President Casey recently announced that Kenneth W. and Carrie Melinda Coquillette '82 gave $2 million to DePauw to fund new programming in the Center for Student Engagement. Their gifts will focus on career preparation, creating an endowment and discretionary fund that will allow for more programming and staffing enhancements - specifically the "Sophomore Year Experience" series that will provide academic and professional guidance.
While these proactive measures are certainly appreciated, upperclassmen, specifically seniors, would also like to see more integration of DePauw's extensive alumni network into the changing Center for Student Engagement. As a soon-to-be DePauw graduate headed for the work force in May, I'm currently using every connection I can to build my network. While the current Center for Student Engagement does a fantastic job helping students discover future career paths and write cover letters and resumes, in my experience, they tend to struggle to connect students to alumni. One way to better link students, past and present, would be to more effectively utilize the Bartlett Alumni House.
Last year, I made an appointment at the Center for Student Engagement to connect with alumni in advertising in Chicago, I was referred to the Bartlett Alumni House. Tucked away on the far side of campus, the Bartlett Alumni House is a hidden gem for students seeking contact information for alumni in a particular region and field. With a simple request for names of former DePauw students in advertising, public relations or marketing in Chicago, I was able to secure a Winter Term internship.
While the Bartlett Alumni House serves alumni first and foremost, they can also easily help students connect with alumni. But many students are unaware that these resources are available.
How could this resource help connect more students to alumni? It must be visible. As one of the current improvement projects, the alumni office must be incorporated into the Center for Student Engagement. A Bartlett Alumni House employee should have an office to advise students at the Center for Student Engagement. This employee would divide time working at the Bartlett Alumni Center and the Center for Student Engagement. At a central campus location, students would be able to easily connect with alumni.
On a campus that boasts one of the strongest alumni networks in the country, this focus needs to be at the forefront of the Center for Student Engagement. By pooling the resources of the Bartlett Alumni House, students of all ages and stages of pre-professional development will benefit.
- Heyde is a senior from Mount Prospect, Ill. majoring in communication.