Best Practices for Increasing Retention of Diverse Students in Psychology Through Career Development

This intermediate level program provides the opportunity to learn about and apply an integrated model for supporting psychology majors’ development and integration into the field, with particular attention to the diverse contextual backgrounds of today’s students. A review of today’s students’ contextual backgrounds is followed by a discussion of their strengths and growing edges, concluding with a discussion of research-based interventions and activities to support their development. Participants learn about and apply seven categories of readiness to make a career commitment and effective practices for supporting students’ career development in psychology.

• Identify indicators that students may benefit from more intensive and/or differential mentoring and career development work in order to persist in their psychology major.
• Identify the strengths and growing edges of diverse students using the career development typology as presented in the workshop.
• Describe how participants’ professional style and behaviors may impact diverse students’ comfort and/or willingness to approach and engage with the participant.
• Identify and select evidence-based interventions to facilitate retention of diverse students’ through career development.

Marie S. Hammond, PhD and Peggy Brady-Amoon, PhD