There was an item on NPR on Monday about the new $2 million grant Baruch has received from the Star Foundation, to help students become “polished professionals”. The 60 second interview was on NPR’s Marketplace report, and you can listen to it here. The new initiative may help meet some of the concerns expressed by business people who were at my table during the BLSCI symposium in the spring. Our table’s members were very concerned about students needing more exposure to business people and their communication practices and needs, before they went on the job market.
One of our group’s recommendations, at the time, was to have Baruch classroom’s adopt a business person, who could serve as a resource for them–visiting class, giving feedback on course projects or presentations. Serving as a mentor, but not to individuals so much as to the class. This would mean students had more exposure, early and often, to “real” business people, who might give them feedback in a non-threatening setting (in other words, before they were in an internship or job). We were thinking it could supplement the mentor partnership programs Baruch already has in place.
This is not currently in the works, of course, and I’m not sure specifically how this latest grant will be used, but it sounds like it is aimed at meeting similar needs of students.
The transcript on the NPR website reads:
MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Tomorrow, new freshmen will pour into colleges across the country. When it’s time to look for work they might need some help. Amelia Templeton says one New York City College is ready to provide it.
AMELIA TEMPLETON: CUNY New York’s business school got a $2 million grant from Star Foundation, a group that promotes access to higher education.The money will be used to turn the students into polished professionals.Eighty percent of Baruch College’s students are first-generation Americans, most come from lower-income backgroundsIf they want to land a job at JP Morgan they’ll need more than a college diploma, says Ben Corpus. He runs student affairs at Baruch.
BEN CORPUS: “Those doing the hiring are strongly influenced by how you shake hands and how you walk into the room and how you present yourself. Because if you don’t have that presence, that swagger, that could be a factor when you’re down to the finalists.”
The school will use the money to place students in internships, and also offer workshops in dining etiquette, accent reduction and networking skills.
For the record, what you describe, Kate, is indeed in the works. The Institute is working with the Center for Advisement and Orientation, the School of Arts and Sciences, and Executives On Campus on a small pilot program which will have business professionals lead workshops on communication for incoming students taking part in Baruch’s Learning Communities. This is scheduled to start this semester and will run until mid October.
Great news, Mikhail!