Susan A. Ambrose Senior Vice Provost, Undergraduate Education & Experiential Learning Professor of Education & History NEASC Annual Meeting & Conference December 2015 College and Career Competencies

2 Agenda I. Goals II. Educational Model IV. Approach to Assessment III. Educational Framework

Our Overarching Goal is Balance Intellectual Exploration & Discovery Employment Preparation & Practical Skills

Examples of Intellectual Skills Gap Areas Ability to obtain and process information Problem solving Analytical reasoning Critical thinking Written communication Verbal communication 4

Examples of Professional Skills Gap Areas Build relationships Plan, organize & prioritize work Manage time Work well in diverse teams Advocate & negotiate Respect boundaries Use appropriate work etiquette Tactfulness 5

Our Educational Model is Experiential Learning by doing integrates theory and practice –Increases student motivation (value & expectancy) –Facilitates practice & feedback –Promotes transfer of learning –Assists in mastery –Encourages “just in time” learning 6 +

Our Educational Model is Experiential In (undergraduates): 35% completed 3 or more Co-ops 41% completed 2 Co-ops 18% completed 1 Co-op 40% of graduating seniors engaged in at least one global experience 900 showcased their research at RISE 3,522 students completed in 221,720 community service hours 7 +

Our Framework is Integrated & Student-Centric GLOBAL MINDSET INTELLECTUAL AGILITY SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS & COMMITMENT PROFESSIONAL & PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS WELL-BEING COGNITIVE CORE

ISLE Cognitive Core THINKING & THINKING & REASONING REASONING e.g., Critical thinking Integrative thinking Design thinking Strategic thinking Computational thinking Creative thinking Ethical reasoning APPLIED SKILLS APPLIED SKILLS e.g., Problem solving Decision making Creative expression Inquiry & analysis Negotiation Emotional intelligence Intercultural competency Teamwork/collaboration Observation & Interpretation Visual, written, oral & digital communication TRAITS TRAITS e.g., Curious/Inquisitive Open-minded Empathetic Initiative Innovative Resourcefulness Independent Civically-minded Adaptable/Flexible Perseverance KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION METACOGNITION

10 Direct Indirect Employer skills gap survey Alumni survey Student self-assessment of Co-op Employer eval of Co-op Student eval of Dialogues of Civilization Student eval of Service Learning Job data for graduates Phenomenological Study (104 Seniors) Cross sectional study of guided inquiries Longitudinal study of guided inquiries Co-op Experiences: Phase I: Student poster presentations of co-op artifacts, learning outcomes and integration of academic & co-op knowledge and skills Phase II: Developing a rubric for poster presentations Assessment of curriculum through capstone courses and AAC&U Rubrics Co-op employer evaluation of student learning outcomes Our Approach to Data Collection includes Multiple Methods & Approaches Quantitative Qualitative

Examples of how we have used data for IMPROVEMENT FindingsResponse / Actions Phenomenological study: Concern about students “having the experience but missing the meaning” Revision of co-op prep course Revision of content & timing of guided inquiries/reflections Revision & alignment of co-op student self- assessment & employer evaluation Phenomenological study: Lack of consistency in integration between academic work & co-op Creating system to automatically share co- op job titles, descriptions & learning outcomes Skills Gap Survey: Higher than other graduates but not high enough Created the Integrated Student Engagement Model (ISLE) Assessment through capstone: Capstone defined differently across programs Currently under discussion Student evals of Dialogues of Civilization: Need to leverage “unplanned” learning opportunities Revision of faculty and student global orientations 11

Examples of how we have used data for RESOURCE ALLOCATION Redeployment of –staff resources, e.g., CATLR –financial resources, e.g., Provost grants, staff expansion, staff development New resources for Research Institute for Experiential Learning 12

Examples of how we have used data TO INFORM THE PUBLIC Recruiting & admissions materials, alumni materials, presentations, etc. Research articles Discussions with legislators to impact policy 13

14 We are excited by the possibilities of learning new things – through assessment and research – about what we do in order to continually evolve a high quality experience for our students to allow them to be successful in a high-velocity world. In Conclusion...