President's Message Heather Balas, President

Volume IX, Issue 1

February 2016 Messenger

Greetings, PennACE Members, I hope your spring semester has had a good start. I’m looking forward to an early spring! This spring will bring PennACE back to Pittsburgh. The annual conference is shaping up nicely. Our Vice President/Conference Chair, Nicole Feldhues has been working diligently with her committee to bring us another fantastic event. Be sure to watch your email because early-bird registration is open! If you want to present, please reach out to Nicole as soon as possible so you can be considered. The Executive Board continues to focus on increasing membership. Please help us share PennACE with your colleagues and send them our way! I look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh in May for the conference! Best Regards, Heather Balas

Mark your calendar for the 14th Annual PennACE Conference coming to Pittsburgh in May 2016!

Network with more than 100 Career Services’ and employer colleagues

Attend relevant professional development sessions and share best practices

Have fun in Pittsburgh, one of America’s great cities! Register Conference registration is open on our web site at http://www.pennace.info/annual-conference Thanks and hope you can join me in Pittsburgh at PennACE! Nicole Feldhues V.P. and Conference Chairperson, PennACE

2016 PennACE Conference Nicole Feldhues, President Elect & Conference Chair

Registration

Now open !

14th Annual PennACE

Conference

Pittsburgh Marriot

City Center

May 24-26 2016

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February 2016 Grant Money Still Available! Laura Garland, Member-at-Large Grants

The PennACE Grant Committee would like to thank everyone for submitting proposals this year! There were a number of great submissions and you will have the opportunity to read about them in this newsletter and see them present at the conference in May. Its not too early to star thinking about next year. New programs are eligible to receive up to $1,000, and programs offered for a second time, but with a "new twist" will be considered for a $500 grant. Please visit the PennACE website for information about the eligibility requirements and application instructions at http://www.pennace.info/grant-proposal. Submissions will be accepted starting July 1 2016. Feel free to contact Laura Garland at lgarland@muhlenberg.edu or 484-664-3170 if you have questions.

Coming Soon to an Inbox Near You?

Is your PennACE membership set to expire in the near future? For many of you, the answer is “yes”. 120 of our 154 memberships (78%) have expiration dates of either March 31st or June 30th. Thus, it is very important that you be watching your inbox closely for an email reminder that will be sent 30 days prior to the expiration date. Please login to the PennACE website to renew your membership as soon as possible to avoid a lapse in membership and getting locked out of the website, which will happen the day after the membership lapses.

If you need assistance in renewing your membership or require an invoice to generate a check for payment, please do not hesitate to contact Steve Hassinger, Membership Chair, at 717-728-2262 or stevehassinger@centralpenn.edu. Upon receipt of payment via credit card or check, a receipt will be sent to you via email. Thank you all for your assistance during what will be a very busy season for membership renewals!

Membership Update Steve Hassinger, Membership Chair

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What’s news!? Share your professional or personal successes with us!

E-mail Zac Saeva at zachary.saeva@iup.edu to have your information

included in the June edition of the PennACE Messenger!

Student of the Year Award Ashley Forsythe, Member-at-Large Student of the Year

After reviewing 16 applications, made up of 130 pieces of

paper, representing 10 schools, 6 committee members

selected the 2015 Student of the Year Award Winners! This year we had amazing candidates apply for our scholarship; no category was a hands-down winner. We extend warm congratulations to our winners this year as their applications were well-written, thorough, touching, and ultimately, the committee determined to be deserving of our award.

Congratulations to our winners! We are so happy to have selected:

BUSINESS CATEGORY:

Shalen Perehinec

Juniata College

Marketing Insights Intern, Capital Blue Cross

LIBERAL ARTS CATEGORY:

Leah Handwerk

Lycoming College

Social Work Summer Intern, Ronald McDonald House of Delaware

TECHNICAL CATEGORY:

Mario Soliman

Penn State Harrisburg

Summer Clinical and Translational Research Program, Harvard Medical School

Please visit the website: http://www.pennace.info/joanne-day-award for more information about our very accomplished winners.

Thank you to our members who submitted applications on behalf of students and spread the word about this amazing opportunity for our students!

A HUGE thanks to our committee reviewers: Ann Landon, Courtney Vago, Heather Balas, Jamie Timms and Nick Praedin! We are pleased to share that for the first year, submissions were received and reviewed electronically! Thank you to this committee for their innovative approach at this process.

If you are interested in joining our team for next year’s awards, please contact the SOTY Chair, Ashley Forsythe at pennacesoty@gmail.com or 856-225-6046.

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Volume

IX, Issue

College to Career Conference: Grant Recipient California University of PA, Carlow University, Duquesne University, Indiana University of PA,

and St. Vincent College

The 2nd annual College to Career Conference: C2C was held Friday, 13 November 2015 at the DoubleTree in Monroeville, PA. The conference began as a result of a similar program, the Transition Conference, conducted by a number of institutions in eastern PA. C2C is a one-day “college to career” transition conference coordinated for students by career center representatives from five Pittsburgh-area institutions including: California University of Pennsylvania, Carlow University, Duquesne University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and Saint Vincent College. This year’s conference as also open to students from any of the 46 member organizations of the Western Pennsylvania Career Services Association (WestPACS).

The goal of the conference is to better prepare students for their job or internship search and successful college to workplace transition. As such, the event offers workshops on a variety of topics including transferable skills, resume writing, interviewing, networking, and social media as well as professional branding, and financial considerations for new graduates. The morning format includes a keynote kickoff presentation, concurrent speed sessions covering various job search tips, followed by a luncheon with networking. Additional speed sessions, group mock interviews, and networking with employers are held in the afternoon. Each year, the conference has attracted between 80 and 100 students, but we anticipate this number will grow as the conference becomes more of a signature or hallmark event over the next few years. Student survey responses included “I feel more prepared for the interview process - I got really good advice,” “The atmosphere, different from how I feel in school, really provides a professional environment which gave me a good experience,” and “I liked the quick speed sessions at the end of the day as I could ask specific questions instead of sitting through stuff I may already know.”

The event was received well by employers, with survey responses such as, “I have attended this event for the past two years and have been so impressed with the execution of the event, and the quality of the students that attend,” and “The students were all very prepared, engaged and professional. I was really impressed with that and have gathered some resumes for future employment. I have also already followed up with a couple of them for pipeline candidates.” The C2C planning team sought grant support, including the awarding of a PennACE grant this year, as well as corporate sponsors to fund the conference. C2C is truly a student-employer centered initiative that has been well received. We look forward to the evolution of this program to benefit students’ career and professional development and to engage employers relative to networking, branding, and recruiting.

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Unlocking the Secrets of Graduate School: Grant Recipient Saint Vincent College, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Geneva College, and La Roche College

The Unlocking the Secrets of Getting into Graduate School Forum was held Friday, November 6, 2015 at IUP Graduate and Professional Center Monroeville, PA. The forum, designed to provide students and alumni with information about preparation for graduate school, was similar to graduate and professional school programming conducted by WestPACS from 1999 to 2001. The forum was developed by four career services representatives one from each of the following institutions: Geneva College, La Roche College, Saint Vincent College and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Students and alumni from the 45 members of the WestPACS Consortia were invited to participate. The goal of the forum was to address the major topics associated with getting into graduate and professional school. The forum offered workshops on a variety of topics including an overview of the graduate school application components, timeline for applying, resources for finding the best fit, standardized tests overview, resume versus curriculum vitae, how to write a strong personal statement, interviewing well, and how to finance graduate and professional school. Twenty-four students pre-registered for the event; eighteen were in attendance. At the conclusion of the event, the students were asked for their feedback. The program evaluation was based upon a Likert scale with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. Scores above 4.0 were received in all categories. A 4.3 was received for the variety of workshops.. The student response was 4.5 for the overall usefulness of the information presented in the workshops. The highest ranking, 4.6, was given for the ability of speakers to cover the objectives of the workshop. The event was well received by students. Student survey responses included “Great information for someone who isn’t familiar with graduate school”; “Gave useful tips for the application process”; and “This program was extremely helpful. It gave me a better understanding of what I need to do to get into grad school without missing a deadline “. Some of the suggestions that students had for a future event included a desire for the following components: “ more information on test preparation”, “ mini mock interviews”, “having more time to go to all of the sessions ”, and several requests for topics related to medical school entrance. The grant support from PennACE was very helpful in helping our committee to accomplish its goals to educate students and alumni on such an important step in career success. We plan to continue the event and will evaluate which sessions to include in the future. The goal is to provide a broad, yet comprehensive approach to successfully finding and getting into graduate school. Researching additional speakers, topics, and an appropriate timeframe will be part of the agenda for moving forward.

NACE Advocacy Roundtable Discussion Susan Chappell, Member-At-Large/Government Relations

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On Friday, February 12th, NACE hosted one in a series of moderated Advocacy Roundtable events around the country at Toys

R Us in Wayne, NJ. 40 attendees from the tristate area representing both public and private institutions as well as industry

partners, were welcomed by Matthew Brink, Assistant Executive Director, NACE, and engaged in a robust conversation

centered upon the most pressing topics of legislation currently impacting higher education and industry hiring.

To kick off the conversation, Edwin Koc, Director of Research, Public Policy and Legislative Affairs, NACE, provided an

overview and update on some of the key issues that we would be discussing during the day, including:

1st Destination - 35 colleges have reported data to NACE so far for 2015. The NACE deadline has been extended to March 18, 2016. Additionally, the Department of Education is rolling out a consumer-facing tool for reporting 1st destination data to prospective students and parents.

Immigration - Debate around two initiatives has been very active. The Immigration Innovation Act (I-Squared) is seeking to expand the number of H1-b visas from 65,000 to 115,000 (and eventually, 195,000). The Department of Homeland Security has received an extension on their review of the proposal to extend STEM OPT for to up to 24 months until May 2016.

Veteran Recruitment - New regulations affecting employers with federal contracts in excess of $100,000 include the setting of a hiring benchmark utilizing either the national benchmark of 7% or the 3 year average of their state, complying with OFCCP reviews, and tracking the effectiveness of veteran recruiting.

Section 503 - New OFCCP rules for employers with federal contracts or subcontracts must have an affirmative action plan to hire individuals with disabilities. They have an “aspirational” goal of employing a workforce comprised of 7% individuals with disabilities. Employers are developing self-disclosure questions as a part of both their application process for recruitment of new hires and the updating of current personnel files.

STEM - The president has issued a call for additional federal R & D funding to combat the effects of sequestration and reduced funding. An additional call for legislative action from industry and higher education to congress under the title of “Innovation: An American Imperative” to ensure America remains a global leader of innovation.

Internships - The Fox Searchlight “Black Swan” case is still in the courts. NACE’s position statement was used in the case to leave room for unpaid internships to exist as long as they pass the primary beneficiary test.

Affordable Care Act - This is still a source of confusion. By law, certain internships and co-ops must offer medical coverage. The impact on colleges has been delayed for one year.

Attendees broke into roundtable discussions of their choice based upon these topics to share challenges, concerns and best

practices. These conversations produced a wealth of information on how our colleagues are approaching these issues.

NACE Advocacy Roundtable Discussion Cont. Susan Chappell, Member-At-Large/Government Relations

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At the internship table: Our talk turned to the management and tracking of internships, specifically as they related to who

held the ultimate responsibility for managing the internships and how data was shared/organized. Many expressed the

continuing challenge of gaining access to internship data collected by academic colleges. The conversation also touched upon

the impact of the Affordable Care Act with regard to internships. The businesses at our table were able to share their

perspective on this topic, primarily that if students were involved in co-ops or extended employment, they were offered

benefits. Although most of the time students opted out of these benefits as they usually had their own insurance at a typically

lower rate, the employer still had to account for the possibility of covering these students within their budget projections.

Our discussion continued with a question raised by an employer - what makes the best recruiting relationships? The most

sought after attributes were identified as:

Open lines of communication between recruiters and the university

Ability to brainstorm as a team to improve recruitment strategies and outcomes

Collaborative relationships that sought out best practices

We also took a look at the whether or not there was a shift in how students from Generation Z approached employment and

internships, particularly in relation to what the upcoming generation valued most when choosing a job. The responses centered

upon the fact that money no longer appeared to be the leading factor for either Generation Z or the Millennials. Instead, the

following areas seemed to be more highly valued:

Work/life balance

Flexibility

Professional development opportunities

Growth potential

Job stability

One of our NACE partners shared data that supported our feedback: In the most recent NACE student survey, the

opportunity for personal growth was ranked as most important when choosing a job. Additional insight from the NACE data:

the class of 2008 and 1982 shared very similar hopes in what they were looking for within a position.

This led to the last topic covered at the internship table, job hopping. Career services teams were curious as to how this was

perceived by industry. Those from traditional companies with hiring managers who had lengthy years of service with the

company found job hopping on a resume to be a red flag, one that might impact an applicant's chance to be hired. More

contemporary companies were not as troubled by a resume filled with short-term experiences as long as it showed job

progression. Representatives who hired for sales teams seconded this opinion and added that as long as an applicant was

producing, previous longevity within a position was not as important. IT hiring managers agreed: the ability to get the job done

was more highly valued than a resume that showed multiple years of service within past positions.

NACE Advocacy Roundtable Discussion Cont. Susan Chappell, Member-At-Large/Government Relations

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At the Section 503 table: In the second set of roundtable discussions, our group focused upon the new hiring requirements

regarding individuals with disabilities for employers with federal contracts. A central challenge for employers was how to ask

questions of (and encourage open responses from) applicants and employees that used to be illegal. There was general

agreement that changes in perceptions surrounding the disclosure of a disability may not have kept pace with the changes in the

law. The discussion highlighted the need to continue educational efforts at both the employer and college level in order to

better help students with disabilities successfully navigate the recruitment process. Although many of the employers at the table

had very straightforward strategies in place for applicant and employee disclosure of a disability, they still found themselves

challenged by undisclosed disabilities that hindered employee success in the workplace.

Those in the group shared a number of best practices to boost student success, including training peer mentors to help connect

students with disabilities to the career resources that would facilitate their job search. Employers used campus visits and

presentations, often in collaboration with the Office of Student Disability Services, as a recruitment strategy to help build their

brand as employers who actively hire students with disabilities.

Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD/cosdonline.org) was identified as a student resource. COSD hosts

an annual conference that connects students and recent graduates with disabilities to employers for networking and professional

development opportunities. They also partner with key employers to host online career fairs. COSD provides a link on their

website to a wide range of local and national resources for students to leverage.

As the day wound down, the rest of the groups reported out on their final conversations, including:

1st destination challenges: The disconnect between who wants the figures (and when) and who helps collect the data (and when it is ready). As far as improving knowledge rates, an employer recommended the development of a marketing campaign to make the 1st destination survey not a dreaded task for students, but rather “the thing to do”

Immigration: The disconnect between the “front door” of our universities (recruitment) and the “back door” (gaining experience/employment) was identified as a challenge for both the international student and career services with regard to student expectations for internships and full-time employment

Veterans: The need for more wrap-around services to help Veterans successfully transition to civilian life as a student. Suggestions raised included dedicated space, one-credit courses on transitioning, helping employers translate veteran experiences, and increased sensitivity toward PTSD

A lot was packed into our four-hour discussions. The day ended with lunch, networking and an invitation to continue the conversation at the NACE Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C. on March 14th. For more information, please visit NACE’s site at www.naceweb.org/events.

Volume IX, Issue 1

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Greetings, PennACE Colleagues!

It is hard to believe that it’s that time of year again when we announce that we are accepting nominations for PennACE awards!

The PennACE Executive Board presents awards to two deserving members annually at the conference. The Donna Dentler Service Award and the Keystone Award are designed to recognize the accomplishments of our outstanding members. This is an opportunity to nominate one of your colleagues who has made considerable contributions to our organization.

The Donna Dentler Service Award is presented by the Executive Board to PennACE members who have provided outstanding service to the association. Any PennACE member may nominate another current or retired PennACE member. Self-nominations are also accepted. Nominations will be forwarded to past winners of the award, who will determine award recipients. The Donna Dentler Service Award was created by PaCCS

(Pennsylvania College Career Services Association) in 1991 to recognize the outstanding organizational and professional services of a PaCCS member. The first award was received by Donna Dentler of Messiah College in 1992.

The Keystone Award is presented to a PennACE member who has made contributions to and been actively involved in the association within the first three years of membership…a keystone to the future of PennACE! The current executive board selects the winner.

Both nomination forms as well as additional information about each award can be found on the PennACE website (www.pennace.info) under the Awards & Grants section. Please send all nominations to cmoyer@lccc.edu no later than April 8, 2016. If you have any questions regarding either of these awards, please feel free to contact me.

PennACE Award Nominations Tina Moyer, Past President

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Executive Board Member Nominations

Are you looking for a way to become more involved with PennACE??? Consider running for one of the open Executive Board positions. We are actively seeking nominations for new Executive Board members for terms beginning on July 1, 2016. All positions are 2-year terms with the exception of the Vice President/President-Elect which is a 3-year term.

Serving on the Executive Board is a rewarding way to develop professionally and increase your professional network while serving your statewide organization. I am completing my sixth year as a member of the PennACE Executive Board and can attest that it is a wonderful experience. The opportunity to collaborate with the other board members to improve and add value to the organization has been incredible.

As a member of the Executive Board you will be required to attend 3 meetings each year (one of which is held in conjunction with the annual conference). The organization covers travel, meals, and lodging that are related to PennACE business so your college or company will not incur any expenses as a result of your participation. In addition, board members receive a complimentary annual conference registration during their board term!

Open positions include:

Vice President/President-Elect - Three-year term. Assists the President, serves as the Chairperson for the Annual Conference Planning Committee, and supports the work of the President, Executive Board, and other PennACE Committees. The VP/President Elect will then transition to President the following year. The President oversees the entire organization, establishes organizational goals and objectives, and presides at Executive Board meetings. In the final year of this position, as Past President, this person serves as a resource for the President, and oversees the selection of the Donna Dentler Service and Keystone Awards and future conference sites, coordinates and serves as PennACE historian.

Secretary - Serve as the recorder of minutes and distribute to the Executive Board and membership.

Membership Chair - Maintain database of current members and potential members. Prepare invoices to members and mailing lists /labels for conference, ballot, and membership solicitation. Promote membership.

Marketing & Public Relations Chair – Promotes the organization through the PennACE Newsletter, social media marketing and emails, as appropriate. Develop strategies for engaging membership through campaigns, contests, and other PR and social media initiatives

Member-At-Large for Student of the Year - Notifies members of award criteria and process for selection of award winners. Collects and reviews nominations and selects winners in each category. Notifies award recipients and works with Treasurer to make financial award. Notifies all nominees of selection status.

Member-At-Large for Grants - Determines timeline and adjusts Requests for Proposals as needed. Notifies members of Requests for Proposals and the process for selection of grant recipients. Collects and reviews proposals and selects winners with assistance of a committee. Notifies grant recipients and works with Treasurer to make financial awards. Works with Communication Chair to publicize grant recipients and for project write-ups in newsletter. Coordinates the presentation of projects for the "Best Practices" showcase at the annual conference.

Please submit a completed nomination form to me via email at cmoyer@lccc.edu by 5:00pm on Monday, April 4th. If you have any questions regarding any of the positions, do not hesitate to contact me via email or at 610-799-1090.

Tina Moyer

Past-President

Director of Career Development at Lehigh Carbon Community College

Executive Board Member Nominations Tina Moyer, Past President

NOMINATION FORM Nominee: Title: Employer: E-mail: Phone: Nominated for: □Vice President/President-Elect □Secretary □Marketing and PR Chair □Member-at-Large, Student of the Year □Member-at-Large, Grants □Membership Chair Nominated by: If not a self-nomination, please provide name, title, employer, e-mail, and phone. Title: Employer: E-mail: Phone: If not a self-nomination, has the nominee been informed about your nomination? Circle your response. YES NO If yes, has the nominee accepted the nomination? YES NO Please provide a brief synopsis of the nominee's educational background, career history, involvement with PennACE, PaCCS, PAICE, and/or similar professional associations, and any other information to support the person's nomination

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Hello all,

Don’t forget about the PennACE Membership Recruitment Contest! As members of PennACE, you know the great value

this organization brings to its stakeholders and constituents. Now you have the opportunity to win a FREE 2016 or 2017

conference registration (Valued at $199) by recruiting colleagues to join this great organization. More information

about Membership can be found by clicking the link below.

http://www.pennace.info/become-a-member-renew-membership

To participate in this contest all you have to do is recruit new members and complete this form.

New members can also include colleagues who were members several years ago and who decided to rejoin the organization.

Once you are aware that your colleague has joined or verbally committed to join PennACE, fill out the form. This form will

be the primary method for tracking new memberships for this contest. At the conclusion of the contest, the names provided

through this form will be reconciled with the new member registrations through the PennACE website to identify who

recruited the most new members. If the winner has already paid for the registration fee, they have the option of being

reimbursed or gifting the prize to a colleague.

This contest will conclude April 29, 2016. The winner will also be recognized at the conference.

PennACE is continuing the Graduate Poster Presentation Session

at this year’s conference. We currently have three submissions

and we would like your help getting more! If you have graduate

students working in your office or if your institution has a higher

education program, share it with them. Consider reaching out to

your alma mater with this opportunity.

Here is the link for graduate students to learn more about

PennACE, the poster session, and to submit a proposal. This

year’s topic is Technology Tools.

http://bit.ly/GraduatePennACE2016

Take a look at what Lauren Watson has to say about her experience from last year.

“I loved sharing my research on adult learners with colleagues in the form of a poster presentation. It was so rewarding to

have the chance to engage in conversations with all the attendees at the session and to learn from them as well, for many of

them had their own experiences with this student population. PennACE is such a wonderful community of professionals in

Pennsylvania and offers an affordable, comprehensive professional organization experience to professionals at all levels,

including graduate students.”

For any questions regarding the contest or the Graduate Poster Presentation Session please contact me.

Zachary Saeva, Marketing & Public Relations Chair, zachary.saeva@iup.edu

PennACE Membership Recruitment Contest 2015 Zachary Saeva, Marketing & PR Chair

Volume IX, Issue 1

February 2016 PennACE Factsheet Zachary Saeva, Marketing & PR Chair

Factsheet created by Kelsey Thompson, Graduate Assistant, IUP Career and Professional Development Center

If you would like a copy of this factsheet to share with employers and potential members please email Zachary.saeva@iup.edu