It is critical to connect a student’s career planning process to their major. Departments will identify a required course at the 200- or 300-level within each major that currently has (or is the appropriate place for) a reflection activity aimed at integrating a student’s college experience with an eye toward their post-graduation plans. At its minimum, this is intended to be an assignment-level enhancement or addition; no formal curriculum change process is needed (unless a department/major deems that necessary).
The reflection activity can take many forms and should include these common elements*:
- Looking Forward: Students explore and articulate their post-graduate intentions.
- Looking Back: Students reflect on their experiences.
- Next Steps: Students describe actionable steps necessary for achieving their plans.
Please use the Career Reflection Checklist to assess your current reflection activity or in your planning process.
*These are the same elements used in Finishing Foundations reflections, enabling students’ midpoint reflection to complement and connect to their reflection at the end of their university experience.
Many majors already include career-focused activity in 200 or 300-level courses; this effort aims to underscore, coordinate and expand that work.
A shared language will help provide clarity and consistency for our students and will draw together the varied yet related career-readiness work across campus. Once the language is finalized, departments will be asked to incorporate it into their assignments.