A Transcript for Soft Skills

Wisconsin is considering a dual transcript—one for grades and one to assess critical areas such as leadership and communication

by Francesca Di Meglio

With competition for jobs heating up, colleges are looking to give their graduates an edge in the employment market. Will a second transcript—one that focuses on a student's so-called soft skills—do the trick?

University of Wisconsin officials think so. The 26 universities that make up the state system, which includes the undergraduate business program at Madison, are working on a plan to develop dual transcripts that could be sent to job recruiters and graduate school admissions committees. These dual transcripts would include the traditional one with courses and grades and a second one that somehow validates a graduate's creative thinking, participation in extracurricular activities, jobs, and internships, and gives those reading it a sense of the person's life outside the classroom.

The plan was given the green light at a recent board of regents meeting. Now, Wisconsin is setting up a committee of students, faculty, representatives from the registrar's office, and others to determine how to execute dual transcripts. A pilot program could launch as early as fall 2008, says David Giroux, a university system spokesman.

Service Sector Helping to Drive Demand

Initial reaction to the plan has been cautious, with some critics saying it was unclear why such a transcript, which would include some of the skills and activities currently part of the typical student résumé, is even necessary. But proponents say the résumé would provide official verification of the student's abilities outside of academics.

Recruiters have been saying for years that they would like more information on graduates' soft skills. Indeed, employers listed communication skills, a strong work ethic, teamwork skills, initiative, and interpersonal skills, in that order, as the top characteristics that they look for in new hires, according to the Job Outlook 2008 survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE).

Of the 276 employers who responded to the survey, the vast majority of respondents came from the service sector and were looking specifically at the soft skills students had acquired. "They're looking for those go-to-work skills," says NACE spokesperson Mimi Collins. "Can you work with other people? Do you have drive and motivation to do the job?"

Documented Learning Outside the Classroom

Marie Artim, assistant vice-president of recruiting for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in St. Louis, says dual transcripts could be a help in giving a full picture of a potential hire. Enterprise, which plans to hire about 8,000 undergraduates in 2008, looks for candidates who have participated in student organizations, athletics, or community services; demonstrated leadership; communicate well; have a strong work ethic; think on their feet; and are flexible. "We are one of the largest employers of college graduates in the country," Artim says. "We've looked beyond the GPA for a long time." She adds that this is especially important to her company because it often promotes people from within.

The motivation for creating dual transcripts came from a desire to prove just how well-rounded graduates are, University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly said in telephone interview. He says all sorts of learning goes on outside the classroom, and the university should capture it. Full disclosure and open dialogue, he adds, are important for all institutions of higher learning, but especially public universities. Reilly says student participation on campus and in the surrounding neighborhood might increase if students know the school will put their work on an official transcript that they can take with them to potential employers or graduate school admissions committees.

But students are not convinced the transcripts are feasible or necessary. "We're a little worried about how the university can make this a credible thing," says Ryan Masse, editorial board chairman of the University of Wisconsin at Madison independent student newspaper, The Badger Herald. "How will they verify everything from school activities to jobs, internships, projects?"

Fears About Duplication and Verification

An editorial in the Feb. 11 issue of The Badger Herald condemned the proposal by pointing out that such an undertaking—signing off on an official document that assesses lofty and hard-to-grasp characteristics such as creative thinking—could require numerous resources. The editorial board also argued that most employers today get this information from a person's résumé and references, which would eliminate the need for such a transcript.

School officials maintain that a transcript from a university would hold more weight with employers because the school is standing behind the information. Giroux, the university spokesman, noted that the second transcript would only add to the traditional academic scorecard, and not replace it. "When we look at prospective students, we look at them as whole people, not numbers," says Giroux. "Prospective employers do the same."

Di Meglio is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in Fort Lee, N.J.