Everyone in higher education knows that recruiting and retention are two of the 3 R’s that are the lifeblood of a university (the third is revenue, but that follows if the first 2 are solid!)  Of course research (the 4th R) and publications are critical as well, but from an undergraduate standpoint, how well you prepare the students for successful careers is their true measure of success.  With a staff of extremely intelligent professors and classrooms full of students that had to meet rigorous admission requirements the combination sounds very promising.  However the retention rates are much lower than they should be.  For those who do stick with the program and see it through until the end, they aren’t guaranteed success just because they met the academic requirements and earned their degree.

In addition to the specialized education that only experts in their respective fields can provide, what do students receive to help them parlay that education into a meaningful career?  Yes, there are academic counselors who can help them figure out how to earn their degree, and career centers who help those who are just about finished with their degree to kick off a career.  Both of these are invaluable resources that students should leverage as much as possible.  But they are just that, resources, that a student needs to include as part of their virtual team to help them research alternative paths and mitigate surprises.

 What are some “college senior surprises?”  Seniors (who just spent 4-5 years working on a degree) are surprised by what jobs are (or are not) available for people with their majors, what software programs employers want them to be proficient in, and what kind of expectations employers have for them.  These aren’t just a few clueless students, but a whole lot of them are surprised.  Why?  How much of what they study in school is focused on hard to measure “soft skills” or “intangibles” such as job fit, employer expectations, communications, etc?  Keep in mind there is a world of difference between covering topics such as effective business communications, or leadership skills as pat of a degree requirement and focusing upon these much needed skills for several years to ensure they are learned.

Career Foresight’s College Performance Management system is designed to harness the power of a university’s faculty and staff to fit the knowledge and resources into a framework that gives student context for the material they are being taught.  It bridges the gap between theory and practicality and helps students to more tangibly see how what they’re working on relates to where they’re heading, and how to get the most out of their opportunities at school.

Let the experts do what they do best.  Let the professors research and teach, let the counselors counsel, and let the students leverage all of these powerful resources throughout their college career to craft a plan that is going to take them to the unique place where they’ll thrive and contribute.

When your students are able to make a tangible connection between their education and their future, sticking in school becomes much more than something that they “should do” but it becomes something they realize they need to and want to do.  When employers see that the students at your school are focused and understand what they’re looking for, your students become in higher demand in the marketplace which is a great message for incoming freshman in your recruiting efforts.  

A challenging degree program coupled with the College Performance Management Framework to help provide knowledge and tranparency is the difference between just going to college and really making the most out of the opportunities that college provides. 

If you want to provide this to your students click start now to learn more.