The Current Reality

After reflecting on readiness, the next step in the Work+ Collective Journey is to clarify your goals and scope. This stage turns reflection into direction by asking your campus to define what success looks like and how far your first redesign should reach.

Clarifying goals ensures that everyone involved students, supervisors, HR professionals, and senior leaders understands what this purpose means in practice and how it connects to the larger mission of student success.

Why This Stage Matters

It’s an equity issue: The Working Learner Dilemma revealed that many graduates with degrees and work experience still struggle to find meaningful employment.

Women, first-generation students, and students of color are disproportionately affected by underemployment. Not everyone benefits from how things are right now: Research shared through the Collective shows that internships, while helpful, do not reach everyone. On-campus jobs and other forms of work-integrated learning can be just as powerful in helping students build skills, confidence, and career readiness. By clarifying goals, institutions can respond directly to this challenge and ensure that student employment becomes part of the solution. Some goals might focus on making sure every student worker can clearly identify and articulate the skills they gain on the job. Others may prioritize equitable access to high-quality work experiences for low-income or first-generation students. Each goal should connect student employment to the broader vision of equity, belonging, and learning across campus.

The Case for Change: A Systems Perspective

Steps to Clarify Goals and Scope