College demographics are ever-changing. The groups of students who were once considered underrepresented or “minorities” are emerging as the majority. This trend also extends to the workforce that our students will be entering. As career services professionals, we are on the front line for engaging and preparing them for success in “life after college”. We need to be able to have honest and frank discussions with our students about the bias that all human beings innately have and itis imperative that we are prepared to help them confront and excel in tomorrow’s dynamic workplace. To do this effectively we need to be able to deliver programs, knowledge and services that will benefit their career preparation.
As a participant in this three-session workshop, you will learn how to develop your students into confident and capable young professionals who are ready to tackle the NextGen Workplace and identifying and pursuing their career goals.
As a result of participating in this webinar series, you will…
- Develop an awareness of the societal and political trends impacting the career plans of college students
- Understand bias and its’ effect on students in their job search and in the workplace
- Consider your personal experiences, biases, and challenges and determine how they impede on your ability to assist students
- Identify additional challenges students may encounter in the workplace such as micro-agressions
- Learn strategies for helping students prepare for and address workplace bias
Schedule of Presentations
Each Session Begins at 1:00pm ET
Session #1: Workplace Bias: What is it and how does it affect our students? – February 24, 2016
Bias exists in our everyday life. It is not exempt from being present in the workplace. Bias rears its head when we assume that certain careers or positions are only for a certain group of individuals. It’s present when job seekers are not given an opportunity to interview for a job based upon their “ethnic sounding names” listed on their resumes. Bias also exist in the workplace when professionals are consistently trying to overcome stereotypes repeatedly expressed by their colleagues. Companies such as Facebook have realized workplace bias as an issue and have begun to tackle it through diversity training. As career services professionals, we need to explore bias and its’ potential impact on students who will soon enter the workplace. This session will begin the dialogue on workplace bias and set the stage for the remainder of the sessions. You will learn about the different types of biases and the challenges it presents for students making the transition to life after college.
Session #2: Developing the Competency to Help Students Address Diversity Issues at Work – March 2, 2016
Everyone has biases, but how often do we admit them and consider their influence on our work as career services professionals? While it may be tough to acknowledge that you have biases, awareness of them is a necessary step to grow as a professional and to become well suited to assist students. Through personal reflection, we will identify specific obstacles that may hinder us from fully understanding the experiences of students. We will also discuss strategies for becoming competent in helping students navigate diversity workplace issues.
Session #3: Preparing Students to Handle Workplace Bias Issues – March 9, 2016
Students may have experienced bias during their time in college but they still may be surprised by the challenges they could face in the workplace. From hearing colleagues question their abilities to feeling alone due to not identifying with colleagues in the office, these are common experiences for professionals from students. As career services professionals, we can demonstrate our support for students by acknowledging these challenges and preparing students to handle them. In this session, you will learn how to be an advocate for students while providing them with essential information for navigating workplace bias. We will discuss specific strategies and programming that you can offer to address this topic with students on your campus.
Dr. Marian Higgins is the Associate Director of Diversity Programs and Graduate Student Programming at the University of Georgia Career Center. In her role, she contributes to the leadership and day-to-day functions of a premier and award winning career center. Marian supervises staff while also coordinating the diversity initiatives for the office and provides consultations to employers on effective diversity recruitment strategies. She also organizes the career programming initiatives for graduate students.Marian is an experienced speaker and consultant with expertise in areas such as diversity and inclusion, supervision and management, career preparation, and employee development. She has been a featured speaker for varying audiences including national, state, and local organizations. She is a recipient of the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE) Research Fellowship and the Champion of Diversity Award.
Marian received her Ph.D. in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Georgia, Master of Science degree in Counseling from the University of Memphis, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a National Certified Counselor.