Career/Major Exploration

The First Year Experience is one of three embedded experiences that is built into the GC curriculum. To “Complete your journey,” for First Year Experience, students need to complete their GCSU 0001 (FYAS) and GC1Y courses.

Redesign content and format to improve transition experience for students and increase student success and retention

Expand the use of Student Lingo as a course supplement/academic resource for students beyond the PRSP curriculum.

A first-year experience course, using high impact practices.

The ENDEAVOR program helps students personalize, internalize, and later articulate their transformation beyond a credential. By awarding ENDEAVOR Tags that celebrate student development and engagement through courses and co-curricular activities, students become more aware of their own growth and are provided with the language to describe the skills they have gained. This language will give them an advantage when entering the workforce, as they will be able to describe their college experience in a way that resonates with employers.

Augusta University has a robust, multi-year plan to promote student retention and graduation utilizing the Four-to-Finish principles of Mindset, Purpose, Pathways and Engagement. Over the previous years, AU has implemented new strategies to support enrollment growth, and most recently created holistic student support structures organized by meta-majors.

The Office of Career Services supports the following initiatives through Student Access and Success by targeting all students, specifically underrepresented students, that will benefit from informed career planning efforts, using resources such as Focus 2 Career.

The Learning Communities (LCs) in which two or more courses are linked thematically with collaborative instruction and co-curricular activities. These courses, and their faculty, focus on core areas as well as areas of academic performance, retention, student mindset, and degree progression. LCs at ASU will provide an easier platform of transition to ASU students while providing a supportive network of peers, mentors, professors, success services, and more.

FVSU’s Big Idea integrated career assessment and career development. Specifically, advancing soft skills as it related to job and careers, in tandem with utilizing career assessments for incoming freshmen to make the connection to Momentum Year.  Multiple workshops were created for students related to professional dress, career inventories, and internships.  Additionally, Career Week was held virtually allowing students to attend multiple sessions for career exposure and experience.

Promoting Career Readiness and Student Leadership by: 

• Engaging first-year students in the Focus 2 Career Assessment and career option discussions with career advisors. 
• Introducing first-year students to the NACE Career Competencies so that they are aware of the skills employers want to see them build before entering the professional workforce.

Planning and implementing a centralized process for promoting and preparing students for internships (both credit and non-credit) to increase the number of students participating in internships.