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The Peer Career Advisor -- Face of the University Career Center
Program Code:
290
Date:
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Time:
3:30 PM to 4:45 PM
EST
SPEAKER
(S):
Moises Bunfil, The University of Texas at El Paso
Claudia Dominguez, The University of Texas at El Paso
Description
More often than not, students go to other students for information and advice -- about what classes to take, what’s happening on campus, where to get a job, you name it. They’re talking with students in their classes, which can be quite frustrating to those of us who have developed vast wisdom and expertise in order to educate the masses. We wait patiently in our offices for students to line up at the door to see us or for faculty to seek us out to speak with their classes. If they don’t come to us, how will they ever succeed? Realizing the need for a new strategy, The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Career Center has taken it to the streets with Peer Career Advisors (PCAs); they teach, they advise their fellow students, and they spread the good word about all things related to careers and the job search. They’re everywhere and they have much to offer. They are exceptionally well trained students who serve other students, faculty, and staff in their own colleges. They are major players in the educational process. This session will trace the PCA Program at UTEP, the heart and soul of our outreach initiative, from conceptualization just three years ago to its present configuration with 14 PCAs serving all colleges on the campus. Specifically discussed will be the evolution of the Program, institutional/financial support, the selection process, a structured and comprehensive training program, supervision and evaluation procedures, as well as the Career Center’s organizational structure that has been built around the Program. The University Career Center has a whole new look and feel, and it’s a fun place to be! We have been contacted by other universities interested in using our program as a model on their own campuses. Join us for this session and see what folks are finding so interesting.