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Post-graduation destinations big focus for KBOR
▶ ANGIE BALDELOMAR
@AngieBaldelomar
Graduates closely gather to walk through the Campanile during the spring 2016 commencement.
With graduation approaching, students finishing college this semester are deciding what comes next. For those entering the job market, another decision comes up: whether to stay and work in Kansas or to leave.
File photo/KANSAN
Recent data from the Board of Regents' Kansas Higher Education Reporting System (KHERS) show that the number of students staying to work in Kansas after graduation has decreased slightly in the last five years. In 2010, 51.5 percent of students graduated with a bachelor's degree were employed in Kansas compared to 44.7 percent in 2015. The trends in other degrees are similar.
David Gaston, executive director of the University Career Center, said there are many factors to consider with these studies, such as the amount of students coming from out of state. In the University's case, he said, it is important to consider its proximity to Missouri.
According to a 2014-2015 Destination Survey from the University Career Center, which about 65 percent of the total student population answered, Kansas and Missouri are the two states where the most students are employed, with 37.86 percent of students working in Kansas and 27.45 percent in Missouri.
That Kansas and Missouri are the two main destinations is not a surprise, Gaston said, considering that Kansas City, the closest metropolitan area, is spread
across both states.
Breeze Richardson, the communications director for the Regents, said the board is working to better understand the effect Kansas City has on the Kansas economy. Another factor when looking at employment data, she said, is that many Kansas companies are "global employers."
"The question is, how do you help the companies that are based here in Kansas that dramatically affect the economy here, but that may be by employing someone outside of the state?" she said.
Ultimately, it's all about
connecting students to potential employers, Richardson said. At the state level, the board has been piloting an internship program with the Department of Commerce, she said, that will help pay tuition expenses and offer internship opportunities in exchange for an opportunity to work for the company offering these upon graduation.
At the University, the Career Center is the best place to start creating these connections, Gaston said.
"Our career coaches help students figure out how to
get connected with employers," he said. "The problem is not all students take advantage of those services."
Gaston said the center serves students through different platforms, from its website to Skype and in-person appointments.
"We have staff that work with employers, that help them understand how to best recruit KU students," he said. "Part of that is, we post over seven to eight thousand jobs for KU students, that are specifically for KU students, and that's not counting the 1,500 to 2,000 internships that are
specifically for KU students $ ^{4} $
The goal of the center is to make the transition from college to a job "less scary," Gaston said, so students should take advantage of it.
"We're here to help and we do promote job opportunities in Kansas, and there are a lot of good ones," he said. "Our interest has to be with helping the student realize their aspirations."
Although the Regents data show a decrease in the number of students staying to work in Kansas after graduation, there's also an increase in wage for those who
stay, Richardson said. The opportunities are there, and it is a matter of communication and connecting students with employers, she said.
"The board knows that if we're going to attract new businesses to Kansas and expand opportunities of existing businesses, we need to keep graduating talented folks and we need to keep them here in the state, so that work will continue," she said.
Edited by Frank Weirich
POLICY FROM PAGE 1
be made for students who are managing both roles, because this comes with responsibilities traditional students don't deal with.
"When you have mouths to feed, and you're responsible for raising other humans, it's important that you have those opportunities," McGuinness said. "Anytime you have the opportunity to improve the
prospects for your family. it's a wonderful thing."
However, as an undergraduate student, McGuinness wants the policy to continue to expand throughout the University in order to reach all students who deal with the same situation after having a child.
Although McGuinness hopes for the policy to expand, students have not felt the need to even take advantage of the policy yet this
semester. There has been positive feedback, however on allowing the option for students.
"We've heard a lot of feedback from faculty and departments and staff on campus that are really excited about this," Graham said.
However, the new policy has been slow to catch on. Graham didn't know anyone who has taken advantage of it yet.
The policy makers have
made sure to reach every kind of parent to allow anyone to take advantage of the accommodations as conflicts arise. The policy covers parents who give birth, adopt or foster a child. While students who are pregnant have months to plan ahead, parents may find out they are able to adopt or foster in the midst of assignments, Graham said.
"I think sometimes the
timelines can be very fast and sudden." Graham said. "We wanted to be able to accommodate to people in that situation."
This policy does not currently cover graduate students' employment or research relationship with the University; however, the department plans to add more policies that will cover these extra responsibilities. This academic accommodation is only the
beginning for the graduate studies program becoming more inclusive.
"This, we thought, was a much more effective way of saying, 'Of course you can become a parent and a graduate and a scholar,'" Graham said. "You can do both it just takes reasonable understandings, not whole semesters off."
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