/news/career-center-conduct-student-recent-alum-needs-assessment <span>Career Center to Conduct Student, Recent Alum Needs Assessment</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:19:09-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:19">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:19</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Â鶹ĘÓƵ College Career Center is committed to improvement and growth with the primary goal of “helping all students and recent alumni identify and achieve meaningful career objectives that build on their Â鶹ĘÓƵ experience,” as noted in the strategic plan 2016-2021. The center’s first step toward this goal is to conduct a needs assessment to discover what students and recent alumni need most to identify and achieve their career objectives.</p> <p>Throughout April, current juniors and seniors as well as recent alumni will have the opportunity to offer feedback through multiple focus groups and an online survey. Information gathered from these activities will help the career center make informed decisions about how to best serve the highest priority needs of students.</p> <p>“We have made strides over the past three to five years to increase awareness and usage of our programs and services. It’s important now to understand what will make our students the most prepared to transition to the workplace,” says Lori Young, who <a href="https://oncampus.oberlin.edu/source/articles/2016/01/28/introducing-new-career-center-director-lori-young">assumed the role of career center director in January</a>.</p> <p>Multiple individuals are partnering with the career center in this effort. Staff members from alumni relations, athletics, the conservatory, and student life will help to ensure the needs of multiple student populations are heard and that the proposed recommendations support those populations.</p> <p>“It is so important that we take this time to find out what the needs are rather than jumping too quickly into planning solutions,” Young says. “Since I am new to Â鶹ĘÓƵ, I benefit from partnering with my colleagues around campus as well as the Careers Committee of the Alumni Leadership Council. How we serve students and recent alumni needs to reflect the Â鶹ĘÓƵ experience.”</p> <p>"It's exciting to see this needs assessment from the career center,” says Polly Washburn ’90, chair of the Careers Committee. “I think it's important for us not to presume that we know the current needs of students and young alumni, as technology and the economy are always changing how young people feel and approach their job search. Â鶹ĘÓƵ has a unique culture, and I think the assessment will also give the new director and current staff a crucial perspective on that culture."</p> <p>Findings and recommendations from the focus groups and online survey will be presented over the summer to senior staff and the Board of Trustees. Questions and comments can be directed to the career center at career.center@oberlin.edu.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-04-13T12:00:00Z">Wed, 04/13/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Career Center</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2568">Strategic Plan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2403">Career Exploration &amp; Development</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:19:09 +0000 Anonymous 13896 at /news/strategic-plan-2016-2021-approved <span>Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Approved</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:19:09-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:19">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:19</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>After 18 months of work by the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and other members of the Â鶹ĘÓƵ community, “Â鶹ĘÓƵ College Strategic Plan 2016-2021: Institutional transformation through an inclusive approach to academic and musical excellence” was approved by the General Faculty on February 4, 2016, and by the Board of Trustees on March 4, 2016. The full plan, which will guide Â鶹ĘÓƵ throughout the next five years, can be read on <a href="/strategic-plan">this webpage</a>.</p> <p>“I am delighted that the strategic plan 2016-2021 has been approved by our Board of Trustees and faculty,” President Marvin Krislov says. “A tremendous amount of thought and discussion went into this plan, the implementation of which will make Â鶹ĘÓƵ more diverse, inclusive, equitable, and more welcoming and nurturing for all students during their time here and after they graduate.”</p> <p>The strategic planning process began in the 2013-2014 academic year when the Planning Advisory Committee (an <em>ad hoc</em> subcommittee of the Board of Trustees) began to determine principles for and leadership of the development of a new strategic plan. The Strategic Planning Steering Committee—composed of 12 board members, 11 faculty members, three senior staff members, three administrative and professional staff (A&amp;PS), two alumni, and three students—first met on October 9, 2014. Board of Trustees Member Diane Yu ’73 and Krislov served as committee cochairs, and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Kathryn Stuart, assisted by Julie Min, served as coordinator.</p> <p>The steering committee was organized into three working groups each tasked with addressing issues in a thematic area. Six more students were added to the working groups in March 2015 at the request of the committee’s original student representatives, Sophie Davis ’17, Ryan Dearon ’18, and Machmud Makhmudov ’16.</p> <p>“I'm glad the committee was responsive to student input, and I’m grateful for its dedication to an open and inclusive process,” says Makhmudov, a senior politics major with a minor in environmental studies. “Having a bigger group yielded more fruitful discussions that the entire committee benefitted from.”</p> <p>From its inception, the committee sought to keep the planning process as open as possible, inviting participation and feedback from the greater Â鶹ĘÓƵ community by holding listening sessions and meetings with small groups throughout fall 2014 and spring and fall 2015 and by sharing major documents—including a preliminary report and first draft—on the specially created <a href="/strategic-plan">strategic planning website</a>. The open process allowed community members to help shape the resulting plan, particularly its emphasis on the ideas of access, equity, diversity, and inclusion.</p> <p>Now that the plan has passed, the college administration—led by the president and in collaboration with the General Faculty Council (acting in its planning capacity), the board, faculty, staff, students, and alumni—will begin implementing it. Implementation will focus on three main areas: engaging students in innovative ways and offering them pathways to success in a diverse, inclusive residential community; providing students with a connected learning experience with more effective advising, mentoring, and post-graduation support; and building a sustainable financial model.</p> <p>Krislov, on behalf of the committee, stresses that the “inclusive spirit” experienced throughout the strategic planning process will be continued into its implementation phase. “We received valuable input from hundreds of stakeholders as well as many outside experts in crafting this plan, so we intend for the implementation process to be done with that same openness,” he says. The greater Â鶹ĘÓƵ community will be kept informed of implementation progress via the strategic plan website and email updates.</p> <p>For more on the strategic planning process and to read “Â鶹ĘÓƵ College Strategic Plan 2016-2021: Institutional transformation through an inclusive approach to academic and musical excellence,” <a href="/strategic-plan">visit new.oberlin.edu/strategic-plan</a>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-03-30T12:00:00Z">Wed, 03/30/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Lisa Gulasy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2359">Administration</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2568">Strategic Plan</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:19:09 +0000 Anonymous 13961 at /news/strategic-plan-2016-2021-available-online <span>Strategic Plan 2016-2021 Available Online</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:19:24-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:19">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:19</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Strategic Planning Steering Committee has posted “The Â鶹ĘÓƵ College Strategic Plan 2016-2021: Institutional transformation through an inclusive approach to academic and musical excellence” to the Strategic Planning website.</p> <p>Also newly posted to the website is a summary of the changes made to the aforementioned document as a result of feedback received about the draft strategic plan dated October 26, 2015. The second newly-posted document is an FAQ about the strategic planning process.</p> <p>To read the Strategic Plan and/or accompanying documents, see <a href="http://new.oberlin.edu/strategic-plan/findings/index.dot">this webpage</a>. The General Faculty will consider this plan at its February 17 meeting. If more time for discussion is needed before a vote to approve, time for another meeting on February 24 has been reserved.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2016-02-11T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/11/2016 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2568">Strategic Plan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2577">Office of the President</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2359">Administration</a></div> </div> Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:19:24 +0000 Anonymous 14111 at