Advancing Students' Growth Through

Experiential Programs

Annual Report 2005-06

Center for Experiential Learning

I. REFLECTIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

STRATEGIC PLANNING
The 2005-06 year was one of significant accomplishments by the Center for Experiential Learning's (CEL) team. These accomplishments were, as usual, programmatic, but especially this past year the CEL has made noticeable progress strategically and in terms of personnel. The stage for our work in 2005-06 was really set during the previous academic year. In 2004-05 the CEL undertook a wide-ranging self-study and then a focused external review. The results of that self-study and reflection on the report submitted by the external reviewers prompted a review of the CEL's mission, completion of a strategic plan, and revision of one program area with the hiring of a new team member. This past year the CEL demonstrated further its centrality to the academic mission of the college and its support for student programs. At a June ’05 retreat, CEL staff reflected on the past year and noted the progress we have made in solidifying the mission and direction of the operation. To a great extent this was prompted by the self-study and external review, but the real work in setting forth the plan for the coming years was done by the staff, with complete support from the CEL's faculty advisory committee, after the self-study and external review. We reconsidered our purposes and programs and looked carefully at how these programs were reflected in our mission statement. While the revised mission statement is not a dramatic departure from the original, all involved in the review process feel it better expresses who we are and what we do.

The mission of the Center for Experiential Learning is to create and facilitate experiential learning that complements the St. Olaf curriculum to enrich students’ academic programs and guide students in the process for pursuing vocational goals.

Considering our mission statement was the first step in the development of a CEL strategic plan that demonstrates greater connectivity between the four CEL programs and a clearer prioritization of initiatives and activities. The CEL team spent many hours last summer articulating a strategic direction that significantly shifted our focus. The strategic plan and CEL’s goals for the 2005-06 year were shared with and fully supported by our faculty advisory committee early in the Fall. The success of our planning efforts is evident in this report of our program activities. CEL's goals for 2005-06 appear in App endix A. A further outcome of the strategic planning process was the reformulation of the servant leadership component of the CEL. That program needed strengthening and redirection; with the input from our external reviewers and extensive conversations with members of the faculty advisory committee and friends of the CEL, the program was re-established as the Service and Civic Leadership Program. A national search was undertaken for an individual who could give life to the reformulated program. That search brought to St. Olaf and the CEL a gifted and experienced team member; Merrie Benasutti joined the CEL in the spring and has already established herself within the college.

LILLY SUSTAINABILITY GRANT
Over the past several years the Lilly Grant Program, "Lives of Worth and Service," has been coordinated through the CEL and proven to be an excellent match of the grant’s goals with CEL program initiatives and personnel. The Lilly Grant Program has enriched and enlivened the work of the CEL and, it seems clear, the CEL has made the Lilly Grant Program a success on campus, as evidenced by the many current Lilly initiatives highlighted in this report.

The importance of the CEL to the life of the college's vocational discernment initiatives was reinforced this year when the Lilly Endowment invited St. Olaf to submit a proposal to continue and sustain aspects of the current program. President Thomforde charged the CEL executive director with the task of developing a grant request. Utilizing a team of faculty and administrative colleagues drawn from the Lilly Program Committee, we solicited conversations about the most important and successful aspects of the ongoing Lilly Grant Program. This task force determined that the college should move forward with a grant request to sustain the vocational discernment program and, more importantly for the CEL, to maintain the CEL as the "home" for the program's initiatives.

During the fall semester this task force met regularly to review the current program's successes and to determine which initiatives to recommend that the college sustain. Given that this grant proposal required the college to commit to ongoing support for the programs Lilly would fund for a three-year transition period, these recommendations were extremely important. With input and ongoing assistance from the task force, a proposal was crafted for the full group's consideration. That proposal, with slight modifications, became the basis for the college's sustainability proposal to the Lilly Endowment.

This spring the college was notified that the Lilly Endowment had approved our grant request in the amount of approximately $450,000. These funds will sustain important vocational discernment programs coordinated by the CEL. Among the programs that will continue are the Summer Vocational Internship Program, the Summer International Service Learning Program, the Pastoral Intern, a variety of vocational mentoring workshops, and several faculty development initiatives. The grant also supports the creation of a Lilly Vocational Intern who will be housed within the CEL and assist in advancing vocational discernment on campus. Several CEL staff members will continue as key participants in the implementation of vocational discernment activities, not just for the three years of the sustainability grant, but thereafter as well, since the college has agreed to maintain these initiatives.

As much as any of the CEL program activities, the Lilly Grant Program has brought the CEL team into regular collaboration with faculty and has put the CEL front and center in delivering vocational discernment initiatives.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
In addition to our strategic and personnel accomplishments, program activities continue to distinguish the CEL as an essential part of the college's academic program. There are numerous examples of this but several merit mention here; additional detail of these initiatives follows in the body of the report. At the request of the Dean of the College, the CEL assumed responsibility for coordinating the college's pre-law program. Following an established model for CEL interaction with faculty, a pre-law faculty advisory group was re-established to provide direction and focus for the program. Active participation by pre-law faculty and connections with regional law schools provided specificity for the program; a very successful series of activities and workshops was developed to meet the needs of students considering application to law schools. Another example of the CEL's furthering the academic mission of the college was the successful "Experiential Learning in East Asia Conference" held on campus in March. Underwritten with funds from the Japan Study Program at Earlham College, this two-day conference brought East Asian specialists interested in advancing experiential learning programs together for presentations and conversations; nearly fifty people attended the conference. It has been a goal of the CEL to secure external funds to sustain and expand program initiatives. The East Asian conference was one example; another was the entrepreneurial internship initiative funded by a grant from the Kemper Foundation. Six students spent the past summer working with Northfield area businesses, providing consultative advice and assisting in business plan development. The students were registered for academic credit so they worked closely with a faculty member thus insuring that their applied activities were connected with their academic program. For the past three years, the CEL has worked closely with the First-Year Experience Committee, an ACM grant-funded project, as a means of becoming more integrated with other academic services. A new initiative identified by the committee to enhance students’ first-year experience continued the orientation-type activities of Week One. The Interim event “Focus on First-Years: Beyond Four Walls,” created by the committee and coordinated by CEL staff, introduced just over 125 first-year students to learning opportunities outside the classroom and to the concept of creating an experiential learning plan to supplement academic planning. The entire CEL staff participated in developing and delivering the CEL presentation; follow-up workshops were presented in all first-year residence halls. One major achievement for the CEL this past year has been "working smarter" by developing innovative approaches to program delivery. Most notable in this process was the revitalization of theCEL's peer advisor program, i.e. using our student assistants in a more focused, professional manner thus freeing staff members for other program activities. The peer advisors went through an expanded training program to allow them to deliver more services to fellow students and to provide more support for the CEL. Complementing this revitalized peer advisor program, the CEL also undertook a new approach to program delivery, developing and implementing a developmental workshop model. CEL workshops attracted 1290 participants, 754 individual students, over the course of the academic year. This new initiative cut across all CEL programs and allowed us to reach more students with fewer staff hours, thus freeing the CEL professionals to concentrate on higher-level interactions with students and faculty. Information dissemination was increased and enhanced this year through greater utilization of the St. Olaf intranet, mainly through the "CEL Yourself" e-newsletter. Students registered for the “CEL Yourself” alias and then received a weekly newsletter providing "just-in-time" information about workshops, seminars, on-campus recruiters, scholarships, etc. Our initial assessment of this electronic communication suggests that we have reached more students than ever before and that more students are actually reading and processing the information we deliver. These are but a few of the many successful CEL programs, which were supplemented again this year with superb service to students. In addition to the 1290 workshop participants, CEL staff provided 1081 one-to-one appointments supplemented by 501 individual contacts through peer advisors. The full description of 2005-06 programs and services will demonstrate the breadth and depth of experiential learning initiatives undertaken by the CEL.

II. THE CEL TEAM

CEL STAFF MEMBERS

Andrea Becker, Program Assistant and Technology Coordinator
Merrie Benasutti, Associate Director, Service and Civic Leadership
Kirsten Cahoon, Associate Director, Career Connections
Bruce R. Dalgaard, Executive Director
April Femrite, Career Counselor
Laura Kreider, CEL Administrator and Budget Coordinator
Sian Muir, Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies
Eileen Shimota, Associate Director, Internships
Pat Smith, Associate Director, CEL and Director, Career Connections
John Stull, Entrepreneur-in-Residence

FACULTY ADVISORY BOARD
Programmatic Oversight
Again this year, the CEL’s Faculty Advisory Committee served as a “sounding board” for ideas and plans within the experiential learning program. Input from these faculty supporters was instrumental in defining the Service and Civic Leadership position and was valuable as the CEL redefined its mission and formulated a strategic plan.

The CEL’s Faculty Advisory Committee members are:

Kathryn Ananda-Owens, Music
Amelia Taylor, Mathematics
Mary Carlsen, Family and Social Services; Social Work
Mary Cisar, Romance Languages; Registrar
Jim Farrell, American Studies
Dana Gross, Psychology
Steve Soderlind, Economics; Associate Dean of Social and Applied Sciences
Bill Sonnega, Theater/Media Studies
Mary Titus, English
Soveig Zempel, Norwegian; Associate Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies
Arnie Ostebee, Assistant Provost, ex-officio

III. ACADEMIC PROGRAM COLLABORATION

COURSE OFFERINGS THROUGH THE CEL
Two successful entrepreneurship classes were offered this year. New Venture Formulation, Mgmt 257, in the Interim (19 students) and Entrepreneurship, Mgmt 256, in the Spring (29 students). Both classes had a highly experiential component including a “hands-on” final project based on real-world application. The courses benefited from a variety of guest speakers who presented topic specific material. The courses differ in that the Interim course focuses more on idea formulation and the start-up phase; the Spring course covers all the “need-to-knows” for a small business. See Appendix B1 and B2 for class syllabi and Appendix B3 for a list of speakers.

COLLABORATION WITH ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS
Collaboration with faculty via classroom presentations remained a central component of the CEL’s mission to make experiential learning academic. The CEL reached 11 departments with 19 classroom presentations across the five Faculties over the 2005-06 academic year. Through these presentations, we were able to impact 531 students: 25 first-years, 134 sophomores, 137 juniors, 181 seniors, and 50 ninth semester students. See Appendix C for further specifics on presentations by department, course title, faculty member affiliated with course and presentation titles.

The CEL also impacted many academic departments with collaborations outside of the classroom that were targeted toward a specific major or program. These initiatives were planned and carried out in conjunction with faculty or students in the department. In total, the CEL impacted 19 different academic departments/programs with either classroom presentations or outside-the-classroom activities. The intensity of CEL’s involvement with academic programs varies. In some cases, the collaborative efforts of CEL are integral to the program; in other instances, our relationship consists of partnering on one or two initiatives. In any case, both the number and intensity of CEL’s collaborative efforts with academic programs increased noticeably in the past year.

• Asian Studies

  An exciting new collaboration between CEL and Asian Studies began in May and will continue each semester as part of Asian Studies 275. Through the .25 credit course “Interdisciplinary Approaches to Asia,” majors had the opportunity to explore how an academic background in Asian Studies relates to various career options through a panel discussion including CEL staff and Asian Studies alumni.

• Biomedical Studies

  The pre-health sciences program continues to play an important role on campus. Students planning a vocation in medicine are seeking ways to make their applications more competitive; a strong GPA and a high MCAT score are not sufficient for acceptance into a program or school of choice in today’s competitive market. CEL, along with faculty member, Ted Johnson, have recognized this need. The Biomedical Studies Concentration, though developed a few years ago, was changed in several ways this year to meet the needs of the pre-health student. Several workshops were created by CEL staff to provide guidance on exploring the many career options in the field of heath, to encourage learning outside of the classroom, and finally to help students prepare for the professional school application process. In an additional collaboration, a CEL staff member spoke on the topic of vocation and introduced writing a vocational mission statement to students enrolled in the .25 credit preparation course for the Peruvian Medical Interim.

  Demonstrating the strong connection between biomedical studies and CEL, Ted Johnson was unable to present at the PEW Consortium in March on the topic of “Senior Capstone in the Sciences,” and asked a CEL staff member to present in his absence. The presentation initiated a healthy conversation among liberal arts colleges across the country as they indicated their interest in structuring a model similar to St. Olaf’s, tailoring it to meet their respective needs.

• Dance

  CEL staff led the Senior Dance Seminar in visioning and delineating both short and long-term career goals. Class discussion included strategies and resources for transitioning out of St. Olaf as well as those necessary for successful career management.

• Economics

  CEL staff presented the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to students in Rick Goedde’s Management course as one lens for understanding personal giftedness and examining team strengths. A team activity demonstrated how the interaction of varying styles can impact team performance.

• Education

  Each semester CEL staff met with student teachers during their Educ 389 seminar and presented information on resources and strategies for the job search within the traditional structure of educational institutions.

• English

  CEL staff collaborated with Jan Allister in coordinating and hosting an alumni panel highlighting “Careers in Journalism” as one of the “English majors make good” departmental activities. The panel highlighted careers in both broadcast and print media.

• Environmental Studies

  While experiential learning has always been required for the environmental studies major and concentration, this year is the first time the program director collaborated with a CEL staff member. An environmental studies internship scholarship was created to encourage students to enhance their internship experience by taking it for credit; the scholarship requires a presentation designed to encourage other students to learn from his/her specific experience.

• Exercise Science

  Conversations with the Exercise Science faculty began early in the academic year when Cindy Book and CEL staff met to discuss ideas and opportunities for further integrating experiential learning into the major. New academic collaborations developed through discussion at a departmental faculty meeting. CEL staff presented in multiple courses and provided direction to the students in a variety of experiential learning activities. CEL staff also participated in critiquing the senior research/capstone presentations.

• Family and Social Services

  The CEL is embedded within both of the majors of the Family and Social Service department – Family Studies and Social Work. CEL staff designed and delivered several components of the Interim course “I Want To Help People,” introducing students to the concept of vocation and working with them to identify their passions, their giftedness and how specifically they see themselves helping people. In beginning exploration of self, students in both Family Studies 242 and Social Work 254 took the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), receiving an explanation of the instrument and their own results. In “Family Relationships,” this examination of personality types and attendant characteristics was focused on the study of family systems theory, using type to understand the interplay of personalities within the family unit. In “Inclusive Practice: Individuals and Families,” the MBTI was used as an instrument to examine one’s own giftedness and its relationship to the many facets of social work.

  The CEL worked with the department to provide students in both majors with opportunities to learn about a variety of career options. We partnered to coordinate a career panel, bringing both Family Studies and Social Work alumni back to campus to showcase their career journeys. This year, a first-time event, “Men in Social Service” highlighted men in service careers.

  In developing our new workshop series, CEL staff created several offerings aimed at students interested in social service careers. “Identifying and Searching for Careers in Social Service and Non-Profit Organizations” illustrated strategies and resources valuable in searching for careers in the social service sector. “Making It in the Non-Profit World” introduced students to the entrepreneurial skills necessary to make strategic decisions and play a leadership role in non-profits. To prepare Social Work majors for their search for a practicum site, the CEL provided guidance on presenting oneself as a professional during Social Work 261.

  The culminating and most moving event in our partnership, funded through the Lilly grant, was the annual spring conversation between senior Social Work majors, who recently completed an intensive practicum experience, and alumni who are practicing social workers. The “Conversation on Social Work, Service and Vocation” involved participants in reflection and discussion of “their path of authentic service” and how their aspirations to serve have been impacted by the realities of service work.

• History

  Two professors requested that the CEL provide information for their majors. The presentation “What to do with a Major in History” provided students information on the transferable skills developed by History majors and exploration strategies useful in considering various career paths.

• Management Studies

  The CEL’s collaboration with Management Studies faculty is well established, benefiting both programs. The CEL actively supports Management Studies students in completion of the Integrative Folder requirements, an applied component of the concentration, through information sessions and technology assistance. The requirements of the Integrative Folder ensure that students engage in a career decision-making process based on identification of goals for academic and experiential learning, informational interviews, an internship and one additional significant experiential learning activity. Reflection is built into the folder through a work style analysis based on self-assessment information, a senior capstone essay that highlights future goals and a portfolio of materials representative of skills developed through both academic and experiential learning. This partnership with Management Studies brought 33 students into contact with the CEL as they worked through the Integrative Folder requirements.

• Media Studies

  Now in its fifth year, the collaboration between the CEL and the Media Studies concentration continues to develop in a variety of productive ways. Overall, the program is expanding-- the number of interdisciplinary elective course offerings has increased, and the number of students enrolled in the required core curriculum has more than doubled. As the number of declared concentrators continues to grow, the collaboration between Bill Sonnega, Director of the Media Studies program, and the CEL has taken new energy and shape.

  This year was an opportune time to review and refine the current portfolio requirements and begin work on a new marketing initiative for the program. The most innovative change, implemented this spring, was the incorporation of a digital media portfolio of each concentrator’s academic and experiential work. The portfolio will ultimately be burned to a reproducible CD/DVD, which will include materials such as resumes, cover letters, letters of recommendation/list of references, information/materials from an internship, writing samples, pertinent academic work and projects, graduate school entrance essays, web links, photos, video clips, etc. This simple, clean, and functional portfolio will be used for multiple purposes, such as job interviews, graduate school or scholarship applications. Additional requirements of the concentration will continue to include the Media 160 course, three approved media-related courses, and an academic internship. The revised requirements were detailed to concentrators in a collaborative meeting this spring, and will be applied to current juniors and beyond.

  In addition, the CEL was able to work with the concentration in the design and development of marketing and promotional materials for the program. A CEL staff member reviewed the design pitches of students in Media 260: Media and Contemporary Culture course. These ideas will inform the materials developed for the program into the future.

• Music

  In collaboration with the music department, the “Entrepreneurs in Music” alumni panel provided students with various perspectives on the options that are available to them post graduation, particularly in the area of self-employment. One of the panelists summed up comments by saying “Once you take your art from your bedroom it’s business. You need to network, market and get your name out there to be successful.”

• Philosophy

  Working with the Chair of the Philosophy Department, CEL staff designed an hour-long workshop specifically for their majors on experiential learning and the career exploration process.

• Political Science

  The Lilly Program and the CEL assisted with funds for a student trip to the Land Institute’s Prairie Festival in Salina, Kansas under the direction of Sheri Breen. The Prairie Festival featured various speakers and demonstrations relating to the topics of environmental sustainability and responsibility. The funds supported the students’ registration fees, mileage expenses and meals.

  CEL staff was invited by the Pi Sigma Alpha to attend and contribute to a talk with Myron Ebell, entitled “Internships in Washington, DC.”

• Pre-Law Advising

  Upon the recommendation of the Dean, the pre-law advising program was restructured with a CEL staff member and a new faculty member in the Political Science Department appointed as co-advisors. The collaboration has been particularly effective as CEL brings an important applied learning piece that assists students when exploring academic/career choices during and after St. Olaf, and the new faculty member a theoretical perspective on the discipline of law. Faculty from different departments were solicited to form a pre-law advisory committee to assist in advising students interested in pre-law across disciplines. Members of the pre-law committee are Karen Cherewatuk, English; Steve Hahn, History; Gordon Marino, Philosophy; Doug Casson, Political Science; and Eileen Shimota, CEL.

  The pre-law program is based on the premise that St. Olaf is not intended to be a pre-professional college prepping students to enter graduate or professional school but rather a college of the liberal arts encouraging intellectual growth of the mind, body, and spirit. This philosophy dictates that it is important for students interested in pre-law to reap the benefits of the liberal arts. A well-rounded education is the best preparation for law school and the practice of law; major and concentration have little or no bearing on acceptance into a top law school. Yet at the same time, CEL recognizes the need to offer students interested in pre-law direction and focus. For that reason, several workshops specific to the needs of these students were created and delivered, law forums organized, LSAT study sessions made available, law schools invited to campus (see Appendix H4); students also had the opportunity for one-on-one counseling appointments with CEL staff concerning the law school exploration and application process.

• Psychology

  CEL contributed in several ways to the activities of the Psychology department. In Developmental Psychology, CEL staff developed and delivered specific content related to the young adult developmental stage, focusing on undergraduate education and liberal learning in the early adult years. The Psychology of Personality course utilized components designed by CEL staff in several ways. Early in the course, the MBTI was presented and discussed as a tool utilizing Jungian psychology; later in the course, CEL staff were involved in a discussion of vocation, specifically as it related to Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer and the work of other humanist theorists. CEL staff wrote an essay question related to the readings and discussion on vocation that was required for students’ final portfolios.

  CEL staff participated in a graduate school preparation panel hosted by Psi Chi; CEL staff also spoke at an intern panel for the Psychology Club.

• Sociology/Anthropology

  After meeting with Sociology/Anthropology faculty in a department meeting and determining needs specific to their majors, CEL staff created a two-part workshop series. The first entitled, “Passion to Action,” engaged students in reflection on their passions and the broad concept of vocation. The second, “Learning to Action,” concentrated on how majors can put classroom theory to work in a variety of experiential learning activities.

• Women’s Studies

  In collaboration with the Chair of the Women’s Studies Department, CEL staff created a community time event entitled “Passion to Action” describing ways majors can take learning outside of the classroom and, in terms of internships, to literally put their passion to action.

• Boldt Faculty Seminar

  Boldt Chair, Gordon Marino, invited CEL staff to present to the Boldt Faculty Seminar group about the CEL.

• Globalization Conference

  This spring, CEL staff began working with the conference planning committee for the 2007 Globalization Conference.

ACADEMIC INTERNSHIPS
Academic internships continue to serve as one of the purest forms of experiential learning at St. Olaf. As the trends of higher education are changing, academic internships serve a variety of purposes: graduate/professional schools are seeking candidates that have experienced academic learning outside of the classroom; employers are interviewing students with hands on experiences; national/international volunteer programs are interested in candidates who have sought opportunities outside of their usual learning environment; and students who are unsure about what to do after graduation are searching for internships to explore career options. The conversations between CEL staff and students before and after an academic internship are incredibly insightful. As student testimonials attest, more often than not, internships are life-changing experiences in a student’s academic career. See Appendix D1 for statistics on student participation in academic internships.

A quality internship program necessitates the involvement of many individuals. Faculty are an integral part of the process; thus several seminars were created and delivered to educate faculty on the internship process. They included a CILA Luncheon, “Supervising an Academic Internship or Independent Study/Research,” and three faculty seminars with relevant information on the academic internship process. Though seasoned faculty in the various disciplines serve as mentors to newer faculty supervising an internship for the first time, CEL staff also initiated conversation with all first-time faculty supervisors on the expectations for supervising an intern.

The site supervisor’s role is also one of importance. In an effort to recognize site supervisors who dedicated their time and expertise to our students, a new system of recognition was implemented this spring. The first phase recognized supervisors who hosted three or more interns over the past six years with a certificate indicating the years of their service. In the second phase of the plan, all site supervisors were recognized at the conclusion of each term. Finally, all site supervisors who have supervised interns consistently, especially in the Northfield area, were invited to attend an appreciation dinner that included key faculty, selected interns from various disciplines and CEL staff. The event was minimal in comparison to the efforts given by the site supervisors, yet a sense of appreciation on their part was obvious, making us realize this was well overdue.

Kemper Foundation Summer Entrepreneurial Internships
The Finstad Program for Entrepreneurial Studies received grant funding in the amount of $31,952 from the James S. Kemper Foundation for a project entitled “Enhancing Student Development While Promoting Entrepreneurial Initiatives.” The project utilized the entrepreneurial skills of six students to reach out to potential and new small businesses in the Northfield community through collaboration with the Northfield Enterprise Center’s (NEC) small business development initiative. Six students formed two teams of three; from June through August 2005, the consulting teams completed six business plans and one consulting project. Client industries included risk management, retail, construction, home painting, restoration, architecture and design. On completion of their projects, clients were asked to evaluate the students’ performance based on a 1-5 rating (with 1 as exceptional) in the following areas: personal development, professional development, communication skills and problem solving skills. The average rating across all the criteria from the seven small businesses was 1.35. Comments on the program from the students, businesses and the NEC are available in Appendix D2. Overall, this was a very worthwhile summer opportunity, allowing students to build experiential skills while assisting local businesses in the Northfield community.

Lilly Summer Vocational Internships
During Summer 2005, six students participated in internships in urban congregations in the Twin Cities while living in an intentional community at Luther Seminary. This program was a collaborative effort of the CEL and the Office of Church Relations. Randy Nelson, Director of Contextual Leadership at Luther Seminary provided a unique mentoring opportunity by bringing students together to reflect on their work and its meaning in their lives. The students also participated in intentional reflection on their experiences through several meetings in the fall; a booklet, “Putting Purpose to Work” was a particularly helpful tool for this type of reflection.

LILLY PROGRAMS COLLABORATIONS
Teaching Fellows
The Lilly Teaching Fellows Program provides selected faculty one course-release to reflect upon and prepare teaching and other materials relating to the concept of vocational discernment. The Lilly Teaching Fellows are involved in intentional conversation with each other and CEL staff several times during the year. This year’s Lilly Teaching Fellows and their projects were as follows:

• Rich DuRocher (English) developed a first-year writing seminar, "Living by Words: Exploring the Vocations of Writing" (GE 111), that explores the idea that writing, more than a source of income, may be a calling or vocation in which one uses his or her literary talent to serve higher goals.
• Dan Hofrenning (Political Science) reorganized "American Politics" (PSci 111) to include a "politics as a vocation" theme.
• Donna McMillan (Psychology) adapted "Psychology of Personality" (Psych 271) by integrating readings, discussion and assignments on vocational discernment into the study of self and identity and personality theories.
• Barbara Reed (Religion, Asian Studies) added a vocational component to her existing EIN course “Buddhism, Peace and Justice” (Rel 289) with a new unit called “Buddhism, Christianity and Vocation.”
• Matt Rohn (Art, Art History) added a vocational perspective to his EIN course "Issues in Art Criticism" (Art 270) where students examined major issues in the contemporary art world and contemporary artists who have demonstrated vocational issues through their work. Rohn also created a segment on vocation for Environmental Studies 101, “The Culture of Nature,” to stress environmental stewardship as a life's vocation.

Vocational Scholar
The Lilly program provides release time of one course each semester to the Lilly Vocational Scholar to enable published academic scholarship on the theological consideration of vocation. L. DeAne Lagerquist worked on two related projects: an article-length response to four studies of religion and higher education that includes St. Olaf College and a book length manuscript that "offers a theological account of Lutheran higher education as a major example of Christian participation in the public arena."

International Summer Service Learning
The Lilly Program funds summer international service-learning opportunities for groups of students led by faculty or staff in church-related or service-based institutions. During the Summer of 2005, three projects were funded.

• Ingria Pilgrimage, Russia - Prof. Paul Niemisto and eight students were involved in a number of volunteering activities in local Ingrian Lutheran congregations including youth summer camp leadership, English language instruction, music making, simple construction and maintenance jobs, and other similar tasks.
• InterChurch Service Association (ICSA), India - Profs. Anne Walter and Matt Richey took six students to work with the ICSA in Chen’Nai, India. The students worked in teams on three different projects: modernizing the curriculum for ICSA's computer training program for disabled students and two projects in support of ICSA's Essential Drug Program through the Comprehensive Medical Services India program. All contributed to the English language lessons for the ICSA students.
• Children’s Surgery International (CSI), Peru - Prof. Ted Johnson and pediatrician Doug Tate ’70 led 12 students in providing support for CSI medical teams as they performed surgeries for cleft palate, cleft lip and other facial defects and injuries. The group worked in hospitals, clinics and a homeless shelter for indigenous children. Students were required to complete a .25 credit course in preparation for the service-learning opportunity.

IV. STUDENT PROGRAMS

SCHOLARSHIPS
Post-Graduate Programs Increasingly the CEL is becoming the clearinghouse for post-graduate scholarship information and materials on campus. Faculty advisors for each program are identified by a CEL staff member and several programs are advised directly from the CEL. Student support for the Fulbright Program is coordinated by the CEL, with the CEL handling information dissemination, coordination of student advising/mentoring by the faculty advisory team and compilation of applications. The CEL also plays a primary role in the British Marshall Scholarship program and the Jack Kent Cooke program and assists with the Harry S. Truman, George J. Mitchell, Luce, Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies, Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans, the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships and the Martin Luther Schule Teaching Award (Rimbach, Germany).

Undergraduate Programs
The CEL has also become the repository of information and coordination for a number of St. Olaf scholarship programs: the Kloeck-Jensen Peace and Justice Scholarship, the Melvin George Leadership/Service Summer Fellowship, the Joy Korda Schaeffer Scholarship for Summer Experiential Learning, the David Minge Endowment, the Federated Insurance Leadership Scholarships, the James Braulick Entrepreneurial Scholarships, and all the scholarship programs associated with the Lilly Grant Program. The CEL website is the primary source of information for all of these programs; all scholarship applications are found online. Applications are submitted to the CEL; teams of CEL staff and faculty are involved in reviewing the applications and selecting recipients. Numbers of applicants and recipients for each program can be seen in Appendix E.

WORKSHIP SERIES

Though in past years, CEL staff delivered content to students via workshops, it was a minor part of our program and relegated to a few skill development topics. In our strategic planning during Summer 2005, we identified a developmental workshop model as our primary strategic initiative related to student programs. The shift from an approach based primarily on one-to-one appointments to a model based heavily on a workshop format was a fundamental change in philosophy for CEL staff. Our new approach was designed to deliver basic and routine information to students in groups and through peer advisors and to reserve appointments for students with more complex advising needs. We entered the Fall with an ambitious slate of workshops designed to meet students’ advising needs but unsure how students would respond to this new mode of information delivery. Student response was so overwhelmingly positive that for Semester II, we doubled the number of workshops offered, increasing the range of topics covered. CEL’s workshop calendars for 2005-06 can be seen in Appendices F1 (Fall ’05) and F2 (Spring ’06).

Attendance at CEL’s workshops totaled 1290 participants, an impressive number. Through workshops, we impacted 754 individual students across the four class years: 179 first-years, 119 sophomores, 200 juniors, 255 seniors and 1 alumnus. The academic interests of students attending workshops were diverse; students from 57 different majors, programs, concentrations and areas of emphasis attended CEL workshops. Detail on workshop participants can be found in Appendices F3 and F4.

Several of the workshops represent a new focus for the CEL and merit mentioning.

• “Identifying Vocational Interests,” described in more detail on page 17, provided tools for self-assessment and the option of taking the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers Briggs Type Inventory in subsequent workshops.
• Recognizing a need for students planning to attend graduate or professional school, “Writing the Personal Statement” was created and delivered fall and spring semester. CEL staff teamed up with Professor Gordon Marino to share principles for writing a strong creative statement.
• Two workshops incorporated entrepreneurial thinking as an essential life skill. “Making It in the Non-Profit World” and “Your Career Is Your Business” were both designed to illustrate to students the impact of a proactive attitude on career search and career management. Broader advertising descriptions are contained in Appendix F2.
• “Internship Reflection Sessions,” offered for academic interns after each term, were designed to assist students in integrating the internship experience by inviting thoughts on how it connected with the student’s academic program, what part it played in the career exploration process, and possible next steps to take.
• “Pathways to Communication Careers” was a collaborative effort of Minnesota’s private colleges and presented alumni panelists working in careers in advertising, marketing, public relations, broadcast journalism and publishing. CEL staff was instrumental in organizing and hosting the event which was held in the Twin Cities.

INDIVIDUAL STUDENT CONTACT
One of our goals in developing CEL’s workshop series was to reach more students in a group setting, thereby freeing CEL staff time to develop collaborative initiatives with academic departments. The strategy did not bring about the anticipated reduction in one-to-one appointments. In total, CEL staff conducted 1081 individual appointments from June 2005 through May 2006, as compared to 1055 in 2004-05. We surmise that attracting students to the CEL through workshops introduces students to our services, thus generating appointments rather than reducing the need. All CEL staff agree, however, that the number of routine, information-delivering appointments has decreased overall and the time spent in one-to-one appointments has been more satisfying this year.

From June 2005 through May 2006, a total of 539 individual students had appointments with CEL staff. Many students needed only one interaction; some had more complex needs and visited repeatedly. As is the case with several other CEL activities, 64% of students who scheduled appointments were females. As might be expected, seniors and juniors were heavy users of individual appointments; 54% of the students involved in appointments were from the class of 2006 and another 29% from the class of 2007. Appendix G1 provides additional detail of our advising/counseling appointments. Topics of our advising appointments most commonly were resumes, academic internships, career experience internships, practice interviews, graduate/professional school application process, and Finstad grants.

CEL’s Peer Advisors provide individual service to students on a walk-in basis. From September 2005 to early May 2006, peer advisors met with 501 students across all four class years, representing 40 different academic programs. Walk-In data is outlined in Appendix G2.

CEL staff are contacted routinely by alumni needing advice. We have identified alumni fewer than three years post graduation as a group that warrants attention if time allows. During the past year, CEL staff had 82 individual contacts with 50 different alumni. Twenty-seven (54%) of those alumni graduated between 2002 and 2005 and constituted 60% of our total alumni contacts, while the 46% who graduated pre-2002 generated 40% of the contacts. Many of our alumni contacts are via phone and email; this past year, 27% of the alumni contacts were an appointment while 40% were via email and another 29% by phone. It must be noted that it is very difficult for CEL staff to turn an alum in transition away without providing some type of assistance, though we do encourage those who graduated more than three years ago to use other resources. Appendix G1 provides additional detail of our advising/counseling contacts with alumni.

JOB SEARCH INITIATIVES

OleRecruiting
OleRecruiting continues to serve our needs as the web-based internship and job search database and recruitment management tool for students and alumni. CEL staff and students manage postings which are entered and updated continually. In the past year, 556 organizations entered a total of 1152 positions (764 jobs and 388 internships) into the system—more than double that of the 2004-05 academic year. This astounding figure is likely due to the upswing in the economy/entry-level hiring, coupled with the new relative ease of posting positions to the system.

Interestingly, the top five industries listing positions for students were: Non-profit (community organizing/activism), Non-profit (other), Religion, Non-profit (NGO’s), and Education/Academic (post-secondary/higher ed.) The top five job functions included teaching/education, marketing, management, finance, and administrative/support services. Therefore, although many of the smaller public service organizations (often with limited staffing and budgets) were unable to take the additional step to come to campus to recruit, positions were available to serve a wide range of student interest. For a complete listing of positions posted by job type and industry, see Appendices H1 and H2.

On-Campus Recruiting
The on-campus recruiting program provided organizations with various options for exposure to St. Olaf students through Stav Hall tabling, information sessions, and on-campus interviewing. Twenty-six organizations tabled, promoting their summer, volunteer, or other opportunities to students. Graduate programs also used tabling as an effective tool to recruit potential students to their institutions—17 schools used this as a means of outreach over the 2005-06 academic year . Appendix H3 lists the organizations that tabled in 2005-06.

Twenty organizations (13 in the fall, 7 in the spring) including non-profit, corporate, and service/ volunteer programs came to campus and presented one-hour information sessions about their organization, giving students the chance to learn more about them and their employment opportunities. 119 students attended the fall information sessions and 128 students attended those in the spring, for a total of 247 students attending the 16 non-profit and corporate-related information sessions alone (attendance was not tracked for the service/volunteer programs.) St. Olaf women out-represented their male counterparts, as 148 women and 99 men attended the sessions. 138 seniors, 61 juniors, 35 sophomores, and 13 first years attended the sessions. In addition, 13 graduate school-related information sessions, (either preparatory organizations associated with entrance testing or individual schools themselves) were also facilitated through the CEL. For a comprehensive listing of organizations with student participation in information sessions, see Appendix H4.

Organizations that wanted to elevate their presence further chose to participate in the on-campus interviewing program. In addition to posting their positions in OleRecruiting and hosting an information session, a professional staff person in conjunction with a Peer Advisor serving as Career Ambassador worked diligently to increase visibility for these organizations and positions through increased marketing and faculty outreach. 319 resumes (187 fall, 132 spring) were submitted to 21 organizations recruiting for 38 different positions. 203 applications were received for full-time positions, 116 for internships. Not only did women apply to positions at a greater rate than men, (174 women applicants to 145 male applicants) their proportional acceptance rate for first round interviews was also higher, 57.47 % vs. 44.83%. Of the 319 total applicants, 161 interviews were conducted on-campus during fall (110) and spring (51) recruiting. 112 interviews (100 in the fall, 12 in the spring) were conducted for full-time post-graduate positions; 49 interviews (15 in the fall, 12 in the spring) were conducted for internships. With minimal effort on their part, students gained access to many attractive organizations, jobs and internships in a variety of career areas through the OCI process. For a complete listing of on-campus interviews by organization and position, including student participation and gender breakdown, see Appendix H5.

Alumni working at top-notch companies were influential in advocating for their respective organizations to recruit at the college, and in turn, the alumni were impressed with the knowledge and abilities of our students. Among the highlights of 2005-06 were the inroads made with Jon Salveson, a Vice President at Piper Jaffray. Salveson hosted an information session in January on careers in investment banking at Piper and set up an on-campus interviewing schedule to recruit for summer investment banking analyst interns this spring. As a result, Salveson hired two competitive finance students for the internship, and plans to return in the Fall of 2006 to recruit for several full-time investment banking analysts. Another growing relationship stemming from last year’s Case Challenge was the addition of General Mills recruiting for the Financial Analyst positions beginning in the Fall of 2005. Lance Paradis, an Ole alumnus hired two graduating seniors into the role, and plans to recruit for summer interns in addition to returning for the full-time analysts next fall.

It was another productive year for organizations to connect with St. Olaf faculty. Through CEL staff coordination, several faculty representing the management, economics, math, and computer science academic areas attended on-campus luncheons with recruiters to exchange ideas on current academic trends and the latest issues in the corporate sector. Target’s fall luncheon, where Target alumni and recruiters presented the CEL with a $5000 Foundation Grant, was a highlight. The luncheon included faculty, interim VP for Advancement Ron Bagnall, President Chris Thomforde and Assistant Provost Arnie Ostebee.

Students were strongly encouraged to prepare for all areas of the internship and job search process via the CEL. Assistance with resumes, cover letters, practice interviews, interview skills workshops, and one-on-one counseling was available for each interested student. Qualitative data suggests that the students who used the CEL were better-prepared and more competitive in their search process.

Job and Internship Fairs

A broad base of job and internship fairs complemented our postings, Stav Hall tabling, information sessions, and on-campus interview programs. The CEL was directly affiliated with seven fairs over the 2005-06 academic year, targeting jobs and internships from each of the government, public service, private, and education sectors. Fairs included the Idealist.org/Action Without Borders Non-Profit and Social Service Fair, the MN Private Colleges Job and Internship Fair, St. Olaf’s Nursing Career Fair, St. Olaf’s Summer Job and Camp Fair, St. Olaf’s World Wide Service Fair, the MN College and University Career Services Association (MCUCSA) Education Career Fair, and the MCUCSA Government Job and Internship Fair. Collectively, more than 294 St. Olaf students attended these fairs. More women than men (almost exactly double) took advantage of the fairs, with 197 women and 97 men attending the events. Not surprisingly, senior students were our biggest constituent, with 160 seniors and ninth semester students attending the fairs, 73 juniors, 29 sophomores and 32 first-years. The MN Private Colleges Job and Internship Fair (the broadest-based fair) drew the most students, with 133 participants. Because the World Wide Service Fair is an open, walk through event, the CEL was unable to gather student attendance figures and include them in our fair attendance totals. Appendix H6 details the student attendance by fair, total number of students participating in fairs, and participation by gender and class year. Appendix H7 details the CEL-coordinated fairs (World Wide Service Fair and Summer Job and Camp Fair) with a list of participating organizations.

ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES

Finstad Grants
This year 12 Finstad Grants were awarded to 17 students totaling $19,725; an additional six Finstad businesses continued with grants that were awarded in previous years. Finstad Grants funded a variety of projects including music recording, jewelry, biodiesel, home handy work, chocolate retailing, recycled clothing, knitting, a DVD dispenser, a theater production and much more. See Appendix I1 for details on the grant descriptions and awards.

This year, we strengthened the grant application process by including three deadlines and having students create and deliver a sales pitch for a committee of staff and faculty. This process was more rigorous than in the past and required more effort on behalf of the students. The agreement between the student and the program has also been strengthened to ensure that students benefit from the vital educational component within the program and to encourage attendance at all scheduled events.

Over Summer 2005, a database was constructed of all grant recipients since 1992. A survey of all Finstad Alumni in January 2006 provided valuable information; highlights of the results have been collected in a brochure contained in Appendix I2.

Estenson Internships
After a year hiatus, the 10-year old Estenson Internship Program returned to campus. The Wallace J. Estenson Entrepreneurial Internship program, founded by Mark Johnson ’82, is a unique program offered exclusively to St. Olaf students interested in experiencing the work environments of entrepreneurial companies and participating in a structured learning experience which provides exposure to the theory and practice of being entrepreneurial. Regent Mark Johnson returned to campus to deliver an information session about the program to a very crowded classroom. Many students applied and several were interviewed by CEL staff and Associate Dean, Steve Soderlind; six were selected to spend the summer with St. Olaf alumni all of whom are business owners in the Twin Cities.

E-Week and Mini E-Week
Mini E-Week (September 2005) and E-Week (April 2006) were both successful events. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Braulick speaker event attracted a large audience. This year Pete Bedzk from the Timberlodge Steakhouse discussed his entrepreneurial experiences; the event was preceded by a dinner where the Braulick scholarship was awarded. The second annual elevator pitch competition was well received with nine three-minute entries. Finally, the Finstad Marketplace was a lot of fun with live music, food and great items from students’ businesses for purchase. Event details are highlighted in Appendix I3.

Ole Ventures
The Ole Ventures Club (the student entrepreneurial group) supported the entrepreneurial spirit by supplying wonderful and diverse speakers: Dan Butler, Circus Juventas; Ed Deutschlander, North Star Resource Group; Martha Olson, Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar. These students were instrumental in organizing Entrepreneurship week and successfully ran their apparel business “Ole Gear” which will now be passed on to next years’ students.

"LIVES OF WORTH AND SERVICE: MAKING SERVICE A PART OF YOUR LIFE"

“Lives of Worth and Service: Making Service a Part of Your Life,” in November, raised awareness of the value of service learning and community engagement and honored students who have led lives of service.

• A chapel presentation entitled “Service and Learning in South India: Getting More Than You Give” was given by Anne Walter, Matt Richey and six students who received a Lilly Program Grant for international service in India.
• In recognition of their long-standing contributions to St. Olaf, and especially servant leadership, the CEL hosted the O. Jay and Pat Tomson lecture on service, preceded by a dinner where service-minded members of the St. Olaf community and beyond mingled.
• Special guest Mike Fairbourne, Meteorologist on WCCO-TV and Chairman for the Children’s Surgery International, delivered the Tomson Lecture. Pediatrician Doug Tate ’70 and Ted Johnson reported on their involvement with Children’s Surgery International and the work accomplished by the group of students they took to Peru on a service trip funded through the Lilly Program Grant in Summer 2005.
• More than a dozen students submitted essays addressing the question, “As a student at St. Olaf College, how are you, through both your academic and experiential learning, preparing to live a ‘life of worth and service’?” The three student winners were recognized at the Tomson dinner; each donated half of their cash winnings to a charity of their choice.

This year’s activities were abbreviated due to the absence of a program director; next year we anticipate a full week of programming.

LILLY PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

New York City Internships, Interim 2006
Under the Lilly Program , the CEL and the Office of Church Relations developed an Interim internship program in New York City where six St. Olaf students experienced urban ministry through three congregations which serve the poor and marginalized. Students were supervised and mentored by professor emeritus Vern Faillettaz, two alumni pastors and Pastor Heidi Neumark.

Ole Spring Relief Trip
During Spring Break week more than 180 students took part in the "What a Relief" spring break program offered by Lutheran Disaster Relief (LDR) and assisted hurricane victims in Biloxi, Mississippi, and at Dillard University in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Lilly Program Grant funded a group meal with guest speaker Lutheran Bishop Paul Blom ’63 of the Texas-Louisiana-Gulf Coast Synod, as a means for the students to reflect on their vocation in relation to the project.

Lilly Program Bible/Church Camp Stipends
Recognizing that working as a bible camp counselor during the summer can be a powerful opportunity for personal growth, service to others and discernment of one's career, the Lilly Program offered stipends to fifteen students to supplement their earnings from camp positions during the Summer of 2005. Stipend recipients then participated in at least one service activity during the year and a March reflection session.

Vocational Retreats
Over the course of the past two years, Lilly-funded student vocational retreats were a primary means of involving students in consideration of “vocation” as a concept and reflection on their own vocation. CEL staff offered vocational retreats to students in a variety of peer assistant/advising roles (2003-04) and to students interested in linking their reflection on vocation to a specific topic, i.e. service, spirituality, etc. (2004-05). This year, however, we succeeded in fully integrating vocational retreats into ongoing activities of the CEL through our developmental workshop model, our partnerships with faculty and the activities of the pastoral intern. Here is a summary of these activities:

• Identifying Vocational Interest Workshops
  As described earlier in this report, this year the CEL instituted a developmental workshop model to better meet student need. Though many of our workshops integrate discussion of vocation, a sequence of three workshops was the primary means for engaging students in discussion and reflection on their “calling.” In the first workshop, “Identifying Vocational Interests” students explored their passions, values, skills and abilities, and developed a mission statement to guide them through their St. Olaf years and into their post-college years. Upon completion of this workshop, students were invited to take the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI). A total of 109 students participated in this workshop throughout the year. The second offering, “ Interests & Career Options: Strong Interest Inventory ” (55 students) provided specific insights on the relationship between students’ stated passions and career ideas. Several reflection activities assisted students in integrating and putting into action a career/life plan. The third in the sequence, “ Personal Strengths & Careers: MBTI Interpretation” ( 39 students) provided students with the opportunity to discuss their giftedness and its relationship to vocation and career ideas.
• I Want To Help People Course Retreat
  The January Social Work course, “I Want To Help People,” designed to help students explore their interest in helping others either as a career or in a volunteer capacity, fully integrated consideration of vocation (see page 6 under Collaboration with Academic Departments and Programs).
• Psychology of Personality
  In her work as a Lilly Faculty Fellow this year, Professor Donna McMillan adapted the Psychology of Personality course to include readings, discussion and assignments related to the concept of vocation. Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer was required reading for the course; Parker’s writing was discussed in relation to that of other humanist theorists (see pages 8-9 under Collaboration with Academic Departments and Programs).
• Conversation on Social Work, Service and Vocation
  The annual spring conversation between senior Social Work majors, who have recently completed an intensive practicum experience, and alumni who are practicing social workers, “Conversation on Social Work, Service and Vocation,” involves participants in reflection and discussion of “their path of authentic service” (see page 7 under Collaboration with Academic Departments and Programs).
• Lamentation and Vocation
  The workshop entitled "Lamentation and Vocation,” led by Pastoral Intern Elizabeth Musselman provided student and staff participants the opportunity to discuss religious traditions in which lamentation is considered a vocation. Discussion included the relationship between loss and vocation both in individual lives and on a national or global scale, the purpose of lamentation and how it can be redemptive, and the Jewish tradition of the Lamed Vov (the thirty-six righteous people whose vocation is to bear the sufferings of the world). A book group grew out of the "Lamentation and Vocation" workshop. Six students, six staff and two faculty members met bi-weekly to discuss The Last of the Just by Andre Schwarz-Bart, a post-holocaust novel about the Lamed Vov.

V. COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

CORPORATE PARTNERS

Target Corporation

Foundation Grant - Target Corporation once again awarded the CEL $5000; this year the Foundation Grant was directed at expanding the scope and outreach of our Peer Advisor program. The intention of the grant was for the three Peer Advisors serving as Career Ambassadors to utilize eRecruiting software to promote and advance our recruiting goals, develop and initiate innovative marketing campaigns, support the office during information sessions and campus recruiting visits, and organize and deliver educational programming to enhance students’ vocational knowledge and interview performance. The grant also encouraged students’ technology usage, broadened our marketing efforts, and provided new and innovative programming and outreach to the St. Olaf student body.

• January Internships - Created from a Corporate Partners Initiative, Target Corporation again hosted two St. Olaf students as interns for the month of January. This academic internship program was developed in 2004-05 to connect two St. Olaf students with Ole alums working at Target, providing hands-on work experiences and other career exploration opportunities. Each student was assigned a significant project and then formally presented how their project would impact the day-to-day operations of Target to employees and supervisors. Once again the program was extremely successful. The students were asked to return as interns for the summer and will receive first priority for being interviewed for a full time position in the fall. Target continues to offer this program only to St. Olaf students.
• Case Challenge - To introduce students to merchandizing careers, Target offered a case challenge to 16 sophomores and juniors for the first time this year. Teams of students were presented with a merchandizing challenge in the toy industry. Over the course of three weeks, the teams developed strategies for maximizing sales of toys for Target and then presented their ideas to Target recruiters at corporate headquarters.

Federated Leadership Scholarships
Federated Insurance again offered two scholarships to juniors in Economics, Mathematics and Management Studies with at least a 3.0 GPA through a competitive essay process. Doyle Johnson ’86, Paul Droher ’72 and other Oles at Federated reviewed the essays of the 11 applicants. As an organization that prides itself on equity, teamwork, integrity and respect, Federated Insurance requires the applicants to demonstrate their commitment to these “cornerstone” principles in their essays. Federated Insurance has a long history of community leadership and service to others and, as such, is looking to reward students who demonstrate a similar orientation.

General Mills Case Challenge
John Haugen ’86, Andy Dahlen ’89 and Chad Johnson ’93 of General Mills introduced 20 students to the field of marketing through a Marketing Case Challenge in April. An actual marketing case from the Big G division was presented along with background material on the cereal sector; student teams had four weeks to analyze the challenge and develop solutions. The teams then presented case solutions using power point to a team of Ole judges at General Mills headquarters. The presentations were followed by a lunch that included Oles at General Mills.

NORTHFIELD ECONOMIC/BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

The College Board of Business Consultants
The College Board of Business Consultants (CBBC) completed their first successful year. Twelve St. Olaf and Carleton students made up the volunteer board that helps Northfield organizations solve their real-world dilemmas by providing practical research. The CBBC is sponsored by First National Bank, Community National Bank and Wells Fargo Bank, and is administered by the Northfield Enterprise Center.

Northfield Enterprise Center (NEC)
Experiential opportunities are made available through collaboration with the NEC. Start-up businesses are used as real-life business plan examples for the entrepreneurship class students.

NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

CEL staff explored the possibility of service-related initiatives with several organizations in the Northfield area: Community Action Center, Health Finders, Northfield Historical Society, League of Women Voters, Northfield Volunteer Organization, and RSVP.

FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE

The First-Year Experience Committee committed to several initiatives recognized as important in the initial two years of the ACM grant-funded project. One identified priority was to continue orientation activities for first-year students into the academic year; thus was born the January “Focus on First-Years: Beyond Four Walls” event (highlighted earlier in the report) which the CEL was instrumental in creating, coordinating and presenting. More importantly, the active participation of CEL staff on the committee has elevated campus recognition of the value of experiential learning and CEL’s important role in providing experiential learning opportunities to students through collaboration with academic departments. Though the official work of the committee is completed, CEL participates in the continuing conversation about how to institutionalize best practices identified by the committee.

Student Life Division Liaison

In order to stay current with programs and services that serve students outside the classroom, CEL participated in monthly student life directors meetings. This collaboration proved once again an effective means of informing student life staff about CEL programs and events and providing programming through residence halls and other student affairs services. A CEL staff member participated in the JC Information Fair during training to ensure that JCs recognized the value of the CEL and its services to first-year students and CEL staff presented on several topics to SSS program students.

Presentations to the St. Olaf Community

CEL participated in several events for the St. Olaf community. CEL staff presented “Exploring Majors and Careers” introducing resources, strategies and services for exploration to parents during Homecoming and Family Weekend. CEL staff presented a seminar to the Admissions staff, highlighting the strengths of the CEL as compared to the more traditional career services and internships offices that exist on most college campuses. CEL staff hosted a seminar during an Admissions’ prospective student day.

VI. STRUCTURAL SUPPORT INITIATIVES

Peer Advisor Program
In 2005-06, the Peer Advisor (PA) program employed 12 students, primarily juniors and seniors. The students served as the first line of contact for any in-person and phone inquiries, and were trained to assist students with such topics as choosing a major, career exploration, internships, job searches, résumé and cover letter critiques, the graduate school application process, volunteer opportunities, interviewing, and alumni networking. PA’s handled all of the above topics on a primary level, requiring them to be well-versed in our many hard-copy and web resources. They then referred students needing further assistance to our workshop series or career counselors via scheduling appointments. In addition, they assisted with events and presented programs on their own. PAs worked an average of 6-10 hours per week, and received two days of training at the beginning of the year and subsequent trainings and updates in the form of monthly meetings throughout the year. Each member of the CEL staff played a leadership role in various aspects of fall training and development to familiarize students with the notion of a holistic experiential learning program. See Appendix J1 for the complete fall training schedule.

As mentioned in the highlights section, the Peer Advisor program was significantly adapted at the beginning of the 2005-06 academic year in light of our newly developed strategic plan. The program divided up additional responsibility for projects and programs to a self-selected PA under the supervision of a designated staff member. Although there was one CEL staff member ultimately in charge of managing the program and the general oversight of the paraprofessional staff, the new system allowed students to have a more integrated experience working with a range of staff and programs of interest to them. It was quickly discovered that although the program required additional relationship building and open communication of expectations, it also greatly diminished the administrative burden on professional staff, and brought new energy and ideas to our outreach and programming. PAs felt greater ownership in their student work role, as each realized the impact their work had on our programs. In addition, the students were provided a remarkable experiential learning opportunity, and through the process were able to gain stronger transferrable skills. See Apendices J2 and J3 for detailed explanation of the various PA roles and responsibilities as well as the job description and application.

Marketing Initiatives
This year marked several new and successful marketing initiatives for the CEL. We decided last summer that our strategic direction was to utilize faculty as a conduit to market our programs and services to students. In addition, we sought to create an all-inclusive student alias for weekly and topical announcements. Both of these objectives were attained. See Appendix K for details of the marketing initiatives. St. Olaf faculty and staff received a quarterly newsletter featuring an article on experiential learning and both new and existing faculty collaborations. Several mailings to faculty highlighted CEL’s new workshop series in hopes that they would make these opportunities known to their students and advisees. Students opted into an e-mail alias titled "CEL Yourself" through various means and received a weekly e-newsletter with standard offerings such as upcoming events, career opportunities, internships, grants and scholarships and a humor section. Students also received individual notifications of workshops, events or information that missed the weekly newsletter. The "Focus on First-Years" event provided an excellent means of enlisting first-years participation in the alias, resulting in increased first-year student traffic at our workshops. In 2005-06, the CEL launched a new CEL logo. The square behind the text symbolizes our efforts to encourage students to “think outside of the classroom.” The “swoosh” in the new logo nicely mimics the “arch” in the St. Olaf logo so the two can be used simultaneously, yet alone the CEL logo represents the look of the College logo. Much deliberation went into consideration of our tagline, “Live Your Learning,” resulting in a final decision to continue to use the tagline as it appeals to students and faculty while describing the breadth of the CEL’s services.

Professional Development
Again this year, the professional development activities of the CEL staff indicate their eagerness to grow professionally. They were active in professional organizations that enhance experiential learning opportunities for our students, participated in conferences that extend expertise in their program area or in the field of experiential learning in general, and presented in various professional arenas. A detailed list of professional development activities can be seen in Appendix L.

 

A link to the Lilly Program Report for 2005-06 -

http://www.stolaf.edu/lillyprogram/report_0506.doc