ALVSCE Strategic Intent Two

Produce employable graduates, who can do jobs that do not yet exist and create new jobs

Current situation and gap between current situation and desired situation:
The current perception with our external stakeholders is that we are focused on degrees and not careers for the future.
Strategies (numbered) and actions (bulleted).

1. Value, and develop methods of recognizing, exceptional education.

   • Establish transparent equitable mechanisms for unit heads to make teaching assignments.
   • Reward teaching and provide a professional development path in teaching.
   • Fulfill U of A strategic plan expectations for retention and graduation rates.
   • Track employability and return on investment for all CALES degrees.
   • Decrease student costs by delivering online coursework within degree.
   • Use “e” or “distance delivery” as a canonical tool and not an end in itself.
   • Maintain exceptional professional advisors.

2. Have competency-based certification in skills that employers say they want in addition to technical skills that we teach.

   • Identify what the skills employers say are missing.
   • Identify ways to fit teaching skills into curriculum, especially using e-learning.
   • Develop examination mechanism and certification.

3. Focus on launching careers in applied professional areas.

   • Establish a general course/s that introduce all CALES students to economics, business principles, the bio-economy, and global commerce--competency based.
   • Define specific opportunities for CALES Ambassadors and define their role in CALES.
   • Establish a “visiting leader” lecture series.
   • Establish a Mentor In Residence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
   • Track graduates’ careers as a measure of educational value.
   • Give every CALES student some education in the critical foundations of commerce, especially those taught in CALES already (such as principles of economics, sales and marketing using CALES resources).
   • Partner with other U of A colleges to cross-train students in intercultural skills, political sciences, entrepreneurship, computing and business.

4. Become a national leader in graduate job placement.

   • Restructure Career and Academic Services to have people focused on “Careers, Commerce and Industry” as well as “Distance & Global Initiatives.”
   • Be career- and not degree-centric.
   • Increase internships.
   • Engage annually with employers to identify what should be in a curriculum that is relevant to the 21st century.

5. Grow professional education.

   • Work closely with Arizona's community colleges to deliver distance education and degrees at a distance.

2017 Update:
For an update on this strategic intent, please read CALES Associate Dean Mike Staten's July 19, 2017 memo: 

Continue to -- ALVSCE Strategic Intent Three