Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/80527
etiquette, and teamwork and moti- vation. The material on job search skills focuses on résumé develop- ment, networking, informational interviewing, job search strategy, and interviewing skills. In the course- work on communication, students learn about interpersonal communi- cation and presentation skills. Our career services team had long offered optional skills develop- ment workshops, like résumé cri- tiques and Networking 101, assum- ing that students would intrinsically recognize the value of these pro- grams and want to participate. In reality, we found that many of the students who needed these work- shops the most simply didn't attend. And while this was true for students in general, it was particularly the case for our international students. By making ACE mandatory, we ensure that all our students have the opportunity to hone their competi- tive job search skills. The ACE classroom environment varies from session to session with lectures, guest speakers, discus- sions, interactive group exercises, and student presentations. There is an emphasis on public speaking and presentation; over the course of two semesters, all students deliver four presentations to the class so that they have the opportunity not only to build their speaking skills, but also to gain confidence in their English proficiency. The ACE course- work ultimately prepares students to address a variety of professional situ- ations, including some—like infor- mational interviews—that might not be common in their home countries. Last fall, IIT Stuart offered 15 ACE class sections, some taught by adjuncts and some by members of our Student Affairs team. Nadya ACE and the MBA IIT Stuart offers six master's-level degree programs, with our MBA program accounting for 15 percent of our total enrollment. The relatively limited number of incoming, full-time MBA students this past fall provided the ideal platform for us to pilot a degree-specific version of ACE that would target the particular needs of MBA students. Using the exist- ing ACE curriculum as a foundation, we added three new components specifi- cally for MBA students: n We expanded the class time by 30 minutes so students can focus on leadership studies. They profile global leaders in innovation and entrepre- neurship and analyze the secrets to their success. n We incorporated a widely used behavioral assessment tool to help students determine their ideal roles in organizations. The tool also aids them in practicing self-reflection, giving and receiving feedback, and working with coaches to set specific career objec- tives. Additionally, the assessment Lesova, one of our graduate aca- demic advisors, finds that the ACE teaching assignment has been a source of professional development for her. "Working with students in a classroom setting helps me bet- ter understand their needs, their stressors, and the ways they learn best," she says. "Now, when I advise students, I think of their needs more broadly. I also find that my role as an instructor builds my credibility with students." An ACE at Work In addition to attending a weekly class, every ACE student completes results give us insights into ways we can place the students into ACE work assignments that closely align with their strengths and interests. n We decided to place all MBA stu- dents with startups or incubator compa- nies as part of their ACE pre-internship assignments. This allows them to add value more quickly and have more intense learning experiences. Between now and graduation in the spring of 2013, we will provide additional coaching sessions to these MBA students. We also will follow the students' postgraduate placement rates to assess the effectiveness of this targeted approach. a 100-hour, unpaid professional assignment in a Chicago-area business over the course of two semesters. We currently partner with more than 100 for-profit and not-for-profit organizations rang- ing from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial startups. Assignments vary widely and include projects such as data analysis, database development, competitive analysis, social media implementation, and event plan- ning. Many partners utilize multi- ple-student teams to tackle larger projects. It is important to note that the workplace assignment is BizEd September/October 2012 43