Global Career Compass
Leveraging Education Abroad for Student Career Development & Employability
Why Shouldn’t Campuses Help Every College Student Obtain a Passport to Graduate?
Have your attention? I’ve been thinking a lot about this for months, and now that graduation time is upon us (in the U.S.), I thought I’d again throw out this question (which I did raise on my Twitter feed awhile ago)…
A recent op-ed in the NY Times (the paper with real news), “Go East, Young American,” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/opinion/sunday/go-east-young-american.html?_r=0 caught my attention. NYU professor, Suketu Mehta (an Indo-American writer), described his family’s experience emigrating from India to raise interesting points about why more young americans do not consider working abroad. He cites the fact (I checked them out) that “Only a third of Americans have a working passport; three-quarters of Britons do, and 60 per cent of Canadians.”
Back to my question: Consider the paltry number of undergrads who study abroad – or have any type of international experience during their four years; while we’ve long understood that this deprives the majority of students with an invaluable co-curricular experience, and one which has the capacity to strengthen their employability after graduation, we only focus on numbers…like the IIE Generation Abroad goal to double the number studying abroad [a valuable goal in itself]. But, isn’t the root of the problem that most students never consider the importance of owning a passport – what this document can do for them for the rest of their life ? Whether or not they use it during their undergraduate years, it’s a document with the potential of leading any student to consider life-changing travel, work and study throughout their life. Much the same pitch we do make when talking about the ROI of obtaining a college degree- right?
So, I’d propose this: why not have every student entering college or university next Fall answer the question on a survey, do you or do you not own a valid passport? A kind of audit of how prepared each student is to consider an international experience as part of the next four years. For those without passports, why not subsidize the purchase of a passport for those students? I know, on large campuses, this is a lot of money. I’m not trying too hard to be too naive about this…but, why not find corporate donors, companies doing business around the world, to underwrite this plan! Great PR. A fine act of corporate social responsibility.
I wonder what per cent of the 20 million students enrolled in degree programs have passports? I’ve never seen this stat.
I’m just asking…
On the Importance of Linking International Experience to Employability-New Essays/New Ideas
Career Integration: Reviewing the Impact of Experience Abroad on Employment (No.2), has just been published by the University of Minnesota Learning Abroad Center & CAPA. See this volume – and the first one (2014) – at Publications || || Learning Abroad Center.
The two volumes are outcomes of conferences held in 2014 and 2016 bringing together several hundred senior international officers, employers, recruiters, faculty, and education abroad and career service staff. These are unique dialogues focused on the changing narrative around the value-added of international experience. This more inclusive framework includes the impact of such experience on student employability (not necessarily on “employment,” which is somewhat mis-leading in the title of both volumes). The two sections include essays -from both American (mine is: “How Employability Strengthens the Value Proposition of Study Abroad”) and international authors- about campus best programmatic practices and theory. There is a useful bibliography included in this volume.
All authors come to the same conclusion: an education abroad experience, well designed to maximize critical learning outcomes, which focuses on the need for students to strengthen essential qualitative and quantitative skill sets, provides an unparalled opportunity to strengthen student employability upon graduation. However, as Audrey Murrell of the University of Pittsburgh, states, there is an inherent tension about this linkage: “…a focus on career integration highlights the divide in the higher education community over whether education itself must have the explicit goal of ’employability’ especially for undergraduate education.”
I’d add that this tension is also due to the changing demographic of our college-age population. Once mostly white and relatively privileged, we know this is not the case now. Back “in the day,” students were far less likely to worry about the job or career focus they should have approaching graduation (certainly in the social sciences). Today, students are very concerned about how their curricular choices, along with co-curricular programs (i.e. study abroad, international internships), will impact their employability. This translates into very purposeful decision-making regarding participation in these programs.
Taken together, the two volumes offer important perspectives on how education abroad impacts student employability. While there may be some in our field who deplore this linkage, mistakenly thinking it is about the “vocationalization” of the collegiate experience, I have advocated, for over a decade, that assisting students in understanding how their international experience supports and strengthens their employability is the right thing to do. That it is, in fact, a moral imperative for campuses committed to internationalization.
Time for a “New Deal” Between Higher Education & Democratic Capitalism?
I think this new report by Anthony Carnavale, head of the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce, deserves a wide readership – and so here it is: https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/new-deal.pdf
In his conclusion, he states: “The choice between general and specific education is not a zero-sum game. The economic value of a college education and work training has added a new emphasis to the broader postsecondary mission. In a modern republic, the higher education mission is still to empower individuals to live fully in their time, but those individuals also need to be able to live free from the worst versions of economic or public dependency.”
I’m sometimes asked about my work and advocacy supporting the linkage of education abroad with student employability. Am I being too utilitarian? What happened to the ideals of seeing the world, having fun in new places, exploration of new cultures, learning abroad for its intrinsic value-apart from other objectives? My answer: sure, this still works, but, our higher education institutions are far far more pluralistic and diverse than ever. This means we need to expand how and why we value experiential learning and co-curricular activities – like study abroad and service-learning.
There’s nothing wrong with striving to connect how we educate students in college to the truer goal of students graduating (on time) and entering the workforce. Which families have the luxury of not wanting this for their children? Which students do not have to earn a living soon after graduation so they can begin paying back their loans?
Think about it.
Are The Wolves At The Door?
Of events in the United States since January 20, this is what I think [from the February 13/20, 2017 New Yorker, by Adam Gopnik]:
Democratic civilization has turned out to be even more fragile than we imagined; the resources of civil society have turned out to be even deeper than we knew. The battle between these two shaping forces –between the axman assaulting the old growth and the still firm soil and deep roots that support the tree of liberty –will now shape the future of us all.
Campus Education Abroad ‘Sherpas’
I’d like to receive replies as to how campuses provide training to their returned EA students to act as “ambassadors” to their peers considering going abroad. Reply here or to me at martyjtillman@gmail.com
I’ve just read a very important article by Goldie Blumenstyk in the August 16 Chronicle of Higher Education (via subscription only), “Meet Higher Education’s Newest Players: ‘Education Sherpas.’ It’s applying the analogy of the sherpa as guide to the acute need on our campuses for mentors to assist students make it through the “higher ed maze.” Especially for low-income and first gen students. In case you did not know the stat, less than 50% of students who start college finish their degree within six years!
But this idea made me think about my re-blog of a post I wrote last year asking why more students did not “see” or understand the link between their international experience and their employability. Of course, these students come from backgrounds, relative to the need discussed above, of privilege –one where they do have resources and support to figure things out, right? But, I…
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Running List of University/College and Higher Education Organization/Association Responses to President Trump’s Executive Order Entitled “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States by Foreign Nationals” Issued January 27, 2017
This is the latest version of the list which David Comp started compiling after the travel ban was imposed. On my Twitter feed, @tillman_marty, I have also updated it to include a different larger listing of 598 campuses signing on to a letter of “concern” to the new head of the Department of Homeland Security.
International Higher Education Consulting
On Sunday, January 29th I started compiling a list of U.S. colleges and universities and higher education organizations/associations that have issued statements in response to President Trump’s Executive Order Entitled “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States by Foreign Nationals” that was issued last Friday, January 27, 2017. You can access the list at bit.ly/2k7ixtQ.
The list of institutions and higher education organizations/associations links to their public statements and I’m seeking your assistance in identifying additional institutions and organizations/associations to add to the list. The list has grown to non-U.S. universities and organizations as well and I’m particularly interested in growing these lists.
What I’m seeking are links to public statements (which have mainly been posted to institutional and organization/association websites but on occasion to their Twitter and Facebook pages) so they may be added to the growing list. If your institution or organization/association has…
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“See” Something? Say Something.
In conversation with a campus colleague today, I happened to blurt out that the moment we’re in now requires something akin to the advice given public transit passengers in recent years. We hear it all the time on trains and busses and it’s on signs…So, yes, we are seeing a President acting against the interests of the nation and not in the interests of all the people.
For years, I’ve drawn a sharp line in the sand to separate my political beliefs from my professional writing. But, since January 20, I’m unable to keep doing that. My decision is to speak out. I have a social media presence and since so much of what Trump is doing to create chaos is derived from his own use of Twitter – amazing to say that – why not respond in kind.
Since last weekend, I’ve been giving voice to the growing list being compiled by Dr. David Comp at http://ihec-djc.blogspot.com/2017/01/running-list-of-universitycollege-and.html It’s a diverse listing, however, given that we have upwards of 3,000 academic institutions with international students on their campuses, there are only about 240 Presidents and Provosts who have made public statements to date. Less than 10%. Come on, where are all the other campus leaders hiding? This is a time say something on behalf of your efforts to bring international students on campus to enrich the life of your learning community (and no doubt to receive their full tuition dollars, too).
If you do not find your campus or organization on this list, write David.
If it was not clear throughout the campaign season, no one should now be surprised that the emperor has no clothes…Remember what Toto did in the Wizard of Oz? The difference is that our emperor’s pronouncements threaten the peace and stability of our nation and the world community.
I Oppose the Trump Travel Ban
This statement is found on my LinkedIn profile:
I’ve been giving notice on my social media accounts to this list by David Comp. I believe it’s a moral obligation for any American campus President, with international students and scholars on their campus, to speak out against the ban. David’s list, as of 2-2, represents less than 10% of the 3,000 campuses in the U.S. known to have international students enrolled.…This is David’s notice to NAFSA members to assist him in keeping the list updated…WRITE HIM IF YOUR CAMPUS PRESIDENT HAS ISSUED A PUBLIC STATEMENT AND IT IS NOT ON THE LIST:
This past Sunday I started compiling a list of U.S. colleges and universities and higher education organizations/associations that have issued statements in response to President Trump’s Executive Order Entitled “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States by Foreign Nationals” that was issued last Friday, January 27, 2017. You can access the list at bit.ly/2k7ixtQ.
The list of institutions and higher education organizations/associations links to their public statements and I’m seeking your assistance in identifying additional institutions and organizations/associations to add to the list. The list has grown to non-U.S. universities and organizations as well and I’m particularly interested in growing these lists.
What I’m seeking are links to public statements (which have mainly been posted to institutional and organization/association websites but on occasion to their Twitter and Facebook pages) so they may be added to the growing list. If your institution or organization/association has issued a response and it has been made public and accessible online I would appreciate hearing from you via email at international.ed.consulting@gmail.com.
The resource list at a glance (as of this posting):
- Link to President Trump’s Executive Order Entitled “Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Entry into the United States by Foreign Nationals”
- Two online petitions
- 227 U.S. colleges and universities
- 68 higher education organizations and associations
- 12 non-U.S. universities (all Canada so far)
You can access the list online at bit.ly/2k7ixtQ.
I hope you find the list helpful and thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide in identifying new statements.
Sincerely,
David Comp
International Higher Education Consulting
international.ed.consulting@gmail.com
Disconnect Between What Students Prefer to Study & Where Jobs Are in Workforce
I think the nexus of the conundrum facing higher education institutions for years to come is reflected in the post header. A new survey, Career Satisfaction, https://www.sokanu.com/analytics/degree-satisfaction, of 22,000 undergrads by the career support firm, Sokanu finds that “…jobs that are among the most in-demand and high-paying among employers are among the least popular among college students, and degrees with the lowest levels of earning potential are among the programs, attracting the greatest number of students.” This may be a “dog eats child’s homework” finding, however, it does need to be forthrightly addressed by all four-year colleges and universities (and not just community colleges).
Noteworthy is a new initiative of the United Negro College Fund:
The Fund announced a $35 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to spur career development and preparation at 24 universities nationwide. Selected schools submitted proposals for the Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), outlining their visions for bridging academic, career advisement and internship modules to help create stronger workforce pipelines and job readiness among 54,000 students, many of whom are from low-income households and are the first in their families to attend college.
As I’ve wrtitten before, this type of survey finding does not have to be viewed as a call for greater “vocationalization” of our higher ed system. Rather, it should shine a brighter light on the need to focus more attention on alignment of the curriculum for our growing diverse student population.
A brief, but spectacular, clip on closing the employability gap for students studying abroad – at 2016 IIE Generation Abroad Summit
I do love the brief but spectacular segments on the PBS News Hour!
Global Career Compass 