The Career
Ecosystem Institute
For Academic Leaders & Strategic Planning Teams
Bring your task force. Build your strategy. Transform career outcomes and institutional ROI.
November 10-11, 2026
The University of Texas at Austin
EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION available through September 3!
Limited to 25 Campuses
What is The Career Ecosystem Institute
The Career Ecosystem Institute is a hands-on, working experience designed for teams of up to 5 leaders from the same institution, ready to move beyond fragmented efforts and build a strategic and outcomes-driven career ecosystem.
2 Days in Person + 1 virtual session grouped as private and public institutions + 1 virtual advisory session just for your campus.
This institute helps answer the bigger question:
How do we design a career ecosystem that truly delivers outcomes at scale?
Team Learning Outcomes
By the end of the institute, your team will:
Assess Your Current Career Ecosystem
Gain clarity on strengths, gaps, and opportunities related to defined career learning outcomes, and embedded career learning in the classroom, maximizing foundations courses, required career learning courses.
Create a Draft Strategy
Leave with a clear outline of the steps you need to strengthen your career ecosystem
Prototype Three Critical Elements
Go deep on three of the 10 critical elements of an effective career ecosystem and begin real design work
Expand Your Network
Build relationships with peers and thought leaders doing similar strategy work
Why Invest in a Strategic
Career Ecosystem
-
Student satisfaction, persistence, and career outcomes
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Parent and family brand perception and quality
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Alumni affinity and donor appeal
Institutions join the Career Ecosystem Institute for different reasons, but with a shared goal: to strengthen their unique ROI picture, bolster their career outcomes, and activate their strategic plan.
What is motivating your campus to build a career ecosystem?
A Strategic Mandate
A.
B.
Fragmented/
Gaps in Career Learning
To Be Distinguished Among the Best
C.
Career Outcomes Improvement
D.
Optional is No Longer Optional
E.
Our Peers are Moving Ahead of Us
F.
Forming a Career Task Force
G.
The Benefits: Brand, Retention, Etc.
H.
Who Should Attend
(Bring a team of up to 5 - minimum of 3)
Recommended attendees:
-
Academic Leaders: Provosts, Associate Provosts / Vice Provosts, or Deans or Associate Deans
-
Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness Leaders
-
Faculty involved in strategic planning or curriculum design
-
The Career Center Leader
Best fit:
To ensure your career ecosystem is built by key stakeholders, we require academic involvement and do not permit groups consisting only of career center staff to attend.
Location: Austin, Texas
Hosted on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, this setting reflects the scale and ambition required to build a modern career ecosystem. The Career Leadership Collective is in year two of assisting multiple academic colleges at UT Austin with their unique career ecosystems.
Schedule
November 10 | Framework & Alignment
1:30 PM | Registration
2:00 PM | Welcome from UT Austin Leadership + Institute Roadmap
2:15 – 3:15 PM
Your Journey of Building Your Unique Career Ecosystem
Jeremy Podany, CEO & Author
3:15 – 3:45 PM
Campus Teams: Clarity of motivation, gaps, and current status.
3:45 – 4:15 PM
Case Study #1: The John Carroll University Career Ecosystem
Drew Poppleton, AVP for Student Success, John Carroll University
4:15 – 4:45 PM
The Career Ecosystem Standard™: What does good look like?
The Collective Team
4:45 – 6:00 PM | Opening Reception
6:00 PM | Dinner on your own with colleagues in amazing Austin!
November 11 | Design & Strategic Application
8:00 – 8:30 AM | Coffee, Breakfast & Networking
8:30 – 9:00
Case Study #2: The CSU Monterey Bay Career Ecosystem
Maria Bellumori, Professor of Kinesiology, and Faculty Director of the CSU Monterey Bay Career Ecosystem
9:00 – 9:15
Your Next Step in Clearly Defining Your Career Ecosystem
The Collective Staff Team
9:15 - 10:00
Prototype Design Session #1
Your Next Step in Clearly Defining Your Career Ecosystem
10:00 – 10:15 AM | Break
10:15 – 10:45 AM
Case Study #3 The UT Austin Career Ecosystem
Daniel Liu, Assistant Vice Provost for Career Success
10:45 AM – 11:15 PM | Measuring Your Career Ecosystem
The Collective Staff Team
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Prototype Design Session #2
Measuring Your Career Ecosystem
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch & Expert Panel
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Strategic Embedding
The Collective Team
1:30 – 2:30 PM
Prototype Design Session #3
Strategic Embedding
2:30 – 3:00 PM | Maximizing Your Strategic Planning Committee & Next Steps
Case Studies
Investment in Your Career Ecosystem
Per team of up to 5 people
Three participants minimum, including one academic leader.
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$5,250 Campus-wide Plus Member rate
-
$5,500 Campus-wide Member rate
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$6,500 Non-member rate
Note: Pricing increases by $500 after the Early-bird deadline of Sept. 3
Want more individuals to attend, beyond the 5-member team?
-
$950 per person, Campus-wide Plus Member rate
-
$1,000 per person, Campus-wide Member rate
-
$1,250 per person, Non-Member rate
Lay the foundation to transform a paramount aspect of your return-on-investment equation: your career readiness ecosystem!
Space is limited to maintain a high-quality, collaborative experience.
Bring a team.
Do the work.
Leave with direction.
Questions: Contact Eric Lloyd, Senior Manager of Growth & Operations - Eric@careerleadershipcollective.com
Can’t make it to the institute but want The Collective to come to your campus? Let’s talk about our Consulting Services.