Published Nov. 7, 2018
The Assessment Institute in Indianapolis is the nation’s oldest and largest event
focused on outcomes assessment in higher education and is designed to provide participants
with good practice and innovations in assessment that educators can use in their own
setting. Over 1500 educators from every state and several other countries took part
in the 2018 Institute.
Dr. Jessica Dolecheck, Program Director in Health Studies, presented a 60-minute session
on “Soft Skills for Workplace Success: What Educators and Healthcare Leaders Need to Know.” The session included the importance of soft skills development for students during
and after college.
In addition, current research related to soft skills training and strategies for higher
education was presented. Dr. Dolecheck notes that “the research is clear - recent
trends in healthcare have created an impetus for hiring workers that demonstrate exceptional
soft skills. As healthcare educators, we realize the need to focus our efforts on
producing health professional students with not only specialized technical skills,
but also with exceptional professional social skills essential for success.”
The session was well attended with participants showing a strong interest with this
topic.
Dr. Stacy Starks, Assistant Professor in Health Studies, and Ms. Jennifer Perodeau,
Program Director for the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, co-presented a 60-minute
session on “Cultivating Interpersonal Soft Skills: An Innovative Professional Business Luncheon
for Health Science Students.”
The session included information on the implementation and assessment of a professional
business luncheon for students in the School of Allied Health. Dr. Starks explains
that “sharing this experience with others at the conference made me realize just how
important these soft skills are for our students and faculty. Working with the Occupational
Therapy Assistant program provided the opportunity for interprofessional education
and building relationships between students, faculty and departments.”
Ms. Perodeau, notes that “this was an invaluable learning experience, and I left the
conference feeling more empowered to continue working on soft skills with our OTA
students. I also appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with the Health Studies
faculty on such a meaningful project for our students.”
Both presentations were a huge success with many participants requesting additional
information for integration within their own programs.
