Communication of Professional Readiness in Dietetics and Human Nutrition Undergraduates: A Pilot Study

Learning experiences within the dietetics and human nutrition undergraduate curricula develop knowledge and skills pertinent to student career goals. Core competency requirements are extensively assessed in these programs, yet the communication of transferable skills gained and student professional readiness are rarely examined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate undergraduate students\u27 perceived professional readiness following six professional development workshops on transferable skills and career preparedness communicated through resumes and personal statements. In this pilot study, twelve upper-level dietetics and human nutrition students self-assessed their resumes and personal statements with rubrics and completed surveys before and after the intervention. Following the workshops, four professionals in the students\u27 respective career field of interest assessed the resumes and personal statements using the same rubrics. Trends toward improvements were seen in three of 15 transferable skills and in six out of 10 skills assessing confidence in career preparedness. Four out of seven resume components saw trends toward improvements, and all items on the personal statements improved after the intervention. No differences were observed between the student and professional assessments. Providing structured time for student reflection to effectively articulate professional readiness may better prepare students for success in future professional endeavors

Use and Effectiveness of the Individual Development Plan Among Postdoctoral Researchers: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study

The individual development plan (IDP) is a career planning tool that aims to assist PhD trainees in self-assessing skills, exploring career paths, developing short- and long-term career goals, and creating action plans to achieve those goals. The National Institutes of Health and many academic institutions have created policies that mandate completion of the IDP by both graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Despite these policies, little information exists regarding how widely the tool is used and whether it is useful to the career development of PhD trainees. Herein, we present data from a multi-institutional, online survey on the use and effectiveness of the IDP among a group of 183 postdoctoral researchers. The overall IDP completion rate was 54% and 38% of IDP users reported that the tool was helpful to their career development. Positive relationships with one’s advisor, confidence regarding completing training, trainees’ confidence about their post-training career, and a positive experience with institutional career development resources are associated with respondents’ perception that the IDP is useful for their career development. We suggest that there is a need to further understand the nuanced use and effectiveness of the IDP in order to determine how to execute the use of the tool to maximize trainees’ career development

Reflection 3 – Finding Your Purpose

The assignment was used in the Liberal Arts: Social Science and Humanities First Year Seminar (LIF 101). The main objectives are: Facilitate student self-examination and exploration of how interests, skills and values can connect to academic and professional goals Build student capacity for reflective planning, including breaking out tasks and self-assessment Build student knowledge of academic and career paths Support students with making a decision on proper major Increase engagement with college offices and staff Build writing skills – including essay organization and development Relevant student Performance Objectives for course: Locate the multiple resources available at LaGuardia and use these to solve academic problems related to advising, course selection, academic skills, and extracurricular activities. Identify education and career goals and prepare an individualized educational plan, based on a structured exploration of personal interests, skills and values. Define and practice academic survival and success strategies (e.g. note-taking, active reading, test preparation and taking, collaborative learning skills) and the self-management habits necessary for academic success (e.g. time management, motivation, self-responsibility and financial literacy.) Demonstrate the use of skills and knowledge gained from diverse experiences to enhance learning and success. The assignment draws from extensive in-class activities, both in lecture and Studio Hour. There are weeks’ worth of in-class activities drawn on, and the student should expect to spend a few additional weeks putting together the assignment. Some specific information on the staging of the assignment: Stage 1 – Student Learns About Self You Map – a visualization the student completes of what’s important to them and key past experiences ePortfolio Understanding Myself Career Coach Assessment (linked to in ePortfolio) Classroom discussions and activities related to how we can learn about ourselves Stage 2 – Student Explores Career/Transfer/Academic Possibilities Based on Prior Stage Possible Lives Map – a visualization of their goals and what they want to accomplish Lectures and demonstrations on academic and career research, including a document which lists out activities and resources Lecture on possible trajectories and assessing what education is needed to reach certain career goals (for instance, a need for a bachelor’s and post-graduate education for certain jobs) ePortfolio modules including Degree, Career and Transfer Planning Student uses a “Ways to Explore” form to start thinking about concrete steps he/she can take to learn more As part of the assignment, students must submit a draft of their goals and planning, using the Goal and Planning Form, before moving forward so they can get feedback Stage 3 – Writing Up Plan and Moving Forward Taking the knowledge gained and instructor feedback, student finalizes goals (or is aware that some goals are still undefined) and moves forward with completing concrete steps to learn more and create a plan that is unique to current needs Every student must visit a campus office or meet with a Program Director to learn more about some aspect of their development Every student must conduct some initial career research using the “Career Research Before and After” activity (which mirrors a particular module in the ePortfolio) The final assignment is worth 20% of the final grad

Pathways from caring and engaging adults to youth vocational identity: the mediational roles of career search self-efficacy and goal capacity

This study examines the role played by access to caring and engaging adults, career search self-efficacy (CSSE), and goal capacity in the development of youth vocational identity. The study used a bootstrapping approach to analyze data, collected from a survey of 1,579 youths enrolled in 14 U.S. high schools, to test a hypothesized serial multiple mediation model. Results indicate both direct and multiple indirect pathways from adults influences to the youth vocational identity. Two specific pathways of influence were found through CSSE and goal capacity respectively. Additionally, a serial multiple mediation effect was found whereby CSSE and goal capacity collectively mediated the relationship. This indicates that greater access to caring and engaging adults contributes to higher CSSE, which accounts for a higher level of goal capacity, and eventually leads to the better vocational identity in youth. These findings establish notable implications for practices that are discussed in closing.First author draf

VCU Peer Mentoring Program: 2017-18 Guide for Participants

The Peer Mentoring Program Guide for Participants provides information for both university faculty mentees and their faculty mentors to help establish and develop a productive mentoring relationship. This Guide is the handbook for the Virginia Commonwealth University Peer Mentoring Program, which seeks to support early career faculty members, enabling them to succeed and thrive in the academy as both scholars and educators. The VCU Peer Mentoring program is part of the VCU Office of Faculty Affairs

2017-18 Guide for Participants: Virginia Commonwealth University Peer Mentoring Program

The Peer Mentoring Program Guide for Participants provides information for both university faculty mentees and their faculty mentors to help establish and develop a productive mentoring relationship. This Guide is the handbook for the Virginia Commonwealth University Peer Mentoring Program, which seeks to support early career faculty members, enabling them to succeed and thrive in the academy as both scholars and educators. The VCU Peer Mentoring program is part of the VCU Office of Faculty Affairs

Core Competencies for Undergraduate Community-Engaged Researchers

Undergraduate community-engaged research (UCEnR) is a growing trend which VCU has proactively pursued by providing grants for UCEnR projects and assimilating UCEnR into interdisciplinary curricula. However, a definitive sense of core competencies for undergraduate community-engaged researchers has not yet been established. To that end, this literature review answers the question, What skills should UCEnR students have

A New Era of Education Reform: Preparing All Students for Success in College, Career and Life

As society changes, the knowledge and skills required for citizens to navigate the complexities of life and work must also change. As a result, some argue that schools must provide students with a broader set of skills that will enable them to thrive in our increasingly diverse, rapidly evolving and globally-connected world. The intent is not to replace the traditional academic disciplines but to infuse them with knowledge and skills that will better prepare students for success in the 21st century -- often referred to as "21st century skills." While others maintain that as long as a portion of the student population is not mastering basic reading, writing and mathematics skills, schools must continue to focus exclusively on the traditional core academic disciplines. In order to inform the debate about the rationale for and relevance of 21st century skills in Massachusetts' public schools, the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy conducted a survey of superintendents, charter school leaders and principals statewide to gauge the extent to which school and district leaders support the integration of 21st century skills into public education. The goal of the survey was to provide a better understanding of Massachusetts' public school and district leaders' priorities for improving student learning, including their views on 21st century skills. The survey was followed by interviews with a small sample of administrators and educators in districts and schools where the integration of 21st century skills is a priority, in order to better understand district, school and teacher approaches for infusing 21st century skills into teaching and learning.The report describes the background and context for the study, the study methodology, and key findings from the statewide survey and interviews in a sample of schools and districts. The final section of the report puts forth considerations for policymakers and K-12 school and district leaders. Case studies of two public school districts, Reading Public Schools and Brockton Public Schools are included in Appendix B. The case studies offer two different approaches to integrating 21st century skills district-wide. The case study of Reading Public Schools illustrates a district-led approach. The case study of Brockton Public Schools is an example of how one school has spurred a district to focus on 21st century skills.The study gives voice to key education stakeholders who have not been part of the public debate about 21st century skills and provides clarity about what teaching and learning in classrooms that incorporate 21st century skills looks like. While opponents of 21st century skills argue that districts where most students have not yet mastered reading, writing and mathematics skills, should focus exclusively on core academic content, the study revealed that most school and district leaders believe all public schools in Massachusetts should be required to integrate 21st century skills into learning, including schools where students are lacking adequate basic skills. Interviews with superintendents who prioritize integration of 21st century skills revealed that input from a range of stakeholders led their district to expand their mission and vision for student learning to include 21st century skills and rather than adopt a pre-packaged set of skills, the focus in these districts is on particular skills and competencies that ?t the needs of their student body. While most schools and districts have not developed measurable goals for student mastery of 21st century skills, interviews with a small sample of administrators and educators revealed that 21st century skills are assessed at the classroom level, and most administrators view school- and district-wide assessment as a future step in the process of fully integrating 21st century skills. The endings also suggest that administrators believe that, to date, state policymakers have not adequately supported the teaching and learning of 21st century skills.This report was released at a public event on October 7th, 2010. View video clips from this event on our YouTube channel and read an EdWeek article featuring this report