Recruiting and Retaining Students

Strengthening Your Geoscience Program2-4 June 2009

Randy Richardson

Department of Geosciences

University of Arizona

rmr@email.arizona.edu

Session GoalsParticipants will begin (or continue) work

on an Action Plan to address recruitment of geoscience majors/students that:• appreciates and takes advantage of the

unique character of your own departmental/institutional setting.

• is aware of strategies internal/external to the department/institution.

• will include measures of success.

Session OutlineI. Introductions (include your setting and

briefly identify one recruitment issue)

II. A brief look at employment trends

III. Strategies internal to the department / institution (work at tables, report out)

IV. Strategies external to the department / institution (work at tables, report out)

V. Work on Action Plan (concentrate on a single recruitment activity)

VI. Wrap-Up: Share Results

Online Resources:

2007 GSA Workshop on Recruiting Students:

http://serc.carleton.edu/departments/recruitment/index.html

SERC Website on Student Recruitment: http://serc.carleton.edu/departments/recruiting/index.html

Program

II. A brief look at employment trends …A. Presentation by Chris Keane, AGI, at an

October 2007 GSA Workshop: http://serc.carleton.edu/files/departments/recruitment/keane_recruitment.v2.pdf

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1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020Year

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New Entries (3% Growth)

Current Workforce

Total Workforce

Demand

Bottom line: while demand is expected to decrease slightly, aging of current workforce means expected shortage of workers in the future.

Petroleum Boom and Bust Cycles

From Dallas Rhodes, “Demography of the GSA”, paper 176-3, GSA Mtg, Oct ‘08

B. Presentation by Dallas Rhodes, Georgia Southern University, at the October 2008 GSA Meeting: http://a-c-s.confex.com/crops/2008am/webprogram/Paper50398.html

Program, continued …III. Strategies internal to the department /

institution (work at tables, report out)http://serc.carleton.edu/departments/recruiting/

A. Examples include:1. Introductory classes (best faculty; other faculty make

presentation; specialty seminars, …)

2. Inform students of career opportunities (invite alumni back to talk to students, take advantage of AGI, etc…)

3. “Mohole” – student space to study, meet, etc.

4. Invite all students who are earning an ‘A’ (or ‘B’) in intro class to departmental event just for them.

B. Brainstorm at your table about other internal strategies you might use.

Program, continued …III. Strategies external to the department /

institution (work at tables, report out) http://serc.carleton.edu/departments/recruiting/

A. Examples include:1. Work with college/university academic advisors,

admissions, career services, etc., especially for undecided students

2. Work with local high schools, community colleges, especially for under represented minority students

3. Advertise beyond the department (Facebook, the Web, etc.)

B. Brainstorm at your table about other external strategies you might use.

Program, continued …

V. Begin (or expand upon an existing) Action Plan (concentrate on a single recruitment activity)

A. Use provided worksheet (with others from your department).

B. Assessment! How will you know if your efforts are really working? Remember, correlation does not equal causation! http://serc.carleton.edu/departments/recruiting/assess.html

Program, continued …VI. Wrap-Up: Share Results

A. Each person (or department) is asked to share (briefly!) about some aspect of their Action Plan