![50 Years of Student Development](https://www.ecpi.edu/sites/default/files/50-Years-of-Student-Development.png)

# 50 Years of Student Development

## Key Takeaways

ECPI University has integrated soft skills development—interpersonal, communication, and emotional intelligence—into its curriculum since 1966, presenting 50 essential soft skills across its 50 years. Soft skills are critical for workplace success and enable students to work effectively with others and achieve professional goals.

- Soft skills include interpersonal, social, communication, and emotional intelligence capabilities that complement hard technical skills
- ECPI has emphasized hands-on learning where students develop critical thinking and problem-solving through practical application
- Career service advisors work with students from enrollment to develop resumes, cover letters, and interviewing techniques
- The university presents 50 highly-desirable soft skills corresponding to 50 years of institutional experience
- Soft skills development has been integrated into education since ECPI's founding in 1966

#### How ECPI University Emphasizes Soft Skills to Promote Graduate Success

According to Wikipedia, “[soft skills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_skills)” are defined as “a combination of interpersonal people skills, social skills, communication skills, character traits, attitudes, career attributes, and emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) that enable people to effectively navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals with complementing hard skills.” In recent years, it’s become a bit of a buzz-phrase used by human resource officers and hiring managers. At [ECPI University](http://www.ecpi.edu/?cmpid=WEBBLOG-ECPI), however, these skills have been an integral part of the education we have provided our students since we were first founded in 1966.

With that thought in mind, here are 50 highly-desirable soft skills – one for each year ECPI University has been helping develop students for success.

1. Problem Solving
2. Critical Thinking
3. Innovation
4. Troubleshooting
5. Verbal Communication
6. Body Language
7. Writing
8. Storytelling
9. Listening
10. Presentation Skills
11. Public Speaking
12. Interviewing
13. Team Building
14. Strategic Planning
15. Coaching
16. Mentoring
17. Delegation
18. Dispute Resolution
19. Diplomacy
20. Giving Feedback
21. Managing Difficult Conversations
22. Decision Making
23. Crisis Management
24. Facilitation
25. Inspiring
26. Persuasion
27. Negotiation
28. Motivating
29. Collaborating
30. Networking
31. Interpersonal Relationships
32. Dealing with Difficult People
33. Conflict Resolution
34. Emotion Management
35. Stress Management
36. Tolerance of Change and Uncertainty
37. Taking Criticism
38. Self Confidence
39. Adaptability
40. Resilience
41. Competitiveness
42. Self-Assessment
43. Enthusiasm
44. Empathy
45. Organization
46. Planning
47. Scheduling
48. Time Management
49. Diversity Awareness
50. Process Improvement

That’s a long list! And it can take a while to adopt these characteristics. At ECPI University, we work on these skills with our students from the moment they enroll, on up until the day they graduate and land there first job.

- **Essentials for Success** – This is the name of the first class students take when they enroll at ECPI University. It covers key areas that typically determine student success, such as note-taking and test-taking skills, as well as reading for comprehension. It also addresses topics that are useful well beyond graduation, such as teambuilding, time management, diversity awareness, and communication.
- **Hands-On Learning** – ECPI University is a pioneer in the field of hands-on learning. By applying what they learn, out students develop essential critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- **Career Services** – From the moment they arrive on campus, career service advisors begin working with students, helping them learn how to write a resume and cover letter, coaching them on interviewing skills and developing a comprehensive job search strategy.

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![50 Years of Student Development](https://www.ecpi.edu/sites/default/files/pictures/tweet-graduating.png)

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If you’re looking to make a career change and want an education that can prepare you for the real world, take a look at ECPI University. Through our accelerated, year-round program, you can earn a Bachelor’s degree in as little as 2.5 years or an Associate’s in just 1.5 years. More importantly, you can also walk away with skills that can last a lifetime. [Contact an admissions advisor to get started today](http://www.ecpi.edu/?cmpid=WEBBLOG-ECPI).

It could be the *** Best Decision You Ever Make****!*

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*DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.*

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: [http://www.ecpi.edu/](http://www.ecpi.edu/?cmpid=WEBBLOG-ECPI) or [http://ow.ly/Ca1ya](http://www.ecpi.edu/fastfacts/?cmpid=WEBBLOG-ECPI).

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