Faculty Career Toolkit

Your one-stop shop to be a successful faculty partner with the Rockwell Career Center.

Download the PDF version of this resource here.

Table of Contents

  1. Overview of the Rockwell Career Center
  2. Career Readiness
  3. Faculty Engagement
  4. Syllabus Examples
  5. Student Email Template
  6. Student Referrals and References

Overview of the Rockwell Career Center

Mission

The mission of the Rockwell Career Center is to complement C.T. Bauer College students’ academic experiences with career development and experiences to help them attain successful and fulfilling careers and increase the value of Bauer to the business community in Houston and the world.

Who We Are

What We Offer

Our Values

  • Responsiveness: We take personal responsibility to acknowledge all requests for information in a timely and accurate manner.
  • Integrity: We are honest, fair, trustworthy and ethical with all of our customers.
  • Excellence: We strive to exceed expectations in all areas of services.
  • Professionalism: We create a strong impression with employers and behave as role models for students.
  • Lifelong Learning: We provide up-to-date knowledge, resources and training to facilitate growth and advancement.
  • Teamwork: We unite corporate leaders, alumni, the university and the Houston community to enhance career opportunities for Bauer students.

How to Reach Us

Are Your Students Career Ready?

RCC uses the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies to prepare students for the workforce.

CAREER & SELF-DEVELOPMENT: Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.

COMMUNICATION: Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.

CRITICAL THINKING: Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

EQUITY & INCLUSION: Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.

LEADERSHIP: Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

PROFESSIONALISM: Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

TEAMWORK: Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

TECHNOLOGY: Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.

Find out more at naceweb.org/career-readiness-competencies

Faculty Engagement

Partner with RCC

Students trust their professors and listen to your words of wisdom. Partner with us by encouraging your students to take advantage of the RCC and incorporate career readiness competencies into your courses.

  • Promote the RCC and its resources in class and on the syllabus
  • Invite a career counselor to speak in your class based on your students’ needs
  • Invite employers or alumni to speak in your class
  • Incorporate career education into your curriculum
  • Supplement traditional assignments with short-term experiential learning through Forage (real company-backed online projects)
  • Encourage students to attend career center events: Career Fairs, Networking Mixers, Workshops, and Employer Info Sessions

Syllabus Example

Consider adding wording like the example below about the RCC and the resources available to your courses’ syllabi in order to foster the students’ connections from their coursework to career paths.

Career Support
If you are a business major curious about how to connect your academic experiences with a career path or job, please see the professionals in the Rockwell Career Center, as they have staff who are experts in the majors, career paths, and employers available to Bauer students. Simply go to “Bauer Career Gateway” in AccessUH (https://accessuh.uh.edu) to make an appointment or to review current internship and job opportunities. If you are not a business major, University Career Services has staff who specialize in the other majors on campus and can provide similar services. Go to “Cougar Pathways” in AccessUH to make an appointment or review job/internship postings. The services in Cougar Pathways are available to business majors as well.

Student Email Template

Subject: Take Advantage of Career Resources Available

Hi Students,

As you continue with your courses this semester, I want to remind you of the resources you have available in the Rockwell Career Center (RCC). The career counselors can help you explore career paths, find jobs and internships, prepare for interviews, and engage in various career events with employers. The earlier you engage with RCC, the more beneficial it will be for you–it’s never too early to start thinking of your future career.

Visit HireBauer.com to find resources, or you can make an individual appointment with your counselor on “Bauer Career Gateway” in AccessUH. You can also see job and internship postings, on-campus recruiting opportunities, and career events there. RCC is located on the second floor of Cemo Hall. Drop-in sessions are Monday-Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and Wednesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon.

If you are not a business major, University Career Services has staff who specialize in the other majors on campus and can provide similar services by going to “Cougar Pathways” in AccessUH to make an appointment or review job/internship postings.

Student Referrals and References

Faculty are often asked to recommend students for various career opportunities by both students and employers. Use this guide to stick to ethical practices in giving referrals and writing references.

Student Referrals

The Principles for Ethical Professional Practice are based on two basic precepts: maintaining a recruitment process that is fair and equitable and supporting informed and responsible decision-making by candidates. Avoid possible legal and ethical pitfalls by following these tips.

  • Practice reasonable, responsible, and transparent behavior
  • Act without bias
  • Ensure equitable access
  • Comply with applicable local, state and federal laws
  • Protect confidentiality of students’ career and recruitment-related information

CANDIDATE REFERRAL

If you receive a request for student referrals:

  1. Send the request from the employer to RCC to post on Gateway for all qualified candidates
  2. If you do choose to encourage students to apply, don’t limit to only one class of individuals

REFERRING CANDIDATES OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS

  1. Immediately contact RCC to inform them of such a request
  2. You may also make announcements in class, post signs in your department and notify relevant student organizations

PROVIDING REFERENCES

If you are asked to provide a written or oral reference:

  1. You must have prior written authorization from the student
  2. You should provide information that is based on facts and not on personal information unrelated to the student’s qualifications for the job

Writing Reference Letters

If you are asked to provide a reference, consider these questions:

  1. Who will see this information?
  2. Is the person asking for a reference entitled
  3. to that information?
  4. What is the purpose of the information?
  5. Is the information accurate?
  6. Is the information misleading?

When in doubt: Contact RCC!

Information pulled from the National Association of Colleges and Employers website. Find reference letter templates, tips, and more at:

Faculty Career Toolkit