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November 2009
- Jodi Koslow Martin: From My Computer to Yours
- Spring is in the Air for First-Year Students
- Graduation Check Appointments
- Internships Can Give Students the Competitive Edge
- Spartan Internships Benefit Students and AU
- Early Job Searches Can Help Create Successful Outcomes
- Graduate School a Featured Crouse Center Topic
- What Major? Which Advisor?
- Leadership Education And Development (L.E.A.D) Program Continues Strong
- Dates to Remember
From My Computer to Yours
By Jodi Koslow Martin
Crouse Center for Student Success Director and Assistant to the Provost
Autumn greetings!
While typically a busy office, over these past several weeks the Crouse Center for Student Success has been particularly active. First-year students began registering for spring semester classes on October 19. With the largest freshmen class in the history of Aurora University at 416, 60 percent of these students signed up for spring 2010 classes during the first week of registration.
Ensuring undergraduate students seek the advice of an academic advisor is a key component of Aurora University's retention efforts. In the article titled "Colleges Move to Organize Retention Efforts," which appeared in the recent edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, the author outlines several practices universities can employ to help students succeed: orientation, early-warning alerts, student-faculty engagement and academic advising. Aurora University has effectively implemented these structures to support students. While the staff at the Crouse Center is a part of this network of support, it truly takes a community to help students make it to the graduation stage. Thank you to everyone at AU for your efforts.
Spring is in the Air for First-Year Students
The current talk on campus among first-year students is selecting classes for the spring 2010 semester. On October 13 and 14, the Crouse Center staff hosted a workshop for first-year students to help them prepare to register for the spring 2010 semester. Over the course of two evenings, 366 first-year students signed up for registration appointments. If you know of a student who hasn't registered for spring 2010 classes, encourage him or her to set up an appointment in the Crouse Center by calling 630-844-6870.
Graduation Check Appointments
Throughout the fall semester, seniors who are anticipating graduation in May or August 2010 meet with their academic advisor for graduation check appointments. During these appointments, seniors verify they are on track for graduation and receive helpful job-search information and resources. While it is not mandatory, we do encourage seniors to meet with their advisors. Please mention this graduation check service during your interactions with students.
Internships Can Give Students the Competitive Edge
In 2008, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reported that more than 50 percent of student interns became full-time employees upon completion of their internship. In that report, NACE indicated that more than 75 percent of the employers surveyed preferred candidates with relevant and direct work experience.
Upon graduation, it is important, more so than ever before, for students to have resumés that reflect direct experience and skill in their chosen professional field. Not only does an internship help students apply concepts learned in class, but students can also contribute to an organization, gain critical experience that can complete a resumé and have a "foot in the door" for a full-time paid position upon graduation.
Students still have time to secure an internship for spring semester 2010. Internship applications, available at the Crouse Center, are due by December 15.
Information about new changes in the internship program can be found in the 2009-2011 Undergraduate Catalog or at the Crouse Center for Student Success on the third floor of Eckhart Hall.
Spartan Internships Benefit Students and AU
On-campus internships, called Spartan Internships, offer opportunities for students to gain knowledge and experience on potential career paths and professional development while working for an Aurora University department. Currently, the university employs 15 Spartan Interns who work in offices such as Admission, Financial Aid and the Wellness Center.
Amanda Walden, a senior communication major, is a Career Development Spartan Intern in the Crouse Center for Student Success. One of her tasks is to assist in preparation for the Illinois Small College Placement Association CareerFest in February 2010. "Over the past few weeks, I have made phone calls to hundreds of employers asking if they would be interested in receiving an online invitation to attend this year's career fair. Even by doing just this one task, I have already noticed myself becoming more comfortable with talking to new people. This is important for me to do if I ever want to become a successful public relations professional," Walden said.
Spartan Internships are recommended for students seeking work with a higher level of responsibility than traditional Student Work Corps positions and are, therefore, often compensated at a higher rate, depending on departmental budgets. Spartan Internships can also be completed for academic credit, with the sponsorship of a faculty member, agreement of the site supervisor, and submission of an internship packet to the Crouse Center.
More information regarding Spartan Internships will be available in the coming weeks, including an online interest form for faculty and staff interested in recruiting Spartan Interns. For more information, contact Brynn Landwehr at 630-844-7861 or landwehr@aurora.edu.
Early Job Searches Can Help Create Successful Outcomes
A leading outplacement consulting firm — Challenger, Christmas, and Gray — provides an easy formula for estimating how long it will take, on average, to find a job. For every $10,000 in salary a job seeker is looking to earn, multiply that number by two. For example, if a job seeker has an anticipated annual salary of approximately $40,000 per year, then the calculation would be 2 x 4 = 8. So, a job seeker can estimate that a job search could last approximately eight months. If students want to have a job secured by the time they graduate in May, then they need to start job searching now!
Students and alumni can receive job search help through the Crouse Center for Student Success. The career advisors at the Crouse Center, collectively, have more than 40 years of executive-level professional experience to guide students. Career services reflect the idea that each job search is as distinctive as the individual job seeker.
Services of the Crouse Center include:
- One-to-one job search coaching
- Customized resumé and cover letter review
- Personalized interviewing strategies and practice
Please encourage your students to work with a career advisor as they search for their first job.
Graduate School a Featured Crouse Center Topic
October was "Graduate School Month" in the Crouse Center for Student Success. In partnership with Kaplan, the Crouse Center provided a series of workshops geared toward helping students develop quality applications for graduate school programs.
The series began by offering opportunities for students to take practice graduate and professional school entrance exams, including the MCAT, PCAT, LSAT and GRE. These were offered at no charge to students. Thirty-one students took the exams. Lauren Lawson, AUSA President and one of the students who took the practice MCAT test, said it best: "I am grateful for having the opportunity to take a practice MCAT through Aurora University. Not only was it convenient, but it also proved to be beneficial in understanding the format and content of the exam. With specific feedback, I now have a starting point so I can focus on my own personal areas needing improvement."
The Crouse Center also held the first Career Thursday workshop of the academic year titled, "What Are Graduate Admissions Counselors Looking for in an Applicant?" The free pizza lunch enticed 50 students to attend the session and learn what to include in a personal statement, how to prepare for an interview, the purpose of an addendum and how to ask for a recommendation letter.
Although fall is the perfect time to talk with seniors about graduate school, the Crouse Center hopes to offer a workshop in the spring specifically on writing personal statements so juniors can be prepared well ahead of the fall application deadlines.
What Major? Which Advisor?
With a large class size of 416 first-year students, some Crouse Center advisors now share responsibilities among majors. For convenience, here is a current list of advisors and the majors with which they work:
|
Art Athletic Training Biology Business and Commerce Coaching and Youth Sport Development Communication Computer Science Criminal Justice Elementary Education English Fitness and Health Promotion Health Science |
History Mathematics Nursing Physical Education Political Science Psychology Religion Social Work Sociology Spanish Special Education Theatre |
Students can call the Crouse Center for Student Success for more information about majors, as well as academic and career plans. Students will also find information on the Crouse Center Web page.
Leadership Education And Development (L.E.A.D) Program Continues Strong
Last year, Aurora University's Student Leadership Task Force developed and implemented the Leadership Education And Development (L.E.A.D.) program based upon the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Higher Education Research Institute, 1996). This process-oriented and collaborative model has two primary goals. The first goal is to enhance student learning and development, specifically related to areas of self-knowledge and leadership competence. The second goal is to facilitate positive social change at the institution or in the community.
Last year, 80 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the first tier of the program titled "Emerging Leaders." Students attended a series of mandatory workshops, obtained a position of leadership or membership in an organization, and passed a reflective group interview at the end of the year. Approximately 30 students have enrolled in the second tier titled "Leadership Practices." Almost all the attrition from the first tier into the second tier was due to graduation, internships or student teaching. In Leadership Practices, students attend more workshops on leadership and embark on a social change project of their choosing to benefit the community.
L.E.A.D. information can be found on the university Web site. Sixty-five students will be participating in the next Emerging Leaders tier, so the program is once again off to a great start. If you have any questions, please contact Kris Johnson, Director of Student Leadership, at 630-844-5634 or kjohnson@aurora.edu.
Dates to Remember
| December 15, 2009 | Completed internship applications for spring semester 2010 internships are due to the Crouse Center. |
| February 1, 2010 | Students can begin to register for the 2010-2011 academic year beginning the week of February 1, 2010. |
| February 5, 2010 | CareerFest will be held on Friday, February 5, 2010, at Drury Lane. Approximately 100 organizations come together to recruit talented new professionals. There is a $10 registration fee in advance or $20 at the door. For more information, contact the Crouse Center at 630-844-6870. |
| February 18, 2010 | TeacherFest will be held on Thursday, February 18, 2010, at Drury Lane. This event is a job fair for educators, connecting quality teacher candidates with Illinois school districts. There is a $10 registration fee in advance or $20 at the door. For more information, contact the Crouse Center at 630-844-6870. |
