Upper Peninsula Teaching & Learning Conference - 2026

As colleges and universities are held more accountable to gainful employment metrics, many institutions are increasing their focus on career exploration and essential skills development. In More Essential Than Ever: Community College Pathways to Educational and Career Success, Davis Jenkins, et al. make a compelling case for intentional educational pathways that provide students with the tools, skills, knowledge, and career planning for successful, living-wage careers. As a seasoned writing instructor and college administrator, I wanted to experiment with embedding these skills in a general education course to align with our college reform goals. I practiced "pedagogical adaptability" and revamped the final research and persuasion project in my English 101 class to focus on career exploration (Giordano et al.). Students learned about themselves and their chosen career while practicing key rhetorical and information literacy skills through assignments. This assignment proved to be meaningful for students and supported our college's key goals around post-graduation student success. In this presentation, I will share relevant research, front-line insights, and a template for how I structured this project.  
 
Giordano, Joanne Baird, et al. Reaching All Writers: A Pedagogical Guide for Evolving College Writing Classrooms. University Press of Colorado, 2024.  
 
Jenkins, Davis, et al. More Essential Than Ever: Community College Pathways to Educational and Career Success. Harvard Education Press, 2025.