An education at UNMC brings with it a variety of ancillary benefits.
Leadership skills. The ability to meet deadlines. Public speaking ability.
Unfortunately, many of these skills are hard to quantify, especially on a CV. But a new instructional program, scheduled to be reviewed by the Board of Regents in the near future, would allow students to highlight these transferable skills by providing a certificate program.
Student Senate Vice President Alicia Schiller is currently spearheading the effort to create this program, which would highlight outreach and transferable skills. Dele Davies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies, as well as Maurice Godfrey, Ph.D., and Karen Honeycutt have been providing faculty support for this project.
Schiller brought the idea to the faculty members after learning of a related program while attending a national scientific meeting and networking with students involved in programs with similar goals. Researching the matter, she found that although similar programs were available at other universities, UNMC did not have one.
“The focus of the program is to encourage students to participate in outreach in their community and also receive education and confidence on how to do that,” Schiller said. “A lot of times, there are great scientific- or health-related outreach events or teaching opportunities, but students are uncomfortable participating in them, perhaps because they have not been taught how to teach or how to advocate.”
The program will provide educational and leadership skills — and also a credit that can be highlighted on a CV.
“Many students seek to do this on their own,” Schiller said. “But it kind of disappears after you graduate. A completed certificate program will remain at the top of your CV under the degrees you have earned. If you don’t get credit for something, it disappears from your CV as a post doc.”
Schiller is currently working with Dr. Godfey and Honeycutt to create the proposal for the new instructional program, which must be reviewed by the regents.
“It’s an intensive process,” she said, “especially since this is a brand new program.”
The program is currently listed on the graduate studies web site as “under development,” and Schiller said she hopes to have it approved by the board of regents in about six months.
Schiller also hopes people will see the value in having the transferable skills course on their CV.
“It’s difficult, as a student, to communicate that you have those transferable skills on paper,” she said.
“I think it creates value, too — if you make something credit-bearing, it makes it more valuable.
Great vision for quantifying educational and leadership skills. Good luck Alicia on program development and approval Alicia.
What an incredibly novel way to help our students stand out on a national level for the important work they are already pursuing on campus, teaching in classrooms and in the community through outreach. The value that this certificate program provides is filled with possibilities. I'm so proud to see your vision come to fruition!