There is no definitive answer for what the state of higher education will be come fall 2020. Will they be fully remote? Or fully on-campus? And if so, what does a socially distant campus look like?
It means campuses are taking extra precautions by putting fewer students in the same place. This involves frequent temperature checks, taping off classroom and dorm furniture that cannot be moved, having separate entrance and exit doors for rooms and buildings, moving classes outdoors using tents or event spaces to allow for better social distancing, to even removing doorknobs and replacing them with hands-free options. All of this is to prevent the spread of the virus while still offering students as close to a “normal” college experience as possible. This also includes in the dorms, where many universities are removing triple dorm rooms and considering dedicating specific housing just to quarantine students in the advent of any COVID-19. As a segment on CBS’ 60 Minutes put it, it’s the “ultimate test.”
COVID-19 has not only created a paradigm shift for teaching and socializing on campus, but it has also altered student services as well. Yet, there’s hope. Those following the job market pre-COVID-19 were already in a prime position to seize the moment. For university career services staff, COVID-19 has accelerated a push towards virtual career fairs, resume reviews, mentorship and fast tracked the trends in the job market that many career experts were already seeing pre-COVID. This involves a push towards automation, telework, and a push towards good communication skills as a February 2020 Forbes Coaches Council post noted. These trends predate the disruption of COVID-19 due to the gig economy paired with new technology rapidly changing a variety of job sectors.
Yale’s Office of Career Strategy (OCS), like many across the country, swiftly pivoted online within days of their campus closing to continue serving their students. Through the use of Yale Career Link (powered by Symplicity CSM), OCS supports students in Yale College, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and postdoctoral scholars. OCS has a team of expert career advisors that are dedicated to helping students navigate their career paths, whether they’re on or off campus. “When our campus closed, we didn’t have to update our processes drastically because we were already using an online system for managing career services,” said Julia Bourque, Senior Associate Director of OCS, “Using Symplicity CSM was critical when we shifted completely online halfway through the spring semester. As we’re developing our contingency plans for the fall, our office will continue to maximize the use of CSM.”
While their office is fully remote, OCS continues to provide all its support and resources virtually, including:
- OCS Advising: Students can request an advisor appointment with Yale Career Link. Students can include their phone number if they’d like to receive a call or request a Zoom link to receive a video call. Zoom allows advisors to share their screen with students and vice versa.
- Resume & Cover Letter Review: Students can email their resumes and/or cover letters in a PDF format to their advisors to receive feedback.
- Peer Networking Lists: Students can connect with their peers who may have interned or volunteered in their hometown in past summers. This can all be done through Yale Career Link and the use of filters helps students find the most relevant lists of contacts.
For more information about virtualizing student services, email info@symplicity.com or schedule a conversation.
