Blog: The University of Illinois-Chicago: From Transactional to Transformative - Changes to Student Employment
Audience: Administrators & Supervisors
Summary
Each of our inaugural Institute universities were paired together to interview, learn from and share valuable insights and work with one another. Each institution was then charged with writing a blog that summarized key takeaways and learning. In this series of blogs, we'll delve into the innovative approaches, best practices, and success stories from universities across the country. From career development initiatives to performance management strategies, we'll explore how universities are enhancing the student employee experience ensuring their roles are preparing them for the future workforce. Join us as we uncover the secrets to maximizing the potential of student employment programs and creating meaningful opportunities for students on campus.
This blog highlights the efforts of the University of Illinois-Chicago and was written by the University of Minnesota.
The University of Illinois-Chicago: From Transactional to Transformative - Changes to Student Employment Interviewed and written by: University of Minnesota
The times are a-changin’ in student employment at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Career Services at UIC has coordinated student employment on that campus for some time, however, until recently the focus of their efforts were on transactional functions related to hiring and on-boarding student employees. As Jean Riorden came on the scene as the new director of UIC Career Services, she realized that this model was unsustainable and failing to leverage opportunities to deliver career readiness programming. She negotiated a plan to off-load administrative hiring tasks to the departments, thereby freeing career center staff to do what they do best: helping students to make the important connections between their student employment and their future lives.
Enter Carmen Garza, Director of Student Employment and Career Readiness. She has made it her work to transform student employment into a vehicle for career readiness support. “We want a broader vision of student employment to be viewed as a high Impact initiative with a co-curricular approach, an equitable hiring process, professional and skill development support, supervisory training for the hiring managers and assessment and evaluation process”, said Garza. She has arranged for an external entity to conduct a high impact training for supervisors of student employees this summer to kickstart the initiative
Also noteworthy is the effort to transform student job descriptions. Garza spearheaded efforts to develop job descriptions which incorporate learning outcomes associated with the NACE competencies to create an environment where students can integrate their on-campus job with academic interests.
Success will require a collaborative effort between the hiring departments to integrate student employment with academic, career and skills development. The plan is to offer 3-4 professional development training sessions throughout the academic year and identify the skills needed to become better supervisors and mentors. Expectations of the supervisors are to meet individually with student staff, evaluate and provide constructive feedback based on the learning outcomes from the job descriptions, document job responsibilities, identify the students’ strengths and areas for improvement and then make a plan with their student for a more meaningful job. A long-term goal is to develop a campus-wide policy that mandates training for supervisors.
Student feedback based on surveys and the student employee performance evaluation provided by the supervisors will provide assessment for the program. Last year, over 1200 students responded, providing an evidence- based approach to designing the program. This feedback is critical as and educational strategy, because often students don’t know what they don’t know about their skill development
UIC’s advice for other institutions on this path? “Seek external guidance. Set up advisory groups with student employees, supervisors and HR liaisons. Be sure to structure your program so that career services staff are focussed on career readiness and not administrative hiring tasks. It’s important to ensure equitable access for all students by providing a single, public entry point for student employment positions.
Finally, It must be a collaborative approach. You need buy-in from leadership and key stakeholders including some of the larger hiring departments of students and human resources staff. As Riorden summarized, “The institution has to make the commitment. That is critical.”