Professional and Career Preparation for Science Students: Making Them Ready for the Real World

1. Professional and Career Preparationfor Science Students:Making Them Ready for the Real World Presented by Dr. Douglas Arion Carthage College Kenosha, Wisconsin Presented to Pew Midwest Math and Science Consortium 5 March 2006

2. Setting the Stage: An Incredible Story • What kind of thinking do we want graduates to be able to do? An anecdote demonstrating extremely non-linear thinking X

3. How can we get students to think this way? What is the transition they need to make? Lots of Direction Clearly Defined Problems Various Levels of Performance Largely Self Direction Ill Defined Problems Only Highest Levels of Performance

4. The Problem • Transitioning from the guided, safe college environment to the less determined, risky real world is difficult and frightening • Skill set is different • Performance expectation level is much higher • Level of individual responsibility is much higher • Risk is much greater • Background Research: • Hettich, P., From College to Career • Gardner, J. N., Van der Veer, G., and Associates (1998). The senior year experience: Facilitating integration, reflection, closure, and transition.

5. What Kind of Experience/Capstone Meets These Needs? • Students need to experience a progression of activities to bring them along • Can’t ‘spring’ the new demands/concepts/expectations on seniors! • Students need to explore career choices early • Students may develop a love for a career or discover they do not like their choice • A progressively greater level of responsibility/level of performance is required • A capstone that requires a high level of performance and topical synthesis is important • Career/Professional skills topics need to be brought in on a ‘just in time’, developmentally appropriate basis • Background Research: • Secor, M.,Helping College-Aged Students Survive and Thrive Their College Experience: A Review of Relevant Literature. • Chickering, A. W. & Reisser, L., Education and Identity • Evans, J. E., Forney, D. S. & Guido-DiBrito, F., Student Development in College Theory, Research, and Practice.

6. The Current Carthage Program:History and Background • The ScienceWorks Entrepreneurship Program was founded in 1994 • The Nation’s first undergraduate technology entrepreneurship program • Founding member of the National Collegiate Innovators and Inventors Alliance • Staffed by faculty with industrial and technical experience

7. ‘As Define’: Entrepreneurship Startup business topics Angel/Venture financing Risk Management Growth Exit Strategies Few Students will Start Companies ‘As Executed’: Career Preparation Core business skills Communications Skills Interviewing Dressing ‘Intrapreneurship’ Most Students will have Jobs – Will need the same skills! Program Goals: Two Different Views

8. Junior Courses Internship/Work Experience ESNS 310/320: Communications Skills Intellectual property Business structures and cultures Incorporation Finance Taxes Legal Regulation Bids and Proposals Contracts Purchasing and Property ESNS 325 (J-Term) Commercial Technologies [Total: 12 Credit Hours] Business and Technical Activities Must generate a Business Plan Project [Non-Credit Bearing- Recommended but Not Required] Senior-Level Business Plan Courses • ESNS 410/430 • Full-fledged Business Plan • New Product • New Business/Spinoff • SBIR/IR&D Proposal • Defended before Advisory Board of Experts • [Total 8 Credit Hours] ScienceWorks Entrepreneurial Studies Program Layout

9. DNA Enzyme Biotechnology (Pfaffle) Sports promotion software (Heavy Hitters LLC) Business assessment software (Acumen, Ltd.) Computer Imaging Software (Digital Collages) Biotechnology Models (Molecular Designs LLC) Blood Testing Technology and Biological Agent Detection (Precision Research, Inc.) Chiropractic Clinic Expansion (Fleuchaus Chiropractic) Hospital Expansion Plan (United Hospitals) Software (Express Payroll Systems) Golf Ball Finder (Nike) Secure Mail Delivery System; MIGGA Blood Handling System At-Home Medical Tests Baby Monitor System (Swarthmore College) Food Monitoring (Johnson Prof., Inc.) Neurological Detector and Amplifier System Street Level Gallery Art Gallery Computer Keyboard System for the Disabled Quickscope Manufacturing Software (Innavision, Inc.) Bioadhesives (CATI) Wideband communication (WIFI Spots) Economic Development through GIS (Teska) Examples of ESNS Business Plan Projects

10. Program Issues • Not all students have the same goals – may not be served well by a single delivery method • Not all students are suited to current business plan capstone projects • Don’t touch the students until they are juniors • Topical content emphasizes technical applications • Other populations not addressed • Single-pass on topics means that repetition-experience-further development don’t happen • Limited time means it’s hard to cover all topics with sufficient depth • Skills/abilities/attitudes in multiple areas need to be developed

11. The (Near) Future Program (We Hope!):Professional Studies in the Liberal Arts

12. Key Features of PSLA • Progressive set of activities from first year through senior capstone • Introductory elements in orientation classes • Sophomore experiential learning elements • ‘Seamless Curriculum’ integrates courses plus co- and extra-curriculars to deliver core content • A variety of capstones to suit different audiences • Multiple entry points/implementations • ‘Professional’ Major Tracks • Minor • Electives • Experiences/Events

13. PSLA Capstones • CATI-based Business Plan Projects • Synthesis of entire programmatic content • Student paired/partnered with external company/technology to prepare full business plan • Basic Business Plan Project • Demonstrate competence/understanding of programmatic content • Student given current technology idea to ideate/develop market plan/financial plan • Topical (Major) Capstone • Research project/research experience thesis

14. Partnerships: Making it Happen • Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation • Kenosha Area Business Alliance • Racine County Economic Development Corp. • National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance • Kern Entrepreneurial Education Network

15. Outcomes • Assessment Results from the Current Program • Triennial survey of all program participants and their employers • Student Results: Considered most valuable college experience • Business plans were key to being hired • Program experience manifested in their positions • Employer Results: Most capable new hires/more advanced employees We’re doing something right!

16. Recommendations • View the capstone as the culmination of a process • Provide the necessary elements along the way so that the capstone is really meaningful • Capstone should exercise technical knowledge, attitudes, and abilities as well as professional knowledge, attitudes, and abilities • Real world experience and off-campus participants are needed to connect the capstone to real life for the students