Linda Gross, Ph.D

What Placement Means,

How to Claim it with Integrity, and Build Metrics to

Support Your Work September 13, 2013 Valparasio, Indiana

© 2013

1. Data a. Downer b. Dread c. Distress d. Delight

2. Placement a. Panic b. Phobia c. Paranoia d. Pleasure

3. Statistics a. Stress b. Suffering c. Sweat d. Sensational

4. Annual Report a. Angst b. Anxiety c. Apprehension d. Amusement

A little self assessment

An Ostrich Lesson

Contexts & Challenges

Complaints about college ROI rise as a YouTube genre

• Return on investment (ROI) concerns – How can we measure the value of a college education?

• Economic pressures

– Rapid tuition and fee inflation – Erosion of public funding for state institutions – Rising institutional costs (health care) – Market competitiveness

• Increased need for public accountability

– Student debt load and loan default – Completion rates – Gainful employment – High profile scandals both public, private and for profit

What is driving the placement data obsession?

New York Times, May 3, 2013

Are college graduates more likely to be unemployed?

What may begin as an honest error, however, has a way of evolving through almost imperceptible steps from self-delusion to fraud. The line between foolishness and fraud is thin. Because it is not always easy to tell when that line is crossed, I use the term voodoo science to cover them all…

(Page 10)

Is placement data Voodoo Science?

The Problems with “Placement”

• Antiquated Terminology • Methodology

– Contrived formulas designed to yield the highest placement rate

– No consistency between institutions – Even the NCES has been reluctant to define a universal

methodology

• Fraud – Career Education Corporation $10.3 million fraud settlement

for inflating job placement data – ATI Enterprises (a career training company) will pay the federal

government $3.7 million to resolve compliance issues with federal aid and job placement data

Toward a Better Paradigm

• Methodology • Clear definition of the

survey population • Response rates • Practicality

– data mining and ethical judgment

• Timing • Clear definition of terms

– What is placed? – What is unplaced? – What about those we can’t

resolve

The Power of Transparency

Michigan State University Destination Survey

A Case Example

Owning our knowledge What goes into a student’s

post-graduation destination?

Study Abroad

Supervised civic

engagement

Leadership in a non-

professional organization

Scholarly research

with faculty

Internationa Internship

Faculty supervised

applied research

project with company

Leadership in a professional organization

Internships

What counts with employers?

Gardner, P. (2011) Recruiting Trends, Collegiate Employment Research Institute, Michigan State University

Student Activities

Academics

Service

Internships

Work

Daily living stuff

Social life

Family

Finances

Study Abroad

Reflective Learning Model

• Academic courses

• Internships, co-ops, practica, service

• Leadership experiences

• Study abroad

• Life events & relationships

LEARNING CATALYSTS

• Self awareness

• Skill identification

• Critical thinking

• Decision-making

• Learning

REFLECTION • Articulating growth &

skill development

• Boundary spanning problem solving

• Ability to contribute

• Transition awareness

INTEGRATION

Gross, L. (2000) Michigan State University

We are stewards of student experiences

Spanning boundaries with purpose and integrity

Passionate people take risks.

• Insight into what students find meaningful

• Working knowledge of employer expectations for new graduates

• Ability to identify gaps in student preparation for their destination upon graduation

We have unique assets to integrate, innovate and advance higher education

Harnessing the Power of Big Data

What kind of data are you sitting on? • Student usage of career

services – Counseling – Workshops – Career fair attendance – Interviews – Information sessions – Job applications

• Student employment data

– Hours worked – Level of responsibility – Pay rates – Work study – Internships

• Student destination data

College or Department

Career

Counseling

Career

Assessment

Workshops

Career Fairs

Job Listings

Job

Applications

Interviews

Arts

Business

Education

Engineering

Health

Sciences

Social Sciences

Practical Accountability – Real Time

• Institutional student information systems – Student demographics – Academic data – Retention data – Financial need – Academic internship

courses – Civic engagement

participation – Study abroad

participation – Undergraduate research

What data do you have/need access to?

A Model for Multidimensional Measures

Multidimensional Measures for College Outcomes

Aggregate

Student Data Warehouse

Student Interactions Counseling, Workshops, Career

Fairs, Interviews, Career Assessments

Student Experiences

Student Employment, Leadership, Civic Engagement, Research, Internships, Co-ops,

Study Abroad

Student Learning Outcomes

Curricular , Co-Curricular and support services

Student Academic and Demographic Data

(Institutional Student Information Systems)

Student Destination Data

Follow up Alumni Data

© Gross, L. (2013)

ADVOCATE!

Colleges and universities MUST be more explicit about co-curricular

learning expectations

The Ostrich Revisited

Linda Gross, Ph.D. Career Services Network

Michigan State University GrossL@msu.edu

Discussion

• MSU Destination Survey online: – http://careernetwork.msu.edu/exploring-

options/destination-survey.html – Includes latest full report as .pdf and links to sections of

the report including methodology, survey pool, timing, and terms definitions.

• MSU Collegiate Employment Research Institute – http://www.ceri.msu.edu/ – Publications include the “high states internship” and

“unpacking” http://www.ceri.msu.edu/ceri-publications/

Resources