Academic Support Services

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The Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity

The Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity (CEO) empowers every unique Novo Collegian to achieve post-graduation success and connect to a world of possibilities. CEO professional and student staff collaborate with faculty to provide individualized career coaching to students throughout their academic experience ensuring they develop, apply, and communicate skills gained from their liberal arts education, make intentional and strategic career decisions, connect to opportunity, and are successful in pursuing any professional goal.

The CEO leads the Novo Career Advantage, New College’s four-year career plan for undergraduates. At the start of their first year, new undergraduate students are assigned a professional career coach who partners with students on navigating the career development process and completing the steps of the Novo Career Advantage. Career coaches ensure all students prioritize their professional development, explore careers, have a career plan, and are career-ready by gaining experiences that complement their liberal arts education and provide for a successful transition after graduation.

Career coaches help students with:

  • Strategic career planning
  • Career/AOC exploration and decisions
  • Resumes, CVs, and application documents
  • Interviewing
  • Internships
  • Mentorship through the online New College Network and Professionals in Residence
  • Networking
  • Search strategies
  • Graduate and professional school applications
  • Entrepreneurship education
  • Professional dress through the Career Closet

The CEO also provides support to students applying for New College's Student Research and Travel Grants (SRTGs), which fund research and travel associated with thesis work, tutorials, independent study projects, study abroad, and conference presentations. In addition, the CEO offers specialized advising about prestigious scholarships and fellowships that help students achieve their professional and career goals through funding opportunities for graduate school study, research, study abroad, language study, and teaching abroad. New College students are very competitive for prestigious awards and have been recipients of Fulbright, Gilman, Boren, Freeman-Asia, National Science Foundation, Goldwater, and Truman fellowships, among many others. 

The CEO actively fosters recruiting relationships with employers, internship sites, and graduate and professional schools, hosting a variety of networking and career events and programs for all students throughout the academic year.

Students can connect to opportunities and the CEO through the online platform, Handshake, in myNCF.

Pre-Professional Communities

New College’s Pre-Professional Programs are designed for students to continue their studies in their chosen Area of Concentration while developing additional skills and experiences that further prepare them to stand out as applicants when applying to a professional school.

Through professional development opportunities, support resources, programming, admissions test preparation, and immersive experiences outside of the classroom, students have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and challenge themselves as they build key skills to help them become successful professionals.

In addition to active student clubs and career support through the Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity, each Pre-Professional Program has a program advisor who advises on course selection and planning, the professional school application process, letters of recommendation, and relevant academic experiences and resources.

  • Pre-Law Program: The Pre-Law Program helps connect students pursuing legal careers to special programs, activities, experiences, and preparation that set them apart from other law school applicants. Through personalized pre-law advising and career coaching, students in the Pre-Law Program have the professional and peer support to achieve their goals. Pre-Law students participate in competitive moot court and mock trial events as part of the Novum Collegium Litigos team through the student-led New College Law Society. An LSAT preparation tutorial is available to students prior to their application year.
  • Pre-Health Program: Through individualized comprehensive academic advising and career coaching, in addition to a world-class science education necessary for health-related professional programs, the Pre-Health Professional Community helps to ensure Novo Collegians are well prepared to pursue professional school after graduation including medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and other healthcare careers. The Pre-Health/Pre-Med Club is an active student organization and helps students pursuing health professional programs find volunteer opportunities, mentors, assistance with courses and the MCAT, and guidance in applying for research opportunities. The Pre-Health Program Advisor is available to students in the CEO and appointments are scheduled through Handshake.

Novo Career Advantage

New College prioritizes career exploration, planning, and preparation as an essential part of the academic program. Undergraduate students are expected to complete the Novo Career Advantage, New College’s career plan, ensuring that career education is prioritized throughout their studies. The Novo Career Advantage consists of simple steps that students complete with the Center for Career Engagement and Opportunity (CEO) as well as their faculty advisor. The skills and experiences gained through the Novo Career Advantage increase student career readiness and post-graduation early career success.

Steps of the Novo Career Advantage are integrated into courses and other curricular and co-curricular activities; however, students can also complete their steps on their own. Appointments with the CEO can be made online through Handshake in myNCF. The steps in the Novo Career Advantage are recommended to be completed by specific contract numbers. For transfer students, the steps can be accelerated and mapped out throughout their academic plan.

Steps of the Novo Career Advantage

Step 1: Exploration (by Contract 2)
  • Take the Focus 2 Career Assessment to explore AOC and career options
  • Career exploration appointment with CEO Career Coach
  • Complete Handshake profile
  • Explore options for resume-building experiences (such as internships, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), study abroad, campus leadership roles, jobs, volunteer opportunities, and ISPs) with faculty advisor and CEO Career Coach
Step 2: Preparation - Part I (by Contract 4)
  • Communicating Skills in Writing: Resume/CV Writing or Review appointment with CEO
  • Participate in the Novo Network Mentorship Program or networking appointment with CEO Career Coach
  • Create a LinkedIn profile to network for contacts and experiences
Step 3: Preparation - Part II (by Contract 6)
  • Communicating Skills Verbally: Mock Interview with the CEO
  • Strategic Career Planning appointment with CEO Career Coach
  • Have at least one resume-building experience completed such as an internship, Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), study abroad, campus leadership role, job, volunteer opportunity, or career-focused ISP
Step 4: Take Action (Contract 7+)
  • Attend Fourth-Year Kick-Off
  • Fourth-year check-in with CEO Career Coach
  • Update and upload resume on Handshake
  • Update LinkedIn profile

Throughout their New College education, students are encouraged to gain experience, explore prestigious scholarships and fellowships to fund their academic and professional aspirations, meet professionals and alumni, attend employer/graduate school networking events, and build specific skills needed for their career interests by completing courses through LinkedIn Learning or pursing certificates.

Academic Resources

Academic Resource Center

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) is a place for study and collaboration on academic projects. Located on the first floor of the Jane Bancroft Cook Library, the ARC houses Educational Technology Services, Quantitative Resource Center, Writing Resource Center, and an open-use computer lab. Additionally, students participate in TA sessions and workshops in the ARC conference room and group study areas.

Educational Technology Services

Educational Technology Services (ETS) provides faculty and student technology support for academic projects, as well as an open-use computer lab and a media lab with video editing and scanning workstations. Electronic equipment (digital cameras, camcorders, projectors, and voice recorders) is available for checkout for course-related projects. Training and assistance are available for technology-related course projects, faculty website development, and use of Canvas (New College’s online course management system).

The Quantitative Resource Center

The Quantitative Resource Center (QRC) is dedicated to aiding the New College community in working with quantitative matters. The QRC provides individual and small-group peer tutoring for students needing assistance with various quantitative methods (e.g. basic mathematics and statistics, SAS, SPSS, Excel, and other applications). The QRC is a solution-oriented organization that seeks to solve, through consultation, a wide range of quantitative problems for faculty, students, and staff.

The Writing Resource Center

The Writing Resource Center (WRC) is open to all New College students who are interested in developing the skills and strategies associated with college-level writing. Trained student writing assistants (SWAs) listen and respond to the needs and concerns of student writers through focused, individualized conferences. Encouraging writers to direct the conference in ways that meet their particular needs and interests, SWAs provide helpful feedback and resources about all stages of the writing process. The WRC operates on the principle that, no matter their degree of skill, students can benefit from open and objective conversation about their writing. The WRC has a commitment to serving student writers in all disciplines. The WRC has hired SWAs from a variety of disciplines, who are trained to assist all students with any type of writing. The WRC also leads group workshops on thesis-related topics and other writing-related topics by request.

Off-Campus Study/Study Abroad

The Off-Campus Study/Study Abroad Office (located on the first floor of the Library) offers one-on-one advising to help students identify the program abroad or within the United States that best fits their academic interests and needs. It offers assistance with the entire process, from initiating the application through re-entry. The Off-Campus Study/Study Abroad Office also coordinates with National Student Exchange (NSE), EcoLeague, and CIEL exchanges. Throughout the year, the Office hosts information sessions, discussion panels with students who have recently returned from abroad, special events sponsored by selected study abroad providers, as well as two Study Abroad Fairs at the beginning of Fall semester and Spring semester.

Office of Research Programs and Services

Mission

The Office of Research Programs and Services (ORPS) promotes New College’s research endeavors through resource development and research administration.

Vision

ORPS strives to attract external support for New College’s research endeavors through agreements, awards, contracts, and grants with government, foundations, and corporations.

Services Provided

Pre-Award Services

We provide pre-award support and assist New College faculty and staff by:

  • discussing project ideas
  • suggesting funding sources or ways to identify funding sources
  • demonstrating how to use funding databases
  • overseeing institutional endorsement procedures
  • helping to interpret application guidelines
  • advising during the early stages of narrative and budget development
  • serving as educated general readers of proposal drafts
  • advising on the use of human and animal subjects in research
  • following up on status of proposals
Post-Award Services

Our post-award services include:

  • grant management
  • monitoring compliance with sponsor requirements
  • monitoring time and effort reporting
  • providing dissemination of policies and procedures related to sponsored agreements awarded to the College
  • providing professional and helpful interaction between the College community and sponsors 

Institutional Review Board

At New College safeguarding the rights and welfare of human subjects in research is a general institutional policy delegated to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Any research project involving human subjects that is conducted by New College faculty, staff, or students, or that takes place on New College property, is subject to prior review and approval by the IRB.
 
The Director of ORPS is designated as overall Human Protection Administrator for New College’s IRB and is responsible for ensuring that it functions and operates in compliance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations that govern human subject protection.

Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR)

New College of Florida is committed to the ethical conduct of research and is in compliance with Section 7009 of the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science (America COMPETES) Act which requires that an institutional plan be in place to provide appropriate training in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. Additional information regarding IRB policy and procedures can be found on the NCF Community Pages (MyNCF login required).