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DegreePlus is a recently developed program at Western Carolina University (WCU) that aims to develop transferable skills, including professionalism, cultural responsiveness, leadership and teamwork, in students via their participation in extracurricular activities. A mixed-methods study that included focus groups and a survey was used to identify the preliminary impacts of the program. Researchers found that students view the program as a supportive initiative to help them prepare for their future and meet their career goals. Students also perceive that they are learning the targeted skills and are able to apply them to a limited extent. Finally, students view the program as a means of connecting to their university community. We anticipate that student participation in this program may assist with other institutional goals, such as retention and student success, as many of the impacts from the program align with principles that support these objectives. Please cite this article as: Huffman, C. L., Tallant, A. C., & Young S. C. (2019). Preliminary impact of DegreePlus: An institutional program to provide transferable skill development through extracurricular activities. A Practice Report. Student Success, 10(1), 131-139. doi: 10.5204/ssj.v10i1.1094 This practice report has been accepted for publication in Student Success. Please see the Editorial Policies under the ‘About’ section of the Journal website for further information. Student Success: A journal exploring the experiences of students in tertiary education This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. As an open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution. ISSN: 2205-0795 Preliminary impact of DegreePlus: An institutional program to provide transferable skill development through extracurricular activities. A Practice Report 132 | Student Success, 10(1) March 2019 Introduction DegreePlus (Western Carolina University, 2018) is a program designed to provide transferable skill development to students at Western Carolina University through their participation in designated extracurricular activities. The program was developed as a Quality Enhancement Plan for the 2017 reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Much of the development of the program was inspired by the Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR) at the University of Central Oklahoma (Cunliff & King, 2018; University of Central Oklahoma, 2018). STLR aims to instill six central tenets in their students, some of which are global and cultural competencies; leadership; and service learning and civic engagement. Similarly, DegreePlus aims to promote professionalism, cultural responsiveness, leadership and teamwork in student participants. The development of DegreePlus was prompted by a wealth of literature pointing to the need for such transferable skill development in today’s college students. Calonge and Shah (2016) found there exists a “discontinuity between skills university graduates have when they graduate and the specific needs of employers” (p. 69). From a professional perspective, these transferable skills are important to students because of the evolving nature of jobs and because graduates often find employment that does not directly relate to their curricular majors (Baker & Henson, 2010). A survey of both college students and employers by Hart Research Associates (2015) on behalf of the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that while some college students feel career-ready, employers disagree. While faculty aim to deliver transferable skills through innovative curricula, Thompson, Clark, Walker and Whyatt (2013) point out that extracurricular activities may provide a better environment to teach transferable skills over academic courses. This concept aligns well with student involvement theory, which posits the greater the student’s involvement in academics, extracurricular activities and interactions with faculty and staff, the greater their learning and personal development (Astin, 1984). In a survey by Baker and Henson (2010), students agreed that “extracurricular activity offered the best opportunities to develop teamwork, leadership, and other ‘interpersonal skills’” (p. 65). Additionally, a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (2016) points to a need for both transferable skills and extracurricular involvement. DegreePlus capitalises on these perceptions by delivering targeted skills through extracurricular events. Beyond fostering transferable skills, extracurricular programing has the potential to shape the student experience and impact metrics of success for students and institutions alike. Kuh (1993) writes that involvement outside the classroom contributes to student personal development and learning. Some research has shown that students “evolve” more through a combination of their extracurricular and academic experiences. This evolution led to environments where increased learning occurred and students achieved more through the connections they made between the classroom and alternate learning environments (Kahu, 2013; Zepke, 2014). Research further indicates that involvement outside the classroom is related to persistence in some populations (Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, & Hayek, 2006). Given the increasing pressures for institutions to retain students and meet graduation rate metrics, intentional, studentcentered extracurricular programing can be an integral part of a holistic retention strategy. These theories support the potential for DegreePlus to have extended benefits in areas related to overall student success. Huffman, Tallant & Young Student Success, 10(1) March 2019 | 133 Transferable skills DegreePlus aims to develop one or more of the following transferable skills in students: cultural responsiveness, leadership, and teamwork. To better define these broad terms, WCU used the literature (a sample of which is provided below) to develop a set of five student learning outcomes (SLOs) for each skill. Each outcome was written at the highest levels of Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom, 1956). While students will not necessarily meet the outcome by initially attending an event, they will build experience with the outcome that will enable them to achieve the outcome later. (See “Structure and incentivisation” below.) Our term “cultural responsiveness” is similar to a definition of cultural competence as a “process of developing cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills” (Kratzke & Bertolo, 2013, p. 1). Cultural responsiveness transitions beyond learning about diversity by also inferring interaction, reflection, and a call to action. These insights led to the following learning outcomes for the cultural responsiveness skill: Students will (a) demonstrate an awareness of key historical and current issues surrounding race, ethnicity, gender, social class, religion, sexual identity, ability, national origin, or other identities, (b) analyse one’s own beliefs, traditions, norms, biases, and the differences/commonalities in relation to other’s, (c) practice cultural sensitivity and respect when interacting with others, (d) engage in unfamiliar cultural spaces and experiences, and/or (e) identify resources and appropriate forms of advocacy to promote social justice and equity. Although the idea of leadership has evolved over time, modern conceptions of leadership place value on “principles of collaboration, interpersonal effectiveness, process, ethical reciprocity, and affecting positive societal change” (Salisbury, Pascarella, Padgett, & Blaich, 2012, p. 303). The following learning outcomes for leadership were incorporated into DegreePlus: Students will (a) demonstrate an understanding of leadership principles and behaviours of effective leaders, (b) utilise leadership styles in diverse contexts, (c) apply knowledge of conflict resolution in difficult situations, (d) generate and accept constructive feedback, and/or (e) define clear and actionable goals. Definitions for professionalism vary widely but can include interpersonal skills, responsibility, integrity, as well as time and workload management (Wresch & Pondell, 2015). In a survey by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College of Pennsylvania (2015), recent graduates listed strong communication skills, focus, punctuality/attentiveness, humility, and diligence as the most important components of professionalism. As such, the student learning outcomes for professionalism are as follows: Students will (a) apply appropriate communication methods to a variety of audiences, (b) recognise the importance of appropriate dress and professional image, (c) demonstrate ethical behavior in work-related contexts, (d) develop methods for building effective work relationships, and/or (e) demonstrate an awareness of industry specific culture and values. While teamwork is another skill that can be difficult to define, Hughes and Jones (2011) describe five general components that feed into the concept of teamwork: a “collective identity”, sharing of a common task, interdependence, specific roles of team members, and a “larger organisational context” (p. 54). The learning outcomes associated with teamwork are as follows: Students will (a) demonstrate the basics of team dynamics, (b) take responsibility for one’s own role within a team, (c) utilise appropriate team communication skills, (d) treat others with respect and value others’ contributions, and/or (e) contribute to the movement of a team toward a common goal. Preliminary impact of DegreePlus: An institutional program to provide transferable skill development through extracurricular activities. A Practice Report 134 | Student Success, 10(1) March 2019 How DegreePlus works Structure and incentivisation Figure 1 illustrates the three-level structure of the voluntary DegreePlus program. The structure provid