Building a Career-First Culture

Join Logan Morris and Dallas College leaders Dr. Karen Stills, Dr. Paula Guidry, and Dr. Sharon Manna as they share insights from their innovative Marketable Skills Initiative. This program is designed to ensure students gain the professional and soft skills employers most value—while still advancing through existing academic pathways.

In this session, you’ll learn how Dallas College has built bridges between faculty and career services to foster a career-first culture, preparing students not only for immediate job opportunities but also for long-term success, whether they plan to enter the workforce directly or transfer to a four-year institution.

Panelists will discuss how faculty integrators are embedding marketable skills into curriculum, aligning assignments with real-world competencies, and creating spaces for students to reflect on their progress. They will also highlight how faculty communities of practice have supported professional development, and share lessons learned from scaling the program across the institution.

What to expect:

• Learn how Dallas College aligns state-mandated core curriculum with marketable skills competencies.
• Discover how faculty integrators embed skills into coursework and assignments.
• Discover strategies for building faculty buy-in and sustaining communities of practice.
• Explore lessons on increasing student career confidence and participation.
• Identify approaches to scaling initiatives while balancing growth and resources.

Session

Click the Register button to sign up.

Attendance is best suited for vice presidents of academic affairs, vice presidents of student services/career services, and faculty leaders. Registration is limited to two attendees per institution.

• Friday, November 21, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time