Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/80527
At Illinois Institute of Technol- ogy's Stuart School of Business in Chicago, we are enrolling increasing numbers of international students, particularly at the graduate level, where the educational experience is fast-paced and highly compressed. Because four out of five of our inter- national students intend to exercise their post-graduation U.S. work authorizations (i.e., Optional Practi- cal Training), we know we have to prepare them to compete for jobs in the open marketplace. That means we must teach them soft skills as well as technical competencies. In recent years, we have devel- oped a multi-pronged co-curricular approach that supports these students as they progress through our six master's-level programs and helps them build workplace readiness. IIT Stuart's administra- tion, academic program directors, Career Management Center, and Division of Student Affairs collabo- rate on our integrated suite of Pro- fessional Development Initiatives, which build competencies in four specific areas focused on preparing students for the workplace: n Communication. Students work on their basic English profi- ciency, learn how to improve social interactions, and strengthen their presentation skills. n Acculturation. Students improve their understanding of general U.S. culture as well as workplace norms. n Job search skills. Students learn how to write résumés, conduct themselves during job interviews, and develop search strategies. n Self-awareness. Students focus on appropriately aligning their abili- ties with their professional goals. We are already seeing signs that this integrated, academically grounded approach is significantly benefiting our students and help- ing to prime them for professional achievement. One reason the program has been so successful, we believe, is that it is truly a col- laborative venture between our academic and co-curricular teams. Program directors and Student Affairs staff meet regularly to ensure the holistic development of our students and prepare them to enter the job market. An ACE in the Classroom Key to IIT Stuart's Professional Development Initiatives is the Advancing Career and Education (ACE) Program. It is now a gradu- ation requirement for all first-year, full-time students who have not completed at least six months of pro- fessional work in the U.S. The two- semester program consists of two concurrent elements: a 90-minute weekly classroom component and a 100-hour workplace assignment. Students enroll in ACE classes during their first and second semes- ters and meet once a week in small sections. The curriculum is taught by members of our Student Affairs staff, who are professionals in academic advising, career services, and student engagement and lead- ership. Much of the coursework is offered in multiple-mode learn- ing styles, such as online tutorials, videos, and take-home quizzes, to allow non-native English speakers to review course content in various mediums at their own pace. The acculturation material cov- ers graduate-level study in the U.S., cultural differences, and culture shock. In the personal develop- ment sessions, students learn about setting goals, maintaining a good attitude, managing time and stress, and resolving conflicts. The classes on U.S. workplace culture delve into organizational structure, ethics, politics, workplace relationships, 42 September/October 2012 BizEd