Langston educators push for proof of career readiness

Former Langston University dean Dr. Daryl D. Green and two colleagues used a national workforce conference to argue that colleges should prove students can perform in the workplace, not just promise they are prepared. Their Langston internship model showed gains in NACE career-readiness self-ratings and offered a framework other campuses can adapt.

Why it matters: - Colleges are under pressure to show that students leave with usable job skills, not just credits and good intentions. - The Langston University presentation argues that career readiness should be measured with evidence employers can understand. - The message is aimed at first-generation students, HBCUs, and campuses trying to show workforce value in a changing economy.

What happened: - Former Langston University School of Business dean Dr. Daryl D. Green joined Dr. Heidi O’Donnell and Professor Malayna Hasmanis on Nov. 10 at the 2026 Workforce Readiness Conference. - The virtual event was presented by The Teaching Professor, part of Magna Publications. - The session was titled “Proof Under Pressure: Measuring Career Readiness at an HBCU.” - The presentation came two days after National First-Generation College Celebration Day on Nov. 8.

The details: - Green said the goal is accountability for whether students are developing the capabilities needed for a changing workforce. - Langston redesigned its required business internship course, BA 4993, into a structured experience. - The course now includes coaching, professional portfolios, mock interviews, AI literacy, supervisor feedback, and assessments tied to the eight NACE career-readiness competencies. - Students are assessed at the start and end of the internship experience. - Their work and supervisor feedback are used to guide improvement. - In spring 2026, student self-assessments rose in all eight NACE competencies. - Technology scores increased from 3.19 to 3.65 on a four-point scale. - The results reflect perceived growth, not independently verified hiring or employment outcomes. - O’Donnell said internships help students practice communication, responsibility, questioning, and adaptation in ways classroom work cannot fully replicate.

Between the lines: - Green framed the work as a response to both workforce disruption and a broader higher-ed problem: institutions often focus on inputs instead of outcomes. - The Langston model turns career readiness into something measurable, repeatable, and easier to explain to employers. - Hasmanis said seven students earned business degrees in August 2026 at Oklahoma’s Dick Conner Correctional Center through Langston University. - She said that experience reinforced the idea that education can expand opportunity for justice-impacted learners. - Hasmanis also discussed how competency-based career preparation could be adapted for incarcerated students, but that application is still in development and has not been evaluated as an employment-readiness intervention. - The announcement was issued independently by AGSM Consulting LLC and is not an official Langston University news release.

What's next: - Green, O’Donnell, and Hasmanis said other institutions can adapt five steps from the model: define competencies, measure before and after, build work samples, collect supervisor feedback, and improve one practice each semester. - The presenters said they are available for interviews on career readiness, HBCU innovation, workforce disruption, and higher education for incarcerated learners. - The broader test will be whether more campuses can show measurable student growth that employers trust.

The bottom line: - Langston’s message is blunt: colleges should prove students are ready to work, not just ready to graduate. - The model offers one practical way to turn that idea into data.