An Assessment of MassArt’s

Financial Literacy & Career

Development Course:
Executive Summary Report

Gabrielle Colageo, Keyla Eusebio, Jonathan Parcell

Overview
● Introduction
● Why Career Development &
Assessment Matters
● Mission Statement
● Departmental Goals
● Definition of Program
● Learning Outcomes
● Participant Sampling
● Methodology
● Data Analysis
● Results
● Implications & Recommendations
● Conclusion
 MASS ART

● Boston, MA

● Publicly funded college

of visual and applied
art

● Oldest art schools

● Only publicly funded

free-standing art school
in the United States

● Roughly 1,800
undergraduates

● First art college in the

United States to grant
an artistic degree.
● Offers a Financial Literacy course ● Falls under Student Development
● Director: Maryellen Schroeder ● Idea of developing the whole student within
● Professor: Carol Hall all aspects of identity
Why Career Development Matters

1. To prepare students for professional experience after college

2. To have a better understanding of academic and career goals

3. Students can learn the skills they need to get a job after college graduation.

4. To understand which careers match their values, interests , and personality.

Why We Need Assessment

Assessment is the most valid way of demonstrating the effectiveness of services,

programs, and facilities, especially in defending and promoting higher education, and

also in meeting accreditation standards.

(Upcraft & Schuh, 2001) (Class #2 PowerPoint)

 Department Mission Statement
Original: “Career Development (CD) works to connect MassArt talent to the creative economy. This is
achieved through internships, job listings, career counseling, resume critiques, and workshops and
events. “ (MassArt, n.d.)

New: “Career Development connects, supports and provides MassArt students and Alumni
with the tools and resources to become successful in a competitive economy.”
Departmental Goals

● Students and alumni will become familiar with the Career

Development office’s career resources and tools.
● Develop an increased understanding of a career in the arts and
design.
● To promote professional development through the use of
Handshake, resume and cover letter resources.
● Connect students to opportunities within the MassArt
community.

● *NACE: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving; Career Management

(2014)
Definition of Program
MassArt provides a Financial Literacy and Career course for students which
focuses on developing student’s personal finance skills, money
management, career development resource, exploring career options, and
utilizing job search tools.
Financial Literacy and Career Development
Course Breakdown

● 15 Week Course
● Meets only on Monday
● Assignments
○ Quizzes
○ Interviews
○ Journals
 Course Goals

● Know about Career Development

resources and services (and use us as
they continue as students/as alumni)
● To encourage students to consider how
their art/design skills can be used
outside their major
● NACE: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving;
Career Management (2014)
 Learning Outcomes

● As a result of students completing the one semester financial literacy and career
development course at MassArt, students will be able to utilize at least 2 different
professional digital resources in assisting in their personal career development
experiences.

● As a result of students completing the Gallup StrengthsFinder Assessment, students

will be able to articulate 3 strengths to assist in narrowing down their personal career
goals.

● After conducting informational interviews, students will able distinguish 3 or more

assumptions they have made of their chosen career path.
Participant Sampling

● Target population: Mass Art students

currently enrolled in the Fall 2018 Financial
Literacy course.

● Type of Sampling:
○ Opportunity Sampling
○ Using people from target population
available at the time and willing to take
part
○ Most convenient

● Every student willing to take the survey and

participant in an interview is eligible.
 Methodology
● Survey (Quantitative/Qualitative)
● Summative Method
○ Teachers can analyze if students have learned and understood
the subject (Reddy, n.d.).

ADVANTAGES (Mahmood, 2013) DISADVANTAGES (Mahmood, 2013)

● Mixed method strategies can offset ● Quantitative research has weak

weaknesses of quantitative and
qualitative research.
● Get a broader perspective of the
overall issue or research problem.
● Use both words and numbers to
communicate the results
context of data.
● Qualitative research may include
biases.
● Time-consuming to collect both
quantitative and qualitative data.
Methodology
● Survey → Surveymonkey

➢ Convenient
➢ User friendly interface
➢ More accessible for college students
 Data & Results

● Fall 2018 Semester Class

● 16 /26 students participated
○ 81% female
○ 12.5% male
○ No first year students
 What were 3 of the 5 StrengthsFinder
results you received?

Strengths Adaptability Achiever Relator Empathy

Number of 50.0% (7) 28.6% (4) 21.4% (3) 14.29% (2)

responses
 How does having this skill make you more professionally desirable?

Adaptability
“Having the adaptability skill make me more professionally desirable because I’m
able to show that I can work under most project’s fast deadlines. It also informs that
I can handle tasks not normally included in my job description to help outside
departments.”

Achiever
“I aim to please and go the extra mile to make people happy. I take pride in my
work and dedicate myself to high standards.”

Relator
“I think I’m good at getting along with people. I will be able to connect to many
different people at a job”

Empathy
“My empathy strength means that I can put myself in other people's shoes and see
things from their perspectives. I work well in groups and one-on-one.”
What are three or more assumptions you have made
going into the informational interviews?

“Freelancing is a side gig”

“Illustration is editorial work”

“I’ll never make it as an artist”

A secondary job may be needed”

“People don’t buy art often”

“People don’t know about art therapy”

 Implications

● Utilizing the Clifton Strengths Quiz enabled students

to assess their skills and recognize the positive

attributes for each of their strengths.

● Students can articulate the value they will bring into a

professional environment with their skills.

● Students conducted interviews which helped them

make informed decisions on their career outlook.

Limitations
● Survey did not have 100% completion
rating
● 50% of respondents completed 3
interviews
● 1 semester assessment
● Students had just learned Handshake
● Survey did not ask about components
that impacting not meeting outcomes
Recommendations
Short Term
● Continue the use of Clifton Strengths quiz
● Continue use of informational interviews
○ Add some form of reflection assignment
● Introduce Handshake earlier on in the semester
● Further discussion regarding learning outcome one, to determine whether
the majority is an acceptable result.
Recommendations
Long Term
● Invite a Linkedin expert come in and share the professional importance of its
presence in a students career
● Create harder deadlines for the informational interviews
● Provide additional career resources such another self-assessment, Focus2.
● Allow students to shadow the professionals that they interviewed for a day to gain
hands on learning
● Have students participate in mock interviews
● Have students participate in a Career Fair and use the skills and resources they
learned in the course and determine how the course prepared them for the
Career Fair
References
Bloom, B. S. (1956).”Blooms Taxonomy” Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive
Domain.​
Chen, H., & Volpe, R. P. (1998). An analysis of personal financial literacy among college
students. Financial Services Review, 107-128.
Jones, T., Baxter, M., & Khanduja, V. (2013). A quick guide to survey research. Advancing
Surgical Standards, 5-7.
Mahmood, K. (2017, May 7). Mixed methods research. Retrieved from: https://www.
slideshare.net/kmahmood2/mixed-methods-research
NACE (2014). Professional standards for college and university career services.
Reddy, K. (2018, August 31). Summative Evaluation - Top 22 Advantages and Disadvantages.
Retrieved from https://content.wisestep.com/advantages-disadvantages-
summative-evaluation/
The Pennsylvania State University- Office of Planning and Institutional Assessment (2006).
Using Surveys for Data Collection in Continuous Improvement . Innovation Insight Series. 14
Schuh, J. H. (2009). Assessment Methods for Student Affairs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass,
a Wiley Imprint.
StrengthsQuest. (n.d.). Retrieved from Gallup https://www.gallup.com/press/176369/
strengthsquest.aspx
Thompson, D. (2015, April 2). College- and Career-Readiness Requires a Strong Foundation in
Financial Literacy. Retrieved from Council for Economic Education:
https://www.councilforeconed.org/2015/04/02/college-and-career-readiness-requir
es-a-strong-foundation-in-financial-literacy/
Questions?