About Us:
Established in 1985 by an act of the Michigan legislature, the
Institute was charged with collecting and analyzing information
on the initial employment (upon graduation) for the college
educated workforce from all four-year institutions within the
state. Later two-year graduates from the State’s community
college system were included in this responsibility. The Institute’s
charge rose from concerns of a “brain drain” during
and following the economic recession of the early 1980’s.
Until the legislature rolled the Institute’s funding into
the University’s overall budget in 1990, the destination
of graduating seniors was the primary research focus. Without
the legislative mandate, statewide reporting collapsed as several
institutions no longer felt compelled to provide their information.
In line with this work on graduate destinations,
research was started on: the socialization experience of new
college graduates in the workplace; learning strategies used
to enhance workplace performance; impact of co-op and internships
on transition outcomes; and recruiter practices, such as use
of resumes and behavioral interviewing. A major project which
has stimulated discussions and program initiatives is on the
acquisition/development of complementary skills and competencies
that are required in the work, in addition to disciplinary
mastery. This work has evolved into examination of co-curricular
activities that support social learning/community of practice.
The research readily identifiable with the
Institute is “Recruiting Trends.” Michigan State
University, for 30 years, conducts an annual survey of national
employers seeking their intentions for hiring new college
graduates. This study provides a snapshot of factors influencing
the college labor market, as well as in-depth examination
of key issues in college recruiting.
In the mid 1990’s the Institute was
asked to coordinate a segment of the University’s assessment
program, focused on outcome measures. The University’s
senior exit survey was redesigned to capture program and service
assessments for colleges and units. This continues to be a
key initiative for the University.
The Institute continues to provide leadership
in the support of career development programs, student learning
initiatives, and strategic planning around student outcomes.
Part of the
Career Services Network
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