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Supervisor IOWA GROW® Instructions at a Glance
Steps for Conversation One:
1. Determine whether a small group meeting or individual meetings work best for your student employees.
2. Send your student employees an email or paper memo (whichever works best in your area) a week before your meeting with the following information (you may find it useful to use some of the language from the template email on page 2 of this packet):
a. An explanation of why you are having these conversations
b. The list of questions you’ll be discussing
c. Instructions to think about these questions and have answers prepared for the meeting
3. Approach these questions as if you are having a conversation. Feel free to ask the questions in any order and let the conversation flow naturally. You may find it useful to brainstorm with other supervisors or your Human Resources representative on the key things you expect students to learn from jobs in your area.
4. If your student employees are having a hard time answering these questions, feel free to share your ideas or observations on what they are learning on the job.
5. You may find it useful to take notes during the conversation to refer to in the next conversation.
6. Wrap up the conversations by reminding your student employees that you will be meeting again at the end of the semester for a similar conversation.
7. Remember we have provided you a list of campus resources (page 3 of this packet) in case a student employee indicates that they made need extra help.
Steps for Conversation Two:
1. Determine whether a small group meeting or individual meetings work best for your student employees.
2. Send your student employees an email or memo a week before your meeting with the following information as before.
a. Refer to the previous meeting and inform students that the questions you will be asking are the same questions as in the last meeting.
b. The list of questions you’ll be discussing
c. Instructions to think about what they have learned this semester, particularly anything new they have learned since you last met.
d. Note that the student may repeat some of the same things you discussed in the earlier conversation. This is fine.
3. If your student employees are having a hard time answering these questions, feel free to share your ideas or observations on what they are learning.
4. You may find it useful to take notes during the conversation to refer to in the next conversation.
5. Remember we have provided you a list of resources (page 3 of this packet) in case a student employee indicates that they made need extra help.
Email or Memo Templates
Email Template: Conversation #1
Hello,
I just wanted to send out a quick reminder about our meeting next week and give you a little more information about our conversation. Across the Division of Student Life, we are participating in a program called IOWA GROW® that is designed to help you make meaningful connections between what you’re learning in the classroom and what you're learning on the job. Making these connections contributes to your overall academic and social success. Below is the list of questions that we will discuss during our conversation. Please take few moments to look over these questions and think about your answers prior to our meeting.
· How is this job fitting in with your academics?
· What are you learning here that’s helping you in school?
· What are you learning in class that you can apply here at work?
· Can you give me a couple of examples of things you’ve learned here that you think you’ll use in your chosen profession?
See you next week!
Sincerely,
Email Template: Conversation #2
Hello,
I just wanted to send out a quick reminder about our meeting next week. We will be discussing what you are learning in the workplace and how this connects to your academics. Below is the list of questions that I will be asking you during our conversation. You may notice that these questions are the same ones we talked about last time. For this meeting think about anything new you have learned or noticed since we met last time.
· How is this job fitting in with your academics?
· What are you learning here that’s helping you in school?
· What are you learning in class that you can apply here at work?
· Can you give me a couple of examples of things you’ve learned here that you think you’ll use in your chosen profession?
See you next week!
Sincerely,
Resources
· Academic Resource Center (ARC)
o http://uc.uiowa.edu/student-success/arc
o The Academic Resource Center offers free academic support for undergraduates at the University of Iowa.
· Center for Student Involvement & Leadership
o 335-3059
o http://csil.uiowa.edu/
o CSIL houses over 500 student organizations, as well as leadership development, for students who want to get involved on campus.
· Domestic Violence Intervention Program
o 319-351-1043
o http://www.dvipiowa.org/
o DVIP serves victim-survivors of domestic violence and their loved ones.
· Office of Academic Support & Retention
o 335-1497
o Web form to report a student concern: http://uc.uiowa.edu/student-success/report-student-concern
o Supports students to overcome barriers to their success in college.
· Office of the Dean of Students
o 335-1162
o http://dos.uiowa.edu/
o Supports students in crisis or emergency situations or any situation that may impact their ability to participate on campus academically or socially.
· Office of the Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator
o 335-6200
o http://osmrc.uiowa.edu/
o The OSMRC coordinates the university’s response to reports of sexual assault, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking.
· Office of Student Financial Aid
o 335-1450
o http://financialaid.uiowa.edu/
o Students can contact the Office of Student Financial Aid regarding any concerns they have over their financial aid and their ability to afford educational and living expenses.
· Pomerantz Career Center
o http://careers.uiowa.edu/
o The Pomerantz Career Center has professional Career Advisors who work with specific majors to offer UI students the best most accurate career help. Students should be directed to the Career Center if they are choosing a major, exploring career possibilities, or are beginning to search for internships and jobs, the Career Center will help students identify next steps in the process, connect with resources and create a plan. In addition to the by-appointment advising and walk-in services, the Career Center also provides a variety of career and leadership-related academic courses for students of all levels as well as career events throughout the year.
· Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP)
o 319-335-6000 (24-hour hot line)
o http://www.uiowa.edu/~rvap/
o RVAP serves victim-survivors of sexual violence and stalking, as well as their family and friends. Reporting to RVAP is confidential.
· Student Health & Wellness
o 335-8394
o http://studenthealth.uiowa.edu/
o Students can receive medical care, with free appointments for students taking 5 or more credit hours. Student Health & Wellness also provides free wellness services, including nutrition, fitness, stress, sexual health, and substance use consultations
· Tutor Iowa
o https://tutor.uiowa.edu
o Tutor Iowa connects students with tutors on campus.
· University Counseling Service
o 335-7294
o http://counseling.studentlife.uiowa.edu/
o Students can schedule appointments with UCS for services including mental and emotional health concerns and attend workshops or group sessions on various topics, such as study skills and time management.
Connecting Work and Academics Questionnaire
Student’s Name ____________Position Title ______
Date______Semester/Year______ Semester Meeting one two
Department______Supervisor ______
1) How is this job fitting in with your academics?
2) What are you learning here at work that is helping you in school?
3) What are you learning in class that you can apply here at work?
4) Can you give me a couple examples of things you are learning here at work that you will be using in your chosen profession?
Supervisor Comments:
Additional Questions
Based on IOWA GROW® feedback we have created additional questions that supervisors may use in subsequent conversations. These additional questions are for:
· student employees who are beyond their first year of employment in your department
· student employees with whom you have had more than two IOWA GROW® conversations
· student employees in their junior or senior(+) years
NOTE: The four core IOWA GROW® questions should be asked in every work-academic connection conversation. Any other questions that you may ask should be asked in addition to the four core questions. The four core questions are essential to IOWA GROW® and will be assessed at the end of the academic year.
· How is this job fitting in with your academics?
· What are you learning here that’s helping you in school?
· What are you learning in class that you can apply here at work?
· Can you give me a couple of examples of things you’ve learned here that you think you’ll use in your chosen profession?
Skills we want employees to learn:
· What have you learned here [in this job] about working with diverse populations [or any other employment outcome] that you think might be helpful in your academic courses?
· What have you learned from your studies and classes so far about working with diverse populations that you find helpful in this job?
· When have you used conflict resolution skills [or any other employment outcome] at work and in class?
· What have you learned about communicating effectively with your supervisor that also is effective with faculty?
· What types of problems have you solved at work and how will you use that in your courses? [Note: supervisors may need to provide examples or prompts as this question is general]
· How has working as a team member here at work helped you with group projects in your classes?
Learning about oneself from employment:
· Think of one of your Top 5 Strengths – how do you see this strength helping you at work? In classes?
· When you think about your classes, what types of academic tasks do you enjoy most? How about here at work, what types of tasks do you enjoy most?
· How do you think your Strengths tie into the types of tasks you enjoy most?
· How has working here helped you with group projects?
· What are your strengths and how have you used them at work and in class?
· Are there aspects of this job that have helped you discover things you might want (or not want) in a career?
Preparing for the world of full-time employment:
· What is one thing you’ve learned here about workplace culture and expectations that you think will help you in a full-time position?
Division of Student Life
2016 Student Employee Survey Summary
IOWA GROW®
(N=394) / Non-GROW
(N=242) / IOWA GROW® / Non-GROW
My job has helped me learn about career options.* / 53% / 20% / 3.5 / 2.7
My job has helped me develop more effective time management skills.* / 88% / 72% / 4.2 / 3.7
My job has helped me improve my oral communication skills.* / 85% / 66% / 4.2 / 3.7
My job has helped me improve my written communication skills.* / 45% / 18% / 3.3 / 2.6
My job has helped me use critical thinking skills to form opinions and solve problems.* / 77% / 49% / 4.0 / 3.3
Because of my job, I am able to work effectively with individuals with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and cultures.* / 87% / 75% / 4.2 / 3.9
I can see connections between my job and major/coursework.* / 56% / 22% / 3.5 / 2.6
My job has helped prepare me for the world of full-time employment.* / 67% / 39% / 3.8 / 3.1
My job has helped me develop conflict resolution skills.* / 79% / 55% / 4.0 / 3.4
My supervisor helps me make connections between my work and my life as a student.* / 72% / 36% / 3.9 / 3.0
The Division of Student Life Student Employee Survey was conducted spring 2016. The survey link was sent to 1859 students and 637 responses were received (34% response rate).
IOWA GROW® participation was determined by student responses to the following question: “Students sometimes find connections between what they are learning in the classroom and what they've learned on the job. How often during the spring semester have you had conversations with your supervisor about connections between your job and your academics/coursework? Your supervisor may have referred to these conversations as Iowa GROW conversations.” Students responding “Never” were coded as “Non-GROW”.
For questions or for more information, contact the Office of the Vice President for Student Life at 319-335-3557.