The purpose of this assessment is to document the effectiveness of recent improvements to the Fall 2025 Career and Transfer Fair at EMCC hosted by the Career and Transfer Center (CTC) and Center for Workforce and Experiential Learning (CWEL) departments.
This assessment seeks to identify if extending the hours of the Career and Transfer Fair impacted the fair positively, and if the event continues to help students develop and engage with a network of resources to help with their academic and career goals.
This assessment is necessary to determine whether the changes implemented this semester successfully addressed student feedback from Fall 2024. Students previously requested more employer representation, more transfer options, and increased opportunities for engagement. By reviewing attendance trends, student, and vendor feedback and comparing them to last year’s baseline, the CTC and CWEL teams can better understand student needs, peak engagement times, and the impact of targeted outreach.
Two intentional changes were made for the Fall 2025 Career and Transfer Fair:
- Extended Event Hours: The fair was extended by one hour each day to increase accessibility for students with varying schedules. The fair occurred from 10am-3pm on Monday (10/20) and Tuesday (10/21) , instead of the historical 9am-1pm time.
- Expanded Vendor Outreach: Based on last year’s feedback survey, outreach efforts were increased to bring in more employers and universities represented by the requested FOIs.
Students checked in using the HubSpot sign-in form, allowing for accurate attendance tracking and time‑based analysis. QR codes to a google survey were used to direct students to the feedback survey upon exit. Employer and University representatives were also emailed a feedback survey at the end of the event.
Attendance Overview :
Both days saw meaningful increases in attendance, with Day 2 showing the largest increase (+44 students). There was a 24% growth (+77 students) overall in attendance between last Fall’s fair.
Fall 2024
Day 1 Attendance: 151
Day 2 Attendance: 166
Total Fall 2024 Total: 317
Fall 2025
Day 1 Attendance: 184
Day 2 Attendance: 210
Total Fall 2025 Total (Unduplicated): 394
Student Feedback Results (315 responses):
95% of students said the event helped them develop and engage with a network that supports their academic and professional success.
A summary of the feedback responses showed the following:
- The event met students’ expectations (85.7% Strongly Agree or Agree)
- The timing and scheduling of the event met students’ expectations (85.9% Strongly Agree or Agree)
- There seemed to be adequate representation of University and Employer representation. There were very few additional requests of reps who were not present, but students did request to include our sister colleges with Maricopa Bachelor programs at future fairs.
- There were few suggestions for improving the event. Many commented that the event “was overall really good and well hosted and very organized”. Some suggestions included hosting the event in a bigger space, but the Estrella Conference Center is the biggest event space we have on campus for such an event.
Vendor Representation Feedback ( 9 responses) :
On what sets EMCC’s Career and Transfer Fair apart:
- Strong attendance and steady student flow, especially 10am–1pm, which vendors noted is rare at similar events.
- Event layout and flow were described as highly effective for engagement.
- Vendors appreciated the large number of participating institutions, which they felt contributed to high student turnout.
- EMCC’s fair was indoors and combined with a job fair, unlike other MCCCD fairs that did not include employers.
- Vendors appreciated the organization, communication, and provided lunch.
Vendor Suggestions for Improvement:
- Consider having tables contribute swag items for raffle baskets.
- Explore a BINGO‑style engagement game to increase student‑vendor interaction.
- One vendor humorously noted: “Not unless we can force more students to attend!”
There have been upcoming conversations at the District level suggesting to begin charging university representatives to attend on campus fairs and events. We surveyed university representatives and found representatives will be less likely to attend future events if we impose a future fee.
Interpretation:
- The 24% increase in attendance demonstrates strong student interest and validates the decision to extend hours and expand vendor outreach.
- Extending the event by one hour did not significantly increase early‑morning attendance, but it did support higher midday engagement.
- Student satisfaction was exceptionally high, with the majority rating the event at the top of the scale for expectations and scheduling.
- The overwhelmingly positive feedback, both from students and vendors, indicates that the event structure, flow, and vendor diversity were effective.
- Requests for Maricopa Bachelor’s programs and a larger space highlight opportunities for growth.
- The 11am–12pm window remains the most critical engagement period and should continue to be prioritized.
The Fall 2025 Career & Transfer Fair, hosted by the Career and Transfer Center (CTC) and Center for Workforce and Experiential Learning (CWEL) demonstrated strong growth and exceptional satisfaction following strategic changes informed by the previous year’s feedback. With unduplicated attendance rising from 317 to 394 students – a 24% increase– the event successfully expanded its reach and impact. Student feedback showed high satisfaction with event quality, timing, and networking opportunities, with 95% reporting that the fair helped them build supportive academic and professional connections. Vendor representatives praised the event’s organization, layout, and strong student turnout. Suggestions for future improvements included adding engagement games, and incorporating Maricopa Bachelor’s programs. Overall, the results indicate that the implemented changes effectively enhanced accessibility, engagement, and value for both students and vendors. Continued refinement of outreach, layout, and engagement strategies will support ongoing improvement and alignment with institutional goals.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Career and Transfer Fair Flyer- Fall 2025 | 2.42 MB |
| Survey Graphics - Fall 2025 Career and Transfer Fair | 1.5 MB |