The University is one of the top public institutions in the nation, yet its alumni are among the nearly 2 million unemployed individuals under 25 with a bachelors degree, according to figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Still, others have jobs that often do not require a college degree. Although there are resources aplenty for Engineering and Commerce students, the College - which houses three-quarters of the University's undergraduate population - is lagging behind in its career resources.
That the Commerce School has strong connections with alumni and other benefactors does not account entirely for the success of its students in career placement. Both the Commerce and Engineering Schools collect specific data about their students' post-graduation destinations. Unlike the College, these schools collect company-specific information. These statistics are then used to provide resources for undergraduates, such as career networking opportunities and job fairs. The College should acquire similar data to ascertain which fields are most popular and in demand among its graduates. It must concentrate its services and adapt them to the various disciplines within the school to prepare its students for employment and graduate school.
The Commerce and Engineering Schools have career services offices that frequently alert their students about internships and other career opportunities through e-mail and other forms of communication. Arts & Sciences Council President Paul Murray said the Council is looking to increase the visibility of existing opportunities for College students. One plan would install racks containing career materials in College-centric buildings and create an executive board position on Council to act as a liaison between University Career Services and College students. Murray hopes the position will generate resources that specifically cater to College students. The plan is a good start and a positive first step toward addressing this issue. Nevertheless, UCS also needs to do its part to ensure that College students take full advantage of the resources available to them. Ultimately, though, it is up to students to take initiative and make use of career services at the University.
Kendra Nelsen, director of student services at UCS, speculates that the College may not have the means to identify all the different career paths for students from the school's various disciplines. But with the large number of undergraduate students in that school, the College should make a more concerted effort to give students some insight about post-graduation opportunities for their specific majors. Also, post-graduation occupations affect the University's rankings in various publications, so better educating students about career resources is a service to both the University and its students.
Currently, there are not many College-specific career resources available, so College students are generally expected to use UCS exclusively. Still, it would be advantageous for the University to devote more resources toward identifying the specific challenges that confront liberal-arts students as they plan for their careers.
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