Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Career Services
Career placement is crucial to our students’ success, and therefore to our institutional success. As enthusiastic as I am about Detroit, it is as important to be candid. In my three years back here in my hometown, I have seen many positive changes. I’d like to believe we have made improvements here, whether in amenities such as the wireless network and the food cart, or the enormous number of new faculty who have been hired, or fundraising successes. Yet I also know that the economy here has suffered a downturn, and it continues to present serious challenges. It is not easy to find good jobs even for individuals who are talented and hardworking, with roots in this region and a desire to stay.
Over the past several months, I’ve had meetings with managing partners and hiring partners at firms large and small, to discuss the marketplace and how we can work together to face the issues. I’ve also sought to promote our students, all of them, to these prospective employers. From the Dean’s Suite, we’ve engaged in a direct mail marketing campaign with major firms throughout the Midwest and in Washington, D.C.
Most importantly, I am pleased to announce that we have allocated additional financial resources to the Career Services Office. Assistant Dean Krystal Gardner has decided to use these funds, totaling $50,000 as an increase to the annual budget of the office, to add another full-time career counselor. Furthermore, Ms. Felicia Thomas, Director of Academic Success, of the Dean of Students Office will be assisting the Career Services Office on special projects.
