College of Science & Engineering Alumni Newsletter

Spring 2001
 

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION: WHERE COLLEGE AND CAREER MERGE
By Joseph Schuman

    When I was first offered the Director of Student Development position in SFSU’s College of Science and Engineering, I was very excited about the opportunity to help students comfortably segue into the life of a successful alumna/alumnus. After all, my previous work on the SFSU campus had been spent trying to deftly navigate “the system” on behalf of students trying to get their lives back on track. To be sure, it was a roller-coaster ride at times, (the barriers, obstacles, complex regulations, etc.) but it was rewarding, nonetheless. In contrast, after just a short time in Student Development, I’m already seeing a lot more smiles than I did before. So far, my expectations have been met.
    I think the smiles emanate from a very simple concept: You give people a stage on which they can perform and they take their initiative and run with it. SFSU’s students are a motivated, intelligent lot—our alumni are proof of that. We have students who seek opportunities to realize their full potential, so that they may better themselves, as well as their community. The College of Science and Engineering is dedicated to creating academically-relevant work opportunities for our students. Creating such opportunities is the main thrust of my job.
    The vehicle we use to take our students to where they want to go is our Cooperative Education Program. Its private/public partnership at it’s best. Co-op forms a mutually beneficial triad composed of the student, the university, and the employer. It’s definitely a win-win-win situation. For students, it’s a chance to receive career development advising and a meaningful job where they can apply their classroom learning to real-world challenges. For the University, it’s a great recruiting and retention tool, and an opportunity to forge and maintain positive relationships with the business community. For employers, it’s the chance to bring onboard a highly motivated, well-educated employee, while giving something back to the community. The best part about Cooperative Education: It works!
    If you’re an employer and would like to participate in SFSU College of Science & Engineering’s Co-op program or know someone who may be interested, I’d love to hear from you. I can be reached at 415-338-6003, or by email, cooped@sfsu.edu. Visit Co-op website at www.sfsu.edu/~cooped.
 
 
 
 

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