Running head: FORMATIVE EVALUATION PLAN

Formative Evaluation Plan

Alyssa Avila, Kan Li, Cris Monroy, Pam Newton
California State University, Fullerton

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Introduction
California State University, Fullertons (CSUF) Athletics Academics Services (AAS) is
committed to developing a yearly assessment plan that enhances the departments mission to
prepare student-athletes for their careers beyond their undergraduate tenure at CSUF. Following
the AAS mission, the Fullerton Athletics Career Expos (FACE) implied goal aims to develop
this populations student identity while promoting their career maturity, both of which go hand in
hand (Finch, 2009). Evaluation of this program is two-fold. Student surveys examine whether
FACE effectively represented these students career interests. Employer surveys determine
satisfaction with student preparedness, allowing AAS to develop workshops that address areas
for improvement.
AAS programs and services target student-athletes learning and development outside of
their role as athletes. The FACE program intends to further develop this populations student
identity and help them balance their responsibilities and schedules as both students and athletes.
The assessment plan will evaluate input from several sports teams including womens basketball,
cross country, track and field, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball as well as mens
baseball, basketball, cross country, track and field, golf, and soccer.
Stakeholders
There are various stakeholders to consider when assessing the effectiveness of FACE. Below are
a few to consider:
a. Titan Athletics - The program is operated by the Director of Athletics with the mission to
encourage successful completion of graduation and to expose student-athletes to the
competitive arena of Division One sports.

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b. Athletic Academic Services (AAS)- Although this department serves the student-athlete
population, it operates under the student affairs umbrella. AAS is responsible for all
academic support, counseling, study hall, tutoring, admissions, mentoring, and career
development for Titan student-athletes.
c. Life Skills Coordinator - Is responsible for creating viable programming that is relevant
to an ever-changing society. Being accessible to ensure the resources for future jobs,
internships, and service projects are filtered to student-athletes. Responsible for the
partnerships on campus that allow for successful resource sharing and information.
d. Academic Counselors - Class scheduling, major exploration, continuing eligibility,
accessing study plans, study hall hours, and summer school are among the many
responsibilities of academic counselors working with student-athletes. Academic success
of individual athletes is reflective of the academic counselors abilities to forecast issues
and have solutions ready. Student-athletes academic success can reflect positively or
negatively on their academic counselors.
e. Student-Athletes - The most important stakeholder to consider are student-athletes. As
they train to excel in their respective sport student-athletes must also maintain an eligible
GPA as outlined by the NCAA. If student-athletes do not keep their grades in
compliance with the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) students risk their eligibility,
there could be a reduction in their scholarship support, and teams could be
sanctioned. For program success, student-athletes must utilize appropriate resources to
make their academics a priority, graduate from college, pursue their field of choice, and
become a well-rounded citizen.

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f. Employers/Professional Organizations - Students are hopeful to land jobs directly after

graduation. FACE provides an opportunity for student-athletes to build these
relationships with companies prior to graduation, which is an important element to the
job search process. Employers expect when they attend FACE that the student-athletes
they meet will have appropriate academic grades and transferable skills, coupled with
diverse co-curricular experiences that would prepare them to enter the workforce.
Overview of the Program
Student Learning/Process Objectives
The overall goals of Athletics Academic Services (AAS) is to provide effective life skills
and academic support services for CSUF student-athletes to encourage timely graduation and to
ensure student-athletes receive the information they need to be in compliance with institutional
and NCAA rules governing continuing eligibility. The Fullerton Athletics Career Expo (FACE)
works to align with these goals through the following student learning objective:
a.

Student-Athletes will gain insight and knowledge about Employers/Campus Partners

particular fields to enable them a clearer understanding about their own personal goals for
the future.
As well as the following process objectives:
b.

Student-Athletes will be able to network with multiple types of Employers/Campus

Partners to gain experience, job opportunities, or the understanding about how to build
meaningful professional relationships.
c.

Student-Athletes will practice perfecting their 30-second elevator pitch by engaging

with more than 10 different employers or campus partners.

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d.

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Student-Athletes will get feedback from Employers/Campus Partners on their

resume completion for upcoming interview preparation.

This evaluation will focus on the first and second learning and process objectives regarding
student-athlete's gaining a clearer understanding of their personal career goals and their ability to
network with various employers and campus partners.
Program Description
The AAS Life Skills program was developed in Fall 2014 with the needs and concerns of
CSUF student-athletes in mind. AAS has the responsibility of creating learning objectives
within programming in several areas such as: life skills, FACE, Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee (SAAC), and the University 115 class for all incoming first- year students. AAS
program goals and objectives are implemented through collaborations with faculty, coaches,
student organizations, and other functional areas on campus. Intentional programming that
supports the overall health and wellness of student-athletes is conducted through workshops that
target relevant issues on nutrition, financial literacy, eating disorders, gambling, time
management, stress management, Title IX, career development, drugs, alcohol abuse, etc.
Professional development is another area of focus for AAS when working with studentathletes. Career planning talks are held each semester in one-on-one meetings on topics such as
academic counseling, major exploration, and career or post-graduation goals. In conjunction
with AAS is the life skills program, which is responsible for coordinating the annual FACE
event. This particular event is the focus of this report.
FACE has become an integral part of CSUF student-athlete career development. The
goal of FACE is to have an annual professional networking opportunity for student-athletes to
build professionalism and learn about the job market of their choice before entering the

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workforce and/or attending graduate school. With this goal in mind, FACE has registered 60
employers in the last year who actively recruit student-athletes for employment, internship, and
volunteer opportunities.
Political Dynamics
As FACE and the AAS Life Skills program move into the third year of their
implementation, there is a continued need to negotiate the ever changing campus culture and the
politics within higher education. The Life Skills Coordinator, a new professional in higher
education, must assess on a yearly basis, a list of immediate student needs and design a roadmap
of potential collaborations that will support student-athlete development. Without a sustainable
budget, the Life Skills Coordinator is tasked with coordinating programs and partnering with
areas like the CSUF Career Center, Associated Students, Inc. (ASI), and the Diversity Initiatives
and Resource Centers (DIRC) to assist with the lack of financial support. Resource sharing and
collaboration between functional areas is common, but can become political. The CSUF Career
Center in previous years has been the go-to place all students were directed to for any career
development needs. Today 38,948 students are enrolled at CSUF, so various colleges and
departments on campus are moving to support their student populations personal career
development needs more directly. Although this seems ideal, as it would serve more students
with more efficiency, without solidified partnerships it can also become highly territorial due to
interdepartmental relations, program duplication and attendance, vying for similar resources and
community connections, as well as competing for the same financial sources.
The Life Skills Coordinator found in the first year of the program that the majority of
student-athletes, for various reasons, did not utilize the career center resources on
campus. Therefore, it was necessary to use collaboration as a tool to reach student-athletes

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where they were comfortable to provide them with opportunities to receive services they
otherwise wouldn't receive. This information helped to foster the positive relationship between
the CSUF Career Center and AAS/Life Skills program which diminished the challenge of
navigating campus politics. By embracing this opportunity for collaboration, the CSUF Career
Center and AAS/Life Skills program were able to co-host workshops and programs, share
employer database information, and thus better serve student-athletes. Without this partnership,
the implementation of FACE could have created a challenging political situation that could have
led to less resources and support for student-athletes. By fostering this relationship, the FACE
program was developed and implemented within five months time-- a huge success for all
involved.
Literature Foundation
Over time Career Services has evolved to match and address the ever changing economic,
political, and social landscape of universities and society overall (Dey & Cruzvergara,
2014). From a focus on vocational guidance in the early 1900s, an emphasis on job placement in
the 1940s and 1950s, to a shift in the 1970s and 1980s to career counseling, and finally to an
engagement in professional networking in the 1990s-2000s, career services have consistently
adjusted to fluctuating needs of students and the job market (Dey & Cruzvergara, 2014). Career
services today is now responding to a new university and social climate, one that puts the focus
on building connected communities through customized career services and specialized
development support rather than a, traditional transactional model of career services (Dey &
Cruzvergara, 2014, p. 8).
At the crux of creating connected communities are building strong relationships which
provide opportunities for student engagement and support. This is no different for the highly

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visible community of student-athletes on university campuses. Comeaux et al. (2014) argue that,
The extent to which students participate in educationally purposeful engagement activities is
critical to their learning and personal development in college (p. 207). Central to this
purposeful engagement is the support and guidance student-athletes receive from academic and
career support staff and departments. Research shows that when academic advisors establish
deep and meaningful connections with student-athletes by providing honest feedback and
purposeful intervention strategies, there is significant improvement in the development of
leadership skills and has a positive impact on their overall academic achievement (Comeaux,
Snyder, Speer, & Taustine, 2014,).
This relationship becomes more integral to student success as the employment market
becomes fiercer. Competitiveness leads to difficulties for undergraduate students to find secure
employment; therefore, academic programs in post secondary institutions alone cannot meet the
need of students professional and life skills development (Navarro, 2015). The foundational
skill sets learned in college not only fuel ones sense of identity, but facilitate career decisionmaking processes in life after college (Navarro, 2015, p. 365). For a majority of college
student-athletes, this is especially difficult as they attempt to balance their athletic and academic
roles and schedules. With this in mind, these students need specific career development
programs to overcome both external and internal challenges (Navarro, 2015).
An understanding of these external and internal challenges is integral to supporting
student-athletes, especially in regards to choosing a major and making career decisions. Navarro
(2014) describes that student-athlete's personal experiences in childhood and in high school
influence their career exploration. He also found that the interaction between student-athletes and
student affairs and academic affairs staff is critical when choosing a major in college. Research

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indicates that there are three major experiences that affect their major choice and career
aspirations. Interactions with academic and student affairs professionals across campus,
interactions with academic and student affairs professionals internal to athletics, and the struggle
to balance the roles of student and collegiate athlete are critical to major and career choice
(Navarro, 2014, p.370). Similarly, student-athletes considered that professional development
activities in college, such as attending resume and/or cover letter workshops, practicing
interviewing skills, and completing a career development course, were influential for them when
they prepared for their career (Navarro, 2014). Furthermore, the athletes gender and sport can
influence their decision as well. For example, the athletes who participated in team sports
considered cooperation to be a key factor in their career field, while athletes who participated in
individual sports focused more on the concepts of adaptability and consistency in their job
(Navarro, 2014).
Regardless of participating in a team or individual sport during their undergraduate
careers, this population still faces the challenge of juggling the identities of being both a student
and athlete. Each identity requires an investment of time and effort, creating a difficult balancing
act that may lead to students placing one identity over the other (Finch, 2009). In some cases,
students with a dominant athlete identity may experience disengagement from their academic
obligations as they gradually accept this identity to be more important (Finch, 2009; Murphy et
al., 1996). By placing their student roles as secondary, this role engulfment can affect their
career development, career maturity, and can eventually delay their career decisions (Finch,
2009).
It is important to comprehend that being a student-athlete is also about understanding
how to be a college student who can focus on academics outside of their commitment to

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practices and games (Finch, 2009). The student identity can thus moderate the effects of a
college student's athletic identity and promote career maturity (Brown, Glastetter-Fender, &
Shelton, 2000; Brown & Hartley, 1988; Finch, 2009; Martens & Cox, 2000). As found in the
study conducted by Finch (2009), student identity was a significant predictor of career decisionmaking self-efficacy (p. 431). With this in mind, Finch adds evidence to the idea that the
student identity can not only moderate the athletic identity, but can also enhance career maturity
by providing student-athletes with the confidence to make career-related decisions (Finch,
2009). In essence, awareness of identity conflict can lead to a focus on the balance needed to
promote career maturity among student-athletes, whose student identity serves as a bridge to
prepare them for their post-sport lives (Finch, 2009).
When making the transition from sport to career, student-athletes may experience
psychological and emotional issues when realizing that their athletic identity will no longer guide
their life choices (Nall, 2009). With many of these students lives revolving around their sport,
they may not have developed other areas of their identity (Nall, 2009, p. 44). Programs
focusing on the change from athlete to citizen can provide these students with information on
how to transition to the working world (Nall, 2009). As Nall (2009) discusses, career
professionals must guide these students to understand and harness the transferrable skills that
they have gained through their experiences as student-athletes.
To support this transition, research indicates that it is most valuable to set a foundation
early on in the student-athlete's experience at the university where exposure to career services in
their freshman year can result in higher grade-point averages and greater satisfaction with their
majors (Martens & Lee, 1998; Nall, 2009). When drafting an initiative to promote career
development, professionals must also work around factors such as time schedules, athletic

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identity, and a sport commitment (Martens & Lee, 1998; Nall, 2009). Not keeping these factors
in mind may deter students from using career services (Martens & Lee, 1998; Nall, 2009). Initial
efforts can be enhanced with the help of coaches, who, by being visible and accessible, can
promote student-athlete engagement as a way to create a culture surrounding career development
(Nall, 2009). Most of all, successful career transitions can be characterized by career
professionals flexibility to work around student-athlete schedules, build rapport, and establish a
career development culture that spans from students first to last year in college (Nall, 2009).
In the article Perceptions of Career Transition in Sport and Higher Education it
discusses three major themes that speak to methods of supporting student-athletes which
were: Career Path Well Planned, Balancing Academics and Athletics, and Positive Role Model
(Harrison & Lawrence, 2004). The Career Path Well Planned showed the participants how
important finding the right career meant looking at their own personality (Harrison & Lawrence,
2004). Coupled with planning ahead through goal setting and trusting their own passion of a
specific career student-athletes agreed that finding a career that fit their personality was
ultimately key to their success (Harrison & Lawrence, 2004). The theme of Balancing
Academics and Athletics centered around the perceptions of being both a student and an athlete
(Harrison & Lawrence, 2004). As student-athletes learned from the experience of their peers, it
helped to develop the connection of persistence in attaining a college degree to securing a
professional future (Harrison & Lawrence, 2004). The Positive Role Model theme allows
athletes to read a player profile and share the feelings of inspiration they gathered from it. Some
student-athletes who participated in this program felt the stories of other successful athletes
helped them develop aspirations to also become a model student-athlete (Harrison & Lawrence,
2004). What we gather from student-athlete experiences, thoughts, and efforts in this program is

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that their development of personal and professional goals is indicative of their relationships with
professors, coaches, and administration who work to create a well-rounded learning environment
for their success (Harrison & Lawrence, 2004).
Based on the information gathered regarding the needs of student-athletes, one strategy
Cal State Fullerton has taken to support the balance of life as a student-athlete and support the
transition from student-athlete to professional has been hiring a Life Skills Coordinator who can
manage these areas. Just as student-athletes are prepared to win national championships it is also
the responsibility of the athletic administration to prepare them personally and professionally to
be successful in life after sport.
Methodology
The present study combines both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate core
research questions regarding student-athletes. The research team created a questionnaire that
asks student-athletes about their experience in the Titans Athletic Life Skills Program
specifically with the Fullerton Athletics Career Expo (FACE). Surveys were collected from 208
student-athletes after the Fullerton Athletics Career Expo; the assessment team analyzed every
open-ended question for keywords, coding each response numerically into manageable
quantitative answers. Qualitative methods allowed the research team to fully capture the
students experience through the short answer questions. At the same time, by surveying a large
number of student-athletes, quantitative methods allowed the research team to obtain greater
objectivity and accuracy of the results.
All student-athletes were required to attend the Fullerton Athletics Career Expo (FACE)
with the small exception of those who needed to attend class at that time. Student-athletes
included all sports from both womens (softball, basketball, golf, soccer, volleyball, tennis, cross

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country, and outdoor track and field) and mens (baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, cross country,
and outdoor track and field) athletic teams. After attending FACE, student-athletes were
required to complete a survey, the completion of which served as proof that they attended the
event. The surveys were distributed and collected by Fullerton Athletics staff and graduate
students assisted in the assessment process.
The answers provided will assess the FACE program through the following research
questions:
1. Do FACEs learning and process outcomes match the mission of AAS?
2. Did students see this event as fundamental to a student identity that, research shows, can
foster career maturity?
3. What can be done to better prepare student-athletes before FACE?
4. How can FACE better serve all student-athletes in attendance? In other words, how can
the program assess the needs of the students who will be attending the event to ensure it
further develops career maturity and prepares students for their post-sports careers?
The survey included a short two question demographic section, which includes questions about
the student-athlete's sport affiliation and collegiate year in school (freshman, sophomore, junior,
senior, or fifth year). Preceding this section was a six-question survey with the option of sharing
open-ended short answers. The survey questions were as follows:
1. What did I learn and/or take away from FACE? How will I use this in the future?
2. Did the employer/campus partners options accurately depict interested fields of work or
information? If not what was missing?
3. What professional development workshop (resume, elevator pitch, company research,
leadership etc.) prepared me most and why?

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4. How did Fullerton Athletics help shape my employer interests? Specific workshop or
advising?
5. How did Fullerton Athletics further my knowledge of professional etiquette? How did
they enhance my networking skills? (Specific workshop, advising, etc.)
6. If you were planning the event, how would you make the event better? What would you
add and/or delete?
The survey questions were designed with the goal to assess the student-athlete's overall
experience at the expo, the process of meeting prospective employers, and the learning that
prepared them prior to the event. Assessing these items are essential to understanding the overall
impact of FACE on student-athletes life skills development and the ways in which to improve
the event and the surrounding services and resources for student athletes, including workshops
and one-on-one advising support.
The qualitative data collection process for FACE was completed on the same day of the
event. All student-athletes received a folder upon checking in which included the survey and
other event materials. Students were instructed to turn in their completed survey at the end of the
event.
Qualitative data collected from each of the womens and mens sports teams will be used
to assess the aforementioned process and learning outcomes while also providing critical
feedback for future FACE events. After collection, qualitative answers were grouped into
categories creating a quantitative database that would display a breadth of answers while also
featuring the percentage of students with similar or different feedback. This information can help
improve process and learning outcomes by comparing how well such outcomes matched student
input.

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Descriptive statistics will help answer the research questions by determining how
students felt the program was meeting or not meeting individual expectations. With the large
amount of feedback received, we will focus on analyzing qualitative student input to assess
FACEs goals and improve program design to match student needs. We will use this data to
address the needs and concerns of students for future FACE events through the use of graphs and
charts depicting the average times specific feedback was provided on student surveys. This being
the first program review by a third party, qualitative input will provide enough data to draw
conclusions on whether the program is promoting career maturity and preparation through
exposure to potential employers.
Results
Survey Data
The following figures represent survey data gathered from the FACE event. Survey data in each
of the figures was categorized to represent similar participant responses.

Figure 1

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Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 4

Figure 5

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Figure 6
Thematic Analysis
Our group coding produced three overarching themes that were present across the six questions
in our student survey. The three themes and their definitions are as follows:
1. Pre-FACE professional development: intentional programming designed to enhance
student-athlete's career maturity; programming includes resume workshops, counselor
advising, and related aspects
2. FACE learning: implementing learning and skills related to learning outcomes,
specifically applying these during and after the event; skills include confidence,
networking, knowledge of professional etiquette, and communication
3. Event revisions: centered around the lack of diversity in employers while including
general feedback
The following sections provide further details regarding our survey findings, FACE, and
Fullerton Athletics.

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Pre-FACE Professional Development

As outlined in Figure 5, forty-three participants noted that attending workshops,
particularly the resume workshop(s), helped enhance their professional etiquette and networking
skills in preparation for the FACE event. A smaller group of seven students mentioned that
advising was key in preparing them for the same event. Figure 3 expands on the impact of
workshops by showing us that seventy students found the company-led professional
development workshop to be helpful. It also shows us that another one hundred and one
participants found the resume workshop to have provided general preparation.
Figure 4 goes on to show that Fullerton Athletics shaped employer interest and
interaction by exposing students to new job opportunities (51), while also improving their
confidence (30), communication (13), and leadership (8). Another forty students confirmed that
workshops helped shape their employer interest. Skill-building workshops were shown to be
popular in preparing students both for FACE and general career maturity.
FACE Learning
Figure 4 begins to address learning objective A by showing us that fifty-one participants
mentioned being exposed to new job opportunities that may shape their personal goals and
opportunities for the future. Figure 1 data expands on learning objective A that FACE helped
students think about their future with eighty-two student-athletes mentioning that it enhanced
their communication with potential employers, seventy-three saying that they now knew job
opportunities were available, thirteen echoing the importance of internship experience, and six
commenting on using more campus resources. Furthermore, as displayed in Figure 5, thirty
students mentioned having the opportunity to practice networking with businesses while another

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thirty-nine expressed that it helped them think on their feet, both of which provided studentathletes the opportunity to become familiar with potential employers.
Information from Figure 4 addresses process objective B in depicting that fifty-one
participants claimed that Fullerton Athletics and FACE opened their minds to new job
opportunities. Students began to understand how to build meaning professional relationships by
both learning how to communicate (13) and improving their confidence (30) when speaking to
employers. Figure 5 data echoes the communication aspect with eighteen students claiming it
helped them communicate with new people and another thirty saying it helped them network
with businesses. Overall, data supports learning objective A and process objective B that FACE
and Fullerton Athletics provided students with the exposure to several employers as a way to
help them build meaningful relationships while allowing them to think about their future goals.
Event Revisions
Data gathered from Figure 2 provided twenty-nine responses supporting the idea that
FACEs employer options did not accurately depict fields of interest. Even so, one hundred and
forty participants were content with employer options. Figure 6 provides further insight to the
initial twenty-nine responses and questions the validity of the one hundred and forty responses
from Figure 2. When asked how they would make the event better, the highest-supported
feedback with fifty-five responses, participants claimed they would provide more diversity
among companies and opportunities for all majors. Short interviews conducted during FACE
confirmed the need for a more diverse pool of employer options.
Other feedback from Figure 6 focused on event logistics. Twenty-five student-athletes
suggested that they be provided with food and drinks. Ten participants advocated for a better

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FACE layout. Another eight advocated for survey improvements. The second-highest grossing
feedback tallied forty-four responses noting that the event went really well.
Discussion
There were three main themes that stood out in the data gathered from student-athletes at
FACE. They were the following: pre-FACE professional development, FACE learning, and
feedback for the event. Pre-FACE Professional Development referred to the intentional
programming that helped prepare student-athletes for career maturity prior to the FACE event.
Many of the student-athletes discussed how the resume workshops and advising sessions with
their counselor helped them feel more confident and better prepared to talk with prospective
employers at FACE. Student-athletes also talked about the learning that occurred at FACE.
That by having a space like the career expo provided them with the opportunity to practice and
implement the skills that they had learned prior. FACE was a forum in which they could feel
comfortable and confident to practice networking, communication, and professionalism overall.
The last theme that arose to the forefront from the data was feedback from student-athletes
regarding the logistics and planning of the event, particularly in regards to the lack of diversity of
employers and graduate programs that attended FACE. Many student-athletes felt there was an
overrepresentation of business oriented programs and employers. Some student-athletes
expressed wanting more programs that seemed directly linked to athletics and their majors, like
kinesiology.
Based on the data, it can be said that student-athletes did see FACE as a valuable tool in
preparing for their future and building career maturity. It was also clear that the preparation
prior to the event was useful for student-athletes in building on their personal and professional
development and that the programs and workshops provided by AAS should continue to be an

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integral piece of the program. Bolstering and expanding on existing programs to build more
comprehensive academic services would prove to be the best way to better prepare and better
serve student-athletes prior to FACE and beyond. Some recommendations that could work
towards accomplishing this goal would be the following:
1. Strongly aligning the outcomes of FACE with the mission of AAS: Focusing more on
learning outcomes for student-athletes rather than process outcomes could help shift
FACE to a student development model, which could help practitioners working with
student-athletes gain a better understanding of the strengths and gaps in resources.
2. Continuing and strengthening the partnership with Academic Services: By continuing to
build upon this relationship both AAS and Academic Services can better accomplish
their goals of providing career and life skills development opportunities to studentathletes by filling in the areas with cross support and resources.
3. Additional training and support for practitioners in AAS working with student-athletes:
Practitioners in AAS, like the Life Skills Coordinator, are at the forefront of direct
interaction and advisement with student-athletes. Additional training in student-athlete
academic and career advisement and support for the implementation of comprehensive
programs and workshops could directly improve the overall program and reach of AAS.
The data collected and recommendations presented by the research team are all provided with
respect to the hard work and dedication of the AAS program, the Life Skills Coordinator, and
Titan Athletics as a whole. The research team is hopeful that the results of this report will help
these entities continue to support student-athletes on their academic and personal journey at Cal
State Fullerton and beyond.

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References
Comeaux, E., Taustine, M., Speer, L., & Snyder, E. (2014). The Role of Engagement Activities
on College Outcomes a Retrospective Study of Division I Male and Female StudentAthletes. College Student Affairs Journal, 32(2), 205-217.
Dey, F., & Cruzvergara, C. Y. (2014). Evolution of Career Services in Higher Education. New
Directions for Student Services, 148(2), 5-18.
Finch, B. (2009). Investigating College Athletes' Role Identity and Self-efficacy for Career
Decision-Making. International Journal of Sport Management, 10(4), 427-435.
Harrison. (2004). Female and Male Student Athletes' Perceptions of Career Transition in Sport
and Higher Education: a Visual Elicitation and Qualitative Assessment. Journal of
Vocational Education & Training, 56(4), 485-506.
Nall, K. (2009). POSTgame: Providing Opportunities for Successful Transition. NACE Journal,
69(4), 43-48.
Navarro, K. M. (2014). A Conceptual Model of Division I Student-Athletes' Career Construction
Processes. College Student Affairs Journal, 32(1), 219-235.
Navarro, K. M. (2015). An Examination of the Alignment of Student-Athletes' Undergraduate
Major Choices and Career Field Aspirations in Life After Sports. Journal of College
Student Development, 56(4), 364-379.

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Appendix A: Practitioner Presentation

The goal of the presentation is to provide information to the Athletic Academic Services Director
about what is going well with FACE, what can be improved about FACE, and provide
recommendations for future direction. After coding and analyzing the survey data collected at
FACE, three key themes emerged from the findings:
1. Pre-FACE professional development: intentional programming designed to enhance
student-athlete's career maturity; programming includes resume workshops, counselor
advising, and related aspects
2. FACE learning: implementing learning and skills related to learning outcomes,
specifically applying these during and after the event; skills include confidence,
networking, knowledge of professional etiquette, and communication
3. Event revisions: centered around the lack of diversity in employers while including
general feedback
Some recommendations that could work towards accomplishing this goal would be the
following:
1. Strongly aligning the outcomes of FACE with the mission of AAS,
2. Continuing and strengthening the partnership with Academic Services,
3. Additional training and support for practitioners in AAS working with student-athletes.
The data collected and recommendations presented by the research team are all provided with
respect to the hard work and dedication of the AAS program, the Life Skills Coordinator, and Titan
Athletics as a whole. The research team is hopeful that the results of this report will help these
entities continue to support student-athletes on their academic and personal journey at Cal State
Fullerton and beyond.

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25!

Appendix B: Survey Coding Information

Q1. What did I learn and/or take away from FACE? How will I use it in the future?
1. Communicate with future employers (82)
2. Job opportunities available at FACE if you seek them out (73)
3. Start internship early/apply internship (13)
4. Be more confident (8)
5. Use more resources (6)
6. Better interview skills (5)
Q2. Did the employer/campus partner options accurately depict interested fields of information?
If not, what was missing?
1. Yes (180)
2. Many good company options (18)
3. No (14)
4. Need more companies related to kinesiology field (9)
5. More option (4)
6. More medical fields (2)
Q3. What professional development workshop prepared me the most and why?
1. Resume workshop (101)
2. Career development workshop with (4) employers:
Elevator Pitch/ Professional Dress/ Leadership/networking Tips/LinkedIn/ Navigating a
career fair
LAPD/LAFD, BAY ALARM. SALES&LEADERSHIP CENTER, NORTHWESTERN
MUTUAL (70)
3. Other (class) (5)
4. Leadership (5)
Q4. How did Fullerton athletics help shape my employer interest? Workshops or advising?
1. Opened my opinions about new job opportunities (51)
2. Workshops (40)
3. Confidence (30)
4. Helped me communicate (13)
5. Counselor advised them to come (12)
6. Leadership (8)
Q5. How did Fullerton athletics further my knowledge of professional etiquette? How did they
enhance my networking skills?
1. Overall experience of FACE helped shape me to answer questions spontaneously, in
preparation for the real world (39)
2. Resume workshop (32)
3. Business network (30)
4. Professional attire work (24)
5. Talk to new people (18)
6. Workshops in general (11)

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26!

Q6. If you were planning the event how would you make the event better? What would you add
or delete?
1. More diversity among companies and opportunities towards all the majors (55)
2. Event ran really well (44)
3. Food/drink for athletes (25)
4. Better layout (10)
5. Surveys (8)
6. More sports/ sports management (7)
Appendix C: Practitioner Presentation PowerPoint Slides
Please see attachments.
Appendix D: Survey Result Totals
Please see attachments.

Formative Evaluation Plan

for Athletic Academic Services & Life Skills

Fullerton Athletics Career Expo

Research Team:
Alyssa Avila, Kan Li, Cris Monroy, Pam Newton
California State University, Fullerton

Presentation Goals:
1. What is working well with FACE?
2. What can be improved about FACE?
3. Future direction and recommendations

Research Questions:
1. Do FACEs learning and process outcomes match the mission of AAS?
2. Did students see this event as fundamental to a student identity that,
research shows, can foster career maturity?
3. What can be done to better prepare student-athletes before FACE?
4. How can FACE better serve all student-athletes in attendance? In other
words, how can the program assess the needs of the students who will
be attending the event to ensure it further develops career maturity and
prepares students for their post-sports careers?

Key Themes:
1. Pre-FACE Professional Development: intentional programming designed to
enhance student-athlete's career maturity; programming includes resume
workshops, counselor advising, and related aspects
2. FACE Learning: implementing learning and skills related to learning outcomes,
specifically applying these during and after the event; skills include confidence,
networking, knowledge of professional etiquette, and communication
3. Event Revisions: centered around the lack of diversity in employers while
including general feedback

Results within themes:

1. Pre-FACE Professional Development:
a. Resume and Employer-led workshops were effective
b. Exposed students to new job opportunities
2. FACE Learning:
a. Enhanced communication and provided exposure to potential employers
b. Practiced networking to build meaningful relationships
3. Event Revisions:
a. More diversity among companies and opportunities for all majors
b. Location layout and survey revision

Recommendations for Future Practice

Recommendations
1. Strongly aligning the outcomes of FACE with the
mission of AAS
2. Continuing and strengthening the partnership with
Academic Services
3. Additional training and support for practitioners in AAS
working with student-athletes

Thank you!
Any questions?