Throughout its implementation, Syracuse University’s Fast Forward initiative has been marked by an overarching theme: “One University.” Moving ahead, SU must to keep this unifying catchphrase in mind as it expands and improves career services.

As it stands, schools and colleges across the university offer varying degrees of job search support. The S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the School of Information Studies create customized guide sheets and podcasts full of career advice, while the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ website simply links to SU’s school-wide career services office.

Students without an individual career service center turn to SU’s central office, a center that doesn’t receive an operating budget from the university.

Unequal career centers and an underserved central office can disadvantage students when it comes time to find a job. SU should look to fix this issue with consistent funding and stronger centralized career services.

Right now, Schine Student Center is home to the central career services office. Bringing strong career services under one roof is just another way for the university to move toward its goal of making Schine a hub for student life in a way that strongly reflects the “One University” message.

The career center has already made strides toward expanding services by implementing useful initiatives such as the internship- and career-search website OrangeLink. Unfortunately, students may be unaware of how helpful programs like OrangeLink can be — or unaware that these programs even exist.

Finding a job has a great deal to do with a student’s own efforts. And because students may never set foot in a career service office in their home school, career services can’t be blamed for low job placement rates. But if the central career services center creates new initiatives and tools, it should be sure to publicize them so students realize how valuable they are.

Even if SU expands its university-wide career center, schools and colleges should maintain strong individual career centers. Only some students can head to their home college for career-specific advice and alumni connections. Meanwhile, a centralized office can help those who are looking for jobs that don’t necessarily correspond to their major and those who lack career support in their home colleges.

Providing strong and centralized career services can help ensure no student is left behind because they chose one home college over another. Students come to college so they can find a career, and SU needs to make sure every student has equal resources to do so — especially if it hopes to become “One University.”

Published on May 8, 2017 at 8:51 pm