Infusion of a professional development curricular strand across an undergraduate program
Author(s): Bulger, S. M., Lindauer, J. R., & Jacobson, B.
Citation: Bulger, S. M., Lindauer, J. R., & Jacobson, B. (2007). Infusion of a professional development curricular strand across an undergraduate program. Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 19(2), 87-110.
Abstract
The senior-year experience represents a critical period as students prepare to make the transition from their familiar academic surroundings to post-college life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a professional development curricular strand that has been infused across an undergraduate curriculum. This curricular strand was designed to facilitate student transition to post-college life, provide regular opportunities for self-reflection regarding professional readiness, and help integrate and bring successful closure to the undergraduate experience. Fifty-three students, who enrolled in courses infused with professional development content, responded to a survey and participated in focus groups designed to elicit their feedback about the content's effectiveness. Resulting data were analyzed to identify emergent themes. The participants considered the professional development content to be a valuable component of the required coursework, and the related teaching-learning activities contributed to their readiness for professional transition, self-reflection, and closure regarding the undergraduate experience.
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