Robert Pearl Starks

Robert Pearl Starks

Location: phoenix, arizona

About me

As Vice President of Product Development, I lead cross-functional teams of designers, developers, QA testers and product stakeholders to develop, launch, and improve products customers need and love. 

Previously, I've worked in a variety of leadership roles in education / learning & professional development. Through my experience, I've become accustomed to working across departmental silos and with various stakeholders (executives, end-users, faculty, staff, students / learners, alumni, parents, regulatory agencies, partners and employers) to facilitate collaboration and advance common goals. In my previous roles, I've advocated for student needs and driven organizational change that helped educators do their best work, students thrive in their careers, and employers connect with quality talent.

Despite different contexts, a common theme in my career journey has been to do work that contributes to a mission which improves people's lives. It's also always been important for me to work with an organization whose values align with my own. I'm a listener, empathizer, customer advocate, servant leader, and lifelong learner. I'm never satisfied with status quo, I constantly strive for "better," and I'm driven by genuine curiosity to solve complex problems.

“Work to become; not to acquire.” -Elbert Hubbard

Interests

social media, career development, training, higher education, web 2.0/3.0, career services, leadership, marketing

Skills

social media, marketing, training, consulting, management, strategic planning

Activity

Carolyn, I noticed you stated you communicate issues with new enrollments after enrollment but before classes begin. I'm curious if you could share what process you have in place that allows you to collect data on these students prior to class starting to be able to initiate these conversations with other departments. Additionally, in your process, what are you assessing and how are you assessing it? Can you elaborate on this process? Out of curiosity, can you also provide background on how your institution has reached this current state of collaboration. Did you start in your current role with all… >>>

At the Technologies in Education Forum, a variety of experts in educational technology discussed a myriad of topics ranging from MOOCs, badges as a form of credential, and student engagement.  

See what they had to say:

Reimagining Educational Opportunity: College & Employment from The Atlantic on FORA.tv

Economist Andrew McAfee suggests that, yes, probably, droids will take our jobs -- or at least the kinds of jobs we know now. In this far-seeing talk, he thinks through what future jobs might look like, and how to educate coming generations to hold them.

 

Watch this TED TALK

Discussion Comment

Susan, I truly encourage you to stay part of our learning community - www.careercollegelounge. I continue to be a resource to help in any way I can with your career center goals. As you know, it is critical to have a foundational understanding of things which I hope this course has provided (strategy vs. tool knowledge), but, perpetual learning through continued dialogue is truly how we continue to get value from training. I hope you will continue using social media not only to help your students but to help yourself in your own professional development. Modeling desired behaviors is the… >>>

On Thursday, May 16 the Higher Education Group at OISE joined the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), as well as the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) to host a free, one-day symposium.  The event addressed key policy research issues facing Ontario's post-secondary system including student mobility, institutional differentiation and learning outcomes. 

 

Here are the sessions with PPT slides and Video Recordings:

10:00-11:20  Panel 1: Credit Transfer and Student Mobility: Research and Policy Implications

         • Chair: Stacey Young (Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer)
         • Sam Andrey & Jennifer Da Silva: Life After High School - … >>>

NBC News ran a story on a growing trend of Americans flocking to Canadian colleges.  What's the reason?  The cost of tuition was a major factor.  

  • Is your institution seeing a rise in American students attending?  
  • Is your college seeking to recruit American students?
  • What are the challenges and ways in which they can be overcome?

Watch the News Report: 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Jill,

Great comments.  In what ways do you think "academic advising" and "career advising" can become more interrelated?  Do you have any ideas on how an instiuttion would make this happen?

Thanks.

Are Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) a true revolution in education or simply a technology trend that allows institutions to appear to be "with it" as a marketing strategy?  Is it both?  Listen to the brief remarks in this short podcast and share what you think on this matter.  

Discussion Comment

Susan, If you have a Facebook Fan Page, you should be using Facebook Insights which provides statistics on engagement. It can't tell you how many total visits you have to your page but you can measure the growth of your community based on Fans gained. Remember, building and engaging community is key if you are to try to use social media as a tool to drive outcomes. You must first have a community and they must be engaged before you can design ways to try to drive outcomes that align with your career center objectives. The ideas are limited only… >>>

Susan, Please keep in mind that while you are learning the full breadth of developing a strategy from goal identification to implementation and outcomes measurement, a reality is that people must work within their capabilities. Take what you are able to do and run with it to enhance your effectiveness and if you have questions or need assistance, remember I am here to help even after you have completed this course by connecting with me in The Lounge (www.careercollegelounge.com), the social learning community for you to continue interacting with myself and peers. Robert Starks Jr.

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