective written communication skills in
 memos
 summaries
 information reports
 program justifications
 training materials
Effectively provide information and advice to
 students
 faculty
 parents
 University staff
 Other stakeholders (e.g town leaders)
Understand and apply ethical precepts and critical
thinking skills in
 Recognizing a problem or issue
 Identifying options
 Making reasonable choices
 Having the conviction and ability to
implement choices
Understand and work effectively within a campus
organizational culture as it relates to
 “reading” the organizational culture
 Understanding how decisions are made
 Understanding collaboration patterns
 Understanding formal and informal
leadership
 Understanding how power is distributed
 Understanding how information is shared
OTHER:
TOP seven
that may be
addressed in
practicum
RESEARCH STRATEGIES AND PROGRAM ASSESSMENT
Current
competence
Desired
competence
SKILL
TOP seven
that may be
addressed in
practicum
Use research and/or assessment results to inform
administrative decisions
Provide and/or participate in program evaluation
Understand how program evaluation and/or
assessment is created or used
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Provide and/or participate in assessment projects,
such as
 Student needs assessment
 Utilization of services
 Student Satisfaction
 Outcomes
 Benchmarking
 Campus Environment
Understand appropriate resources for program
evaluation and/or assessment
OTHER:
STUDENT LEARNING INITIATIVES
Current
competence
Desired
competence
SKILL
Recruit participants for programs & activities
Present/facilitate programs
Plan, coordinate and oversee student programming
Collaborate with other departments or offices
regarding programs or services
Promote university programs and events through
such activities as designing public relations
materials, creating advertising, developing
marketing strategies
Instruct undergraduate courses
OTHER:
TOP seven
that may be
addressed in
practicum
RESOURCE UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
Current
competence
Desired
competence
__________
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SKILL
TOP seven
that may be
addressed in
practicum
Prioritize work efficiently
Manage multiple tasks –multitasking
Participate in staff selection
Participate in staff recruitment
Develop and/or maintain budget
Supervise employees
Understand physical resources and facilities
management issues =
Understand financial management issues
Setting goals and/or articulating a vision
Use technology effectively to complete work and
communicate with others
 Websites
 Databases
Develop and/or provide training for employees
 Pre-service
 On-going
OTHER:
HISTORY AND FOUNDATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Current
competence
Desired
competence
SKILL
TOP seven
that may be
addressed in
practicum
Effectively apply leadership theory
Understand and apply legal issues & concepts
Effectively apply management theory
Understand how strategic planning is used
Articulate the philosophy of the department I work
in
OTHER:
Some reflection questions to think about:
1. What are my skill strengths?
2. What skills need additional attention?
3. What might I do in a practicum site to develop the skills that are most important
to me?
4. Are there additional considerations that might influence my choice of a
practicum? These might include logistical considerations like location, time of
day that you would be involved OR more substantive considerations like
characteristics of your supervisor, quality of the office, etc.
5. What questions might I ask to learn about
a. the skill development opportunities available in a practicum?
b. the additional considerations?