CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

Career development and experiential education emphasizes self-discovery, the development of career competencies and life skills by engaging in high-impact experiences, reflecting on high-impact experiences, and developing confidence in the ability to articulate skills and competencies to employers.

• First-Year Interest Group Seminars (FIGS) returned to physical classrooms with 61 sections and 1,100+ fall 2021 students. Peer instructors continued to impact FIGS students’ transitions to Rutgers according to course evaluations (88% response rate). 96% of FIGS students reported their peer instructors created an environment that was engaging; 94% agreed their peer instructors utilized instructional methods that promote learning; and 97% reported their peer instructors made them feel comfortable.

PIs also helped FIGS students identify meaningful experiential education opportunities (95%) and connect their career interests to academic opportunities (95%).

• CES continued its partnership with SAS Academic Services and the shared commitment to connecting with all incoming transfer students by providing 78 career presentations to the Students in Transition Seminars (STS). In addition, over 170 transfer students participated in the CES “STS Career Advising” appointments to individually connect with CES career advisors during their first year at Rutgers.

• CES took a lead role in launching the Rutgers Summer Service Internship Initiative (RSSI) in partnership with the Eagleton Institute for Politics, and the Rutgers Newark and Camden career centers. After reviewing 570 student applications the inaugural cohort of 94 students was selected. Participants began their internships in non-profit or direct service government settings, started their 3-credit companion internship courses, and received $5,000 stipends. The RSSI initiative provided first internship experiences for 50% of the inaugural cohort.

• The Rutgers Internship and Co-op Courses (RICC), offered in partnership with the Rutgers School of Arts & Sciences, managed an enrollment of 201 students in 9 sections of internship or co-op courses. A spring delayed course section allowed 30 students to participate who secured internships after the semester began.

• CES expanded advising capacity by offering advising services through two graduate counseling interns and six Virtual Career Studio undergraduate peer career coaches. The Virtual Career Studio leveraged peer-to-peer connections in a drop-in/no appointment required virtual format. The graduate counseling interns and peer career coaches engaged with 614 students.

96% of FIGS students agree their Peer Instructor created an engaging classroom environment

~5k career advising sessions with full-time staff, graduate interns, peer advisors, and volunteers

570 applicants to the inaugural cohort for the RSSI initiative