by Samantha Holm | Staff Writer
Editorial Board Note:
“As Whitworth 2021, a visionary plan launched by the university in 2011, comes to a close this year, The Whitworthian is looking at the plan’s eight goals. Through a variety of articles in the arts and culture, news and opinions sections, The Whitworthian team will be unpacking what Whitworth 2021 set out to accomplish and which of those criteria were met.”
According to the Whitworth 2021 website, Goal Five aims to prepare “individuals for lifelong learning, professional development and meaningful citizenship and service.”
The goal’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) denote that most of these objectives have been or are close to being met.
As evidence of this goal’s success, in 2020, Whitworth was one of 119 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (hereafter referred to as Carnegie), a prestigious and selective accreditation that recognizes institutional support of community engagement.
Ross Watts, director of service learning and community engagement at Whitworth, explained that attaining Carnegie distinction was a lengthy process for the Dornsife Center and the university.
Watts said that Whitworth staff started to consider applying for Carnegie in 2017. The university underwent an external evaluation, scored high on community engagement and was determined to be of Carnegie caliber. The university proceeded with the application, which was released in 2018 and due in 2019, and turned in an 82-page document detailing community engagement work within all areas of the university.
“It was a rigorous process and one that really helped us as a campus to understand our strengths and identify areas in which we can improve,” Watts said.
Watts said that to collect accurate data for the Carnegie application, the Dornsife Center improved its data collection process. By taking all community engagement opportunities into account, Watts said that the percentage of students completing a service-learning course went from the low 70s to above 90 percent.
The strategic plan aimed to get 100 percent full time matriculated day (FTMD) students completing at least one service-learning class before they graduate. Even without a course requirement, 96.8% of Whitworth undergraduates completed one service learning-course. In fact, according to Watts, students are closer to taking two classes.
Watts believes including a KPI centered around community engagement made both a qualitative and quantitative difference at Whitworth. “It gave our office legitimacy in calling upon all areas of the institution to live up to the public promise of higher education, to use knowledge creation, student service and our institutional assets to promote the common good in Spokane,” she said.
Another objective of Goal Five was to equip students with tools for professional development.
KPI 5.4.1, an initiative centered around career readiness, indicates that 62% of seniors have talked with an advisor about career plans and that 95% of undergraduate students have created portfolios appropriate for their field.
Kimberly Oritz, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning & Employer Relations for the Whitworth Office of Career Services, shared the numerous events her office has held to support students in their career development. Such events include career treks, job fairs, internship information sessions and one-on-one advising appointments.
“Experiential learning, whether it be through an internship, student employment, community service or any other types, is critical to a student’s career development and discernment process,” Ortiz said.
Many students have benefited from the help of Career Services, including senior journalism major Lauren Sfeir.
“Career Services has been great because anytime I’ve had any questions about jobs and internships, they’ve been really open and welcoming to help me learn how jobs and internships work,” Sfeir said.
Based on accreditation from Carnegie, the progress represented in the goal’s KPIs and personal testimonies from Whitworth community members, it’s safe to say that Goal Five has been achieved. This article discussed two of four initiatives related to Goal Five. Visit the Whitworth 2021 website to view the rest.