| Strategies |
Action Steps |
Targets |
| Practicum |
New set of practicum courses taught by professionals in residence:
- 200 – building the portfolio (1cr.)
- 300 - working with a mentor (1cr.)
- 400 – career-readiness (1cr)
- 401 & 402 (additional practicum)
- Ethics training module (300?)
- PIR Ethics Panel – each semester
Hire professionals in residence (PIR) as practicum course instructors
|
- Soft launch practicum through Special Topics in Fall 2021
- Identify up to 2 practicum topics per major by 2022 (# of hours, project type)
- All practicum courses developed for and approved by UCC by Fall 2023
- Students begin their practicum in their second semester by 2023-24 academic year
- Aim to have xx practicum mentors in place by 2024-25 academic year
- Identify appropriate ethics training modules and PIR panel topics by major by end of Fall 2021
Identify 10 PIRs each semester to teach practicum courses; adjust as needed |
| Enhance funding for students in support of external experiential learning opportunities. |
- Pursue additional sources of funding within Foundation
- Research and compile list of companies and organizations who offer scholarships or funding to offset housing/living (such as World Journalism Institute, AEF, etc.)
- Reach out directly to alumni – annual donation to offset living/abroad expenses
- Establish additional domestic internships/international abroad “scholarships”
- Utilize internship experiences reported via MyRed
- Partner with companies to offer internship and housing or living expense stipends
|
- By June 30, 2021, develop list of companies and organizations who offer scholarships or funding to offset housing/living
- By 2022, create list and connect with influential alumni and/or company contacts to propose and establish partnership
- By 2023, identify number of students who aspire/plan to intern outside of Nebraska
- Increase current internship scholarship funding awarded from X number of students to X number of students by 2025
|
| Develop college-wide mentoring program for all students consisting of industry professionals. |
- Use Husker Connect (https://huskerconnect.unl.edu/) to facilitate mentor relationships
- Establish Alumni Mentoring Board (committee, advisory board) - members have additional roles for recruiting other mentors, etc.
- Reach out to alumni through alumni association, CoJMC alumni email, speaker list, Husker Connect
- Define mentor responsibilities/expectations
- Develop and administer Mentor Training program
- Student mentors for underclassmen (either expanding on the mentors in JOMC 100 or making a separate program)
|
- By the end of 2023, have each student participate in Husker Connect
- 300 mentors for 600 students with 1-2 students each mentor; mentor’s professional background must align with student’s major
- Students meet/have met with their mentor at least once per semester
- This should tie to the industry partnerships and mentors involved in the practicums
- By end of July 2022, define mentor responsibilities/expectations and develop and administer Mentor Training program
|
| Create additional partnerships with the industry to provide short- and long-term experiential learning opportunities beyond internships. |
- Promote the option of project-based and/or short-term opportunities to companies (instead of an ongoing internship)
- Establish travel budget for career specialist and/or faculty to meet with companies and contacts outside of Nebraska
- Establish protocols so students can take exclusively online courses and receive online support when they are on long-term learning opportunities (for example, an internship with an NBA team during the academic year)
- Ask faculty to provide a list of potential partnerships based on their personal relationships
|
- Schedule meetings with up to 20 companies in 2022 to discuss the option of project-based or short-term opportunities for student work
- Secure $10,000 in travel funds per year to support up to 10 trips for the career specialist to travel to meet with companies and contacts outside of Nebraska
- Start a pilot program in fall 2022 for up to 20 students incorporating resources and information gathered during the academic year 2021-2022
- Send faculty a survey during spring 2022 to provide a list of up to 10 partners they have contacted and who have agreed to take part in a program with implementation in fall 2022 (information may already be available in Digital Measures)
|
| Develop a “Career Readiness” senior-level course that includes a portfolio requirement. Students will present their work to a panel of industry professionals and faculty. |
- Structured feedback and revision of portfolio from both industry professionals and faculty
- Encourage students to add pieces from all of their experiences to the portfolio
|
- # of people providing feedback to 100% of students
- % source of feedback from faculty vs. % of feedback from industry professionals
- X% of final portfolio pieces from non-senior level courses
- X% portfolio pieces from non-CoJMC coursework (outside a course)
- X% of students’ final grade of B+ or better
- X% of students who pass course first time
|
| Create a required experiential learning credential for every student in the college that includes at least three distinct practicums, mentor relationship, portfolio requirement, and career-readiness course. |
- Appoint two (2) Professors of Practice (POP) to facilitate experiential learning in practicum progra
- Hire 1.0 FTE as Experiential Learning (EL) Coordinator to run all aspects of practicum program, mentoring program, industry partnerships and career readiness, etc.
- Contact Renee Batman to determine how to add credential or badge to transcript (if even possible)
- Brand experiential learning (EL) credential
- Promote EL credential
|
- Appoint POPs for Fall 2021 pilot program
- Identify funding for EL Coordinator by June 30, 2021
- By end of October 2021, have new courses developed and approved by faculty
- Hold naming contest in Fall 2021, with program name selected by end of October 2021
- Develop marketing plan by December 2021
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