While some institutions are ambivalent about too directly relating students' learning to workforce preparation, others see them as fused and characterize the argument between general education and career preparation as a false choice. Many institutions, associations, and employers advocate that workforce preparation is one of higher education's major responsibilities.
The negative stereotype of useful and useless learning that sometimes seeps into conversation about liberal education was challenged by George Nugent as he provided examples of liberal arts schools that have increased their focus on career preparation. His reference to the "Career Connections" section of the recent report from the Council of Independent Colleges, Innovation and the Independent College: Examples from the Sector, demonstrates that many liberal arts institutions are shifting their approach to accommodate today's students' career interests.
When considering student needs, experience in work varies a great deal across cultures and the potential impact of part-time employment while attending university is often an unrecognized benefit. International students are likely to benefit as much or more than domestic students from taking a campus job. Student employment leads to finding a niche for belonging, introduces students to university resources, builds a positive resume, and ultimately helps those who participate to develop important workplace attitudes and skills for the future. International students interested in working on campus need to be careful about their visa status (F-1 and J-1 allow no more than 20 hours/week) but, when possible, work can add value to the overall collegiate experience.
While the opportunities for part-time work are many, institutions that want student employment to have the maximum positive impact can do a lot to shape the experience. Jobs as research lab assistants, student librarians, resident assistants, office assistants, and event staff can all have benefit if supervisors are required to identify learning outcomes and encouraged to guide international students' reflection on what they are learning from their work. Recognizing that a campus job may be the first time an international student has ever worked is critical; many student jobs assume previous experience; acknowledging that international students may not have had that opportunity is key.
The negative stereotype of useful and useless learning that sometimes seeps into conversation about liberal education was challenged by George Nugent as he provided examples of liberal arts schools that have increased their focus on career preparation. His reference to the "Career Connections" section of the recent report from the Council of Independent Colleges, Innovation and the Independent College: Examples from the Sector, demonstrates that many liberal arts institutions are shifting their approach to accommodate today's students' career interests.
When considering student needs, experience in work varies a great deal across cultures and the potential impact of part-time employment while attending university is often an unrecognized benefit. International students are likely to benefit as much or more than domestic students from taking a campus job. Student employment leads to finding a niche for belonging, introduces students to university resources, builds a positive resume, and ultimately helps those who participate to develop important workplace attitudes and skills for the future. International students interested in working on campus need to be careful about their visa status (F-1 and J-1 allow no more than 20 hours/week) but, when possible, work can add value to the overall collegiate experience.
While the opportunities for part-time work are many, institutions that want student employment to have the maximum positive impact can do a lot to shape the experience. Jobs as research lab assistants, student librarians, resident assistants, office assistants, and event staff can all have benefit if supervisors are required to identify learning outcomes and encouraged to guide international students' reflection on what they are learning from their work. Recognizing that a campus job may be the first time an international student has ever worked is critical; many student jobs assume previous experience; acknowledging that international students may not have had that opportunity is key.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.