Career Education Program Project Performance Report: Academic/Career Education. University of Denver Final Report. Period Covered: October 1, 1978-September 30, 1979.

Overview & Synopsis

The University of Denver developed and implemented a project integrating career education with traditional liberal arts and sciences programs. Fifteen departments representing the humanities, physical sciences, and social sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and the management disciplines of the College of Business Administration generated five major categories of career-oriented activities: advising-related, curricular offerings, interdisciplinary courses, curricular reform, and faculty/community/student exchanges. Evaluation, consisting of faculty and student surveys, indicated (1) faculty, generally supportive of integrating career education, viewed career advising as part of their function; (2) most faculty are current on career opportunities, but few teach career education concepts or arrange for contacts with business; (3) project faculty advised more students about course selection in light of career options, arranged more student contact with business, and taught more career education courses; (4) participating students were able to identify more career options and skills they were learning as relevant to careers; (5) exposed students were more confident about obtaining employment: (6) students were more positive than faculty about integrating career education; and (7) exposed students communicated more frequently with faculty, alumni, and peers about career decisions. (Appendixes, amounting to over one-half of the report, include project-developed materials and questionnaires.) (YLB)