Holistic Student Development Powering the Student Journey: A Model for Graduate Attributes, Curriculum, and the Second Transcript

Abstract

There is growing acknowledgement that academic success involves more than just disciplinary achievement. In response, many higher education institutions aim to instill generic graduate attributes such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, ethical responsibility, self-management, information literacy, global awareness, leadership, adaptability, and lifelong learning in students. This qualitative study uses an autoethnographic approach, where the authors, academic leaders from a large private higher education institution, reflect on integrating these attributes to prepare students for a rapidly changing workplace. The authors’ reflections are contextualized within recent literature, highlighting correlations and variations. Institutional data, including a large employer survey, workshop documents, and project reports, are referenced to explore insights from implementing a Second Transcript Model (STM) at the institution. This research advocates for a holistic approach to provide students with opportunities to develop and display their knowledge, skills, and attitudes both inside and outside the formal curriculum. The findings underscore the need for higher education institutions to envision learning as a holistic journey, incorporating academic success, workplace readiness, and social responsibility. In conclusion, the STM represents a paradigm shift towards nurturing graduate attributes that prepare students to be resilient, adaptable, and socially responsible citizens, capable of navigating the complexities of a fast-changing 21st-century global landscape.