Dr. Susan Schulz

Good points. Yes, what are the tasks and resonsibilities? Who does the employee interface with and what is the culture of teamwork, sharing, and brainstorming? We believe that the job description can be so clear that anyone can take over when someone is absent. Also when writing job descriptions and comparing them with the rest of the staff, it is easy to see where there is duplication of work or where some tasks are not getting done. Thanks, Susan

Good point. That's why it is vital to plan and budget and keep assessing how you are doing. Also it is important to be realistic when budget planning. We suggest underestimate your income and overestimate your expenses. Thanks, Susan

You are so right. We feel that there should be many graduation celebrations. The big one and one in class and lots of recognition. We have seen where the junior students make a party for the graduates. Then they can pre live graduation and have a goal to reach it. Thanks

That's great to hear. You put a plan in place and then looked at all the contingencies to make it happen. YOu also let information tell you where another location was needed. Good use of planning and avoiding costly mistakes. Susan

Hi Jenna We also see that schools with great placement departments have an impact on enrollment. Happy students with jobs refer people to your school. Happy satisfied employers refer people to your school and might even pay their tuition. Can you share with us how often you meet with admissions, what information you provide them, what data you maintain, how often you collect it, and what is done with the information? Thanks, Susan

Hi Jacqueline, We think the concept of encouraging students to join a professional organization is great. In fact, we encourage schools to include the student membership in tuition. This insures the student joins. Then integrate membership activities into the curriculum. Discuss the activities or newsletters and issues in class. Make belonging a part of the school experience. We also agree that career services activities should be interspersed throughout the program and we think they should be required. You are right - the goal is to give students skills and confidence. Both take time. Thanks, Susan

Interesting situation, Christopher. And very good point. Plans do have to be manageable and also do-able. Sometimes it's necesary to rate the plan for feasibility as well as ROI. You all might have generated lots of great ideas and enthusiasm. That's good. Sometimes we get blind sided so have to prioritize. Sounds like your regulatory board saw that it might be too much to do and helped you stay on focus. Maybe next time draft plans for 10 years! Thanks for a good point. Susan

Hi Jay, Sounds like you are doing a great job. We also believe that placement can be so easy if you pick externship sites willing to hire the extern. We spoke with a school that placed 65% of it's externs! You are right about Alumni -they are a great resource. In fact, you can ask them to ask their company to create a back link to your school website! Thanks, Susan

Great first assignment, Jay. We like the concept of students creating a career plan from the start and then working on the plan. Sounds like they can change their plan with new information and understandings of their goals. This makes the process dynamic and allows for growth over time. We do believe that developing a work-ready mind does take time. Typically grads have a hard time leaving the comfort of the classroom. Thanks for the very easy to implement strategy. Susan