2008 NACE Annual Conference
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Kicking and Screaming: Dragging Career Services into the 21st Century
Track
:
May 28, 2008
Program Code:
19
Date:
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Time:
1:00 PM to 2:15 PM
EST
Location:
226
SPEAKER
(S):
Karen McComb
Darryl Stevens
Description
From 1996 to 2006, UC Riverside's student body increased 300% while Career Center staff grew only 12%. By Fall 2005, increased demand for individual counseling resulted in three to six-week waiting periods and flooded drop-in hours. Conversely, attendance at workshops and information sessions was low. Delivery of career-related information through the 1990's era website was slow, difficult to navigate, and outdated. The Career Center's philosophy and delivery of services was entrenched in the "golden days" and needed a major transformation to adapt to current day challenges. By the end of 2006-2007, extensive use of online surveys and focus groups facilitated changes including. (1) Elimination of appointment wait lists and more students were seen using less counselor time. (2) Establishment of an interactive Virtual Career Center creating a more dynamic website. (3) Addition of videos, podcasts, and an online calendar to replace stale, passive resources. (4) Development of counselor-established relationships with campus groups to develop programs meeting specific, developmental needs, which led to (5) Increased workshop participation and satisfaction.