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Integrated Professional Development At Franklin College, professional development is not an “add on” to the academic experience. Professional knowledge and skills are intentionally integrated throughout the liberal arts curriculum and all academic disciplines, allowing students to transfer learning to professional, civic, and other academic environments. Faculty collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure students are prepared for the next opportunity. One key collaborator in the Integrated Professional Development student experience is the Practitioner Partner. All academic departments will provide students, at some point during their four years at Franklin, the opportunity to engage with a qualified Practitioner Partner. A qualified Practitioner Partner working or having recently worked in the field brings this experience into the classroom to enrich the learning environment. These opportunities and experiences, in addition to the services, programs, courses, and activities offered by the director of professional development and employer relations, the director of career development, and the office of alumni engagement throughout students’ four years at Franklin, are designed to help students make a confident and successful transition from college to the professional workplace or to graduate/professional school. The Franklin College Integrated Professional Development program provides opportunities for students to be successful in the professional workplace or graduate/professional school. While Career Development helps students find a job by teaching resume writing and interviewing, Professional Development teaches skills and competencies critical for success for students participating in an internship or for graduates beginning a job, such as decision-making, networking, professional behavior and etiquette, communications, and teamwork. Professional Development activities increase students’ awareness of: (1) workplace issues, such as office politics, diversity, employee rights and responsibilities, compensation and benefits, and business etiquette; and (2) personal adjustment and practical issues encountered in the transition to internships and post college life, such as balancing work and personal schedules, managing personal finances (budgets, banking, credit, insurance, investing, buying versus leasing, etc.), relocating, social graces, and managing stress. The overarching theme of Professional Development is the continuous improvement of self, organization, and society. We strive to develop each student’s mental, physical, moral, social, and financial competence to a level that allows immediate success in the workplace or graduate school, as well as long term success in life. In addition to the Integrated Professional Development program, students have myriad opportunities to develop self-awareness and professional skills through exploration of and participation in experiences facilitated by Career Development, Global Education, Leadership Studies, The Hive, and Undergraduate Research, all of which, combined, make up the Engaged Learning Department and are housed in the Ruth Lilly Center for Exploration. Specific professional development opportunities include the following: Professional Competencies At Franklin College, we believe that the many liberal arts skills that we teach and model are key skills which the workplace requires. In the classroom, as well as in co-curricular activities, we teach and assess competencies related to personal qualities, interpersonal abilities, communication skills, and cognitive abilities. Through an emphasis on professional development, we strive to enable students to translate and transfer these competencies to other settings, including the workplace. Awareness of Real World Issues In order to feel confident in making the transition from college to the “real world,” students need an awareness of a variety of issues that they will face. Through workshops, presentations in classes, guest speakers, and resources, Professional Development keeps real world issues in front of students.
