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STARS

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To raise persistence among underserved populations, the College of Engineering tailored a program with intensive early academic and holistic support

Sonya Cunningham headshot
A first-generation college graduate herself, Sonya Cunningham, assistant director of Diversity & Access for the College of Engineering, advises STARS students. Photo: Filiz Efe McKinney

The College of Engineering’s many departments have among the most demanding curricula at the college level, and many students change course after challenging math, chemistry and physics prerequisites. The uneven preparation from low-income high schools doesn’t give at-risk students much of a chance, and those are the students who often struggle to adjust quickly enough to college life and the high-stakes, fast-paced course load. Looking for ways to address these issues while increasing diversity, the College of Engineering adopted STARS, the Washington STate Academic RedShirt program, a National Science Foundation-funded retention program, in 2013.

“This is an academic redshirt year versus an athletic redshirt,” says Sonya Cunningham, assistant director of Diversity & Access, who oversees the program at the Seattle campus. “It means essentially we want you on the team, but you’re not quite ready. Students start exercising their academic muscles for a year.”

About 32 incoming first-year students from Washington who qualify for certain financial aid are invited to join the intensely rigorous program based on their expressed intent to major in engineering. Grit and resilience are the other essential ingredients, so students are comprehensively screened for a strong drive to complete an engineering degree.

Courtney Seto, an industrial and systems engineering major who joined the STARS program in 2013, appreciates the time and support that let her adjust to new expectations. “At first I thought the STARS courses wouldn’t be that hard, but it was definitely harder than I thought it would be. The classes taught me study skills, how to work on your own and be independent and self-motivate.”

The STARS program helps students adjust by fostering a supportive community, focusing on core academics, and showcasing options and opportunities to help them choose the engineering path that is right for them.

The 2015 STARS Cohort with President Ana Mari Cauce: According to the College of Engineering, historically, fewer than half of the entering first-year engineering students at the UW will complete their degrees. The success rate is even lower for students from low-income backgrounds. The STARS program is designed to dramatically change these outcomes. Photo courtesy of the College of Engineering.

Fostering community requires a multipronged approach: Beginning with their own transition week at the start of the academic year, STARS students spend a lot of time together. They are required to live on campus for two years (starting in fall 2016, they will live in the Engineering Living Learning Community), they go through many required classes with their cohort and Cunningham even requires them to attend group study sessions. Joshua Quichocho, a computer engineering major who started with STARS in 2014, says, “At first I didn’t like it, but over time it became really useful. When I work with other people, I can work much longer. I get really tired doing one hour of calculus on my own.” Having dedicated staff support also goes a long way and STARS students are required to meet quarterly with their academic adviser in their first year and at least twice during their second year.

“Often students think all they need to do are academics. Well, it would be nice if human beings could live in a compartment like that,” says Cunningham. “But students are typically navigating way more, and everything that happens to them outside of academics affects how they’re doing academically.”

Building academic skills and persistence for high-level applications: Even for students who had good grades in high school AP Calculus, math for engineering is at a whole different level, focusing on problem solving and critical thinking for practical applications rather than memorizing formulas. The faster pace can often mean that one failed test early on tips a student toward giving up rather than readjusting their expectations and working harder. But with a little extra preparation and time to adjust, they can still be successful. “Because students have so many struggles in math and chemistry, we wanted to make sure they had a really good foundation to work off of,” explains Cunningham. Seto saw the value early on. “The math class was helpful for the intensity of preparation because the first test was so in-depth and made you think critically,” she says.

STARS mentors teaching a class
Courtney Seto (right), an industrial engineering major, co-teaches a STARS First-year Interest Group (FIG) in 2014 after her own year as a STARS student. Cunningham encourages advanced cohorts to stay involved with incoming students. Photo: Filiz Efe McKinney

Demystifying and preparing for career paths: With so many different majors that can lead to specialized careers, many students know little about opportunities for the future, whether they were previously exposed to high school engineering programs or not. Yet by the end of their first year, STARS students must choose a major and apply. Engineering Exploration is a class designed to demystify the various fields, and, though it is open to all UW students, it’s required for STARS students in their first quarter.

“Faculty come to talk about different departments and the research they’re doing because we’re trying to get students to be open to new possibilities,” explains Cunningham. STARS students also complete a Career Services certificate, learn about internships and practice professional development skills early on.

STARS students who earn a 3.0 at the end of the year are guaranteed admission to an engineering department, and the majority are accepted by their first choice. By their sophomore year, even though they are still taking prerequisites, they are able to start integrating into their department and building relationships with faculty that can lead to research and internship opportunities.

By the end of their redshirt year, Cunningham sees the transformation in each student. Seto stayed involved as an upperclassman to mentor new students through the engineering First-year Interest Group and to help plan community-building events and activities. Quichocho relishes his early acceptance to his chosen major. “A few of us talked about it, and if we weren’t in STARS, we wouldn’t be as prepared,” he says.

The College of Engineering reports that the STARS program is already positively impacting student retention and performance. STARS students in the first two years achieved higher GPAs and performed better in their math and science courses relative to eligible but non-participating students. Survey data also show that STARS students are significantly more familiar with student resources around campus. The college is also getting more diverse as it grows: Enrollment of under-represented minority students in engineering has increased by 93.5% since STARS began, while enrollment in the college as a whole increased by only 30.5%.

Today’s engineering graduates will work in an increasingly diverse workforce while solving new problems. So far, challenging students to commit to hard work while providing a foundation of academic, personal and professional success resources and services is resulting in graduates who will truly be prepared for the field of the future.

First-year students in the classroom

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To ensure first years have options to create meaningful academic connections, First Year Programs coordinates opportunities for personal classroom experiences

First-year Interest Groups (FIGs): Creating small communities at a big university

Operating within Undergraduate Academic Affairs, First Year Programs (FYP) is dedicated to facilitating transitions for all incoming freshman and transfer students. One option FYP coordinates, First-year Interest Groups (FIGs), brings students together in small cohorts where they become part of a learning community of peers as they embark on their Husky Experience and make connections both academically and socially.

Since 1987, these FIGs have given first years the opportunity to fulfill General Education requirements while learning about campus resources and connecting with upperclass student mentors. As a result, they develop skills and build connections that will lead them toward a successful undergraduate experience.

Low stakes courses encourage exploration: Students enrolled in a FIG take a 2-credit course (graded credit/no credit) called General Studies 199: University Community. This weekly seminar is led by an upperclass undergraduate FIG Leader with 20 to 25 students. Beyond GEN ST 199, FIGs may also be clustered with an additional one, two or three classes, generally organized by academic fields such as pre-engineering, pre-health, environmental studies or political science. This model allows students to explore new academic topics with other students who share common interests.

“Joining a FIG that catered to my academic needs and interests has been a highly enriching experience,” explains freshman bioengineering major, Rebecca Darrow. “Not only did it connect me to amazing undergraduate students who can share their experiences with me, but I met so many friends who share the same interests. Since all my classes were attached to my FIG, I had a close-knit group to study with. My FIG encouraged me to put myself outside of my comfort zone and network within the UW community — my first quarter would not have gone nearly as well if I had not joined the FIG.”

Students in a first-year student interest group
In First-year Interest Groups (FIGs), first years learn how to succeed in and out of class as they find out about different aspects of the UW from upperclassmen. Photo: Jill Reddish

Experienced students serve as leaders: FIG Leaders gain first-hand leadership and mentoring experience, get practice teaching and managing a classroom, and learn how to be a mentor for younger students. For first-year students, having a direct relationship with an experienced student helps them in their transition to UW.

The classes and assignments designed by FIG Leaders in the University Community course are centered on themes from the FYP common curriculum. The curriculum includes the five themes of Transition, Critical Thinking, Academics, Community and Professional Pathway. Activities and assignments may include experiential projects such as an in-depth exploration of Seattle neighborhoods where students practice observation, reflection, research and synthesis, and presentation skills. They may also engage in career preparation with workshops on LinkedIn and resume writing, and Q&A panels with upperclassmen about choosing majors and getting involved around campus.

Departmental partners are key to success: Over 40 departments collaborate with FYP to provide these grouped classes. They coordinate schedules and ensure spaces are reserved for about 70 unique combinations of classes in some 160 FIGs. With about half of the first-year population participating in FIGs, these departmental relationships help ensure that all students who are interested have the opportunity to be a part of this enriching program.

Brian Fabien, professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean of Academic Affairs, addresses the value of this type of early academic access. “Working with First Year Programs to offer FIGs provides new students with the opportunity to begin exploring their academic interests in engineering,” says Fabien. “These FIGs are a great way for students to learn about departmental requirements, ask questions about degree programs and decide which engineering disciplines interest them the most.”
 

Collegium Seminars: Small-setting engagement with faculty

The Collegium Seminar program offers first-year students a specially designed opportunity to build connections with faculty and peers for more personal interactions and in-depth discussions. These seminars often serve as an introduction to college level critical thinking and engagement. The 1-credit seminars are graded credit/no-credit to encourage students to explore new subjects in a low-risk environment.

As of the 2015-16 academic year, the program created a strategic partnership with FYP and the Husky Leadership Initiative in an effort to expand and integrate leadership education into the classroom. With the Husky Leadership Initiative partnership, the seminars become a place where the teaching and learning of leadership skills is made explicit by weaving discipline-specific concepts of leadership into seminar curriculum. Through this integration, students begin to associate their developing identities as intellectuals with a sense of responsibility and opportunity to engage in leadership and apply their knowledge in service to the world.

Taso Lagos teaching his collegium seminar
Collegium Seminars, such as this one led by Taso Lagos (above center) offer first years a small setting and unique topics to explore at the beginning of their academic journey. Photo: Jill Reddish

Since many introductory level courses commonly have large enrollments, first-year students benefit from a wider selection of small classes, especially those with low-stakes. The seminar program expands its selection of smaller settings by capping enrollment around 18 students. The style of interaction also helps students begin connecting with faculty early on in their academic careers.

The seminars’ variety of subjects is reflected in the breadth of departments that offer courses each year: 14 departments were represented in the 32 seminars available during the 2015-16 academic year. The benefits of the program also extend to the faculty who teach them. “Collegium Seminars give faculty a chance to explore topics outside of their normal teaching area, or, if it’s a topic that they do cover in their teaching load, they can offer it in a unique way,” explains Taso Lagos, affiliate instructor in the Jackson School of International Studies. Lagos leads a seminar called Hollywood Dissent and American Democracy.

Clarence Spigner, professor of Health Services and adjunct professor in American Ethnic Studies and Global Health, is another instructor who goes outside his regular courses. In his seminar Good Books: Race, Gender and Diversity, students conduct critical analysis of a book of their choice, reflecting particularly on themes of race, gender, ethnicity and well-being.

Lagos has been involved with the program for two years. “For the freshmen who take [seminars], I think they also feel liberated — putting the emphasis on knowledge and discussion rather than information retention,” he says. Collegium Seminars serve as one starting place for first years to learn how to engage in thoughtful conversation and reflection, leading discussions and developing community among themselves.

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The Husky Experience Toolkit

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To help students access and understand critical transition information, campus partners came together to reach students where they’re already looking — online at MyUW

Girl sitting and texting
Students can engage with the Husky Experience Toolkit on their mobile phones or on the computer.

Before they can take advantage of the many resources and opportunities that can help shape their Husky Experience, students have to know when, where and what those opportunities can be. But with a university this big, students have long reported that they struggle to process all the available information; then, when they realize they need something specific, they don’t know where to look.

Providing custom, just-in-time communication

In 2015, the Husky Experience Toolkit (formally #ThriveUW) launched as a pilot program on the Seattle campus to deliver information crafted specifically for first-year students in a timely, direct way through the MyUW homepage and mobile app. First-year students receive weekly messages specially crafted by faculty, advisers and experienced students aimed at helping them become aware of the many resources and opportunities at the University while presenting strategies to help them make the most of the information. The Husky Experience Toolkit program expands the ability to reach these first-year students, bringing them closer to the campus programs that can help them have a truly transformative educational experience.

“While the Husky Experience is different for every student — each of them chooses a unique set of academic and out-of-class experiences that contribute to their learning — we know that making sure they are knowledgeable about opportunities is an important first step,” explains Michaelann Jundt, associate dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. “[The Husky Experience Toolkit] is a way to make sure that all first-year students receive the same message about the wealth of resources and activities available to them.”

The Husky Experience Toolkit has increased the capacity for campus communications to reach first years without relying solely on mass emails or students’ initiative to sign up for messages.

During fall 2015, message content covers a wide range of topics, among them: tips and tools for stress management and wellness, directing students to advising resources to work on an academic plan or the Career Center for a career preparation strategy, and why getting involved outside the classroom through student organizations and campus events is important to their development.

For instance, the Husky Experience Toolkit messaging about library resources reads: “Need help with research? Librarians are experts at finding answers and navigating and evaluating information resources.” It presents a “Try This” suggestion, with simple actions and steps to encourage students to make their first connections with UW Libraries, and then includes helpful links for quick access to additional resources.

Strategic partnering with live campus events can boost participation

The timing of events such as Dawg Daze and others by partner units like the Career Center and Housing & Food Services reinforced the information new students were receiving through the Husky Experience Toolkit. For example, Odegaard Library held a “get to know your library” event following their related the Husky Experience Toolkit messaging. “We were able to connect with undergraduate students in a fun, informal way and inform them about Library services and resources,” explained Amanda Hornby, teaching and learning program librarian at Odegaard Undergraduate Library. “[The Husky Experience Toolkit] also enables us to highlight the resources and people most relevant to new UW students and by so doing help to demystify a complex and large library system.”

By the end of the first phase, the UW Libraries are one partner that has seen
positive results. Programs such as Residential Life, Peer Advisers and others are integrating the Husky Experience Toolkit as a resource for anyone working with first years. UW-IT continues to gather data and assess the efficacy of the program, but early results point towards success — student polls show that first years have an increased knowledge of campus resources and opportunities compared to previous years. Through the creative collaboration of campus partners, the Husky Experience Toolkit is getting results and benefiting students.

Article originally titled, “#ThriveUW,” content updated July 19, 2018.

Capstone projects as opportunities for real-life applications

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The Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and the Environmental Studies Program at the Program on the Environment are interdisciplinary programs with capstones experiences that require students to work with active practitioners as they pull knowledge from a wide variety of fields to produce multidimensional research projects. In both undergraduate programs, faculty collaborate with practitioners so that students gain direct insight into the professional world through on- or off-campus experiences. Ultimately, students learn about finding a personally fulfilling career and discussing their skills and real-world experience during interviews and networking.

The Jackson School Task Force Capstone

The Task Force capstone (JSIS 495) in the Jackson School gives students a taste of global affairs work with the guidance of policy professionals as a complement to academic knowledge. Students work in teams, or task forces, of 15 to 17 people to study a global policy question, develop a substantial research brief, and arrive at a set of policy recommendations that would be timely and relevant to a variety of organizations, similar to presidential commissions. Topics have ranged from climate change policies to redressing human rights violations in El Salvador, and more. “When I started directing the Task Force program eight years ago, we noticed that while students were academically prepared, they were missing some methodological skills,” says Professor Sara Curran, chair of International Studies. In response, the program developed a new prerequisite, the Policy Memo Workshop led by Philip Wall, affiliate professor and a retired senior Foreign Service officer, to teach students the skill of condensing 25-page studies into one-page summaries. Because Task Forces operate on a very tight deadline at a different pace than a one-quarter class, Wolfram Latsch, director of the Jackson School Academic Services, developed a student handbook that lays out roles, responsibilities and timelines so that team members understand what is expected and why their work matters. With these explicit tools provided by the School, “We didn’t have any surprises we weren’t prepared for,” observed Jwanah Qudsi, who participated in the 2014 “Drone Wars” Task Force her senior year.

Introducing students to professional expectations for careers in international affairs in two critical ways

  • When students learn directly from practitioners — instructors range from elected officials to retired Foreign Service officers — they experience a new perspective and are often treated more as colleagues working towards a shared goal. “We deeply appreciated getting that insider point-of-view of what it’s really like,” says Qudsi about working directly with her instructor, U.S. Congressman Adam Smith.
  • Students learn to manage both time and people while balancing different roles and deadlines for the group and as individuals. “Students are used to controlling their own space, so they have to adjust to this lack of control,” says Latsch. “It can be disorienting.”

Task Force Evaluation Day is designed to add additional layers of real-life experiences

The culmination of the Task Force experience is an in-person briefing to an external, expert evaluator. “This intense engagement requires professional preparation and quick thinking, as the students combine a polished presentation with on-the-spot answers to critical questions from the expert evaluator,” says Curran. Latsch points out how the evaluation “again mirrors the professional world, as one’s work will often be more visible and persuasive if an articulate argument is matched with evidence.” At the formal closing dinner, evaluators and instructors often continue discussing the reports with Task Force members, exposing students to a new dimension of professional conversation and social networking. “It’s given me an appreciation for how hard it can be to get policy passed,” Qudsi observes. Wall believes the combination of thorough academic preparation with a real-life simulation is essential to preparing students for a wide variety of careers. “I have yet to meet a fellow Foreign Service officer, active or retired, whose response to my description of the Task Force capstone was anything other than ‘I wish I could have taken that course,’” says Wall.

Task Force 2015 students after their presentation on reforming U.S. foreign aid policy. U.S. Congressman Adam Smith (back row, far left), flew to Seattle from Washington, D.C. each week to serve as their instructor, and Rajiv Shah, former USAID Administrator (center), was the final evaluator. Photo courtesy of the Jackson School of International Studies.

Environmental Studies Capstone Experience

Through a three-quarter Capstone Experience course series (ENVIR 490, 491, 492), Environmental Studies students gain valuable hands-on experience, explore meaningful career possibilities and develop professional skills. The Capstone Experience is built around a quarter-long internship in which students produce a research project and a portfolio of professional writings supported by faculty and on-site mentors. Capstone partners range from community-based nonprofits, private sector organizations, state and federal government agencies, and faculty research projects on topics ranging from e-waste to food security to environmental education in the digital age.

The Pre-Capstone Seminar prepares students for the Capstone Experience through targeted academic study and professional development

Because many students have not held internships before, the seminar introduces them to the job search process with sessions on résumés, cover letters and ways to adapt their “pitch” for an informal job fair or formal interview to land their top choice project. “Once they’ve secured that internship, that’s when we think about how that hands-on professional experience is going to relate to their scholarly work, and apply it in an academic setting,” says Capstone Instructor Sean McDonald.

During the Capstone Experience students adjust to two roles — scholars and professionals: As scholars, the students develop insightful research questions based on their hands-on experience and assemble a thorough bibliography under the guidance of a faculty adviser. As professionals, they acquire project management skills and report to their site supervisor with specific project deliverables and deadlines while learning to navigate a professional work environment.
Throughout the internship, site partners and faculty mentors provide support and encouragement to students. “They remind students to communicate regularly about their progress and any challenges, and to not be afraid to ask for help,” says Clare Ryan, director of the Program on the Environment.

Reflection — on the process and the results — is built in to multiple assignments

Students synthesize and reflect on their experience with a variety of writing projects. Assignments include:

  • Writing memos, which pushes students to succinctly summarize their progress and research while honing their professional writing techniques
  • Reporting research findings in an academic analysis paper, akin to a senior thesis
  • Summarizing their experience in public-facing integrative essays
  • Documenting and contemplating the process in personal journals
  • Sharing updates with peers through informal discussion on a Tumblr class blog while strengthening their network of future colleagues

Students learn to communicate to multiple audiences

Students present their research to site partners, potential employers and a general audience at the culminating Capstone Symposium. At this point, students understand how their experience relates to the broader context of their Environmental Studies education and their own future goals, and are able to market their capstone experience for their job search or graduate school applications. “They start to see a connection between what’s going on in the classroom and what’s going on outside of it,” says McDonald.

 

Learn More

Read the full Provost report on how to link academic passion to life and careers.

A multi-faceted approach to helping students build networks before graduation

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Faculty in the Department of Communication are connecting students with alumni and opportunity to experience real-life work spaces

“It’s not just deciding what your career’s going to be, it’s who do you want to be? What are the attributes you want to develop in yourself? What, then, in your professional toolbox do you develop to contribute to that?”

Nancy Rivenburgh
Professor, Communication

 

When the Communication faculty asked themselves if they were meeting the new needs of students, they realized they often saw students failing to connect their education with professional development.

“Students who are graduating now are entering such a different work place than we grew up in,” says Professor Nancy Rivenburgh. “There are whole new ways of thinking about career opportunities, and it’s important to stay up to date with that.”

Many students weren’t understanding how the creative and critical thinking skills developed in the classroom would actually apply in a work environment. Many also seemed unaware of the incredible variety of careers beyond traditional paths for which a communication degree prepares graduates.

“We were seeing a gap,” says Chair David Domke. “So we asked, ‘What is a 21st century approach to student development?’”

Based upon this self-assessment, the department inaugurated programming changes in 2013 and 2014 that seek to integrate academic learning with career strategy and leadership development. The new approach included remodeling a new collaboration space and adding a new director of student leadership to launch a Career Kickstart program and revamp their internship program.

Communication faculty also saw this as an opportunity to improve student engagement inside the classroom. “I have pure academic goals, of course, but students are motivated if they also see the relevance of what they do to post-University life,” says Rivenburgh. The faculty found that student motivation benefits most when programming is guided by two themes: connecting students with professionals and providing opportunities to experience real work environments.

Linking alumni to students facilitates meaningful, often lasting, connections

“Students a lot of times will only think there’s a small range of jobs they can have, but then they go on our trips and see there are so many different roles at these companies.”

Arianna Aldebot
Director of Student Leadership, Communication

 

Interactions with department alumni offer current students an approachable, accessible introduction to the job market in their field. The department involves alumni in several ways, including:

Communication Alumni Board: Members offer real-world feedback and programming suggestions based on the latest market needs in their fields. “They’re constantly thinking about what kinds of opportunities we can give to students. They know what’s trending,” says Arianna Aldebot, the new director of student leadership who serves as staff liaison to the Board.

Professional Development Workshops: Alumni volunteers focus on specific skills, such as pitching a story or tailoring a résumé for a specific job. “The workshops are so beneficial,” says junior Thomas Nguyen. “I think it’s something a lot more students should take advantage of.”

Alumni Database: When students have a career goal in a specific city, they can turn to Victoria Sprang, the alumni outreach manager, who recommends appropriate contacts for informational interviews and possible professional mentors.

Mentor Chats: Small group sessions offered nearly every week host alumni discussing how their studies and activities at UW helped launched their careers. “I want the students to feel like it’s more intimate, so they get comfortable asking questions,” says Aldebot. “The mentors like it as well because they feel like they get to really connect with the students.”

Beyond inspiration, alumni can also offer the kind of one-on-one mentoring that is invaluable to nervous or curious students. “We’re meeting people who had experiences we can relate to — they took the same classes, worked at The Daily. Hearing their stories fueled me to want to do better, knowing these people did it, and so can I,” says Nguyen. “I know I can go to them for advice.”

Career Exploration trips are high-impact experiences

Career Exploration trips started in 2013 with visits to Los Angeles and New York City, and day trips to businesses and media outlets around Seattle. Aldebot and Sprang pack the agendas with a variety of meetings, from a general alumni mixer to structured roundtables with professionals who speak about their companies and the range of communication jobs. From the senior editor of a fashion magazine to chief digital officer of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the exposure to active professionals and settings helps students make informed choices about their futures.

“It’s so valuable getting experience while still in college because you really get to put into practice what you learn in the classroom.”

Ashley Walls
Junior, Journalism major

 

“Initially, I was hoping to be a features writer for a large newspaper outlet,” says Ashley Walls, a junior who went on the first trip to New York in 2013. After touring ESPN and meeting a range of people in communications there, she shifted her focus. “Now, I want to be a community relations director for a professional sports franchise, helping to establish partnerships between teams and nonprofit organizations, and encourage community engagement,” she says.

Experiencing the environment of a job market first-hand also helps students narrow the field for their job search. Nguyen explains, “I know students who started the trip thinking they would like to work in New York City. It saved them so much time when they realized how that market, and such a drastic change, wasn’t right for them.”

Career planning through a course offers more structure to students who need it

The department has also been updating COM 494: Careers in Communication. “We wanted something in the curriculum that gives students a chance to think concretely about applying their University learning to a career environment,” says Domke. “Sometimes students want to dive deep over several weeks in a group setting to process what it means to even think about a career.”
Today’s robust programming now delivers several explicit options to students. Many students make the most of a few workshops or mentor connections, while others find that visiting work spaces or having the guidance of an entire course has the most impact for planning their future.

Thomas Nguyen
Junior, Communication

Thomas Nguyen’s Career Exploration trip: “It kickstarted my momentum”

“Going to Deutsch Advertising, in New York City, was my aha moment where I connected everything I was learning in the classroom with my interests. Hearing from their planning director, I realized it was all the things I really wanted to do in one position. Before the trip, I was everywhere — interested in marketing, event coordinating, television. After the trip I found out I was really interested in advertising.

“Learning about different industries and work cultures and thinking about what kind of life we want helped me make a mental action plan. I know what internships to look into now, and I’m tailoring my class schedule to really build myself up for the career I know I want.”

Learn More

Read the full Provost report on how to link academic passion to life and careers.

How the strengths of an artist apply to the 21st century job search

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Students cultivate self-reflection, problem solving and critical thinking in UW Dance Program’s Senior Seminar, readying them to articulate their experience as a dancer to prepare them for success in the job market

Graduates from the UW Dance Program pursue careers in arts leadership, nonprofits, teaching, medicine, movement therapy and more. Since many students double or even triple major, dance alumni enter the job market with a high level of skill in giving and receiving feedback that is valuable in a wide range of team and coaching environments. Faculty also focus on cultivating self-reflection, creative problem solving, critical thinking and a fearless willingness to try new things. Dance majors can then bring these attitudes to their job search, which gives them a jump-start in the Dance 480 Senior Seminar.

The seminar guides students to analyze both what they want from a career and how their individual strengths as an artist will match their aspirations. In the dancer’s tradition of experiential learning, they also spend nearly a full day on a job shadow. As they summarize what they learned in the class, students practice verbalizing the meaning of their personal experience with dance, a critical but challenging skill for dancers.

Thinking critically about CVs and personal strengths

“My senior seminar on career preparation starts at 8:30 in the morning, and I can tell from the lack of absenteeism that the students want to get something out of it.”

Hannah Wiley
Professor, Dance

 

Dance professor Hannah Wiley teaches the program’s senior seminar. She invites alumni and dance professionals to speak with her class about careers, and asks guests to make their curriculum vitae available ahead of time so that the class can analyze them. “They see how these professionals present themselves, and it helps the students shape how they will want to be presented,” says Wiley. After a guest lecturer’s visit, Wiley asks students to discuss what they learned from the content of the presentation and the way the visitor described his or her knowledge and skills.

Through this exercise, “I figured out how to explain the ways my public health degree relates to my dance degree,” says Sean O’Bryan, a senior double-majoring in dance and public health. “At first I didn’t think cover letters were that important, but now I see how I can represent my personality and accomplishments in them. I think it makes me stand out.”

Job shadowing helps students find the right professional fit

After learning about different careers from guests, students in the senior seminar choose a job to shadow. This offers students more nuanced insight into fields they’re interested in exploring. “I don’t know any job where you’d get any real sense of what it’s like in an hour,” says Wiley. “If a job is boring to you, you’re not going to figure that out in an hour, but you’ll figure it out in six.” Shadowing has helped dance students discover what they like and, just as usefully, what they don’t. “There have been some pretty amazing things that have happened,” says Wiley. “Like, a student going to shadow a first grade teacher and realizing, ‘I could never do that.’ But another student saw first graders using dance throughout their day and thought it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen!”

“If they fall on their face, we’re there to help them figure out what to do next. It’s so key to them feeling like they can make their way through the world.”

Juliet McMains
Associate Professor and Donald E. Petersen Endowed Fellow, Dance

 

Meaningful reflection aids purposeful career decisions

Students give a final presentation in which they reflect on their professional skills, how they expect to apply their personal strengths to the career they plan to pursue, and how what they learned from their job shadow affected their career plans.

“I ask them ‘why’ a lot,” says Wiley. “If they’re applying to medical school, they present to us on why they chose one school over another one.” Wiley says reflection helps students gain a sense of purpose and empowerment that they are in control of their own future, and know that they have skills to accomplish their goals.

The presentation also forces students to verbalize why dance and artistry matter to them. “It’s important that all of us in this field learn to talk about dance because talking isn’t how we relate to it, but it’s how we relate to other people about it,” Wiley explains. “The idea is to practice that skill.”

“Often students who are double-majoring learn more about creativity here, then suddenly realize ‘Oh, I am creative in math, I just never thought of it that way.’”

Jennifer Salk
Program Director and Associate Professor, Dance

 

Pushing students to take risks can lead to surprising results

The dance faculty are constantly encouraging students to try something new, from experimenting with a different shoulder movement to applying for a dream job. “You have to try things,” says Siena Dumas Ang, who is triple majoring in dance, math and computer science. She says her dance training make her more willing to spend the time necessary to experiment in her other studies. “You might need to spend five hours writing code to see if it works, and a lot of people don’t want to spend that time, but in dance you just have to try a lift to know if it works.”

The results of trying something new or uncomfortable often surprises the students. Wiley pushes her seminar students by having them write a tailored cover letter for their dream job, even if they feel it is too far out of reach and don’t intend to send it. One recent graduate took a chance, submitted her dream-job application and was accepted for a year-long internship at the Kennedy Arts Center, which led to a position with the prestigious Dance USA. “It makes a difference to them to have someone say, ‘Yes, you can do that job, why wouldn’t you apply?’” notes Wiley.

The confidence to know when to lead and when to follow

The collaborative, interdependent environment of dance mirrors professional team settings in many ways. Both require a team player who knows her own strengths, how her performance fits in to the bigger picture, how other people rely on her, and when to step forward as a leader to give direction or even a solo performance. Moving between these roles requires a team member to be comfortable with giving and receiving objective feedback as well as a high level of self-awareness, which are nurtured through reflection and other exercises in the dance program.

Dumas Ang summarizes her experiences learning these skills with dance: “It’s about discovering what kind of artist you are, from the theoretical side and the practical side, blending it all and becoming somebody who is confident in who you are.”

Learn More

Read the full Provost report on how to link academic passion to life and careers.

Dispelling the myth of the unemployable humanities major

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Through the History Fellows Program, faculty in the History Department are helping undergraduates realize the wide variety of career options open to them

“It’s a very collaborative endeavor — building connections in the community for internships, and developing a really solid, well-organized curriculum.”

Adam Warren
Director of Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor, History,

 

Historians spend a great deal of time separating fact from fiction as they dive into myths and misinterpretations of the past. Now, through a mix of academics and professional engagement in the History Fellows Program, the UW History Department is dispelling the modern myth that a history degree is professionally limiting by helping undergraduates realize the wide variety of options open to them.

Launched in 2013, the History Fellows Program is open to junior and senior majors who apply for a three-quarter sequence of classes and workshops, culminating with an internship.

Faculty took the lead in this effort. “We’re confronting head-on the assumption that a history degree leads to nothing,” says Adam Warren, associate professor and director of Undergraduate Studies. Warren and his colleagues had noted the trend of students taking courses they see as ‘employable’ at the expense of indulging their curiosity and pursuing their passions. “It doesn’t have to be an either/or situation,” he says.

Faculty and staff collaborated to create programming to complement students’ academic coursework. “We wanted something in tandem with the academics they’re doing, and not imposing itself into the curriculum, because we don’t want our faculty to re-adjust how they teach history,” says Matt Erickson, the department’s director of Academic Services. “But we needed students to think concurrently about professional development while in their undergraduate career.”

Tailoring curriculum with the Career Center

“The real point is not to funnel our students into traditional places that history students go, but for them to realize that they’re getting very adaptable skills that apply in all sorts of different career and professional settings.”

Jon Olivera
History Fellows Program co-manager and Undergraduate Adviser, History

 

The department hired doctoral candidate Michael Aguirre to lead the History Fellows Program with Undergraduate Adviser Jon Olivera.

They reached out to Patrick Chidsey, a counselor in the Career Center, and together they developed a curriculum specifically for history majors.

The History Fellows Program focuses on placing each student’s career goal at the forefront. The first step is helping students identify their strengths and see how they relate to future options. “Especially in humanities where that path is less obvious, we want students to develop pride in the choices they’ve made, to recognize the value in what they’ve done inside and outside the classroom and to see the interrelatedness of it all,” says Chidsey, who was a history major himself.

Graduates of the History Department have gone on to jobs with Google, The Brookings Institute, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Park Service, Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) and the Alaska Center for Energy and Power.

Peers help each other articulate unique skills with a new lens

In their first quarter, History Fellows build career skills through workshops on writing strong résumés, practicing interview skills, and expanding networks through informational interviews and social media. The sessions are purposefully structured for small group work.

“During the résumé workshop, students learned a lot from each other about presenting their skills in an attractive and concise way. If there isn’t something that catches an employer’s eye in about four seconds, they’ll move on. Even I edited my résumé after that!”

Michael Aguirre
History Fellows Program co-manager and Doctoral Candidate, History

 

“Small groups allow students to relate to one another, share the same concerns and push others to realize individual skills and accomplishments,” says Chidsey. “The intimacy to let down walls, challenge each other or brainstorm in a vulnerable way is important.” As they work together, each student builds confidence and practices articulating the skills gained from academic accomplishments such as writing major research papers.

“Sometimes you need somebody else on the outside to see your strengths. I believe we all left that workshop thinking, ‘Wow, we’re history rock stars,’” says Debra Pointer, a senior who was in the first History Fellows cohort. That confidence, along with support from program staff, helped her land an internship working in the archives at Planned Parenthood of the Greater Northwest in spring 2014.

Career fairs are a transformative experience

The Fellows program provides a framework for history undergraduates to articulate skills as humanists with their strengths in information literacy, critical thinking, cultural understanding and more. Even when faced with position descriptions that never ask for a history degree, the Fellows learn how to adapt and tailor their pitch.

Students are then required to put their freshly polished résumés to good use by attending at least two career fairs to gain practice. “I wanted them to immerse themselves in the experience and see what the competition is,” says Aguirre. “It was really eye-opening for the students.”

Pointer notes that the experience was challenging but ultimately helped each of them build confidence. “It’s hard to sell yourself. But you have the skills. It’s about finding your way to talk about what you can do,” she says.

Internships connect academics with careers before students graduate

Skills gained in the first two quarters are put in practice by spring quarter, when many students land internships. The program’s faculty and staff work to give students meaningful options, although they also encourage students to find new opportunities that suit their interests.

“A lot of people have the perception of ‘Oh, you’re a history major, does that mean that you’re going to be a teacher?’ And I say, ‘No, you can do a lot of things with a history degree, actually.’”

Molly Malone
Senior, History major

 

Senior Molly Malone, whose spring 2014 internship at the Labor Archives of Washington at the University of Washington inspired her to pursue master’s degrees in History and Archives and Records Management, is a strong advocate of these experiential learning opportunities. “I tell people all the time that they should do an internship,” Malone says.

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Studying the past, looking to the future: “So much of what we are doing is breaking down myths and getting history majors to realize they have skills to bring to the table, even in a supposedly technology-driven world,” Aguirre observes.

Through small-group workshops, networking practice and internships, the Fellows emerge more confident in themselves and their ability to find a fulfilling career after studying their passion.

“I followed my heart with my history degree,” says Pointer. “I would love to see all history majors know they have skills that mean something.”

Learn More

Read the full Provost report on how to link academic passion to life and careers.

Career preparation at the college level

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CAREER CENTER @ ENGINEERING

Benjamin Janicki, mechanical engineering master’s student (BS ‘14) consults with Jim Buttrick, Boeing employee, in the new Boeing Advanced Research Center that enables students to work collaboratively with Boeing engineers on aircraft and spacecraft assembly and manufacturing.
Photo credit: Brian DalBalcon

Designed for efficiency and collaboration, the new Career Center @ Engineering will be a branch of the Career Center housed in the College of Engineering. The joint center is scheduled to open to students in fall 2015 and will be located in Loew Hall. It will function as a single entry point for employers seeking to hire engineering professionals. The center aims to improve visibility and responsiveness to students and companies, to increase the number of companies hosted at career fairs and conducting on-campus interviews, and to provide students with more opportunities for internships and jobs.

As College of Engineering Dean Michael Bragg describes it, “The Career Center @ Engineering is an important initiative for the college — one that promises to enrich our students’ educational experience and deepen our industry partnerships. Our students develop strong technical skills in the classroom. This center will expand opportunities for experience-based learning through increased industry interaction, internships and training. This will allow our students to enter the workforce with confidence and, at the same time, meet the needs of industry.”

The Career Center @ Engineering will coach and prepare students in areas of career strategy and successful job search techniques, including:

Basic job search skills: Writing and tailoring a résumé to a specific opportunity, how to build and sustain a professional network, and how to conduct an excellent job interview.

Knowing future options: Familiarity with the variety of engineering careers and how to explore these options.

Connecting academics with professional experiences: Understanding of skills gained through leadership, research, community service, internships and other co-curricular and curricular experiences at UW.

Ability to articulate proficiencies: Concisely communicating about talents, strengths, values, transferrable skills and experiences in ways that align with various industries and engineering career options.

 COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES CAREER PREPARATION

The College of Arts & Sciences is helping students learn how to translate their education to career applications through various college-to-career opportunities focused on job skills, networking, internships and strategic mentorship. Robert Stacey, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, says the goal is to “introduce students to the skills and attributes that employers are seeking, and to do so early in their UW careers. We want them to recognize that, regardless of major, they can increase the value of their education by starting to prepare now for the world of employment.” Students can add to their experiences beginning with the following options:

“I’d recommend Koru to anyone, whatever major. Whatever program you’re looking to go into, I would say Koru is for you. It gives you a new way to think about school and education, and your career path later in life.”

Gabriela Rojas-Luna
Sophomore, Philosophy major

 

Koru@UW A&S:

The College has partnered with Koru, a Seattle-based training company, to offer Koru@UW A&S, an intensive program that will introduce Arts & Sciences students to skills needed to be successful in the business world. Beginning in late summer 2015, students can enroll in a two-week long session on the UW’s Seattle campus. Students will learn about a range of businesses and will work in small teams to tackle real-life business problems presented to them by a local company. The Career Center is planning follow-up sessions specially tailored to take these students to the next level of professional development, including how to land an internship and refining LinkedIn profiles.

A&S Internships (under development):

The College is rethinking how students approach and take advantage of internship opportunities. From scope of work to location and duration, Arts & Sciences is piloting new ways students can integrate internships with their undergraduate experience. These might include novel forms such as “micro-internships” that last just a day or two, allowing students to quickly assess projects and organizations to more closely align with their skills and interests. Numerous partners, both on and off campus, are committed to reimagining what the internship experience could look like.

Mentorship Activities (under development):

The College is also working closely with the UW Alumni Association to develop a program pairing UW alumni with current students preparing to enter the world of work. Alumni/student mentorships will address a multitude of shared UW Arts & Sciences experiences such as tackling a challenging academic major, leveraging a diverse and ever-evolving undergraduate curriculum, and becoming informed citizens. The mentor/mentee relationship will help students connect their degree to their life and goals after graduation.

Learn More

Read the full Provost report on how to link academic passion to life and careers.

‘Productive disruption’ teaches students to be intentional learners

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Center for 21st Century Liberal Learning (C21)

“Our goal for first-year students is that, by the end of the year, they can present a coherent story about their intellectual goals. If we help students do this work in the pre-major, they are more likely to end up in the right majors for the right reasons. And they become engaged students who are a joy to teach.”

Kevin Mihata
C21 Director and Associate Dean for Educational Programs, College of Arts and Sciences

The Center for 21st Century Liberal Learning (C21) is a recent initiative of the College of Arts and Sciences exploring how to best prepare undergraduates to thrive at the UW and beyond. The Center’s core programming revolves around the C21 Fellows, a group of students who experience a unique curriculum tailored to their needs, and who also contribute to shaping the future of C21 itself. Undergraduate students apply to participate in the program. The most recent cohort started in summer 2014, building skills and relationships even before their first quarter at the UW. C21 is collaborating closely with Undergraduate Academic Affairs, First-Year Programs, and the Career Center in this effort to re-think what a college education should offer.

Putting students in the driver’s seat: In order to get the most out of college, students need to learn to be strategic early on, say C21 staff. “At a big research university like this, if students are not intentional about their own learning, they will miss a lot of great opportunities,” says Director Kevin Mihata. Through experiential learning, facilitated discussions and structured reflection, C21 staff guide Fellows as they learn to be proactive about their educations rather than simply ticking off requirements. “It seems clear that they can’t learn this just by us telling them,” says Mihata. Four years of practice as C21 Fellows helps students develop key skills, attitudes and habits they can draw on to shape their futures.

Learning is less about finding the right answers than asking the right questions: C21 leaders find that incoming students often need to unlearn some attitudes and practices in order to get the most out of their UW education. Intensive, early fall experiences are designed to jump-start this new way of thinking before first-year students ever arrive on campus. In 2014, this consisted of a short study abroad experience in León, Spain. “They have done everything right to get here, but they haven’t had a lot of experience operating in ambiguity,” says Gretchen Ludwig, C21’s curriculum coordinator, of students transitioning from high school. “In León, they came to us for feedback but were really fishing for what we wanted, for the answer. After we didn’t tell them, they began to reflect that maybe there isn’t just one answer.” C21 Fellow Alvaro Contreras says the León trip was “preparing us for what college is going to be like. In high school we’re so used to having a rubric of what we have to do. Here they just told us, ‘Go out, explore, and then give us a presentation.’ ”

A ‘home base’ as students adjust to college life: Like the communities many undergraduates find in the Greek system or student organizations, the C21 Fellows program offers students a tight-knit campus ‘home’ with small cohorts and dedicated campus mentors. For example, Bob Stacey, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, advised the Fellows in Spain during their summer study abroad experience. C21 staff see such support as critical to student success. The first quarter of college is “not a comfortable place to be,” says Ludwig. “They really need a community to support them as they try to make sense of their college experience.” C21 Fellows have three overlapping communities: their own cohort, a “learning lab” that mixes together about 15 C21 Fellows at different points in their academic careers, and all 72 C21 students. Fellow Louie Vital notes, “It gives us a way to not be stuck within our own discipline, but to really learn from each other, and what other majors and students have to offer.”

C21 Fellows (left to right) Alvaro Contreras, Ednauh Kamlondy, Louie Vital and Tiffanie Matthews reflected on their UW experiences in a C21 video. Contreras remarks, “We don’t have anyone saying, ‘Do this, do this this way.’ It’s all the way we interpret it.” Kamlondy notes, “Here they say, ‘This is the prompt, what can you do with it?’ ” Images courtesy of Isaiah Brookshire.
C21 Fellows (left to right) Alvaro Contreras, Ednauh Kamlondy, Louie Vital and Tiffanie Matthews reflected on their UW experiences in a C21 video. Contreras remarks, “We don’t have anyone saying, ‘Do this, do this this way.’ It’s all the way we interpret it.” Kamlondy notes, “Here they say, ‘This is the prompt, what can you do with it?’” Images courtesy of Isaiah Brookshire.
“I teach my 9th graders in the Bronx the same things that C21 taught me: creative problem-solving, love of learning and resilience. I am so happy to facilitate the kind of mentoring relationships that helped me succeed in college for students who otherwise wouldn’t have them.”

Jeevon Durkee ‘13
C21 Fellow 2012-13; B.A., Geography

Out-of-the-box assignments: C21 coursework reflects the program’s focus on ‘productive disruption’—getting students to take on challenges that may be uncomfortable but activate creativity. The C21 curriculum is made up of one-credit seminars that meet for 90 minutes each week. Assignments are often open-ended. One recent activity asked Fellows to film a video reflection about their UW highs and lows so far. Responses ranged from tears to laughter, from quiet reflection to dancing—sometimes all in the same video. These displays of vulnerability and resilience sparked a lively class discussion about the unexpected stresses of college, and how to pull through them. Through assignments like this, mentors believe C21 students have an opportunity to learn to take risks safely—what Assistant Director Cynthia Caci jokingly calls “supervised floundering.”

Students co-create the curriculum: C21 coursework is already student-driven­, but juniors and seniors are also asked to submit proposals about next steps for C21 as a whole. For example, juniors recently designed and proposed a C21 major. Mihata says, “We are in year three, and this is an iterative process. We are co-creating the model with the students.”

A UW education is more than the diploma: As C21 Fellow Ednauh Kamlondy reflects, “University is not just a place to focus on your major, but a place to learn as much as possible.” One thing C21 staff want students to learn is that they don’t have to find every answer on their own. “They are so used to the individualized testing culture,” says Ludwig. “That’s how they’ve been judged. But knowledge is distributed­. What we are helping them learn is how to ask for help, navigate networks and use those networks to solve problems.”

Making better majors: C21 leaders have a series of goals in mind. “The first quarter is just about building a support system,” Mihata says. “The first year is about helping students develop an intentional self-story of their own intellectual aspirations. There’s also an institutional goal here: to get students into their majors earlier, and into the right majors for the right reasons.”

Learn More

Read the full Provost report on how to link academic passion to life and careers.

Supporting student-veterans working towards a degree and a dream

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Veterans Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship (VIBE)

“This program launched just over a year ago and we already have three or four viable companies that are attracting investors. People from all over the country have called me to ask what our students are doing. VIBE is a start-up itself, but this really can be a national model.”

Phil Potter
Director, VIBE, UW Tacoma

 

The Veterans Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship (VIBE) recruits University of Washington Tacoma students with military backgrounds into a cohort-based program that provides coaching, mentorship from local business leaders and peer support as they flesh out and implement their ideas for new businesses. On Veterans Day 2013, the Tacoma campus launched the VIBE program, which Alfie Alvarado-Ramos, director of the Washington State Department of Veteran Affairs, celebrated as “the only one of its kind in the nation.” VIBE students benefit from specialized mentoring that integrates their in-class learning and their broader goals. Director Phil Potter says, “This is a learn-by-doing experience. We’re looking to help veterans understand what it takes to plan a business, start a business, launch a business, but do it within the educational context so they’re not alone. We want to make sure these students know what it takes, and put them in positions to succeed.”

Veterans are natural entrepreneurs: Potter believes military veterans naturally have the necessary skills to run a business. “If you take a look at a spec sheet for what we think good entrepreneurs are and what we know veterans are, they match up really well,” he says. ”They both understand when to lead and when to follow. Both groups are innovative and push themselves. They have a tendency to complete an outcome or a mission, oftentimes in the absence of ideal resources. And at the end of the day, they just get things done.” VIBE member and U.S. Army veteran Steve Buchanan runs ChooseVets, a task-outsourcing business founded on his confidence in other veterans. He says, “The Army has already background checked them, they’ve been trained and they know how to call you ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am’ and get a job done.”

“Often one of the biggest challenges working with young entrepreneurs is their lack of practical experience, but this is not a problem with our military veterans. They know how to run meetings, delegate tasks, set goals and get things done.”

John B. Dimmer
VIBE mentor; co-founder of the Tacoma Angel Network

 

Helping student-veterans translate their skills to the civilian context: Potter considers “incredible veteran talent” one of the South Puget Sound’s best “natural resources.” However, many of VIBE’s student-veterans report struggling to find an outlet for their skills after returning to civilian life. Shem Zakem, a former Army signal support systems specialist who recently graduated from UW Tacoma, remembers, “I thought that the training and skills I had from communications would have a good translation to the civilian sector, but I came to find out that…not so much.” VIBE seeks to “unleash that talent for great things,” says Potter.

The cohort model facilitates creative collaboration and peer-mentoring: VIBE students come to the UW with different military training and enroll in a variety of degree programs. As a result, they often find that one of their best assets is each other. Zakem describes his symbiotic friendship and professional relationship with attorney and business school graduate Buchanan, commenting, “Steve can say, ‘I’m having trouble with my software, what should I do?’ I can go to Steve and have him explain what an LLC is,” referring to a limited liability company. Now as alumni of VIBE, Zakem and Buchanan are focused on growing the businesses they nurtured during their time at the UW. Both are receiving widespread attention for their work: Zakem’s company, Bettery, was identified by the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs as one of the top new veteran-led startups in the state, and Buchanan was invited to attend the State of the Union address with the Washington state delegation as an innovative business leader seeking to benefit veterans.

Cohort now, professional network later: In the challenging, risky world of entrepreneurship, a supportive community can make a big difference. VIBE provides a space for UW Tacoma students who are veterans and aspiring entrepreneurs to come together as professional collaborators. “We’re not just in VIBE together, we’re friends­, too,” says Buchanan. Zakem adds, “It’s not a competition, it’s a team effort. Everyone has contributed to everyone else’s company in one way or another, whether it’s advice or a sympathetic ear. So we’re all invested in each others’ successes.” Most VIBE students are also committed to the Puget Sound region for the long term, notes Potter. As a result, VIBE relationships can grow into a professional network with a lasting impact on the community.

“There are a lot of programs out there to help veterans from the ‘handout’ mindset rather than the ‘hand up’ mindset. I’d rather have someone help me in a way that will help me move up the ladder rather than just help me in the short term.”

Shem Zakem ‘14
VIBE member; U.S. Army veteran; B.S., Computer Science and Systems, UW Tacoma

 

UW faculty are a key resource: As entrepreneurs and students, VIBE members can draw on courses and faculty across the University to help further their business goals. When Zakem realized his background in computer science didn’t prepare him to run the financial side of his company, he signed up for a class at the Milgard School of Business. “I could have banged my head against the wall teaching myself, but I took a class and learned it in three months,” he says. Zakem also sought out advice from faculty members such as Andrew Fry, assistant director of Industry Partnerships and lecturer at the UW Tacoma Institute of Technology, who is also an experienced entrepreneur.

A curriculum driven by student needs: VIBE is mostly a mentor-led model, says Potter. Local companies and business leaders run small seminars for VIBE students that are tailored to their current needs and interests. Because it is a small group­—the first cohort was 15 students—mentors can meet them where they are. Potter says, “They come in at different stages—not just different stages in their business development but also their academic career. This requires a flexible curriculum.”

The university as convener: Comparing VIBE members to entrepreneurs going it alone, Zakem says, “Being associated with the University of Washington lends us instant credibility.” A number of business incubators exist across the country, but VIBE benefits from three key attributes that are rarely found together: one of the largest veteran populations in the country, the Puget Sound’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem and the faculty and expertise of a world-class public research university. The University brings these elements together and connects veterans with the people who want them to succeed, such as vocal VIBE supporters U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Joint Base Lewis-McChord Commander Colonel Charles Hodges, along with the local business community.

Learn More

Read the full Provost report on how to link academic passion to life and careers.