Compass Puget Sound

Compass Puget Sound is a program of brief, structured reflective conversations between student staff members and their supervisors. These conversations are designed to help students connect the skills and knowledge they gain at work with their classroom experiences, co-curricular activities, and career goals.

Student education is a shared enterprise at the University of Puget Sound and supervisors of student staff members are in a unique position to mentor and contribute to students’ learning and success at Puget Sound, and in preparation for life after college.

  • Supervisors check in on how students are doing with their classes and activities and ask them to relate what they’re learning on the job to their academic experience and life during and after Puget Sound—making those connections between work, school, and post-graduation pursuits.
  • The practice of active reflection helps students increase academic and self-knowledge, enables the processing of experiences, and supports confidence-building in developing skills.
  • By critically reflecting on activities and experiences, students are better prepared to articulate the value of their employment-related experience for future opportunities during and beyond their time at Puget Sound.

Beyond supporting student development, these conversations encourage students to recognize the importance of their contributions on campus and increase their level of engagement in their on-campus employment. We’ve seen reflection have an incredible impact on students’ experience and also benefit departments across campus who’ve adopted Compass Conversations.