In preparation for the Momentum VI Summit, ABAC’s CCG team identified a data gap in the institution’s ability to capture what its graduates were doing after graduation, including workforce-related data. To help close this gap, the College incorporated Career Services into its Strategic Plan, which is also tied to USG’s Student Career Development initiative as part of their Strategic Plan 2029.
ABAC is committed to developing a proactive approach to career services that engages students, employers, alumni, and faculty in implementing best practices. To help move this strategic initiative forward, ABAC created a centralized Career Center in Fall 2023. The primary responsibilities and measures of success for the Career Center are defined as follows:
- Career-related data: Collect and house data related to Career Services (focus surveys, First Destination Survey, Graduate Schools, etc.)
- Student Engagement: career advising, workshops, interviews, etc.
- Job Search Support: career fairs, employment/internship postings, etc.
- Student Success: job placement rates, graduate school acceptance rates, etc.
Utilizing the Momentum Approach, ABAC’s Career Center is currently studying and developing a four-year career pathway, which will run parallel to a student’s academic pathway through the use of milestones. Students will have milestone events/tasks that they need to complete over their four years that build upon the traditional/existing strategies that are already in place. Examples of milestones include joining a professional organization that aligns with the student’s career interests, career and major alignment through exploration, internship experiences, applying to jobs, applying to grad school, resume building, interview preparation, career closet (building a professional wardrobe), etc.
The underlying “big idea” is that students will connect their degree to their career goals as they progress through their academic program, which will help increase retention rates beyond the first year. Also leading to increased graduation rates.
The intended impact areas of this initiative are as follows:
- Year 1: Engagement – measuring the number of students who engage with the four-year career plan through completion of milestones, which are tracked through various programs (Handshake, appointment bookings, etc.)
- Years 2 & 3: Retention – will continue measuring/tracking students who engage with the four-year career plan as well as the second and third-year retention rates (bachelor’s degree-seeking students) of students who actively participate in the roadmap to those who do not engage with the plan
- Years 4 to 6 – continued monitoring of program engagement. Will monitor and track internship placements, job placements, and graduate school acceptance of students who actively participate in the career plan to those who did not. Graduation rates will also be tracked.
The Career Center is on track to launch a program pilot Fall 2025.
A fully completed four-year career plan will be released Spring 2025. The plan can stand alone, but will have milestones that can be incorporated into the academic program maps.
Once the four-year career plan is completed and approved, promotional materials and an ad campaign will run for current and new students (incoming Fall 2025). Outreach will include various methods such as targeted text messaging, social media, class visits, flyers, and talks at Orientation to new students and their family members.
Tracking of students who complete milestones will begin Fall 2025. Handshake and other appointment-tracking software (i.e., Calendly) will be utilized.
Challenges: The scalability of the program and the maximum number of students that can be served is limited by the staffing need. Currently, the Career Center is a department of one.
Supports: Partnerships between the Career Center and the College’s Schools may allow certain faculty or School staff to assist with implementing this initiative. Training faculty advisors on the four-year career plan could also help extend the outreach and effectiveness of the program.
