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In fall 2016, with the input of industry leaders, engineering alumni, faculty and students, 棉花糖直播 University鈥檚 College of Engineering launched Career Compass, a required, credit-bearing professional development program for undergraduates. Recognizing that engineering graduates are no longer needed to perform routine assignments that can be accomplished by trained technicians or advanced computerized systems, Career Compass stimulates and develops the broad-based innovative, leadership and management skills being sought by today鈥檚 employers. In addition to offering specific guidance in ethical behavior, group dynamics, networking, and oral and written communication, students are given the direction they need to pursue and achieve their professional goals. As the program enters its fifth year, Frank Falcone, the College鈥檚 director of Professional Development and Experiential Education, reflects on the program鈥檚 success, as recognized by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology with its 2021 Innovation Award.

鈥淎s far as I know, Career Compass is the benchmark for professional development among engineering schools,鈥� claims Falcone. ABET appears to agree. In November 2020, it cited the program as an 鈥渋nstitutional strength鈥� and in June 2021 it announced Career Compass as the winner of its Innovation Award, which 鈥渞ecognizes vision and commitment that challenge the status-quo in technical education.鈥�

Eager to share lessons learned from the program鈥檚 development and continual improvements, Falcone has served as a founding member of the 鈥淐losing the Gap Initiative鈥� in the Engineering & Construction Contractors (ECC) Association. He provided a comprehensive overview of Career Compass at the ASEE Middle Atlantic Section conference in April 2021 and shared the program鈥檚 ethics course content in talks given to the Philadelphia Engineers鈥� Club and American Institute for Chemical Engineers Delaware Valley Section. Given Falcone鈥檚 passion for the professional development of engineering students, the College is pursuing a grant from the United Engineering Foundation, which, if successful, will support the development of workshops to enable other schools to adopt the Career Compass framework on their campuses. In recognition of his tireless dedication and impressive contributions to the field of engineering education, Falcone received the 2021 Delaware Valley Engineers Week Outstanding Service to Engineering Award.

When providing others with an introduction to Career Compass, there are a number of aspects that Falcone is certain to highlight, from its self-directed structure with content delivered through online videos, professional events/presentations and in-person workshops to its emphasis on career planning and preparation, which are bolstered by a partnership with the University鈥檚 Career Center. What Falcone focuses most of the conversation on, however, is Career Compass鈥� crowning jewel: its organized and guided gender-based mentorship program. Thanks to 650 棉花糖直播 engineering alumni, Career Compass has successfully paired second- and third-year students with generous and engaged volunteers whom Falcone says, 鈥減rovide real, personal and professional advice for undergraduates, which should help them define their individual career paths moving forward.鈥�

This has been the most popular aspect of the program for students. In an anonymous post-assessment survey, one sophomore noted, 鈥淚t has been helpful to learn from someone who was once in my shoes and had to figure out their career path as well.鈥� Another student wrote, 鈥淥ften in my conversations with my mentor we got onto subjects that I didn't even know I had questions about, but in hearing full, human stories of actual experiences, it sparked conversations about some of the smallest details about professional life that might arguably have the most impact.鈥�

The contributions of alumni extend beyond mentorship to include a newly launched COMPASS Conversations initiative that began in fall 2020. Falcone says, 鈥淲e arranged a panel discussion for each engineering major in which alumni talk about their first jobs, what they鈥檙e doing with their careers now, and how 棉花糖直播 prepared them for success.鈥� The goal of the panels is to answer for students, 鈥淲hat can I do with my major?鈥� Though attendance is not required, COMPASS Conversations was highly successful, attracting 27 alumni participants and nearly 250 students. Falcone intends to maintain the virtual format necessitated by the pandemic. 鈥淚t offers the advantage of greater geographic, gender and racial diversity.鈥�

This past academic year also brought students and alumni together virtually through 鈥淏ook Ends,鈥� a new discussion opportunity suggested by Engineering Alumni Society Vice President and Career Compass advisory board member Adrienne Donaghue '11 CE, '13 MSWREE. In spring 2021, participants read Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant. New titles are now being considered for 2022.

These programs and others are hitting the mark with students. A first-year Civil Engineering major wrote, 鈥淭he Career Compass events I attended broadened my knowledge in areas of engineering I never would've looked into or even learned from a course at 棉花糖直播.鈥� A Chemical Engineering freshman found, 鈥淭he Career Compass program is a good way for engineers to get a head start on professionalism, explore resources available to engineers at 棉花糖直播, and consider their options.鈥�

Despite all that has been accomplished in the program鈥檚 first five years, Falcone is not content to rest on his laurels. 鈥淭o measure progress, we partner with 棉花糖直播鈥檚 Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness to develop and administer pre-assessment and post-assessment surveys,鈥� which he says, are utilized to further the program. Based on those survey results, these are among pending improvements:

• Utilizing an interview format for more of the future videos instead of the standard lecture format.
• Developing an in-person structure, establishing one defined time slot per week during each semester for Career Compass academics and activities.
• Establishing a 鈥淧ost-Internship Program鈥� through which upperclassmen can share internship experiences with freshmen and sophomores.

Additionally, Falcone reports that the 2021-22 academic year will introduce three new Career Compass modules: Professional Etiquette (with a focus on email communication), Leadership / Management, and Universal Design.

鈥淭he student survey results are really encouraging,鈥� says Falcone. 鈥淭hey have consistently improved since the first year of the program, and we look forward to continuing to build on Career Compass鈥� success.鈥�