Meghan Zimbler
Photo Editor
The Alumni Office and Career Center have teamed up to create online webinar classes for the Springfield College alumni family.
Alumni of Springfield College are given the chance for help in various circumstances, such as choosing different career paths, career transitions or even someone just getting into the work force out of college.
The series of webinar classes run from October to June, with categories ranging from career management, to job search techniques, to how to use Twitter in the work force. The program is a free series, only offered to Springfield College alumni, and the best part is, you don’t even have to leave your desk at home.
This program is very diverse, opening up to a very large crowd. It is designed for people that might be getting back into the work force after a number of years, alums that have taken years off, or even alums changing career paths.
In some cases, people that were forced to change career paths due to the economy can come back to their roots, and Springfield College is here to help.
Jeanette Doyle and Tamie Kidess Lucey are teaming up their departments in order to guide the Springfield College alumni community.
“This webinar series is the first tangible thing that we have cooperated on. The Career Services and Alumni Offices have purchased this series,” said Tamie Kidess Lucey, the director of Alumni Relations.
The webinar classes are taught by national experts in career services. Each person is respected in each field and has been brought in for each webinar class. Doyle, the director of the Career Center, found the program through an external vendor, called Talent Mark.
“We thought it would be a great addition to the programs that we already have for alumni,” said Doyle.
People such as Peter Weddle, Ivan Misner and Chris Westfall are all teaching webinar classes. More can be found out about each on the Alumni webpage on the Springfield College website.
There are many different topics that can connect the alumni base from all different parts of the country. The material is on the cutting edge of what Springfield College alumni are in need of.
The classes are based off of the needs of alumni and their positions in life. If an alumnus has been in the work force for a number of years and is now looking for a new job, a webinar for them might be career management. Another example is if someone is retired and is now looking to start a business, there is a webinar on entrepreneurism on January 8.
There is a wide variety of classes listed, as they pertain to everyone, from new alumni to older alumni.
“I truly believe the college is a family and as a family we support each other for life,” said Kidess Lucey.
Since the program is online, the college doesn’t have an idea of how many alumni were involved in the first program, but as the webinar evolves, they hope to have some feedback. With Homecoming rapidly approaching, the webinar series will be promoted throughout the different events on campus.
Another interesting way to involve both the current students of Springfield and the alums is taking place on December 5. The Alumni Office and Career Center are hosting their annual career networking evening for students. This day will bring alumni to campus to provide current students with insight into their field of study from someone who has firsthand expirience.
Doyle explained that in the future, these webinar classes will be open to the current student body, teaching different techniques for job searching. “Even as a student, one should know that you have full-time access to the Career Center,” said Doyle.
The college is starting to move along the lines of proactivity, instead of reactivity. They are really going out to the alumni community now and staying involved in their lives, showing them how strong the bond with Springfield College will last for.
The program has been publicized in a few ways, such as Facebook, email and the Springfield College website. A postcard was also sent out to really show what the program has to offer.
The Alumni Office hopes the reaction from alumni will be positive.
“A point of pride,” stated Lucey, as we all know Springfield College is all about pride.
The alumni can use this program at any time, whenever they need it. There is no time limit, but the last class ends on June 4, 2014. As long as you have a computer or mobile device, these webinar classes are available anytime.
“The more resources you use, the more successful you will be,” stated Doyle.
The brochure states, “Our commitment to your success doesn’t end at graduation,” and that is exactly what Springfield College is showing.