FALL 2013
Education Works A LINK BETWEEN AREA BUSINESSES AND THE UNIVERSITY
Employers, Students Team Up on Engineering Projects Each year, engineering students from the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville team up to work on senior seminar projects with local businesses, and this year is no different. These senior projects offer benefits to both students and businesses. While students gain real-world work experience developing the projects, employers gain a chance to evaluate the students’ abilities and potential as future employees. During the fall 2013 semester, participating employers have included Trane, the Ozark and Fort Smith locations of Baldor Electric, and Weldon, Williams and Lick. Trane, a manufacturer of heating and air conditioning systems, has been working with students on a project to help streamline the efficiency of its splicing process to help minimize defects and waste in production. Chris Farnsworth, plant manager at Trane, indicated the project will have far-reaching importance. “This project will help us with finding a solution to a problem we have been facing for some time, and its success will not only impact the Fort Smith plant, but possibly one of our other plants in Tyler, Tx,” Farnsworth said. Such project partnerships allow students to work on real issues at real plants, and to work hand-in-hand with engineers who have been in the field for several years.
Students Cassandra Bright and Aaron Schmitt testing out their second model at Trane.
Students get to apply “the theory in the classroom to the application in the real world,” Farnsworth said.
UA - Fayetteville faculty John Hamilton, Trane Plant Manager Chris Farnsworth and students Cassandra Bright, Aaron Schmitt and Jeff Holmes with the second model solution.
Cassandra Bright, Aaron Schmitt and Jeff Holmes, senior students, have been working with Farnsworth all semester on the production issue. Each described the experience as a real-life, valuable experience that they can translate into their work with other companies for the future. The students stated that this project has helped them develop their communication skills while playing an instrumental part in a project that could have a lasting impact on the organization as a whole. This semester the students have learned about the issues and have been developing a design solution through brainstorming and engineering analysis. In the spring semester the design will be built and implemented into production. If the design works well on one production line, it is expected to be adopted company-wide. Partnerships with organizations like Trane provide a valuable learning experience for engineering students, said Program Coordinator John Hamilton. “These projects give our graduates advantages over other engineering programs because they have experience applying their engineering knowledge to a real life problem in industry,” Hamilton said. It also provides them with valuable lessons such as working on a team, providing the economic justification for their design to company managers and working within a corporate environment where they have to deal with such issues as maintenance, procurement and subcontractors.” If your company is interested in becoming a partner for your next electrical or mechanical engineering project or if you have an interest in exploring other partnership possibilities, please contact Career Services at 479-788-7017.
Page 2 NPO Partnerships Page 3 Career Fair and Grad School Expo Page 4 UAFS 2011-12 Graduate Placement Data
uafs.edu/careerservices
Nonprofit Organizations Benefit from Partnerships with UAFS interviews, symposiums, and many other valuable components that benefit both the university and the organizations involved. Jack Moffett, director of the Children’s Emergency Shelter, said his NPO benefited from an intern this semester in unexpected ways. “Most nonprofit organizations probably lack a safety or policy manual that is needed to help implement changes throughout the organization,” Moffett said. “So in addition to having the student intern Children’s Emergency Shelter Director, Jack Moffett, working with help with various other tasks, our intern Shawn Baukman on the policy manual. intern, Shawn Baukman, has been working on updating our policy The United States has more than 1.5 manual this semester.” million nonprofit organizations, and nearly 7 percent of businesses in Baukman, a pending Arkansas in 2010 were classified as December 2013 nonprofit organizations. organizational leadership UAFS Career Services has partnered many NPOs over the years, including Mercy Fort Smith, Fort Smith Police Department, Department of Human Services, Project Compassion, Bost, Janet Huckabee Nature Center, Good Samaritan Clinic, Chamber of Commerce, Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center, Comprehensive Juvenile Services and Children’s Emergency Shelter. As a partner, we provide NPOs with volunteers, interns, free marketing and promotion, training, speaking engagements, resume writing workshops, job postings to students, on-campus
graduate, has interned at other NPOs, and says that she likes working with these organizations because she can relate on a personal level as well as gain reallife experience through her work. “Not all NPOs have the same policies and procedures,” Baukman said, “so this semester I have worked on updating outdated materials for the shelter’s policy manual. This has allowed me to see all aspects of the organization and to understand some
of the guidelines they have to follow.” UAFS organizational leadership professor Amy Jordan said, “The opportunity to intern with these organizations allows students to use their skills, apply theory and use their hearts in a way that they have not before. Most NPOs have a shared characteristic – a lack of funding and resources. Our students are able to provide an additional resource to help the company move forward by providing social value, passion for their work, and shine light on organizations as community ambassadors.” Each semester, UAFS seeks out internship partners to work with students in a variety of disciplines, including organizational leadership, psychology, criminal justice, English and accounting. The university also hosts a block party attended by more than 600 students that provides networking opportunities for students as well as campus and community organizations. If you are interested in benefiting from our internship program, participating in the block party or exploring other opportunities, please contact Career Services at 479-788-7017 or visit our website for a full list of our calendar of events (www.uafs.edu/careerservices).
How did your internship prepare you for Nit Xaymongkhoun | Accounting ABF Freight Systems, Inc. My internship at ABF Freight System, Inc. provided me the opportunity to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to a professional environment. The learning process has been very rewarding and gave me exposure to the real-world analysis and decision making. This experience allows me to be more confident as I begin my accounting career search or post-graduation. Jaron Robison | Electrical Engineering Baldor Electric
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My internship at Baldor prepared me for the future by showing me that everything I will need to know in my career may not have been taught in school. It revealed that I will not only be applying what I’ve learned in school but that I will be constantly learning new solutions to different problems throughout my career.
Ryan Freeman | Radiography Having the opportunity to intern at 7 different clinical sites has given me the experience that I would not have had in a typical college student environment. The clinical experience that I am receiving has greatly improved my skills and has helped me become proficient as a Radiologic Technologist. Not only have I been able to develop my technical skills, but I love being able to care and talk with my patients and make them feel comfortable while they are in the Radiology department. In addition to the experience I am obtaining, also I am receiving exposure to possible future employers. Danielle Beckham | Media Communications Career Services – UAFS My internship with the Career Services office at UAFS was a great learning opportunity, because it helped me to further develop the skills I learned in the classroom, and prepared me for a fast-paced, multi-faceted, working environment. My experience has allowed me to grow with new opportunities and to be successful in my career.
Career Fair and Grad School Expo : Keeping the Competitive Edge On Oct. 17, 2013, the Career Services office hosted its annual Career Fair and Grad School Expo, with 50 registered companies and grad schools attending and an additional six organizations on the waiting list. This popular event provides networking opportunities for students, schools and employers seeking to develop business relationships. Both students and companies have said they value the exposure they gain at the Career Fair. Vicki Anderson, a representative of First National Bank, said her company benefits from its partnership with the university and the opportunity to recruit students to fill fulland part-time positions as well as internships. “In order to be competitive, I return to the career fair each year to keep our company name in front of the students,” she said. Kristen Stephens, a UAFS alumna, attended the Career Fair with Anderson to help recruit positions for the bank. Stephens graduated in May 2013 and has been an employee of First National Bank since 2010. Rossy Rivas, a pending May 2014 graduate from the College of Business, said she benefited from the Career Fair because it “allowed me to put a face to my name. I applied for a position with J.B. Hunt online, and this event gave me the opportunity to introduce myself, which resulted in an interview being set.” This year, Fastenal was one of the event sponsors and provided a Samsung Galaxy
Tablet as a prize. Students registered at each event on campus during career week, and a winner was drawn after the expo on Thursday. Fastenal representative Bradley Beetch said attending the Career Fair is “part of the recruiting process, and keeps the company competitive.”
Fastenal representative, Bradley Beetch, with Galaxy winner Robert Moore
He said the reason he sponsored was “to be able to give something back to the school for the benefit of networking through the university.” Additional career week sponsors included Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Department of Human Services, Western Arkansas Workforce Investment Board, Clear Channel Media, Pepsi, Subway and Platinum Distribution. Four Career Fair events will be held at UAFS during the spring semester, including the all-majors Spring Career Fair on Thursday, March 13, 2014. Partnership opportunities are available at each fair, and may include sponsorship such as food, drinks, door prizes and more. In exchange, the sponsoring partner gains increased exposure and preferred booth placement. If you would like to be a partner or sponsor for the next Career Fair or are interested in other partnership opportunities, please contact the UAFS Career Services staff at 479-788-7017 for additional information. You can also register to attend this event now online at uafs.edu/careerservices/ event-registration. Register soon as space fills quickly.
Vicki Anderson and Kristen Stephens of First National Bank discussing employment opportunities at the Career Fair
Student Rossi Rivas discussing interviewing options with JB Hunt’s Caleb Duvall
the future? Tatum Williams | Middle Level Education Westwood Elementary School – Greenwood, AR
Kangdo Vang | CADD Baldor Electric
My internship gave me a real life experience as a teacher. I was able to learn from an experienced and effective science teacher, as well as implement strategies and methods learned in the education program. Because of internship, I am prepared to teach middle level students and meet the physical, emotional and academic needs of the learners.
My internship with Baldor taught me how to be professional, prepare for tasks assigned, and allowed me to gain experience in my field. With this internship I was able to enhance my knowledge and skills in mechanical and architectural CADD which will increase my opportunity for full time employment in the future.
Jordan Hale | History Congressman Womack – Washington, DC The John Paul Hammerschmidt Fellowship served as a resourceful tool in preparing me for my future. Experiences such as this one provide great opportunities to network, and gain experience in a working environment relevant to your career goals.
Danielle Beckham Articles written by Danielle Beckham. As the Fall 2013 Media Communications intern for the UAFS Career Services office, Danielle was responsible for all aspects of producing this edition of the Education Works newsletter. During her internship she also coordinated the marketing campaign for the Fall Career Week, assisted with public relation efforts, and created a job search guide for the College of Languages and Communication. If you are interested in hosting an intern such as Danielle, please contact Monique Forehand with the Career Services office at monique.forehand@uafs.edu or 479.788.7406.
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Career Services Staff
UAFS 2011-12 Graduate Placement Data Percentage Employed
Percentage Seeking Employment/Not Cont Education
Percentage Continuing Education as Primary Focus
Percentage Not Seeking Employment
Placement Percentage
Business
73%
19%
6%
2%
81%
College of Applied Science & Technology
51%
13%
34%
2%
87%
Education
86%
9%
5%
0%
91%
Health Sciences
86%
2%
10%
2%
98%
Humanities & Social Sciences
58%
22%
16%
4%
78%
Languages & Communication
19%
4%
76%
1%
96%
College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
49%
13%
34%
4%
87%
Totals
61%
11%
26%
2%
89%
College
Pat Widders Executive Director
Monique Forehand Coordinator
Jan Martinez Administrative Specialist
The Doug and Kathy Babb Student Professional Development Center
TOO BIG Ron Orick Director
FOR YOUR BRITCHES?
The Professional Clothing Closet at UAFS provides a way for students to access FREE professional and business casual attire appropriate for career fairs, interviews and the workplace. We are in need of replenishing certain items to meet the demands of our students. If you have items that you would like to donate, please contact Jan Martinez with the Career Services Office at 479-788-7017 or careerservices@uafs.edu.
Spring 2014 Calendar of Events Campus Picnic and Block Party (co-hosted by Student Activities) Wednesday, Jan. 15 Smith Pendergraft Campus Center Reynolds Room 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
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Education Career Fair Thursday, Feb. 27 Smith Pendergraft Campus Center Reynolds Room 1 – 2:30 p.m.
Spring Health Sciences Job Fair Monday, March 10 Pendergraft Health Science Center Weidman Conference Center (HS 133) Noon – 2 p.m. Spring Career Fair Thursday, March 13 Smith Pendergraft Campus Center Reynolds Room 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Criminal Justice Symposium Wednesday, April 16 Smith Pendergraft Campus Center Reynolds Room 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.