Cooperative education has been the cornerstone of the Drexel experience for more than 100 years. Historically, alumni have been critical partners through identifying and creating experiential education opportunities for students. This year, the pandemic presented an opportunity for alumni to become even more involved in providing career and professional development support. Many students had their co-op opportunities postponed or cancelled as a result of the health concerns, travel restrictions, and economic fallout from the pandemic.
In order for students to still receive co-op credit, the Steinbright Career Development Center created a new course so that students could continue a self-directed job search and build their professional skills and networks. Part of the course requirements included reaching out to alumni to conduct informational interviews. Under an unusually short time frame, the Office of Alumni Relations partnered with Steinbright, as well as colleagues in the Institutional Advancement marketing team and central Information Services team, to develop and implement a program that connected alumni volunteers and students for the interviews. In total, more than 700 alumni volunteered in support of more than 800 students.
Post-participation survey results showed that the majority of alumni who conducted interviews felt students were well prepared, and were interested in keeping in contact with the student(s) after the informational interview period had ended. This project showcased the power of strong alliances across multiple teams, and how quickly we can address critical issues in times of need to support our students, while also providing a meaningful engagement opportunity for alumni.
