Uniting Co-operative Education and Career Services: Challenges and Benefits

1. www.recruitguelph.ca Uniting Co-operative Education with Career Services The challenges of a newly blended family Karen Reimer CAFCE Conference June 2010 Co-operative Education & Career Services 519-824-4120, ext. 52323 recruit@uoguelph.ca

2. Agenda • Our History • Where are you? • Our Process @ UofG • Are we there yet? • Questions ???

3. “The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into our mind, but is how to get the old ones out”Author Unknown

4. Our History • Both Co-op and Career Services reporting to the Associate Vice-President Student Affairs as separate units … • Spring 1998 Co-operative Education Services moved from Student Affairs to report to the Vice-President Academic … • Spring 2004 Co-op moved back to reporting to the Associate Vice-President Student Affairs … • Spring 2005 Career Services unit joins Co-operative Education Services to create CECS …

5. Where are you? Are you integrated? Definition: “to form, coordinate, or blend into a functioning or unified whole” Consider: Operational Functions, Budgets, Co-ordinated Staffing, Space,

6. Metaphor:2 Family Systems Theory • When you blend two families you need a new equilibrium and culture • It takes 5 years to create a new blended family unit/tribe! • But only if things are functioning well and the people involved are healthy and willing to work at it

7. Always manage the FEAR ! • Be honest in your communication to staff ~ TRUST • Know that change can create fear • Share the vision about the integration & repeat • Understand and manage stress related to the integration ~ FEAR! • Keep staff informed about the implications the integration has to their jobs ~ FEAR • Encourage staff to get involved in building the new integrated department ~ FEAR

8. How we got to 2010….CECS Assessment Framework In 2006 we asked 3 Questions: 1) What are we trying to do? 2) How well are we doing it? 3) How do we know?

9. 1) What are we trying to do? Mission: Co-operative Education & Career Services supports, trains and leads students and alumni as they make career and further education planning decisions. Objectives: • Provide students with job search skills • Assist students to discern career or further education planning • Provide experiential learning and employment opportunities CECS, University of Guelph

10. The Assessment Process 2) How well are we doing? • Purpose • Objectives ~ set goals each year to achieve • Programs & Services ~ to meet objectives • Intended Outcomes ~ what & why? 3) How do we know? • Assessment Tools ~ ongoing • Feedback & Change ~ ongoing

11. Does it makes sense? • Student Affairs Assessment Project We have done the work and don’t need to recreate • Teaching Support Services Mapping Project We have done the initial work and the TSS project and help to guide us

12. Vision & Values Exercise Forming Storming Norming Vision: An inspired team offering integrated services to all students and alumni contributing to their intentional and rewarding career journey Values: Respect, Collaboration, Integrity, Commitment to Excellence, Creativity

13. Benefits of the union • Cross training and functions: front line, marketing, job development, website, curriculum, … • One stop shop for students, alumni, employers, faculty and staff • Enhances job development/employer recruitment • One database • One employment process • Cost savings: staffing, resources, overhead, space

14. Challenges of the union • Change management ~ FEAR • Bringing two distinct cultures together • Cultures reflect the type of accountability • Managing the fallout of losing staff

16. Honest observations!

17. “Any culture by definition, exists primarily to prevent change, to set in stone the lessons of the past”Author Unknown

18. www.recruitguelph.ca Thank You! Co-operative Education & Career Services 519-824-4120 ext 52423 kreimer@uoguelph.ca