Summer Institute Helps Identify Career and Transfer Milestones

8/15/2024

As the Fall Term kicks off, the College is using the momentum and work completed in the Summer Institute to develop new program maps that connect academic pathways to careers or transfer options. These program maps will help students see a clear pathway from entry to attaining a mid-wage job or transferring to a baccalaureate program.

Each year, SPC’s Summer Institute provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to come together across departments and divisions to discuss College goals and plan for the coming academic year. Through a series of workshops, faculty and staff are a part of the conversation and planning process in developing ways to help students succeed.

This year’s Summer Institute consisted of three meetings. The first Summer Institute session focused on career on-ramps and off-ramps, while the second focused on jobs and wages. At the third Summer Institute, teams from each Career and Academic Community (CAC) convened to add career and transfer milestones associated with the courses in their academic pathways and aligned those milestones to the new Student Affairs Titan Track.

New Titan Track
At the workshop, Dr. Jamelle Conner, Vice President of Student Affairs, introduced Titan Track, a new tool developed for advisors that will help students understand the career milestones they should be reaching to be ‘job ready’ upon graduation.

“We’re going to be connecting very intentionally with our students much earlier on as they’re deciding what their career looks like, what transfer looks like, and making sure that they’re ready,” said Dr. Conner.

CAC teams were asked to compare the career milestones achieved in the classroom with those on the new Titan Track to identify any gaps or duplications. Each CAC team provided a spokesperson who shared a highlight of their recommended career milestones that will drive student success and lead to high wage jobs.

Program Maps
Now that the work of Summer Institute is complete, the new program maps for each CAC will be designed. Student maps will provide students with a clear pathway to careers and wages in their chosen field, and internal maps will help advisors, faculty and staff understand the career and transfer milestones students need to obtain to reach their goals.