UC celebrates grand opening of next-gen career services center
Bearcat Promise Career Studio will help ensure students graduate with degree and career plan
University of Cincinnati President Neville Pinto envisions a not-too-distant future in which graduating Bearcats will lift both their arms victoriously as they walk across the commencement dais.
As always, in one hand students will show off the degrees they’ve worked so hard to earn; in the other, they’ll hold up a career preparation plan that shows they’re ready for life after UC.
That vision took one step closer to becoming a reality Thursday, Jan. 23, as Pinto and the UC community celebrated the grand opening of the Bearcat Promise Career Studio, centrally located on the third floor of Tangeman University Center. A key component of the university’s strategic direction, Next Lives Here, the Bearcat Promise seeks to improve outcomes for UC graduates by providing services and resources to ensure they are workforce ready.
University of Cincinnati President Neville G. Pinto speaks at the grand opening of the Bearcat Promise Career Studio. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
“This is such an exciting moment,” Pinto said. “When I think of Next Lives Here, the ‘next’ to me speaks to the next generation. It speaks to that generation that is going to determine the future of our society, our community, our state, our nation and our world.”
Offering students one-on-one career coaching, networking opportunities, job search assistance and more, the Career Studio is the latest example of UC’s commitment to preparing students for life after graduation, and is one of five locations in which students can receive career coaching and access career resources.
UC Provost Kristi Nelson speaks at the grand opening of the Bearcat Promise Career Studio. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
“As this university continues to lead in cooperative education, this space will be a way for us to continue to explore new and better approaches to career preparation as our faculty and staff work hard to put students first,” said UC Provost Kristi Nelson. “The Bearcat Promise Career Studio represents the next generation of UC career education services. It is a place where students will discover their path and obtain the knowledge, skills and experience to achieve personal success.”
The Bearcat Promise Career Studio offers walk-in appointments for all students between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday or by appointment. The professional career coaching staff and student peer coaches are also available to support students and faculty through classroom presentations, connection with resources and more.
Pinto noted that since its soft opening in November, the Bearcat Promise Career Studio had already served nearly 500 students, which he called “an impressive reflection of the demand and need for these services.”
Featured image: UC Provost Kristi Nelson, UC President Neville Pinto and Gigi Escoe, vice president for undergraduate studies and interim dean of the Division of Experience-Based Learning and Career Education, cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Bearcat Promise Career Studio. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
The Bearcat poses with faculty and staff from the Bearcat Promise Career Studio at the studio's grand opening. Photo/Joseph Fuqua II/UC Creative Services
Next Lives Here
Next Lives Here, the University of Cincinnati’s strategic direction, defines our moment and our momentum. More nimble and more robust than a plan, Next Lives Here announces our vision to the world—to lead urban public universities into a new era of innovation, impact, and inclusion.
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