Professional and Career Preparation for Science Students: Making Them Ready for the Real World

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Professional and Career Preparationfor Science
StudentsMaking Them Ready for the Real World

• Presented by
• Dr. Douglas Arion
• Carthage College
• Kenosha, Wisconsin
• Presented to
• Pew Midwest Math and Science Consortium
• 5 March 2006

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Setting the Stage An Incredible Story

• What kind of thinking do we want graduates to be
  able to do?
• An anecdote demonstrating extremely non-linear
  thinking

X
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How can we get students to think this way? What
is the transition they need to make?
Lots of Direction Clearly Defined
Problems Various Levels of Performance
Largely Self Direction Ill Defined Problems Only
Highest Levels of Performance
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The Problem

• Transitioning from the guided, safe college
  environment to the less determined, risky real
  world is difficult and frightening
• Skill set is different
• Performance expectation level is much higher
• Level of individual responsibility is much higher
• Risk is much greater
• Background Research
• Hettich, P., From College to Career
• Gardner, J. N., Van der Veer, G., and Associates
  (1998). The senior year experience Facilitating
  integration, reflection, closure, and transition.

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What Kind of Experience/Capstone Meets These
Needs?

• Students need to experience a progression of
  activities to bring them along
• Cant spring the new demands/concepts/expectatio
  ns on seniors!
• Students need to explore career choices early
• Students may develop a love for a career or
  discover they do not like their choice
• A progressively greater level of
  responsibility/level of performance is required
• A capstone that requires a high level of
  performance and topical synthesis is important
• Career/Professional skills topics need to be
  brought in on a just in time, developmentally
  appropriate basis
• Background Research
• Secor, M., Helping College-Aged Students Survive
  and Thrive Their College Experience A Review of
  Relevant Literature.
• Chickering, A. W. Reisser, L., Education and
  Identity
• Evans, J. E., Forney, D. S. Guido-DiBrito, F.,
  Student Development in College Theory, Research,
  and Practice.

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The Current Carthage ProgramHistory and
Background

• The ScienceWorks Entrepreneurship Program was
  founded in 1994
• The Nations first undergraduate technology
  entrepreneurship program
• Founding member of the National Collegiate
  Innovators and Inventors Alliance
• Staffed by faculty with industrial and technical
  experience

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Program Goals Two Different Views

• As Define
• Entrepreneurship
• Startup business topics
• Angel/Venture financing
• Risk Management
• Growth
• Exit Strategies
• Few Students will Start Companies

• As Executed
• Career Preparation
• Core business skills
• Communications Skills
• Interviewing
• Dressing
• Intrapreneurship
• Most Students will have Jobs Will need the same
  skills!

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ScienceWorks Entrepreneurial Studies Program
Layout
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Examples of ESNS Business Plan Projects

• DNA Enzyme Biotechnology (Pfaffle)
• Sports promotion software (Heavy Hitters LLC)
• Business assessment software (Acumen, Ltd.)
• Computer Imaging Software (Digital Collages)
• Biotechnology Models (Molecular Designs LLC)
• Blood Testing Technology and Biological Agent
  Detection (Precision Research, Inc.)
• Chiropractic Clinic Expansion (Fleuchaus
  Chiropractic)
• Hospital Expansion Plan (United Hospitals)
• Software (Express Payroll Systems)
• Golf Ball Finder (Nike)

• Secure Mail Delivery System MIGGA Blood Handling
  System
• At-Home Medical Tests
• Baby Monitor System (Swarthmore College)
• Food Monitoring (Johnson Prof., Inc.)
• Neurological Detector and Amplifier System
• Street Level Gallery Art Gallery
• Computer Keyboard System for the Disabled
• Quickscope Manufacturing Software (Innavision,
  Inc.)
• Bioadhesives (CATI)
• Wideband communication (WIFI Spots)
• Economic Development through GIS (Teska)

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Program Issues

• Not all students have the same goals may not be
  served well by a single delivery method
• Not all students are suited to current business
  plan capstone projects
• Dont touch the students until they are juniors
• Topical content emphasizes technical applications
• Other populations not addressed
• Single-pass on topics means that
  repetition-experience-further development dont
  happen
• Limited time means its hard to cover all topics
  with sufficient depth
• Skills/abilities/attitudes in multiple areas need
  to be developed

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The (Near) Future Program (We Hope!)Professional
Studies in the Liberal Arts
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Key Features of PSLA

• Progressive set of activities from first year
  through senior capstone
• Introductory elements in orientation classes
• Sophomore experiential learning elements
• Seamless Curriculum integrates courses plus co-
  and extra-curriculars to deliver core content
• A variety of capstones to suit different
  audiences
• Multiple entry points/implementations
• Professional Major Tracks
• Minor
• Electives
• Experiences/Events

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PSLA Capstones

• CATI-based Business Plan Projects
• Synthesis of entire programmatic content
• Student paired/partnered with external
  company/technology to prepare full business plan
• Basic Business Plan Project
• Demonstrate competence/understanding of
  programmatic content
• Student given current technology idea to
  ideate/develop market plan/financial plan
• Topical (Major) Capstone
• Research project/research experience thesis

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Partnerships Making it Happen

• Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation
• Kenosha Area Business Alliance
• Racine County Economic Development Corp.
• National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators
  Alliance
• Kern Entrepreneurial Education Network

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Outcomes

• Assessment Results from the Current Program
• Triennial survey of all program participants and
  their employers
• Student Results Considered most valuable college
  experience
• Business plans were key to being hired
• Program experience manifested in their positions
• Employer Results Most capable new hires/more
  advanced employees
• Were doing something right!

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Recommendations

• View the capstone as the culmination of a process
• Provide the necessary elements along the way so
  that the capstone is really meaningful
• Capstone should exercise technical knowledge,
  attitudes, and abilities as well as professional
  knowledge, attitudes, and abilities
• Real world experience and off-campus participants
  are needed to connect the capstone to real life
  for the students