The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has announced an upcoming professional development event tailored for educators, administrators, and institutional leaders within its network. The organization will host a specialized member webinar titled “Measuring What Matters: Embedding Career Readiness Assessment into the Undergraduate Business Curriculum and Student Experience,” scheduled for November 19, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time.
The virtual session is designed to address a growing priority in higher education: how colleges and universities can systematically evaluate and enhance the professional trajectory of undergraduate students. As institutions face increasing scrutiny regarding the return on investment of higher education and the direct connection between academic programs and post-graduation employment, finding reliable ways to measure student preparedness has become essential. The upcoming HACU webinar aims to provide attendees with concrete methodologies, real-world examples, and data-driven frameworks to tackle this challenge within business programs and across the broader student experience.
Registration for the event is currently open, and interested participants from HACU-member institutions can secure their virtual seats by accessing the official registration portal provided through the association’s announcements.
Exploring Innovative Assessment Strategies at Dominican University of California
At the heart of the webinar’s agenda is a detailed exploration of how the Dominican University of California is transforming its approach to undergraduate education. Specifically, the session will examine the institution’s implementation of a comprehensive pre- and post-assessment strategy within its undergraduate business curriculum.
Instead of relying solely on anecdotal success stories or post-graduation employment rates collected months after a student leaves campus, this strategy focuses on capturing longitudinal growth. By evaluating students at multiple points during their academic journey, educators can measure tangible progress in several critical developmental areas. These include core career readiness indicators, the expansion of professional networks and relationship-building skills, the adoption of life design mindsets, and overall career mobility.
The presentation will delve into the mechanics of how these assessments are woven directly into course requirements and experiential learning opportunities. Rather than treating career development as an extracurricular add-on or a service handled exclusively by a separate career center, the model highlighted in the webinar integrates professional competency building into the academic core of the business program. This integration ensures that all students engage with career readiness concepts regardless of their specific major or concentration within the business curriculum.
Expert Insights from Academia and Industry Partnerships
To provide attendees with a well-rounded perspective, the webinar will feature two prominent professionals who sit at the intersection of higher education curriculum design and student impact analytics.
The presentation will be led by Giulia Welch, who serves as the director of internships and professional development as well as an adjunct professor at the Barowsky School of Business at Dominican University of California. In her dual role, Welch works directly with undergraduate business students, bridging the gap between theoretical classroom learning and practical workplace experience. Her frontline perspective offers valuable insights into the day-to-day realities of preparing college students for a dynamic and competitive job market, as well as the institutional hurdles and successes involved in curricular reform.
Joining Welch as a co-presenter is Marieli Rubio, partner and vice president of impact at Career Launch. Rubio brings an external, analytical viewpoint focused on measuring the effectiveness of career preparation initiatives across multiple educational environments. Her work with Career Launch centers on evaluating how programs impact student outcomes, providing organizations and universities with the empirical data necessary to understand what works, where gaps exist, and how to allocate resources effectively to maximize student success.
Together, Welch and Rubio will guide webinar participants through the entire lifecycle of an assessment program—from the initial design phase and classroom integration to data collection, analysis, and strategic decision-making.
Translating Data into Actionable Institutional Decisions
A major focal point of the upcoming presentation will be the practical application of assessment data. Collecting data on student growth is only the first step; the true value lies in how institutions utilize those insights to drive continuous improvement.
During the session, the presenters will outline practical strategies for utilizing the results generated by pre- and post-assessment models. Participants will learn how to analyze this data to gain a clearer, more objective understanding of student development over time. Furthermore, the discussion will cover how faculty members and administrators can pinpoint specific areas for curricular improvement, identify cohorts or demographics that may need additional targeted support, and make informed, evidence-based decisions regarding future program development and resource allocation.
For department chairs, business school deans, faculty members, and career services professionals, these insights offer a roadmap for moving from passive career support to an active, measurable, and integrated institutional strategy. By understanding how to quantify soft skills, mindset shifts, and professional mobility, academic leaders can better articulate the value of their programs to prospective students, accrediting bodies, and employer partners.
Part of the Ongoing HACU Member Webinar Series
This professional development opportunity is being offered as the latest installment in the ongoing HACU-member webinar series. The association regularly curates virtual events, workshops, and informational sessions designed to support its extensive network of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and other member colleges and universities.
Through these webinars, HACU continues to facilitate the sharing of best practices, innovative pedagogical approaches, and institutional strategies aimed at fostering student success, academic excellence, and leadership development across higher education. The November 19 session on career readiness assessment underscores the association’s ongoing commitment to equipping member institutions with the tools they need to prepare undergraduate students for meaningful and sustainable career paths in an ever-evolving global economy.
