The Center for Experiential Learning Annual Report, FY 06-07

EXPANDING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM
  1. INTRODUCTION

    REFLECTIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Since its creation the Center for Experiential Learning has promoted academically based experiential learning opportunities for students. It certainly did not take the CEL staff long to reinforce existing experiential learning programs or to create new and exciting ways for students to ‘live their learning.’ It has taken more time to connect those various programs to the academic curriculum and to see faculty initiating experiential learning activities. This annual summary of the CEL’s many and varied programs should certainly demonstrate the strength and vitality of the linkage between the academic curriculum and experiential learning programs.

    As I reflect on the advances we have made within the CEL in creating an integrated program and on the increasing number of faculty who seek out CEL staff to collaborate on experiential learning programs, I am impressed by the professionalism and creativity of the CEL staff and amazed by the receptivity and energy of faculty who work with the CEL. This report notes that the intensity of program activity varies across the range of programs and departments that work with the CEL. What encourages my conviction that these collaborations are making a difference is not just the number of programs and departments that are mentioned in this report, but the way initial interactions grow into established collaborations. Our work with the pre-law program is a great example. It was only two years ago that the CEL became involved with this initiative. Now it’s an established partnership. The way the internship program has matured, to say nothing of the campus-wide conversation prompted by recent analysis and evaluation of the current program and how it is changing, give evidence to ways the CEL is strengthening academic programs as it responds to students’ interests and needs. Our involvement with the recent academic advising initiative is a wonderful example of how the CEL’s work contributes to the academic program. The CEL has been involved in the planning that brought the college the ACM grant, in the subsequent seminars and conversations that the grant prompted, and then in the preparation and implementation of the academic advising workshop that was held this summer. The ways Lilly Grant Program initiatives are being integrated into ongoing CEL programs reveals how we have taken the best of experimental programs and incorporated them into our program priorities.

    Increasing our involvement with the academic programs on campus has not meant that the CEL
    abandons one of its core responsibilities—meeting the needs of individual students in terms of
    counseling, advising, and nurturing. What is so impressive about the CEL staff is how it has been
    able to deliver quality programs of all types by developing creative ways to ‘do more with less.’ The CEL’s peer advisor program is a prime example. By creating an intensive and high quality training program for our peer advisors and by reinforcing and expanding their learning throughout the academic year, we have developed a cadre of skilled individuals. These peer advisors can provide answers to many of the initial questions our students raise when they come to the CEL for assistance. Coupled with this wonderful program the CEL’s expanded and increasingly interactive web site gives students—and now faculty—a place to go to get information and provide them with details at any hour of the day or night.

    The CEL benefits from a dedicated faculty advisory group. These individuals provide guidance and wise counsel as we seek new and better ways to advance our mission and serve the community. We are very grateful to this group.

    I hope you will take a few minutes to look over the pages that follow. I know that when you do you will be impressed with the wonderful work the CEL professional staff is doing. If you haven’t had the opportunity to meet these folks, please seek them out. You might also want to stop by the new CEL space in the Modular Village. Don’t let the notion of ‘trailers’ put you off. We’ve got great space that lends itself to one-on-one and small group interactions with students.
    The Center for Experiential Learning is eager to work with the entire St. Olaf community to help
    students ‘live their learning.’

    PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

    Both the breadth and the depth of CEL initiatives will be apparent in the detailed report that follows. However, the highlights of the current year's activities underscore our connection to the academic program of the college and emphasize the quality of our direct service to students. The brief description below calls attention to each of our highlighted initiatives; reference is provided to an addendum or a page number for complete details on each activity.

     In an effort to become better acquainted with the internship program at St. Olaf, the new assistant director completed a thorough review of the internship process and of all available data on internships. The result of this process is a report offering an overview of internships which was shared with the Dean in May in order to both highlight major trends and successes and also to call attention to some key opportunities for growth within the program. (The complete report appears in Addendum I.)

     The Mayo Scholars Program, a unique interdisciplinary academic internship opportunity for
    students in the Natural Sciences and Economics, was offered for the first time in Interim 2006 and provided students the opportunity to evaluate the potential of discoveries and inventions selected by licensing managers at Mayo Medical Ventures. (page 11)

     The director of the CEL was invited to serve on the Academic Advising Task Force, an ACM grant-funded initiative, to improve academic advising through implementation of a theoretical framework based on "advising as teaching" and development of tools and activities for advisors. (page 10 and Addendum II)

     CEL staff reviewed the Integrative Folder component of the Management Studies
    Concentration, revising specific requirements to ensure relevance to the goals of the program and the needs of students. Moodle technology was instituted to facilitate submission of many of the folder elements. (page 8)

     The "Going Global" International Series met a growing student need for information on
    international careers. The different activities included in the series highlighted both students who
    had completed an international academic internship and alumni who had built international careers. The series of events was embraced by faculty, staff and students and will continue as an annual event. (page 16)

     A new program, funded in part by the Lilly program, exposed students to issues of poverty and homelessness through a Washington D.C. immersion experience and then connected the students to alumni in various public service careers. (page 22)

    Focus on First Years became an annual event as we offered all first years the opportunity to get to know the CEL during Interim, first through an open house in the Crossroads and then through follow-up programming in residence halls. (page 17)

     In what turned out to be a exceptionally productive year, Ole Ventures put together an interesting and well-attended speaker series, culminating in the visit of Michael Cowles as part of E-Week. (page 21)

     CEI staff again provided excellent service to students. Attendance at our workshops, which
    included several new offerings targeted to specific groups of students, increased to 1353
    participants    . CEL staff provided 929 one-to-one appointments supplemented by 438 individual contacts through peer advisors. (page 17, 18)

    Two substantive changes not visible to the college community are notable in their significance to
    achievement of the strategic goals set in 2005. This year evidenced increased collaboration between CEL programs, resulting in richer experiences for students. The newly integrated CEL student website, our peer advisor model based on mentoring students into management responsibilities across the four programs of the CEL, and specific initiatives, such as the integration of interviewing skills and discussion of professionalism in the workplace into the Estenson entrepreneurial internship process are examples of internal collaboration within the CEL.

    As we enter the final year of Lilly grant funding under the original grant, we can also demonstrate deliberate integration of Lilly initiatives into the on-going program of the CEL. The "Identifying Vocational Interests" workshop series has become a standard part of CEL offerings. Intentional reflection activities have been integrated into many of the CEL initiatives, encouraging students to adopt a habit of reflection and evaluation. Several course-embedded activities developed with Lilly funding are now being absorbed into the regular program of the CEL.

    These are but a few of the many successful CEL initiatives. The full description of 2006-07 programs and services will demonstrate the breadth and depth of experiential learning through the CEL.

  2. THE CEL TEAM

    CEL STAFF MEMBERS

    Sandy Malecha (nee Amy) ’01, Assistant Director, Internships
    Merrie Benasutti, Associate Director, Service and Civic Leadership
    Kirsten Cahoon ‘98, Associate Director, Career Connections
    Bruce R. Dalgaard, Executive Director
    Andrea Kubinski, Program Assistant and Technology Coordinator
    Sian Muir, Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies
    Megan Rivera, Career Counselor, Career Connections
    Paula Schanilec, Program Assistant and Budget Coordinator
    Pat Smith, Director
    John Stull, Entrepreneur-in-Residence

    FACULTY ADVISORY BOARD

    Programmatic Oversight

    As in past years, the CEL’s Faculty Advisory Committee served as a “sounding board” for ideas and plans within the experiential learning program. Their input on a revision of the CEL Intended
    Learning Outcomes was helpful. Upon the resignation of the associate director for Service and Civic Leadership in May, several of the faculty provided valuable insight into the strengths of the program and assisted in defining a direction for the future.

    The CEL’s Faculty Advisory Committee members are:
    Kathryn Ananda-Owens, Music (FA)
    Mary Cisar, Romance Languages; Registrar (HUM)
    Jim Farrell, American Studies (IGS)
    Dana Gross, Psychology (NSM)
    Dan Hofrenning, Political Science (SAS)
    Jean Porterfield, Biology and Biomedical Studies (NSM)
    Steve Soderlind, Economics; Associate Dean of Social and Applied Sciences (SAS)
    Bill Sonnega, Theater/Media Studies (FA)
    Mary Titus, English (HUM)
    Soveig Zempel, Norwegian; Associate Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies (IGS)
    Arnie Ostebee, Assistant Provost, ex-officio

  3. ACADEMIC PROGRAM COLLABORATION

    COURSE OFFERINGS THROUGH THE CEL

    The two entrepreneurship classes were offered again this year. New Venture Formulation, Mgmt 257, in the Interim (25 students) and Entrepreneurship, Mgmt 256, in the Spring (26 students). Both classes integrated a highly experiential component, including a “hands-on” final project based on real-world application. The courses benefited from a variety of predominantly alumni guest speakers (12 in total) who presented topic specific material. The Interim course focuses on idea formulation and the start-up phase; the Spring course covers all the “need-to-knows” for a small business. See Appendix A1 and A2 for class syllabi and Appendix A3 for a list of speakers.
    Additionally, three students completed academic internships and three did independent studies under the supervision of the instructor of the entrepreneurship classes.

    COLLABORATION WITH ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS

    Collaboration with faculty remains a central component of the CEL’s mission to make experiential
    learning academic. The partnerships we have established enrich the academic programs of students whether they take place via classroom presentations, required workshops for majors/concentrators, voluntary workshops developed for a major/program or area of study, career panels, or engagement in a civic engagement project.

    During 2006-07, the CEL partnered with 21 academic departments or programs across the five
    Faculties. Though we don’t have numbers for all of our partnerships, our records show that CEL staff reached 327 students through 14 classroom presentations and 310 students through
    department/program-affiliated workshops during the year. See Appendix B for further specifics on classroom presentations by department, course title, faculty member affiliated with course and presentation titles.

     American Conversation
    CEL staff presented four field trip opportunities, each of which would provide a mini-immersion experience in a multi-cultural community in the Twin Cities, to the American Conversation faculty during their summer retreat

     Art
    CEL staff collaborated with Wendell Arneson in coordinating an alumni panel highlighting
    “Careers in Art.” The panelists’ background included architect, gallery assistant, artist, musician,
    designer, and art historian/curator
    .
     Asian Studies
    Collaboration between CEL and Asian Studies continued, once again contributing to Kris
    MacPherson’s 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. Students enrolled in the spring semester course attended the International Career Panel,
    and listened to three alumni with a variety of careers in Asia, as well as two others with
    experience from around the world.

    CEL staff presented opportunities for involvement in community service projects to the students
    in Kathy Tegtmeyer Pak’s Asian Studies course.

     Biology
    CEL staff collaborated with Diane Angell in Biology 228, Environmental Health, in providing
    students an applied experience. As part of the course, students researched a topic and then
    constructed an attractive, educational and well-researched pamphlet on an environmental health
    topic relevant to our region. As the “science experts” on their topic, students needed to
    communicate scientific information to a general audience, ideally in conjunction with a
    community member.

    Angell, a student from the course and the CEL staff member presented a poster on the civic
    engagement project at a session entitled “Expanding Understanding: Information, Education and
    Communication” as part of the “Integrating the Environment in Human Health,” the National
    Council on Science and the Environment’s annual meeting in Washington D.C.

     Biomedical Studies
    Students planning a vocation in healthcare continue to seek ways to stand out in today’s
    competitive market. According to our alums, faculty, and professional partners in the field,
    experiential learning is one of the best ways to do this. This year biomedical studies concentrators found experiential learning opportunities as medical scribes in local hospitals, surgical assistants in clinics and hospitals in India, Morocco, and Madagascar, and as business consultants for Mayo Medical Ventures in Rochester, among many other things.

    Ted Johnson led this year’s Global Semester, and in his absence, Jean Porterfield partnered with
    CEL staff to carry out the key workshops targeted toward biomedical studies concentrators. The
    workshops provided guidance on exploring the many career options in the field of heath,
    encouraged learning outside of the classroom, and helped students prepare for the professional
    school application process. There was a renewed focus this year on non-premed students
    interested in healthcare, and workshops included an intentional message that addressed alternative career paths in this field. This message will be carried through into new materials being developed for biomedical studies concentrators: CEL staff met with Ted Johnson this spring to share experiential learning resources which will become part of his upcoming publication for
    non-premed students interested in healthcare. Additionally, CEL staff has begun coordinating
    with the pre-med and pre-dental clubs on campus to develop programming which will help
    students carefully consider their pre-health track and whether it is right for them.

     Dance
    Two CEL staff led Dance 399, the Senior Dance Seminar, taught by Heather Klopchin, 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. An entrepreneurial component was added to the presentation this year,
    encouraging students to consider ways to think creatively/strategically, add value, be innovative,
    and develop a better tolerance for ambiguity when striving for a successful arts career.

     Economics
    Both fall and spring semesters, 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.

    CEL staff participated, along with Mary and David Emery, in the Faculty Panel on Internships, a
    a department seminar for students in October, sharing information with students about the
    importance of internships to enhance their academic program and prepare them for the world of
    work. CEL staff reviewed how to search, prepare for and apply to internships. The students also
    received information about taking an internship for academic credit.

     Education
    Each semester CEL staff met with student teachers during their Education 389, Student Teaching,
    seminar, led by Bob McClure, presenting information on resources and strategies for the job
    search within the traditional structure of K-12 institutions.

    CEL staff introduced the Northfield Reads and Counts tutoring program to students in Education
    290, Educational Psychology, taught by Bob McClure and Dan Forstner, as an opportunity to
    gain teaching-related experience.

     English
    Joan Hepburn involves students in English 110, Skills in Composition, in exploration and
    discussion of purposeful lives, lives of conviction, as a means of developing an understanding of
    the concept of vocation. To provide students with a structure for thinking about which career
    direction might be the best fit, CEL staff introduced students to a process for thinking about their
    interests and skills in relation to various career categories using the theme codes from the Strong Interest Inventory.

    At the request of Mary Steen, staff met with the English Department to discuss ways in which
    individual faculty and/or the department as a whole can partner with the CEL as an extension of
    their “English Majors Make Good” series. Two CEL staff facilitated a portion of a departmental
    meeting-- informing faculty of the recent changes made to the center’s model (transition from 1:1 appointment focus to workshop series, increased collaboration with faculty/departments,
    developing targeted programming for various majors, promoting thoughtful involvement in
    experiential learning early in students’ undergraduate careers, etc.) and then beginning
    conversation on ways a collaboration could develop. The department endorsed the idea of
    building upon their series through alumni panels and targeted workshops directed at the unique
    transferable skills gained through an English major. The department also expressed interest in
    partnering next fall on programming related to graduate school in English related fields.

    In April, 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. The panel was
    followed with a CEL workshop presentation “How English Majors Make Good: Strategies for the
    Job Search.” The presentation included effective strategies and resources to search for
    opportunities that utilize writing and communication skills.

     Environmental Studies
    While experiential learning has always been required for the environmental studies major and
    concentration, spring of 2006 was the first time the environmental studies program director
    collaborated with CEL staff to offer an environmental studies internship scholarship. The
    opportunity was created so that an environmental studies major or concentrator could enhance
    her/his internship experience by taking it for credit. The scholarship recipient completes a
    presentation at the conclusion of the internship with the hope that other students will learn from
    his/her specific experience. The scholarship was awarded again this year, and the winner is
    interning with the Director of Environmental Education at the Thomas Irvine Dodge Nature
    Center throughout the summer.

    Early this spring, CEL staff members were sought out by John Schade to talk in depth about the
    experiential learning component of the major, and how CEL can more closely collaborate with
    faculty and students in the department to share resources and strategies to obtain the hands-on
    learning environmental studies students desire. The initial conversation was incredibly
    productive. Resources and models were shared and follow-up conversations are planned for this
    summer to further develop this relationship.

     Exercise Science
    CEL staff repeated course presentations this year in Exercise Science 390, Senior Seminar (Cindy Book), and 374, Biomechanics (Sean Goldsworthy). The presentations included targeted
    internship, job, and graduate/professional school search resources. Additionally, Cindy Book
    remains in close contact with CEL staff as her department works toward making experiential
    learning/internships a requirement for the major. CEL staff members are fully prepared to support this effort through continued participation in course presentations as well as workshops and one-on- one student advising for exercise science students seeking experiential learning opportunities in their field.

     Family and Social Service
    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 an exploration of self, students in both Family Studies
    242, taught by Sharon Powell, and Social Work 254, Naurine Lennox, 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, CEL staff created offered several workshops aimed at students interested in social service
    careers. “Identifying and Searching for Careers in Social Service and Non-Profit Organizations”
    illustrated a process to identify one’s niche within the public service sector and provided
    strategies and resources valuable in preparing for service careers. “Searching for Internships and Jobs in Public Service Organizations” introduced students to resources helpful to the internship and job search. 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, Inclusive Practice: Group, Organization and Community, Naurine Lennox.

    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,” led by Mary Carlsen and CEL staff,
    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.

     Fine Arts
    Late in the Spring, Mary Griep asked the CEL to partner with the Fine Arts departments to
    explore bringing Springboard for the Arts, an organizational resource for artists, to campus to
    provide programming for our students. Springboard’s curriculum, entitled “The Work of Art:
    Business Skills for Artists,” provides information, resources and connections that young artists
    need as they start their careers. A group of faculty from the Fine Arts met to discuss needs and
    opportunities for the next academic year.

     History
    A new partnership was formed this year with Anna Kuxhausen. Each year, a panel or
    presentation on graduate school had been developed within the department by a young faculty
    member. This year, a new partnership was formed, and the panel was expanded to include the
    CEL. “Careers in Law,” was the focus of this years’ event, and thus we were also able to partner
    with Political Science and the pre-law club. Four St. Olaf alumni with a range of law relatedcareers were invited, including the newly appointed MN Chief Justice Russell Anderson ‘64.

     Management Studies
    The Integrative Folder and experiential learning components have always been an integral part of the Management concentration since the program's inception in September 1998. The goal of the Integrative Folder is to demonstrate the interrelatedness of a student’s varied learning experiences and illustrate connections between all facets of their learning. While the foundation of the integrative folder requirements have remained the same over the years, the CEL has continually worked with Management Studies to revise and enhance the process to ensure it is applicable and timely for graduating seniors. This year a major review resulted in the instigation of two deadlines for submission of the Integrative Folder requirements.

    The reflective essay is now required by a November deadline. The essay encourages students to
    reflect on their St. Olaf education, commenting on the impact that their experiential learning
    activities have had on shaping their vision of their future, and then outlining an action plan for the senior year that will help in working toward their vocational vision. Then in April, students are
    required to put together a CD portfolio that highlights the various skills and abilities gained
    during college and outlines their post-graduation action plan. The portfolio design encourages
    students to think carefully about their skillset and how they will illustrate their potential to an
    employer or graduate program. Additionally, for the first time, Moodle technology was used to
    ease submission of most of the folder requirements.

     Media Studies
    Now in its sixth 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/David Booth, Director
    and Acting Director of the Media Studies program, and the CEL has taken new energy and shape.

    After last year’s program review and refinement of the portfolio requirements, we were able to
    pilot the integrative and reflective digital media portfolio of each concentrator’s academic and
    experiential work. Portfolios were ultimately burned to a reproducible CD/DVD, and included
    materials such as resumes, cover letters, letters of recommendation/list of references,
    information/materials from experiential learning activities, writing samples, pertinent academic
    projects, graduate school entrance essays, web links, photos, video clips, etc. as well as a
    reflective capstone essay of their media-related learning. This simple, clean, and functional
    portfolio was then used by students for a range of purposes, such as job interviews, graduate
    school or scholarship applications. The CEL played an influential role working with students,
    helping them reflect upon the meaning of their media-related learning, and to brainstorm ways of
    organizing and articulating their work. Additional requirements of the concentration 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 fall, and apply to current seniors and beyond. As Acting Director this year, David Booth was instrumental in helping the program bring the vision to fruition. His portfolio expertise, having directed the CIS program was an incredible asset to our team.

     Music
    In an effort to outreach to the art and music departments, CEL staff offered to present a session
    on how entrepreneurial skills apply in an arts setting. Andrea Een accepted the invitation and
    CEL staff presented to violin, viola and Hardanger fiddle students on thinking entrepreneurially
    and building skills to make a living doing what they are passionate about.

     Neuroscience
    A CEL staff member was sought out by Shelly Dickinson for an initial conversation about
    collaboration with the neuroscience program. As ideas were exchanged, it became clear that
    concentrators need a better understanding of the field as a whole, and the types of experiences
    that are necessary as an undergraduate, and just past graduation, to be competitive for graduate programs. Serious concentrators are well aware of the need for undergraduate research, so the summer research positions offered through the college are highly competitive. However, students not selected for the St. Olaf program often lack knowledge of other opportunities for summer research. A student interning in the program was charged with enhancing the program’s website to provide some helpful information. After that work is complete, Dickinson and the CEL staff member will meet again to identify yet unmet needs of the concentrators.

     Physics
    In early fall, two CEL staff members had the opportunity to meet with the Physics department.
    Bob Jacobel requested that we update the group on the recent changes made within CEL and then focus the discussion on the Career Connections program—more specifically, how the program works with students to discern their career path. Having a strong history of experiential learning activity already embedded within their curriculum, coupled with strong advising relationships with many of their students, the needs of the major are unique. The department wanted the CEL to provide support to students who choose not to pursue graduate or professional school, or for those who do not want to pursue a traditional physics-related career path directly after graduation. Out of this need, a workshop was developed and delivered on “Job Search Strategies for Quantitative and Scientific Types” which was endorsed by the department.

     Political Science
    The CEL assisted with funds for a student trip to the Land Institute’s Prairie Festival in Salina,
    Kansas under the direction of Tony Lott. The Prairie Festival featured various speakers and
    demonstrations relating to the topics of environmental sustainability and responsibility. CEl staff
    also collaborated with Kris Thalhammer in providing students the opportunity to attend the
    Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (LOTT) workshop and in selecting students for the Kloeck-
    Jenson Scholarship for Peace and Justice Internships.

     Psychology
    CEL contributed in several ways to the activities of the Psychology department. In Psychology
    241, Developmental Psychology, taught by Dana Gross, 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. CEL staff presented an internship search
    workshop to Psychology Club members twice this year. We will repeat an enhanced version of
    this presentation, which will include graduate school prep information, in the coming academic
    year.

    OTHER ACADEMIC COLLABORATIONS

     ACM Academic Advising Task Force
    In summer of 2006, the Academic Advising Center was awarded a grant from the ACM to
    examine St. Olaf’s advising system in light of recent scholarship and trends on academic
    advising. As a result, a group of faculty and staff met regularly throughout the summer of 2006
    and the 2006-07 academic year; the director of the CEL was part of this group.

    The academic advising task force studied models of advising, focusing on one of the newer
    conceptualizations, “advising as teaching.” The philosophy of advising as teaching is based on a
    learning-centered paradigm, implying that the role of the academic advisor is to engage advisees
    in learning. Lowenstein (“If Advising Is Teaching, What Do Advisors Teach?,” 2005) suggests
    that “an excellent advisor does the same for the student’s entire curriculum that the excellent
    teacher does for one course.” Hemwall and Trachte (“Academic Advising as Learning: 10
    Organizing Principles,” 2005) address two central questions raised by a focus on learning. What
    should the student learn through advising? How might the learning take place? Their first three
    organizing principles are based on the belief that “the goals and values of advising should be
    derived from the institutional mission statement and assist advisees in developing higher-order
    thinking skills.” Their other principles focus on pedagogy: “creating and organizing situations
    that assist students in meeting learning goals.” The task force structured its work around the type of thinking reflected in these articles.

    The task force brought Marti Hemwall, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Dean of Student
    Services at Lawrence University, to campus in the late fall to extend the conversation on advising
    as teaching to a broader audience of faculty and staff. Marti’s CILA lunch, entitled “Advising as
    Teaching: Ten Organizing Principles,” her public lecture, “Faculty Advising in the 21st Century:
    Advising as Teaching and Learning,” and the discussions that ensued, encouraged the committee
    to continue pursuing the model as appropriate to St. Olaf’s system of faculty advising. Two
    webinars put on by the National Academic Advising Association provided information on the
    academic advising syllabus and the necessary components of a successful faculty advising
    system.

    One of the goals identified in the proposal to ACM was creation of an advising resource to
    provide faculty access to relevant readings on advising, specific information about St. Olaf
    necessary to being a good advisor, and online resources and tools to enhance advising
    conversations. To fulfill this goal, the task force constructed an “academic advising syllabus,” a
    document based on the mission statement for academic advising at St. Olaf that delineates goals
    for academic advising, describes advising resources, and outlines roles and responsibilities for
    both advisors and advisees. The task force, led by the director of the CEL, also developed other
    tools to facilitate the work of faculty advisors: an advising calendar, a list of activities to enrich
    students’ education, and a set of tools and activities for advisors to use with their advisees. The
    complete set of materials is available on the Academic Advising website and in the SIS system.
    Addendum II also includes these materials.

    The culmination of our year’s work – a workshop for academic advisors entitled “Advising as
    Teaching and Learning” - was held on August 27. New advisors (those who have been advising
    up to five years) were expected to attend the entire workshop; veteran advisors were invited to
    participate. A buffet luncheon was followed by an hour-long plenary session, attended by 48
    faculty, which introduced the concept of advising as teaching and the resources developed to
    enhance advising. The second portion of the workshop engaged 26 faculty in discussion of two
    case scenarios, one built around a highly structured student and another highlighting a less
    focused student. Participants identified the issues inherent in each case study, and outlined
    strategies and resources that would be helpful for the particular student described. The focus on
    academic advising will continue with monthly discussions scheduled throughout the academic
    year.

     Globalization Conference
    CEL staff actively participated in planning and hosting “Another World Is Possible,” the 2007
    Social Science Globalization and Social Responsibility Conference. CEL staff coordinated an
    essay contest in conjunction with the conference, asking students to respond to the question: “As
    a student at St. Olaf, how are you preparing to live a life of worth and service that demonstrates
    Another World Is Possible?” The World Wide Service Fair, an integral part of the conference,
    introduced students to both full-time and part-time service opportunities in 19 organizations.

     Mayo Scholars Program
    The Mayo Scholars Program, a unique experiential learning opportunity for selected science and
    economics majors, was piloted during the 2006-07 academic year. Through the program, student
    teams evaluate projects submitted to Mayo Medical Ventures, the arm of Mayo responsible for
    evaluating potential business opportunities for discoveries and inventions created by Mayo Clinic
    physicians and researchers. The program, a new initiative between a select group of Minnesota
    Private Colleges and the Mayo Clinic, was developed by John Meslow ’60, retired VP of
    Medtronic, with input from David Van Wylen and CEL staff. Medtronic underwrote the pilot
    program.

    This collaboration between the Center for Experiential Learning, the natural sciences and
    economics was developed to provide students an experience not previously available through the
    college, an opportunity to be involved with the business side of the medical world. The program
    is structured as an interdisciplinary academic internship during Interim. St. Olaf is allotted two
    separate projects from Mayo Medical Ventures and therefore, selects two teams, each comprised
    of four students. Team members are selected on the basis of the academic background necessary for the specific project assigned. An MBA student from St. Thomas or Augsburg provides organizational leadership for each team.

    During January of 2007, Kevin Crisp supervised both of the St. Olaf projects. The team
    evaluating the market potential of an orthopedic shoulder and elbow positioner was comprised of
    students with background in chemistry, physics, mathematics, economics and biomedical studies.
    A second team investigated a screening technology that could potentially provide earlier and
    more specific treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; this team was made up of students with biology
    and economics majors. Team members spent the month of January researching and evaluating
    their respective technologies. Their findings were presented via power point to licensing
    managers at Mayo Medical Ventures in mid-February; a full report, which included details of the
    research, a SWOT analysis and a final recommendation for the technology, was also submitted to
    MMV.

    Since this year was a pilot, Meslow coordinated a thorough evaluation of the program. Data
    gathered from all the St. Olaf participants highlighted the many positive aspects of the program.
    Structuring the experience as an academic internship clearly provided a superior product and a
    more robust experience than was experienced by other colleges who did not offer credit for their
    students’ participation. A decision has been made to continue the program for the coming year
    and again, St. Olaf will be awarded two projects. As of the 2007-08 academic year, the Mayo
    Scholars academic internship will be considered a regular part of the Natural Science curriculum.

     Pre-Law Advising
    In its second year, the pre-law advising program was co-led by a CEL staff member and Doug
    Casson. The collaboration has been particularly effective-- the CEL brings an important applied
    learning perspective that assists students when exploring academic/career choices during and
    after St. Olaf, and the faculty member a theoretical perspective on the discipline of law. A larger
    pre-law advisory committee complements this work, providing law-related programming each
    semester and advising students interested in pre-law across disciplines. Members of the pre-law
    committee are Karen Cherewatuk, English; Steve Hahn, History (on sabbatical); Anthony Rudd,
    Philosophy; Doug Casson, Political Science; and Kirsten Cahoon, CEL. With the support of the
    committee, the CEL once again hosted law school information sessions, sponsored tailored
    workshops on the application process, served as the law-related job and internship clearinghouse, and provided LSAT preparation events to supplement the groups’ programming efforts. Students also had the opportunity for one on one counseling appointments with CEL staff concerning the law school exploration and application process. (See Appendix C for complete detail of lawrelated programming.)

     Undergraduate Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences
    During the summer of 2006, Todd Nichol led a task force of representatives from the faculty,
    library and CEL, in exploring the feasibility of implementing a summer undergraduate research
    program in the humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies. The task force explored
    similar research programs at other institutions, talked to representatives of the St. Olaf summer
    research program in the natural sciences and reviewed literature on the topic. The task force
    submitted a proposal in August recommending implementation of the program on a pilot basis for
    the summer of 2007. The proposal was approved and funded by the Dean’s Council.

     Program Reviews
    CEL staff participated in program reviews for Academic and Institutional Research, the Social
    Work Program, and International and Domestic Off-Campus Studies.

    ACADEMIC INTERNSHIPS

    Academic internships continue to serve as one of the purest forms of experiential learning at St. Olaf. Students seek academic internships for a variety of purposes:

     Graduate/professional schools want candidates who have experienced academic learning
    outside of the classroom.
     Employers are interviewing students with hands-on experiences to draw from.
     National/international volunteer programs are interested in candidates who have
    demonstrated maturity and independence in unfamiliar environments.

    Although it may not always be an entirely conscious process for students, those who enter an
    academic internship unsure about what to do after graduation end up discovering just how valuable internships are in exploring their vocation. The conversations between CEL staff and students before and after an academic internship are incredibly insightful. Student testimonials are evidence that, more often than not, internships are life-changing experiences in a student’s academic career. See Appendix D for statistics on student participation in academic internships.

    This was a year of transition in the internship program: Being new to the position, the Assistant
    Director of Internships took advantage of the opportunity to take a fresh look at the program overall. The internship database provided a tool for analysis of the internship program from 1999-2007 (Internship Program Report included in Addendum I). In addition to the report generated and shared with the Dean’s Council this May, the Assistant Director had a handful of one-on-one conversations with faculty who have supervised numerous academic internships in the past. Models and information about the program were shared, and insight was solicited on how to make the program stronger. In particular, we gained useful feedback from faculty on how to better support their efforts as academic internship supervisors. A new resource was generated as a result. Posted on the CEL’s faculty webpage is a spreadsheet detailing the academic activities required by all faculty supervisors for the current academic year. Faculty can use this information to inform their own supervising practices. Additionally, this data will be used to generate conversations among faculty in order to create a widely accepted set of minimum requirements for all internships in order to increase consistency across departments.

    Work on 3 additional enhancements to the internship program began this year:
    1. Learning Agreement and Plan Webform
    A work order has been submitted to IIT to get an on-line version of the Academic Internship
    Learning Agreement and Plan in place for the coming academic year. The benefits of doing so
    are two-fold: This will allow students more ease and flexibility in completing the form, and in
    using the form for reflection activities based on their expectations, goals and strategies.
    Additionally, it will reduce the amount of administrative work necessary to track academic
    internships by eliminating data entry into Access. With an on-line form, the data can auto-load to
    Access.

    2. Guided Internship Journal
    A draft of this journal has been created and will be shared with other staff and faculty for critical
    feedback. The journal incorporates the information needed in the Learning Agreement and Plan,
    but also includes questions to guide interns’ reflective thoughts before, during and after their
    internship experiences. The journal can be used for both academic credit and career experience
    internships. It will be available on-line at the CEL website and via Moodle for students registered
    for internship credit. The aim is to provide a journaling tool for faculty, as 85% require a daily or
    periodic journal from the student interns they supervise.

    3. International Internships
    Seventeen students went abroad over January 2007 to complete academic internships, 10 more
    than the previous interim. These experiences were independently organized by each student.
    Among other things, students taught English and art in Nicaragua, shadowed a midwife in
    Madagascar, and interned with a magazine publication in Ireland. Students’ experiences were
    showcased during the International Internship Open House this spring, which was 1 of 3 events in
    the first annual “Going Global” International Series. Recognizing that more students will seek
    international internships in years to come, the Assistant Director of Internships has begun
    collaborating with staff in International & Off-Campus Studies to develop workshops and
    orientation sessions for these students. The first such workshop, entitled “Searching for
    International Internships/Jobs,” was delivered in April and attended by 22 students. Additional
    orientation sessions will take place this fall so that students planning to intern abroad in January
    2008 receive critical information they need to be successful.

    In addition to providing workshops and orientation sessions, the Assistant Director has also
    sought out reputable international organizations with which St. Olaf students may intern in the
    future. The organizations chosen fit strategically with CEL programming and St. Olaf’s mission,
    and will serve students well with skill development. Once final research and a site visit are
    complete, an academic internship opportunity for January 2008 will be posted. CEL staff will
    work together to pilot and assess these international internship opportunities to determine whether additional relationships with international organizations should be sought.
    The internship program continues to provide students an opportunity to supplement their coursework with hands-on experience. The expertise housed in the CEL guarantees that students receive informed guidance as they work through experiential learning activities, and provides faculty members with essential resources as they develop their program requirements and supervision practices. In addition to the initiatives noted above, there are other plans for enhancements which will be acted on in the coming year, all of which support the CEL’s mission overall.

    Mayo Scholars Program (an academic internship program)
    Students participating in the Mayo Scholars Program registered for an interdisciplinary academic
    internship as both the projects and team composition were interdisciplinary in nature. Structuring the program as an academic internship ensured the integration of the applied projects with the students’ academic backgrounds in science and economics. Kevin Crisp played an invaluable role in providing guidance and, several times, instruction related to the technical nature of the projects. See page XX for a more detailed description of the program.

    Lilly Summer Vocational Internships (an academic internship program)
    During Summer 2006, for the fourth year, six students participated in academic 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 regularly to reflect on their work and its meaning in their lives. Additionally, the faculty members who serve as advisors for the academic component of the internships join with the students and the pastors for conversation sessions and encourage student reflection.

    LILLY PROGRAM 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:
    Doug Casson, (Political Science) developed a course on the vocation of civic leadership that
    explores the possibilities and limitations of leadership and helps students achieve self-understanding without discouraging ambition.
    Eric Fure-Slocum, (History) developed a course on "Dignity at Work," a course that will ask
    students to broaden their perspective as they consider both their vocation and the place of work in our society.
     Rebecca Judge, (Economics/Environmental Studies) inquired into the connection between
    vocation and property, exploring the question of the property right itself within the context of
    vocational discernment.
    Dolores Peters, (History) developed a new course, provisionally entitled "Do No Harm: Medical Vocation in Historical Context," which will be anchored in the history of the modern medical profession in the U.S. and Europe and approach vocation as a lived experience shaped by the values and expectations of practitioner, profession, and society.
     Mary Trull, (English) developed a course entitled "Against Alienation: Vocation in Twentieth-
    Century Literature," which will use literature and guest speakers to help students explore ethical
    issues and vocational discernment within their own lives.

    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. Jim Farrell devoted time to two interrelated projects as part of his Vocational Scholar activities. He worked on a book, The Nature of College, in which he hopes to "help students discover what they value — personally and culturally — and why." Farrell also wrote an essay, "All-Consuming Vocation: The Work of Consumption," in which he expanded the notion of vocation from the traditional understanding of being "called to serve" to include being "called to con-serve and pre-serve." In addition to his scholarly work, Farrell also facilitated a very successful monthly breakfast discussion for the Teaching Fellows. Farrell used the conversation to encourage the Teaching Fellows to report on their progress, but also to provide a forum for the kind of cross-disciplinary idea sharing that comes from free and open discussion. As the year progressed the group was expanded to include not just the 2006-07 Teaching Fellows but also those from earlier years.

  4. 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. 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: Kloeck-Jensen Peace and Justice Scholarship, Melvin George
    Leadership/Service Summer Fellowship, Joy Korda Schaeffer Scholarship for Summer Experiential Learning, Federated Insurance Leadership Scholarship, James Braulick Entrepreneurial Scholarship, Herbert M. Stellner Scholarship and all the scholarship programs associated with the Lilly Grant Program. The CEL website is the primary source of information, including applications, for all of these programs. 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.

    SPECIAL PROGRAMS

    “Going Global” International Series
    There is a growing need on campus to provide students with information and interaction with those who have integrated a global element to their life’s work. Early in the spring term, Solveig Zempel approached the CEL to organize and deliver a series of workshops and events around the topic of international careers. The series took shape in the form of:

     “Oles Gone Global,” online profiles of alumni with international careers
     A community time poster session by 12 students who have completed a January term international internship
     A tailored workshop for students exploring international internships and careers, to answer their logistical and visa/work authorization requirement questions, and provide search resources and information on the various application considerations to consider. (The CEL partnered with the IOS Office on the visioning and delivery of this event.)
     A faculty/staff dinner, followed by an international career panel which was open to the campus
    community. Alumni panelists included:
    - David Leege ‘96, Deputy Director, Program Quality & Support Department, Catholic Relief
    Services World Headquarters
    - Terra Widdifield ‘95, Director of International Sales, Gateway Music Festivals and Tours, Inc.
    - Lauren Spurrier ‘84, Managing Director, Galapagos Program, World Wildlife Fund
    - Liv Hustvedt ‘79 , Business Owner, Liv Concepts, Inc.
    - Alex Potter ‘03, MBA Student, Carlson School of Management, U of M (previously of the World
    Bank and a Fulbright Scholar)

    The panel was moderated by Jonathan Hill. Leege and Spurrier, who both came from the east coast had the opportunity to guest lecture in several classes (French 232: Intermediate French,
    Soc/Anthro 399: Senior Seminar, and Environmental Studies 125: Conservation Biology), converse with individual students and faculty, and interact with a campus organization (FARME House).

    Business and the Liberal Arts Forum
    The 2006 Business and the Liberal Arts Forum, “Ethical Issues in Healthcare Management,”
    featured Jay Grinney ’73, CEO and President of HealthSouth, and President David Anderson; the
    forum was moderated by adjunct professor Karen Gervais, who is Director of the MN Center for
    Health Care Ethics. When Grinney became CEO of HealthSouth in May 2004, he inherited a
    company that was being sued by investors, charged with Medicare fraud and investigated by the
    SEC. In the two years of his leadership, Grinney settled those problems and was revamping
    HealthSouth’s basic businesses to restore the company to profitability. The forum was designed to elicit dialogue connecting liberal arts skills, values and attitudes to ethical dilemmas in the world of business.

    Focus on First-Years
    The “Game of Life” became our inspiration for this year’s Focus on First-years event held in
    January in the Crossroads. All first-year students were invited to visit briefly with each of the
    CEL’s four programs. Students received a flier explaining each program and were referred to
    specific activities in line with their interests. The reward for learning about each of the CEL’s
    programs – in addition to the great information received - was a Cage coupon; 106 students
    attended the open-house style event. Peer advisors utilized a skit format to deliver a hall program in each of the five first-year halls as a follow up to the larger event; 81 students participated in the hall events. In the Get Experience! workshop, several students shared their stories of experiential learning to demonstrate the variety of activities possible and the impact of hands-on learning.

    WORKSHOP SERIES
    The 2006-07 academic year was the second year for the CEL’s developmental workshop series. The positive response to the workshops of the previous year encouraged us to be even more ambitious in our offerings this past year. Again student response was overwhelmingly positive. Clearly, presentation of information in a small group setting is a mode of delivery that is comfortable to students; the CEL staff value the approach for its efficiency in delivering information that is standard and fundamental. CEL’s workshop calendars for 2006-07 can be seen in Appendices F1 (Fall ’06) and F2 (Spring ’07).

    Attendance at CEL’s workshops totaled 1353 participants, an impressive number. Through
    workshops, we impacted 752 individual students across the four class years: 321 first-years, 238
    sophomores, 332 juniors, and 462 seniors. Detail on workshop participants can be found in Appendix F3.

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

     Recognizing the need to tailor job and internship search strategies to specific sectors, the CEL
    developed three workshops: “Job Search for Quantitative and Analytical Types,” “How English
    Majors Make Good: Strategies for the Job Search, “and Searching for Internships and Jobs in
    Public Service Organizations.”

     “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.

     By spring term, nearly all CEL workshops incorporated entrepreneurial thinking as an essential life skill. We received excellent feedback from students who appreciated the advice to enter career exploration activities with an entrepreneurial mind- and skill-set.

     “3 Easy Steps to the Job and Internship Search” was held in a computer lab and was designed for students to actively explore the online search resources during the workshop. CEL staff facilitated and answered individualized questions regarding the job and internship search and application materials.

     “Pathways to Careers in the Arts” was a collaborative effort of Minnesota’s private colleges and presented alumni panelists working in careers in arts administration, commercial/graphic arts, fine arts, film/video production, and music performance. A CEL staff member was instrumental in organizing and hosting the event, which was held in the Twin Cities.

    INDIVIDUAL STUDENT CONTACTS
    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. Again, the strategy did not bring about significant reduction in one-to-one appointments. In total, CEL staff conducted 929 individual appointments from June 2006 through May 2007, as compared to 1081 in 2005-06. 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 continues to remain low and the one-to-one appointments are now focused on deeper level discussions with students.

    From June 2006 through May 2007, a total of 483 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, 62% of students who scheduled
    appointments were females. As might be expected, seniors and juniors were heavy users of
    individual appointments; 50% of the students involved in appointments were from the class of 2007 and another 27% from the class of 2008. 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
    2006 to early May 2007, peer advisors met with 438 students across all four class years, representing 45 different academic programs. Walk-in data is outlined in Appendix G2. Walk-in traffic was down 13% from last year, we speculate in large part due to our change of location from Old Main Annex to the Modular Village, which is out of daytime foot traffic patterns for students.

    CEL staff are contacted routinely by alumni seeking 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 116 individual contacts with 71 different alumni. Forty nine (69%) of those alumni graduated between 2003 and 2006 and constituted 76% of our total alumni contacts, while the 31% who graduated pre-2003 generated 24% of the contacts. Many of our alumni contacts were via phone and email; this past year, 49% of the alumni contacts were an appointment and 2% were drop in while 17% were via email and another 32% by phone. It must be noted that it is very difficult for CEL staff to turn an alumnus in transition away without providing some type of assistance, though we do encourage and refer those who graduated more than three years ago to 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, 552 organizations entered a total of 1,103 positions (837 jobs and 266 internships) into the system. 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: Religion, Non-profit
    (community organizing/activism), Non-profit (other), Communications/Media (marketing/PR) and
    Communications/Media (Advertising). The top five job functions included teaching/education,
    marketing, sales, administrative/support services, and project management. Therefore, although
    many of the smaller public service and communications organizations (often with limited staffing and budgets designated for recruiting) were unable to take the additional step to come to campus to recruit, openings 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-eight 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—15 schools used this as a means of outreach over the 2006-07 academic year. Appendix H3 lists the organizations that tabled in 2006-07.

    Twenty organizations (17 in the fall, 4 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 opportunities or
    programs. 221 students attended the fall information sessions and 44 students attended those in the spring, for a total of 265 students. St. Olaf women out-represented their male counterparts, as 160 women and 105 men attended the sessions. 161 seniors, 59 juniors, 28 sophomores, and 16 first years attended the sessions. 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. 425 resumes (251 fall, 174 spring) were submitted to 18 organizations recruiting for 44 different positions. 321 applications were received for full-time positions, 104 for internships; see Appendix H5 for a list of resumes submitted per organization. Not only did women apply to positions at a greater rate than men, (229 women applicants to 196 male applicants) their proportional acceptance rate for first round interviews was also higher, 60 % vs. 40%. Of the 425 total applicants, 148 interviews were conducted on-campus during fall (115) and spring (33) recruiting. 110 interviews (104 in the fall, 6 in the spring) were conducted for full-time post-graduate positions; 38 interviews (11 in the fall, 27 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. A notable new spring semester trend was for organizations to do resume collections using OleRecruiting and then conduct their screening interviews at the MN Private Colleges Job and Internship Fair. For a complete listing of on-campus interviews by organization and position, including student participation and gender breakdown, see
    Appendix H6.

    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 2006-07 were the continued inroads made with Jon Salveson, a Vice President of Investment Banking at Piper Jaffray. Salveson hosted an information session in the fall on careers in investment banking at Piper and set up an on-campus interviewing schedule to recruit for both full-time analysts and summer investment banking analyst interns. As a result, Salveson hired both of the 2006 summer interns into full-time analyst roles, and returned in the spring of 2007 to successfully recruit another summer investment banking intern. The relationship between General Mills and St. Olaf was also strengthened, with General Mills recruiting for the Financial Analyst position for the second year. Lance Paradis, an Ole alumnus hired two graduating seniors into the role again this year.

    Ken Tamura, a recruiter with Target Corporation, used a new and well-received angle to get in front of St. Olaf students during the Fall 2006 recruiting season. An Interviewing Skills Workshop was facilitated by Tamura in mid-October, just before Target conducted their on-campus interviews for the Business Analyst position. Tamura provided useful insight into Target's behavioral interview structure, covering the types of questions to expect, and how to effectively phrase answers using the company's "Situation/Behavior/Outcome" technique. This workshop was open to all students, and while it was particularly helpful for those interviewing with Target, other students benefited from this straight-from-the-source information which echoed the interviewing skills content used by CEL staff members. Target plans to repeat this event in Fall 2007.

    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 six fairs over the 2006-07 academic year, targeting jobs and internships from each of the government, public service, private, and education sectors. Fairs included the MN Private Colleges Job and Internship 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, the MCUCSA Government Job and Internship Fair, and the Idealist.org/Action Without Borders Non-Profit and Social Service Fair. The MN Private Colleges Job and Internship Fair (the broadest-based fair) drew the most students, with 121 participants, and the “Job and Internship Fair Prep Sessions” held in the Black Ballroom had record attendance. Because the Summer Job and Camp Fair and the World Wide Service Fair are open, walk-through events, the CEL was unable to gather student attendance figures and include them in our fair attendance totals. Appendix H7 details the student attendance by fair, total number of students participating in fairs, and participation by gender and class year. Appendix H8 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
    Five new grants were awarded to eight students this year to a total of $10,900.00. An additional five student ventures carried over from last year, bringing the end-of-year total number of students to 16. This year’s projects spanned a variety of interesting areas: organic root beer, a strength and conditioning camp for teens, Dorm DVD’s, an on-campus marketing business and a designer apparel company. The competitive process of presenting a grant proposal to a panel after each of the three deadlines has ensured that only committed students apply; not all proposals are awarded grants. See Appendix I for details on the grant descriptions and awards.

    A variety of educational workshops covering the topic areas of leadership, taxation and reflection
    were offered to grant students. A site visit to Fantasy Flight games was also provided. This business was originally founded by Christian Petersen ’95 though a Finstad Grant and currently has 32 employees and estimates around $9 Million in sales this year.

    This year, Andrew Foxwell, co-founder of Modica Marketing and a recent Finstad Recipient received third place in the regional Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) at the University of St. Thomas.

    A brochure highlighting the results of last year’s survey was sent to all Finstad grant alumni, former Estenson interns and Ole Venture students in October.

    The Wallace J. Estenson Entrepreneurial Internship Program
    The Estenson Entrepreneurial Internship program made a welcome return for summer 2006 after a one-year hiatus. Six students were selected for this exclusive St. Olaf program founded by Mark Johnson ’82. Estenson interns work in businesses owned, managed, or supervised by St. Olaf College alumni with a deep appreciation for the program. The program provides students a real-world opportunity to experience what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and to begin developing their own "network" of St. Olaf alumni. A successful reflection session was held in the fall that highlighted the impressive skills the student’s learned through this internship. Four students have been selected for summer 2007 session with the help of Steve Soderlind and members of the CEL staff who conducted the interviews.

    Ole Ventures Student Group, Speaker Events and E-Week
    This year Ole Ventures (the student entrepreneurial group) had arguably one of their best years ever with a broad variety of entrepreneurial events and most speakers attracting large student support. Amy Scherber ’82, from Amy’s Breads in NYC spoke to a packed room in February. The Ole Ventures Networking session in March was a huge success with 11 alumni and over 50 students in attendance. In April, Michael Coles, CEO of Caribou Coffee kicked off E-week to a crowd of over 200 students, helping to generate interest for the other events provided that week. Other E-week highlights were the third annual business plan pitch, the intrapreneurship panel with John Meslow ’60 and John Haugen ’86, and the Finstad marketplace. See Appendix A3 for a comprehensive list of all this year’s entrepreneurial speakers and events.

    SERVICE AND CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES

    Service and Civic Leadership Week
    A variety of events during Service and Civic Leadership Week raised awareness of the value of
    service and honored students who have led lives of service.

     To highlight the significant number of hours and the variety of ways that St. Olaf students serve, tabling in the Crossroads was used to collect the names of students and the capacity in which they serve. The lists created, on large poster paper, were then displayed during a community time celebration of service.

     “Serve Yah Yah” buttons were distributed to students who give of their time to serve others.

     A chapel presentation entitled “The Engaged Campus” was given by the Associate Director for
    Service and Civic Leadership.

     A community partnership dinner brought representatives of non-profit community organizations together with faculty and staff in a discussion of community/higher education partnerships. Jim Scheibel, former mayor of St. Paul and Erin Bowley, MN Campus Compact, led the discussion which was based on their book The Promise of Partnerships: Tapping into the College as a Community Asset.

    Leadership Development
    A CEL staff member participated in providing several leadership opportunities for students: The
    League of Women Voters created a liaison position to create awareness of activities related to
    responsible citizenship; LaCresha Payne was selected as the liaison. Elsa Marty was selected as the Campus Compact Fellow and received leadership training through the organization; Elsa applied her leadership skills in the FARME House. Several students were selected to attend the Young Leader’s Summit in Illinois.

    LILLY PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

    Washington D.C. Immersion, Interim Break 2007
    CEL staff developed and led a new program, The Washington, D.C. Immersion Experience during
    Interim break. The week of activities led students from a homeless shelter one mile from the White House to meetings with nonprofit and faith-based groups to the White House and congressional voting floor. The participants met with many who described their work in various D.C.-based service organizations and spent a day job shadowing alumni in various public service careers. This meaningful immersion experience provided an opportunity for students to experience the issue of homelessness first-hand and see how people live out their commitment to service.

    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 Summer 2006, Luyen Phan ’92, International Student Adviser and Associate Director of Admissions, led a group of students to Thailand to work with the McKean Rehabilitation Center in Chiang Mai. The McKean Center works with leprosy patients and Thai citizens facing a variety of diseases and disabilities.

    Ole Spring Relief Trip
    During Spring Break week more than 200 students and staff (topping last year’s 184 participants) took part in the Ole Relief spring break program, offering 7,000 hours of assistance and support for the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The student leadership team worked with the Lilly Program Committee to find specific ways that service and vocational reflection could be combined during a week of work and friendship along the Gulf Coast.

    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 fourteen students to supplement their earnings from camp positions during the Summer of 2006. Stipend recipients then participated in at least one service activity during the year and a March reflection session.

    Vocational Retreats
    As the Center for Experiential Learning has become more centered around our newly defined mission (rewritten in 2005) of creating and facilitating experiential learning with the ultimate goal of guiding students in discerning vocation, the integration of intentional reflection activities into each of our initiatives has become imperative. Each of our workshops, activities and initiatives were assessed at the outset of this academic year to ensure incorporation of reflection components. Here is a summary of these activities:

    Identifying Vocational Interest Workshops
    Again this year the CEL utilized a developmental workshop model to engage a greater number of
    students in experiential learning. 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 92 students participated in this workshop throughout the year. The second offering, “Interests & Career Options: Strong Interest Inventory” (61 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” (45 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” once again provided an opportunity for
    CEL staff to work with the course instructor and students to infuse vocational reflection into the
    course. The course is designed to help students explore their interest in helping others, either as a career or in a volunteer capacity. On the first day of the course students were invited to prepare a‘Vocational Mission Statement’ in which they reflected on how they intended to use their passions and gifts/talents to meet the needs of people and the scope of the impact they hope to make on society. The course then brought students into interaction with those who ‘give’ and those who‘receive’ through service organizations, pointing out that this interaction is a two-way street with both parties involved in ‘giving’ and receiving’ during their work together. At the end of the course students were again invited to craft a ‘Vocational Mission Statement’ and then compare their later statement with the initial one. Guided discussion helped students explore how their notions of service had changed and what these changes implied for their futures in ‘helping people.’

     Conversation on Social Work, Service and Vocation
    As part of her work as a Lilly fellow in 2004-05, Mary Carlsen and CEL staff developed the
    Conversation on Social Work, Service and Vocation as one of several components of the Social
    Work major that engages students in reflection on their vocation. This “conversation” between
    senior Social Work majors and alumni who are practicing social workers is always moving as the
    seniors reflect on their recently completed practicum experience and alumni share stories from their work in the field. This dialogue on vocation seems particularly relevant to the social work majors as their aspirations to serve are an impetus in seeking the major. As might be expected, the insights shared in this intense evening highlight the realities of service work and illustrate both the joy that emanates from making a real difference in the lives of people to the self-questioning that may result when confronted with difficult situations.

  5. COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

    CORPORATE PARTNERS

    Target Corporation
    Foundation Grant - Target Corporation once again awarded the CEL $5000; this year the
    Foundation Grant expanded our technology resources and increased our outreach services to
    students. Updated (and mobile) computers, equipment and computer software was purchased
    because we no longer have a separate “CEL Den” facility to house our workshops, practice
    interviews, and events, and thus we had to reserve and share other available facilities on campus until a more permanent space is built/reconfigured for our office. Finally, the CEL used the remaining funds to promote and advance outreach and programming related to preparing students for on-campus recruitment. Programming and activities in the form of panels and networking events prior to fall and spring semester recruiting helped our center to better prepare and educate our liberal arts students on the opportunities, application and interviewing process for jobs and internships.

     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. Additionally, CEL staff worked to develop a similar relationship with Target Technology Services (TTS) alumni. After several conversations with a team of alums led by Jean Guezmir ‘88, Operations Manager, an identical January internship will be offered to two St. Olaf students interested in technology leadership in 2008.

     Case Challenge - Target offered a case challenge to 20 sophomores and juniors again this year. Student teams were presented with a “Surfing the Digital Wave” case study based on the marketing challenges faced by the digital media industry. The case study was developed by Target Corporation to provide teams of students with a “real world experience” of relevance to the retail industry. Teams had approximately 4 weeks to develop a solution to the case and to prepare a professional presentation of their solution for Target recruiters at corporate headquarters. The presentation of the case solutions was followed by a networking session with Ole alumni at Target.

    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 18 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 and Andy Dahlen ’89 led the “marketing” Oles at General Mills in development and presentation of a case challenge to introduce 20 students to the complexities of marketing. Mark Skeba ‘05 presented an actual marketing case from the Old El Paso division along with background material on the Mexican sector; student teams had four weeks to analyze the challenge and develop solutions. The teams then presented case solutions to a team of Ole judges at General Mills headquarters. The presentations were followed by a lunch that included Oles at General Mills.

    NORTHFIELD COMMUNITY

    The College Board of Business Consultants
    The College Board of Business Consultants (CBBC) completed a successful second year. Seven St. Olaf and Carleton students volunteered to assist area organizations through the collection and analysis of research data. The CBBC is sponsored by the First National Bank of Northfield, Community National Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank; the Northfield Enterprise Center administers the program. To date, over 25 local businesses and non-profits have benefited from student projects.

    Northfield Enterprise Center (NEC)
    Collaboration with the NEC continued this year and provided start-up businesses as real-life business plan examples for the entrepreneurship class students.

    Community Organizations and Businesses
    Internships, service and civic leadership, and entrepreneurial studies have collaborated with the
    Northfield community to create meaningful learning experiences for students in a variety of nonprofit and business settings. A list of these organizations can be seen in Appendix J.
    The Center for Experiential Learning Annual Report, FY 06-07 25

    ST. OLAF COMMUNITY

    Admissions
    “Live Your Learning: Internships and More” was presented to prospective students and their
    parents as part of Accepted Student Day hosted by Admissions. CEL staff invited four students who had integrated a variety of experiential learning activities into the years at St. Olaf to “tell their story” to illustrate the many ways that experiential learning can complement a St. Olaf education.

    Alumni and Parent Relations

    The Alumni Board Meeting
    Recently CEL staff members collaborated with staff from Alumni & Parent Relations to present
    information about internships to the St. Olaf Alumni Board. A series of facts were presented to
    support alumni involvement in providing internship opportunities to students: Approximately 12%
    of all academic internships over the last 8 years have been directly supervised by a St. Olaf
    alumna/us. CEL staff members often hear anecdotally about current students contacting alumni
    who are working in their field of interest in order to make connections and open doors to potential opportunities. The Online Alumni Directory, which is maintained by Alumni & Parent Relations and strongly promoted through the CEL, provides students with necessary information to make such connections. Alumni on the board were asked to consider creating/promoting internship opportunities for students, and to encourage other alums to do the same. Our conversation with the alumni board occurred at the end of April 2007, and already three strong opportunities have resulted. Alumni are important mentors for current students as they explore their vocation. We hope to encourage these mentoring relationships in part by growing the number of alums who directly supervise academic internships.

    “Exploring Majors and Careers” was presented to a large crowd of predominantly parents of first-years during Homecoming and Family Weekend. The participants were appreciative of the
    exploration resources and strategies shared and enthusiastic about the services of the CEL
     CEL Staff member participated in National Service Day activities in the Phillips eighborhood in Minneapolis with alumni volunteers.

    Financial Aid
    The CEL became the home for this year’s VISTA Volunteer. A CEL staff member was involved in
    providing leadership, guidance and mentoring to the young graduate. As this was the final year of the VISTA program, CEL staff worked with Carleton to propose a permanent position, shared
    between the two colleges, which would consist of two major responsibilities: coordination of the
    Northfield Reads and Counts Program and management of the federal work-study program that
    places students in local non-profits. The position was approved late in the spring; hiring was
    completed in late July and the new Community-Based Work Study Coordinator began her duties
    early in August.

    Student Life Division

     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. CEL staff members 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.

     As usual, the CEL worked with the incoming SSS students in August, this year with an exercise in thinking strategically about and developing an experiential learning plan. Later in the semester, CEL staff presented on the graduate and medical school application process. Several forces converged this spring to rekindle dialogue with Bill Green and Kathy Glampe on how the CEL might better serve multi-cultural and SSS students. Specific programming, site visits and alumni connections were outlined for the coming year stemming from the General Mills and Target Foundation Grant funds.

    President’s Community Service Honor Roll - In 2006, St. Olaf College was recognized on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, with Distinction for General
    Community Service. The purpose of the President's Honor Roll program is to recognize and
    promote exemplary programs and effective practices in higher education community service. The 2006 honor roll highlighted higher education community service efforts in response to the
    hurricanes of 2005. St. Olaf was one of the 101 colleges recognized with this distinction (out of
    more than 500 institutional applicants). The application was submitted jointly from Kris Vatter in
    Student Activities and CEL.

    Commencement Weekend Seminar - CEL staff participated with the Deans of Students in a seminar for the parents of graduating seniors, answering questions about the transition their
    students, nearly graduates, were about to face. As in past years, the majority of the questions
    related to the job search, timing of and application to graduate programs and the “gap year”
    phenomenon.

    Other
    The Independent Colleges Office hosted a Project Kaleidoscope workshop for new faculty at St. Olaf in June of 2006. The Project Kaleidoscope seminar, “Charting a Meaningful Scholarly Career,” engages faculty in strategic planning for their academic career. CEL staff presented the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory as one of the tools used in the seminar.

  6. STRUCTURAL SUPPORT INITIATIVES

    PEER ADVISOR PROGRAM
    In 2006-07, the Peer Advisor (PA) program employed 13 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 inservice 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 K1 for the complete fall training schedule.

    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 requires 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 has on our programs. In addition, the students are provided a remarkable experiential learning opportunity, and through the process are able to gain stronger transferrable skills. See Apendix K2 for a detailed explanation of the various PA roles and responsibilities

    MARKETING INITIATIVES
    This year’s marketing activities were kicked off by a research activity in which we sought insight and feedback from students in Bill Sonnega’s Media Studies 260: Media and Contemporary Culture course. Our goal was to gain a better understanding of how best to market CEL events and resources to students. The overall message we heard was that students vary greatly on how they want to receive information. That said, there were four themes from the feedback that we were able to improve on in our marketing this year:

    Consistency in look: The CEL created a “branded” power point template which we used in all of our workshops this year. It incorporates both the CEL logo and the St. Olaf logo. We also created a branded look for our resource handouts and our student eNewsletter.

     Targeting communications to specific groups: The CEL stepped up our efforts in this realm by creating targeted marketing materials to advertise events. By collaborating with student groups and with faculty in specific departments, we were able to gain insight into how best to reach out to these students more directly.

    Getting the message out sooner: This year’s Focus on First Years hall events allowed us to reach 61 first year students, sharing with them how the CEL can help with career exploration and related activities.

    Creating a fun, less intimidating, less “businessy” perception of the CEL: This year CEL staff

    worked hard to incorporate more student testimonials into our outreach materials. Each week a
    different staff member interviewed a student who had interacted with our office. We published
    their story along with a picture in the student eNewsletter. We coordinated the topic of
    conversation around a variety of themes, such as the MN Private Colleges Job & Internship Fair,
    scholarship-supported pursuits, internships, and utilization of CEL services. An example of this
    can be seen in Appendix L.

    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 M.