University Life

Growth

The Growth Student

Talent Development Program

Growth Contact

Please reach out with any questions about the Growth Program!
Kaylie Wray-Gorewich, University Career Services (Chair)
[email protected]
703-993-2365

Growth Working Group:
Ali Bartow, Student Centers
Dennis Kisielewski, Mason Recreation
Phil Rippa, LEAD
Saskia Campbell, University Career Services (Executive Champion)

The Growth Program is a University Life (UL) student talent development initiative focused on enhancing students’ on-campus employment through developing and evaluating learning outcomes that contribute to post-graduate success. The purpose of the Growth Program is to

  • Provide student employees with the opportunity to gain valuable skills and co-curricular experiences that will enhance their personal development, professional growth, and academic success.
  • Provide student employees and supervisors with the opportunity to discuss performance achievements and address areas that need improvement.
  • Develop student employees’ awareness and articulation of their job-related skills, facilitating communication about their job readiness to prospective employers.

This is achieved through a combination of semesterly evaluation cycles using Crucial Conversations.

 

 

Crucial Conversations: Supervisors conduct one-on-one guided conversations with their Student Employees a minimum of three times during the work cycle (August-May academic year for most units). In these conversations, teams will discuss:

  • Goals for the first half of the work cycle (Fall semester for most units).
  • Fall semester evaluations (Conducted in November/December for most units)
  • Spring semester evaluations (Conducted in April/May for most units)

All University Life units hiring student employees categorized as student wage, graduate assistants, and Federal Work Study are required to participate and have a Point of Contact. This includes graduate and undergraduate student employees.

Point of Contact: Each unit appoints a Growth Point of Contact to act as an intermediary between the unit’s Supervisors and the Growth Working Group, and to communicate issues such as expectations, deadlines, and troubleshooting.

Growth Rubric

The Growth Program evaluates students’ career readiness based on the 8 NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Competencies. Each student will receive a 1-7 rating in each competency below:

  1. Professionalism
  2. Communication
  3. Technology
  4. Teamwork
  5. Critical Thinking
  6. Career & Self Development
  7. Leadership
  8. Equity and Inclusion

Growth Timeline

Exact deadlines will vary per semester

Fall Growth Deadlines
Mid-October: Finalize & Send Student Roster to Program Administrator
End of October - Early November: Student & Supervisor Evals
Mid November - Early December: Crucial Conversation #2
Early December: Evaluation Completion Date

Spring Growth Deadlines
Early March - Mid March: Finalize & Send Student Roster to Program Administrator
Late March - Mid April: Student & Supervisor Evals
Early April - Late April: Crucial Conversation #3
Early May: Evaluation Completion Date

Growth Resources