CENTER FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Tonia Brown-Dickerson, Interim Director

Mission Statement

To teach students through appropriate programs and activities how to become active participants in their own continuing career development.

Vision Statement

The Center will provide state-of- the-art resources and services to assist students and alumni in meeting their career development needs.

Guiding Principles

1.                     Mission: Career planning and placement program must develop, record, disseminate, implement and regularly review its mission and goals.

2.                     Program: The overall career planning and placement services must be (a) intentional, (b) coherent, (c) based on theories and knowledge of learning and human development, (d) reflective of developmental and demographic profiles of the student population, and (e) responsive to special needs of individuals.

3.                     Leadership: Leaders of career planning and placement must articulate a vision for their organization; set goals and objectives; prescribe and practice ethical behavior; recruit, select, supervise, and develop others in the organization; manage, plan, budget, and evaluate; communicate effectively; and marshal cooperative action from colleagues, employees, other institutional constituencies, and persons outside the classroom.

4.                     Organization and Management: The career planning and placement program must be structured purposefully and managed effectively to achieve stated goals. It must provide channels within the organization for regular review of administrative policies and procedures.

5.                     Human Resources: Career planning and placement programs must be staffed adequately by individuals qualified to accomplish its mission and goals.

6.                     Financial Resources: Career planning and placement programs must have adequate funding to accomplish its mission and goals.

7.                     Facilities, Technology, and Equipment: Facilities, technology, and equipment must be in compliance with relevant federal, state/provincial, and local requirements to provide for access, health, and safety.

8.                     Legal Responsibilities: Career planning and placement staff members must be knowledgeable about and responsive to law and regulations that relate to their respective program or service.

9.                     Equal Opportunity, Access, and Affirmative Action: Staff Members must ensure that services and programs are provided on a fair and equitable basis.

10.                  Campus and Community Relations: Career planning and placement programs must establish, maintain, and promote effective relations with relevant campus offices and external agencies.

11.                  Diversity: Career planning and placement programs must nurture environments where similarities and differences among people are recognized and honored.

12.                  Ethics: All persons involved in the delivery of career planning and placement must adhere to the highest principles of ethical behavior.

Primary Clients

1.     Students

2.    Employers/Recruiters

3.     Alumni

4.     Faculty/Staff

5.     Graduate and Professional School Representatives

Basic Performance Indicators

A.      Cost Effectiveness:  The Center requires students to utilize sign in sheets and indicate their reason for visiting the office.  An instrument will be developed to maintain data of requested services.

B.       Time Efficiency:  The average cycle time for a single transaction is estimated at 30 to 60 minutes. For example, the average time for a student to develop a resume and browse the web is about 45 minutes.

C. Staff Productivity:  The Staff of the Center for Career Development consists of the Interim Director, a Career Services Staff Assistant, and a Secretary.  The staff responded to 2,882 requests for services from students, alumni, and faculty for academic year 1998-1999, A form will be devised to calculate productivity and hours consumed on each task.

D. Customer Satisfaction: A customer satisfaction survey will be developed beginning Spring Semester 2000.  Employers and Graduate School Representatives are given evaluations when attending career development fairs.  

E. Higher Education Benchmark:  Savannah State University’s Center for Career Development provides a larger number of career development fairs as opposed to Armstrong Atlantic State University, thereby providing greater opportunities for students to meet with potential employers.

 Planning Objectives

 Goal #1:  Expand services to engage students in active learning.

 Action Steps:

 1.                    Assist students in changing an academic major, if needed.

2.                    Install a computerized guidance system, Georgia Career Information System.

3.                    Increase career development workshops by 50%.

4.                    Enhance the Career Resource Library.

5.                    Provide additional computers for students to surf the web and obtain career-related information.

Expected Outcome(s):

1.                    Students will learn to analyze their interests and make appropriate career choices.

2.                    Students will learn how to research career options that their major offers.

3.                    Students will learn job search strategies.

4.                    Students will learn to navigate Internet job searches.

Effectiveness Measurement Techniques:

              1.                    Evaluations

2.                    Surveys

3.                    Sign-in sheets

Goal # 2:                Improve awareness of Graduate and Professional Schools to help students maximize career choices.

 Action Steps:

              1.        Host an annual Graduate and Professional School Day.

2.        Invite Graduate School representatives to conduct classroom presentations and set up an information table.

3.        Arrange for students to attend graduate school visitation programs.

4.        Continue to update catalogs and applications.

Expected Outcome(s):

 1.        Students will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of graduate schools to learn more about each institution’s offerings and application and financial aid procedures.

2.        Students will learn how to research graduate school information.

3.        An increase in the number of students applying for advanced degrees.

Effectiveness Measurement Techniques:

1.          Evaluations

2.          Surveys

3.          Sign-in Sheets

Goal # 3:  Collaborate with faculty to enhance experiential learning opportunities.

Action Steps:

              1.        Identify faculty to serve on experiential learning opportunities advisory board.

2.        Conduct orientation sessions for faculty who will serve as a liaison with other faculty and staff of the university.

3.        Increase dialogue between employers, faculty, and the Center for Career Development.

4.        Assist faculty with integrating co-curricular activities.

5.        Promote a systematic flow of information to faculty.

Expected Outcome(s):

            1.        Enhance student learning and improve quality of the collegiate experience.

2.        Students will be better prepared for the world of work.

3.        Enhance educational partnerships between academic affairs and student affairs.

Effectiveness Measurement Techniques:

              1.        Evaluations

2.        Surveys

3.        Minutes of meetings

Goal # 4:                Increase the number of employers recruiting students/alumni for employment opportunities.

 Action Steps:

              1.        Host career development fairs.

2.        Increase employer outreach activities on campus.

3.        Provide pertinent information to prospective employers, such as brochures, curriculum, and the academic calendar.

4.        Invite employers to serve on the experiential learning advisory board.

Expected Outcome(s):

              1.        Expansion of opportunities will increase placement activities.

2.        Students will learn how to engage in dialogues with prospective employers.

3.        Increase partnerships between the institution and employers.

Effectiveness Measurement Techniques:

              1.        Evaluation forms

2.        Databases

3.        On-Campus Recruiting Forms

 Goal#5:                  To provide services designed to meet the needs of Multicultural, Disabled, and Non-traditional students.

 Action Steps:

              1.          Request to meet with special population students.

2.          Develop a survey form to assess their needs.

3.          Develop learning activities to assist with developing and implementing their career goals.

Expected Outcome(s):

                 1.          Students will be able to identify their unique abilities.

2.          Students of other cultures will learn the nature of  work environments and promote understanding of their own culture and heritage.

3.          The Center for Career Development will schedule events suitable to the needs of special population students.

Effectiveness Measurement Techniques:

                  1.        Surveys

2.        Sign-in Sheets

Last update:  02/16/01