1. BEST PRACTICES PROGRAMS AND HIGH IMPACT ENGAGEMENT
FOR UNDERGRADUATES—A DESIGN FOR CAREER SUCCESS
Peggy Killian, M.Ed.1, Lawrence Carroll, Psy.D, MBA2
1
Director Career Education, Adjunct Professor, Center for Professional Excellence,
Elmhurst College, United States
2
Executive Director, Center for Professional Excellence, Professor of Business,
Elmhurst College, United States
Abstract
This is an overview of a Higher Education Model for preparing future professionals who are lifelong
learners; through career exploration and career development, focusing on a holistic approach of: (a)
self-awareness, (b) experiential learning with community based partnerships, (c) life values clarification,
(d) substantive interaction with stakeholders, and integrative reflection.
Keywords: Self-awareness, experiential learning, values clarification, interaction with stakeholders,
mentoring, integrative reflection
INTRODUCTION
The Center for Professional Excellence at Elmhurst College, is focused on helping students understand
the concepts of a person centered approach to career development, based on one’s strengths, and
holistic view of student learning stressing the integration of career counseling, preparation,
development, and experiential learning in-and-out of the classroom. High impact engagement gives
students the advantage of opportunities that test and develop their talents and strengths. When
students experience career development as engaging, they learn to thrive while in college and continue
to thrive when transitioning into the world of work.
The more engaged a student is in college, the greater the student’s academic and personal
development (Astin, 1993). Research shows that student engagement in educationally purposeful
activities does contribute to positive developmental outcomes such as intellectual, personal, social, and
career success (Astin, 1993; Graham & Grisi, 2000; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991, 2005).
These best practices and support services promote the Elmhurst College undergraduates’ college
journey, including being fully informed about their career options, via rich opportunities to help students
prepare for their future careers, as well as personalized support. For this discussion, we define ‘best
practices’ as a method of technique that has consistently shown superior results compared with other
means, and peers may consider an aspirational benchmark. Our definitive measure of success is the
graduation of confident, capable people who become fully employed in their field of interest. These
best practices programs are not mandated to students, however, it is our commitment to offer a career -
based education to prepare students with the education and skills appropriate for their chosen career.
This outcomes-based model is a good fit particularly now, when higher education institutions are being
asked to demonstrate their value to students and the public in terms of a return on investment. These
activities which promote an outcomes-focused approach include:
1. Create and implement plans to drive continuous improvement for career preparation, development,
and engagement, for undergraduates.
2. Staying informed about workplace trends.
3. Being proactive in designing programs to address specific workforce needs.
4. Provide support and services inside and outside the classroom to prepare students for their
employment search and their professional career, so they can demonstrate not only the technical
and analytical skills they learned through their studies but the ‘soft skills’ required to succeed in
today’s workplace.
5. Establish relationships with the professional/employment community through initiatives to facilitate
the school-to-work transition.

2. 6. Build relationships with employers to generate experiential opportunities, e.g., mentoring,
internships, and job opportunities.
7. Use data systematically to improve programs and services for students.
Students take many paths on their journey toward college completion. Career development is built
upon the relationship an institution develops with students throughout their educational path. The
foundation of the Center for Professional Excellence, Career Education role, is to develop an
appropriate professional relationship with each student that reflects and supports their academic
journey.
In the words of Dr. Larry Braskamp, Interim President of Elmhurst College, 2015-2016, “Throughout
their journey at EC, students will be engaged in a number of curricular and co-curricular activities and
programs to guide them to discover more intentionally their potential and to begin to develop their
strengths, talents, competencies, and habits of the heart and head. In short they will be preparing for
a meaningful career and life.” At Elmhurst College we have identified a clear and easy-to-follow path
for students to take throughout their preparation and career-search journey. Having an employment -
centered culture is an important goal; these best practices programs identify effective ways to involve
faculty and staff in promoting excellent employment outcomes.
Exceptional relationships with students contribute to their success in school and employment upon
graduation. Building powerful relationships early on starts as the students begin classes, first-year,
continues throughout their academic program, and extends into their time as alumni.
THE CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS OF
INNOVATION
Today’s career trends convey that to be successful, Career Education, in promoting professional
development and career exploration, must be a seamless process, not just a service in an office, where
students go to get jobs. Students must experientially engage with purpose in all areas throughout their
education, sort of like teaching without walls. Professional development should be interdisciplinary in-
and-out of the classroom. Besides academic content students need competencies/skills. They need to
be deep and broad, the cream, to be attractive to hiring officials. The best jobs will go to graduates who
know where they want to go, know how to get there, and have a network of professional relationships
they can tap for assistance with their job search. Students need to get connected with professionals
and experiential career opportunities early in their academic life.
As an institution of quality we are providing students, upon coming to campus, with the services needed
to be successful. Freshman who are undecided about their academic majors, degree goals, or intended
careers are attrition risks (The Freshman Year Experience, John Gardner). We are helping students
move toward goal-directed thinking and behaviors that will help them discover who they are, what their
values and interests are, and how they will use their college education to prepare them for the future.
Following are the innovative threads creating a path of guidance through the journey of career success:
Professional Foundations of Career Development Course
Tentativeness about career choice and uncertainty about what to study is typical among entering
freshmen (The Freshman Year Experience, John Gardner). At Elmhurst College, career exploration
and professional development begin within the first semester on campus.
Many young adults considering life after college ask themselves: “What kind of work is for me?”
Through this class “Professional Foundations of Career Development” students begin the crucial task
of understanding the range of careers available and begin considering which careers will best align with
their interests and needs.
This course is designed to provide Elmhurst College students a unique opportunity in higher education,
where they receive course credit to explore personal attributes that influence future academic and
career decisions, and to consider the factors that create a meaningful, fulfilling life after Elmhurst.
In this course students experience thought-provoking activities that help them understand their personal
strengths, interests, and beliefs, which strengthen their ability to make sound decisions and to consider

3. their values and the influences that have helped them attain their current goal, to explore and
understand the majors that are offered at EC, and how majors relate to options for a successful career.
This class is conversational, encouraging, engaging, and easily navigated as part of the classroom
experience. Students are able to build the confidence needed to courageously take the path ahead
toward active career exploration.
During the semester, each student is partnered with a professional in a career they are interested in, to
interview, discovering all that the career entails and a day-in-the-life of that professional. The class is
conducted every term and 2 classes run during January-Term. Professionals are needed for these
students so there is a canvasing search every term for new professionals to partner with and mentor
these students. At the start, students begin to build a professional network.
Students also begin to create their on-line professional image by creating a LinkedIn site. They are
taught how to continually build on this presence as they move ahead through their academic and
experiential accomplishments. The goal being a professional presence that is fine-tuned by senior year,
and is a personal marketing tool, for enticing employers to connect with them, prior to graduation.
The following experience is the next thread engaging EC students toward keeping career preparation
and development in action.
First LEAP (launch, explore, action, & passion) Course
After completing the career course, students are encouraged to attend First LEAP. First LEAP is a
professional development program designed for students who participated in the First-Year Seminar
and now want to experience firsthand the link between liberal arts learning and professional life.
Students apply and are interviewed by the program coordinator, to determine the student’s readiness,
possible career interest and commitment. Enrolled students will spend part of a week of professional
development on-campus with an experiential component off-campus, all the while being mentored by
professionals at the sites.
The on-campus component consists of 8 hours of class time including:
 An interactive workshop entitled “What’s Important in Your Life”, where students begin to identify
values, motivators, skills, aspects of personality and other criteria; which may be important in career
decision-making.
 A facilitated discussion introducing practical preparation for the on-site experience, business
etiquette, and the value of networking.
 Exploring ethical issues facing today’s organizational leaders.
 Researching the organization of interest, tying personal workplace values with the organization’s
mission.
 The importance of leadership and civic engagement. Students learn to communicate what they
can contribute to various communities, while beginning to use campus involvement to transition into
the world of work.
The off campus component is designed to give students the opportunity to observe first-hand a career
of interest, under the guidance of a professional mentor from the organization that the student is
assigned to. During this experience students learn the how-to’s of:
 Connecting classroom learning to the professional world.
 Asking pertinent questions and listening constructively.
 Testing personal conclusions.
 Developing professional relationships and discovering ways to make a difference in our world.
The last day of the First LEAP Program students reconvene as a group and are inspired to reflect via
written essay, tying these experiences into career decision making and personal insights. As a group
they share experiences and engage in conversations on how knowing themselves at a deeper level and
keeping an open mind during career exploration is invaluable and key. This is a big step in the beginning
of acquiring self-management skills for future career success.
The Sophomore Success Course

4. After First LEAP, the next thread engages students toward applying to attend the Sophomore Success
Workshop. This program is open to all sophomore level students in good academic standing interested
in continuing to move forward with career preparation. This workshop is in place to increase students’
opportunities for leadership and personal development, interaction with administration, assistance with
major selection, career paths, and to increase cohesiveness. It also serves as a retention tool, since
the sophomore year is a crucial year to keep students involved and feeling engaged with college life.
This is a collaborative program between the Center for Professional Excellence and Student Affairs,
working together to develop an interconnected approach, with purposeful experiences contributing to
organizing the existing student support resources on campus.
Students develop leadership skills through specific teambuilding exercises centered on values and
interests and how they connect to curricular and co-curricular experiences on campus, tying it also
toward the world of work or graduate/professional school, for the future. They begin to learn how to
holistically weave all the pieces of who they are, into discovering and developing their potential.
After completing Sophomore Success, students reflect on the experience via written essay about
personal insights, skills/interest assessment, career decision making, tying theories into practical
experience, and other personal experiences.
Professional Portfolio Course
Participants in the above programs transition next to the Professional Portfolio course. This is designed
as an independent study where students meet one-on-one (3 times) with a faculty mentor to guide them
through intentionally integrating their learning experiences and written reflective papers, to comprise a
purposeful learning experience. They begin to explore an academic program that fits their professional
interest. The developmental plan consists of the following:
1. Creation of a 4-year academic plan for 2 different majors.
2. Written reflection on how this plan will lead to their professional desire.
3. Exploration and listing employment opportunities for these majors.
4. Choosing 3 of the following skills they feel competent in and explaining how these skills will assist
in their professional development.
a. Analytical Skills
b. Interpersonal Skills
c. Communication Skills (oral and written)
d. Organizational Skills
e. Problem-Solving Skills
f. Leadership Skills
5. Choosing from the above skills, they list 2 skills that are challenging and what they could do to
develop them, to be more effective.
6. Describing what they have learned about themselves as they have completed this process.
(Many times students experience excitement over the discovery of the wider view of how they can
combine two majors or a major and minor, by creating a 4-year plan for 2 academic majors).
After a review of the reflections by a faculty mentor, these students then upload the information on a
portfolio site (on-line), for use in documenting continual professional development, accomplishments,
and strengthened competencies, throughout the rest of their academic experience. The portfolio
becomes an excellent tool to market the uniqueness and dynamics of the student to an employer or
professional/graduate school.
Internship Course—Engaging in the World of Work
At this point, junior level academically, the student has expanded awareness of self and the world of
work in order to make deliberate career choices. They are now positioned to participate in the next step
of a supervised learning experience, in a wide variety of community-based or work settings, e.g.,
internships, practicum, field experience, clinical (health care), or student teaching (education).
(Philosophy and Purpose of the Elmhurst College Internship Program)

5. Internships are a form of high impact experiential learning where the students engage in integrating
knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a
professional setting. Students also engage in making connections in professional fields they are
considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide/mentor and evaluate talent.
According to the Recruiting Trends Report 2014-2015, 80% of employers look to procure new talent via
internships (National Association of Colleges & Employers).
(Standards for an accredited internship at Elmhurst College)
 Incorporates the intern’s academic background and be at an appropriate level of responsibility and
accountability.
 Must develop and enhance career-related skills and ability.
 Is expected to be substantive and varied, and the tasks should be relevant to the organization’s
business objectives.
 The intern will set goals and objectives to be discussed and agreed upon with the supervisor.
 The intern and supervisor will meet regularly to discuss goals, objectives, problems or concerns.
Next process is, all interns assess themselves via an instrument created by professionals in the field of
Industrial/Organizational Psychology, for Elmhurst College. The assessment is used pre-and-post
internship, allowing for a fuller awareness, measuring the level of competency students have (pre -
internship) attained (post-internship) in the following skills: Communication, problem/solving, teamwork,
self-management, technical/computer skills, initiative/motivation, professionalism/interpersonal styles,
career interests, personal growth.
Students reflect on the results of the above assessment, compare it with the following soft skills
employers are requiring (National Association of Colleges and Employers, Recruiting Trends, 2015):
Communication (verbal, written, and listening), teamwork, problem/solving, planning/organizing,
leadership/management, analytical/research, computer/technical, multicultural awareness,
negotiation/persuasion, professionalism.
Using this step, they formulate goals and objectives for professional development during the internship.
In the required feedback communication they share, (a) activities that have helped to develop their
goals, (b) challenges they have experienced during professional development, (c) the greatest learning
opportunity they have experienced, and (d) next steps for future skill development.
At the completion of this process interns are able to communicate to others, the competency level they
have acquired, and the accomplishments to back-up quality of personal performance.
Mentoring—Connections That Lead to Success
Elmhurst College, we recognize that student success is a shared enterprise. In all of the preceding
best practices programs, a consistent component is mentoring. Whether it be faculty, alumni,
administrators, professionals in the field, mentoring of all sorts, greatly enhance the students’
experience and assist them in actively engaging in purposeful learning activities. In all of the
aforementioned programs students began interacting with a larger community, in each case a
community that empowered them to begin to recognize their skills, abilities, and interests. Throughout
a student’s academic experience mentors play a key role in development of personal and academic
success.
The Center for Professional Excellence Mentoring Initiative
An ever-widening circle is how H. Richard Niebuhr, the sixth president of Elmhurst College, described
the development of the college from its founding in 1871 until 1925. Since the inception of the Center
for Professional Excellence in 1997; the Elmhurst College Mentoring Program; has been instrumental
in widening the circle for today’s generation, building on the foundation of know yourself, know your
world, reach your potential.
The Elmhurst College, Center for Professional Excellence Mentoring Initiative was the first recipient of
accreditation by the International Mentoring Association, which has set in place the standard for other
programs at other institutions. This strategic mentoring program assists Elmhurst College students in

6. becoming global citizens prepared to make a difference in the world, which serves as a vital investment
in the promise of young adults in the 21st century. Taking an active role in the relationship, the protégé
embarks upon the journey of the meaning of high character, strong integrity, and social responsibility.
Mentors guide this process by providing a professional relationship of encouragement, support, and
development of specific skills and knowledge, that will enhance the student’s professional and personal
growth.
The mentor many times challenges the protégé to move beyond his/her her comfort zone as they
partner in identifying skills and goals he/she wants to achieve, e.g., enhancing leadership development,
identifying appropriate professional resources, and learning how to successfully network in today’s
society. This is all accomplished in a safe learning environment for taking risks and contributes to
increased self-confidence of the student.
Program objectives are interwoven with the college mission of inspiring students to form themselves
intellectually and personally, and to prepare for meaningful and ethical work in a multicultural, global
society. Career Education initiatives foster student support, assisting them in assessing competencies,
pursuing interests, and clarifying career goals in preparation for the job search.
Since 1997; this formal mentoring program has been made available to all Elmhurst College
undergraduate students and averaged approximately 200+ students and mentors each year, in various
mentoring capacities. Protégés and mentors are matched thoughtfully, and both parties attend a
structured orientation. This session allows mentors and protégés to understand the important
components of the program and permits them to evaluate their readiness to participate. The 2015
program has 262 active professionals who are mentoring students in varying capacities. These
professionals have chosen to mentor students in one-on-one relationships, in areas of providing career
exploration experiences (informational interviews, shadowing), or both.
Program accomplishments relating to student success are many and varied. The design of the progra m
is for accomplishments to be related to the protégé’s goals, e.g.,
 improving school performance;
 enhancing self-esteem;
 learning new skills;
 exploring, preparing, applying, and being accepted into graduate school; and
 creating a resume, practicing interviewing skills, and obtaining an internship.
(Though not the program goal, stories of protégés abound who have procured full-time employment
upon graduation due to making connections via the mentor’s network).
CONCLUSION
As the focus toward career development has increased for higher education to be accountable by
demonstrating their relevancy in preparing students to engage in meaningful careers, our commitment
at Elmhurst College remains to continue embracing our responsibility to align students with emerging
opportunities, and not leave them wandering lost, just hoping something good happens. This results in
making sure each student is prepared, developed, and engaged in opportunities for success for the
world after college.
The above report shows what a seamless process looks like from the day a first-year student arrives
on the Elmhurst College campus to the day of graduation. Having a full awareness of themselves is the
first step in the journey to becoming high-performing employees, graduate students, and leaders.
These best practices programs of high engagement results in new graduates having a complete
understanding of the EC dictum —know yourself, know your world, reach your potential.
REFERENCES
[1] Astin, A. W. (1993). What Matters in College? Four Critical Years Revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
[2] Graham, S.W. and Gisi, S.L. (2000). Adult Undergraduate Students: What Role Does College
Involvement Play? NASPA Journal, 38(1), pp.99-121.

7. [3] Pascarella, E., & Terenzini, P. (1991). How College Affects Students: Findings and Insights From
Twenty Years of Research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
[4] Pascarella, E., & Terenzini, P. (2005). How College Affects Students, Volume 2, A Third Decade of
Research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
[5] Gardner, J., & Upcraft, L. 1989). The Freshman Year Experience. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Bass.
[6] National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE), Recruiting Trends Report, 2015.