After a competitive proposal process, the University of St. Thomas has been admitted into the Council of Independent Colleges Texas Work-Based Learning Consortium (CIC TX-WBL Consortium). Composed of independent colleges and universities throughout Texas, admission into the Consortium empowers UST with funds, networking and technology to further expand student access to career-building opportunities.
UST President Dr. Sinda Vanderpool was integral in the proposal process and advocated for St. Thomas.
“We were thrilled to learn that the University of St. Thomas is joining the CIC-Texas Work-Based Learning Consortium which will strengthen and expand work-based learning opportunities for our students across campus,” she said. “This project will put the University in touch with cutting-edge practices for integrating hands-on work experiences with learning in our classrooms.”
Membership in the Consortium will be implemented through the addition of work-based learning components to UST’s curriculum, workshops, access to the work-based learning platform Riipen, and additional Career Services support.
UST’s Consortium project team includes Dr. John Palasota, interim vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of Chemistry; Dr. Hans Stockton, associate vice president for Government and International Relations, Institutional Research, and Grants and Sponsored Research; Dr. Lynn Godwin, associate professor of Marketing and Management in the Cameron School of Business; Dr. Carlos Monroy, associate professor of Computer Science; Dr. Vahid Taghikhani, department chair of Physics and Engineering; and Paula Marsh, director of the Office of Career Services).
Dr. Palasota said he is grateful for this excellent team to lead the integration of the Consortium.
“My sincere thanks to the project team for their work on this important initiative,” he said. “This opportunity allows us to expand our current work-based learning practices, ensuring our students are ethically grounded and possess the practical skills demanded by today’s workforce.”
In their respective undergraduate programs, Dr. Godwin, Dr. Monroy and Dr. Taghikhani will incorporate work-based learning projects into one upper-level course in each of the next two academic years. These projects include internships, real-world case studies and problem-solving, and portfolios that demonstrate career readiness to future employers. Each of these courses will integrate use of the Riipen platform to identify work-based learning opportunities, connect with employers, and develop career readiness skills. The Office of Career Services will plan learning events for the campus community and develop a pilot program for continuous improvement of wraparound services.
Dr. Taghikhani is enthusiastic about getting started with his engineering students.
“Industry network and its expansion is a key factor for the success of engineering departments,” he said. “The CIC TX-WBL Consortium provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen industry collaboration and offers engineering students valuable opportunities such as internships, co-ops, and career placement pathways through the Riipen platform. It is also an effective way to expand industry–university collaboration and bring real-world ideas into engineering department’s curriculum and students’ capstone projects.”
The Office of Career Services will plan learning events for the campus community and develop a pilot program for continuous improvement of wraparound services.
“The CIC Texas Work-Based Learning Consortium grant strengthens the ability of Career Services to connect classroom learning with real-world professional experiences for students,” Marsh said. “By actively participating in the Consortium, Career Services will help expand internship, career pathways and employer partnership opportunities that prepare students for successful careers after graduation. The collaboration also allows institutions to share best practices and scale innovative work-based learning initiatives across Texas.”
Given the major push by the federal government and State of Texas to accelerate work-based learning and career preparation, membership in the Consortium comes at an ideal time for UST and our Celts.