Paula Caldwell Email and Phone Number

· Provide overall leadership and direction for Engineering Career Services, including employer relations and recruiting functions and all career development and job search services· Engage with diverse stakeholders, including college students, corporate leaders, and university administrators, to promote Nebraska Engineering talent · Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with other career centers, student organizations, faculty, and recruiters to provide students with equitable access to internships and early career opportunities· Create recruiting pipelines, helping employers navigate hiring within the University and College of Engineering· Identify and recruit new employers to hire Nebraska Engineering students and alumni for full-time, internship, and cooperative education employment opportunities· Research the hiring needs of employers, determining services that should be provided to maximize recruitment efforts· Track and report graduates’ first-destination outcomes and internship data· Develop operational policies and procedures to enhance unit effectiveness, streamline services, and create consistency

· Own the development, strategic planning, execution, and operational oversight for a multi-modal, four-course curriculum taken by 2,800+ learners yearly to ensure on-time delivery, budget adherence, and achievement of high-quality standards· Formulate and execute assessment strategies for learning programs, conducting regular curriculum reviews aligned with learning objectives to maintain program effectiveness and a learner-centric focus· Conduct assessments and evaluations to gauge effectiveness, identify needs, report training outcomes, and drive strategic enhancements, achieving a consistent 20% growth in learner outcomes YOY· Spearhead annual needs assessments and learner profiling to inform curriculum decisions and align content with current workforce trends and best practices · Coordinate engaging and interactive learning materials, including instructor-led training (ILT), e-learning modules, microlearning resources, and supplementary resources· Guide and mentor 3 Assistant Directors in annual curriculum development, implementation, and assessment to ensure alignment with evolving workforce needs· Manage enrollment for 2,800 learners utilizing data analysis to make strategic decisions on course offerings and staffing, ensuring appropriate course availability· Design presentations for ongoing professional development and learning, including content creation, script writing, video editing, train-the-trainer sessions, and webinars· Launch an online resource library featuring 80+ supplemental learning materials, engaging 8,000 users· Manage staff caseloads, providing ongoing professional development and strengths-based performance evaluation to ensure effective allocation of resources· Manage and oversee full-cycle recruitment for a team of 20, including sourcing, selection, hiring, and onboarding· Operate in a fast-paced, frequently adapting environment, strategically reprioritizing projects to meet the demands of internal and external stakeholders

· Coordinated curriculum development and instruction of a career development course delivered to 1,000 students annually· Analyzed learner feedback, performance data, and evaluation results to continuously improve learning programs and improve learning outcomes· Pivoted learning content from ILT to ADA-compliant e-learning modules in 2020, leading to a significant 20-30% increase in confidence for each objective among 450+ learners· Scaled and coordinated a networking event for 900+ learners and 100+ professionals annually, while having to adapt the event virtually in 2020-2021· Grew the PCC program by 116% within five years, maintaining coaching satisfaction of 95% and a 78 Net Promoter Score· Managed a year-long, cohort-style training and employee development program for 12 staff, resulting in self-reported skill growth of 52% and supervisors reporting growth rates of up to 18%· Managed and oversaw the development of coaching initiatives and tools through conducting routine research and assessment on industry trends, best practices, and new methods to ensure students receive effective coaching· Supervised a full-time career coach, providing ongoing professional development and strengths-based evaluation, providing feedback and guidance on projects, and collaborating on programmatic initiatives· Created a departmental onboarding guide for new staff members by outlining all policies, procedures, and training topics to strategically train new hires

· Spearheaded the launch of the Peer Career Coach (PCC) program in 2018 to scale curriculum offerings and implement a talent development program for interns, securing $30k+ donor funding and national recognition from two organizations · Co-led the PCC program and found ways to strengthen the program, including the creation of leadership opportunities for peers and building advanced training to improve their performance· Supervised 8 peer career coaches by developing a comprehensive training program and performance evaluation process to ensure employees provide actionable and developmental feedback to their peers· Established career initiatives for first-year students by partnering with college and campus associates to launch major/career exploration programming, resulting in increased engagement with the first-year population

· Coached 4,000+ undergraduate and graduate business students through all aspects of the career development process, empowering them to pursue and reach their career and professional goals· Co-coordinated BSAD 222: Career Development & Planning, managing up to 7 sections per semester with enrollments of 80 students each in collaboration with direct supervisor to ensure content presented is consistent across sections· Developed and evaluated course curriculum annually in collaboration with supervisor to ensure content aligns with the changing needs of students, employers, and hiring trends· Interpreted and reported the results of assessment data using Microsoft Excel to provide evidence-based recommendations for strategic curriculum changes · Taught up to 160 business students per semester in 1-2 sections of BSAD 222, focusing on self-assessment and exploration, identifying career goals and formulating an individual development plan, and creating a dynamic résumé· Migrated content to a new learning management system (LMS), independently designing a user-friendly course from scratch for subsequent deployment to 4,000+ learners· Moderate 60+ students in BSAD 333: Internship/Job Search Strategies, an online job search strategies course, by providing meaningful feedback on cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and résumés to ensure progression toward career goals· Supervised 2 graduate interns by developing a comprehensive training program to strengthen their knowledge of career services· Led 8 business students on a career expedition to New York City by conducting employer outreach and facilitating employer relations to provide career exploration and networking opportunities to students

· Provided individualized academic/career advising to 400+ political science and sociology majors and 300+ minors based on academic interests and professional goals· Collaborated with students to develop 4-year degree plans, financial aid appeals, and academic probation recovery plan requirements based on their individual needs· Identified potential internship sites for students, including employers and organizations who would be a good professional fit for an individual student’s career and professional aspirations· Built relationships with faculty in the department to connect them with students who may be interested in similar research areas and to provide feedback on courses and teaching based on student interactions· Evaluated syllabi and other documents to determine if courses taken at accredited junior colleges or other four-year institutions couldcount as political science or sociology credit toward degree programs· Collaborated with a group of core advisors within the College of Arts & Sciences to discuss large-scale advising issues, brainstorm ways to better serve students within the college, and stay abreast of new policies· Coordinated the Public Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation Certification (PPAC), including completing and maintaining enrollment documentation, identifying internship locations, and reporting certificate completion· Coordinated POLS 399/H: Individual Readings, including assisting students identify potential faculty advisors, completing documentation, and reporting grades· Conducted campus visits and participated in other recruitment efforts to increase enrollment numbers· Developed and proposed an orientation and career development course for political science which was unanimously approved by the department's undergraduate committee

· Moderated approximately 60 undergraduate business students in an eight-week online section of BSAD 333: Job/Internship Search Strategies each semester to relieve enrollment pressure· Communicated regularly with students to provide feedback and suggestions on course assignments, including LinkedIn profiles and cover letters, to increase their confidence in their application documents· Enforced course policies and procedures in collaboration with the primary course instructor and other group moderators to ensure student issues in the course were handled in a fair manner

· Coached business students and alumni one-on-one through appointments and drop-ins regarding major/career exploration and job search strategies by creating action plans which aligned with their intended career outcomes· Design and present career-related programming for classes, student organizations, and employers to increase engagement in the career development and recruiting processes· Critiqued résumés, cover letters, personal statements, and conducted mock interviews to strengthen students’ application documents and help them be successful in their internship/job searches· Interpreted the Campbell and Strong assessments for deciding students to assist them in exploring their career interest and skills· Applied knowledge of career counseling theory to aid students in their personal and professional development· Built relationships with employers weekly to learn more about their internship and job opportunities for undergraduate and graduate business students

· Re-envisioned the content of a course taken by 700+ learners annually, using a needs analysis and conducting benchmarking to instruct on business topics, college success strategies, leadership principles, and skill development·· Co-coordinated hiring, training, and development for 20+ instructors, ensuring a consistent learning experience for learners across multiple course sections· Taught 300+ learners, employing learner-focused and interactive teaching methods, such as facilitated discussions and hands-on activities, to engage diverse populations· Taught recitation sections of BSAD 111 for approximately 29 first-year students by designing engaging lectures and facilitating activities to aid in their transition to college· Analyzed end-of-semester course evaluations for BSAD 111 using Microsoft Excel to provide feedback about potential changes to make to update the course/learning objectives based on student responses· Managed 20-40 students in the online section of BSAD 111 in fall 2014 and spring 2015 using Blackboard· Created a handbook for instructors, effectively organizing and managing best practices, to maintain consistency across 21+ course sections· Updated and developed the content and functioning of two Blackboard courses of BSAD 111 for deployment across 20+ sections· Supported a professional staff member in grading papers and other assignments within Blackboard for approximately 68 students enrolled in BSAD 222· Moderated 1 peer critique group of 6 students in an online section of BSAD 333 to provide feedback and suggestions on résumés, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles

· Provided comprehensive, one-on-one academic advising to 3,300+ current and prospective, domestic and international undergraduate students regarding College of Business curricula· Communicated extensive and complex college/university requirements, degree/graduation requirements, and other institutional policies and procedures to current students to improve academic success· Collaborated in a fast-paced, team environment and with other campus advising partners to stay abreast of institutional policy changes and create new student retention/success efforts· Led professional, academic, and social connection opportunities for the first-year Business Learning Community through collaboration with local and regional businesses and alumni· Served as co-advisor for the Dean’s Leadership Council, assisting student organization leaders in planning programming events for their individual organizations as well as building community within the college· Collaborated with students to develop 4-year degree plans, financial aid appeals, and academic probation requirements based on their individual needs· Analyzed and presented statistics on student traffic, emphasizing efficiency of office hours for 10 advisers· Completed paperwork with students to begin the process of transferring credit from accredited junior colleges or other four-year institutions in the United States or to transfer credit from a study abroad experience

· Provided individual and group counseling to 125+ undergraduate and graduate students each semester for specific financial aid programs (e.g., TEACH grant, study abroad, loan consolidation, etc.)· Taught ‘Live Like a Student’, a financial literacy course, to 25+ undergraduate and graduate students covering topics such as financial aid, budgeting, credit cards, and loans· Analyzed the unusual circumstance process and made the appropriate changes to financial aid packages to retain low-income students and students who were financially at-risk of dropping out of college· Monitored Student Advisors and answered any questions that arose while full-time staff members were unavailable to ensure quick and efficient customer service· Trained approximately 5 new employees each semester on proper office procedures as well as financial aid procedures, policies, and customer service· Counseled approximately 25 student walk-ins per day regarding financial aid inquiries to increase their knowledge about the process and their individual package· Designed and delivered presentations to students in an engaging manner to promote financial literacy· Responded to student and parent frustration in regards to the implementation of new student information system (SIS)

· Handled 35+ customer calls per shift regarding student and/or parent inquiries about financial aid by simplifying the technical terminology to increase understanding of the financial aid process· Presented information to students and parents about the basics of federal aid at approximately 18 freshman orientation sessions over the course of the summer· Assembled informational packets and paperwork for students · Promoted to Peer Counselor within 3 months based on industry knowledge and positive interactions with students and parents