The Office of Career Services will move to the Division of Enrollment and Communication from the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life beginning March 1.
An Intercom announcement posted by David Maley, associate director of media relations, on Feb. 10 stated that the move was made to help students find their path into future careers and advanced-degree education. Maley also said Career Services’ new affiliation hopes to create greater access to students from the day they enter the college. This is an effort to dispel the myth that Career Services is only for upperclassmen as they approach graduation.
Eric Maguire, vice president of enrollment and communication, said in an email that President Tom Rochon approached him with the idea for the transition, and he welcomed the idea because he saw a number of opportunities from the change.
“A better bridge between Career Services and recruitment will enable us to increasingly speak to the outcomes of our graduates in our conversations with prospective students, ensuring that they are making the most informed college selection possible,” Maguire said.
John Bradac, director of the Career Services, said this transition aligns with the goals of IC 20/20 and the college’s alumni-student engagement efforts, such as the IC Mentoring Network, which is an initiative to connect current students with alumni through LinkedIn.
One of the main goals stemming from this change, Bradac said, is the idea that the Career Services can be used from a student’s first day at the college, which is when they can begin developing their career path. This is an idea that Career Services is trying to promote, especially working more closely with the Division of Enrollment and Communication, Bradac said.
“We can incorporate the whole concept of career exploration and development as part of the early phases of coming to college,” Bradac said.
Though the transition will mean more work for Maguire’s office, Maguire said he is confident that the expertise among the offices affected will help make the transition smooth.
Bradac said developing networks and connections for students and alumni is the biggest idea the offices will be working to improve. Being able to work more with enrollment and the Office of Marketing Communications, Maguire said, career development will be a topic the college can now use to market to prospective students more thoroughly.
“It will certainly require greater collaboration with the campus community to strengthen our network of services and better serve our students,” Maguire said.
By putting more emphasis on the advancement of students, Bradac said Career Services hopes to be at the forefront of this effort and work in tandem with the college’s academic goals.
“I think this helps to strengthen the messages that we are here from early in your college career throughout the rest of your professional career moving beyond college,” Bradac said.
