Go Cardinals! Our stop at Otterbein College

Otterbein University

Located in Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Otterbein University was bright and cheery on our visit due to the burst of cardinal red (one of the schools’ colors) displayed throughout campus.    Students on campus participate in the tending of community gardens on campus that serve the community, Summer camp programs for kids, adults and athletes and a multitude of sustainability programs that keep Otterbein green!

The Center for Career Planning also provides many services and programs to help student in their search for internship and employment.  For example, the Center for Career Planning publishes an online Internship Manual for Otterbein students to ensure optimal internship success:  http://www.otterbein.edu/Files/pdf/Career_Planning/InternshipManual.pdf

Otterbein students, faculty and staff are doing great things for the town, state, country and the world!  We know that makes Cardy the Cardinal proud!

Texas Woman’s University

Texas Woman’s University (TWU)

The next stop we made was at Texas Woman’s University (TWU), located in Denton, Texas. Despite the name, it is not just for females. However, it is the nation’s largest university primarily for women.  Faculty and staff are dedicated to the success of TWU’s students, and it certainly shows since they are graduating more new Healthcare professionals than any other university in Texas. They are also easing the teacher shortage by placing highly qualified professionals in the classroom.

We found campus to be a fun, liberating, and creative place to learn, as you can see by the photos below.  The bright colors in the theater draw attention to the building and call you in for more.  The free speech signs throughout campus remind you to value the ability to speak your mind, freely.

Notable Facts about TWU:

TWU is one of only 16 universities in the United
States — and the only university in Texas — selected to participate in the American Democracy Project Civic Agency Initiative.  The three-year program (2008-11) is a
national initiative focused on encouraging students to be civic leaders in their communities.

 

The TWU Concert Choir made its Carnegie Hall debut

 in 2005, performing with the National Women’s Festival Chorus.  TWU’s choir was the only one asked to perform alone at the festival.

The TWU Drama Program debuted “The Long March” at New York City’s Greenwich Street Theater in 2006 in collaboration with the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, Ireland

Our visit to TWU was colorful in many ways… we hope to make it back very soon to visit again!

 

Texas Christian University

Texas Christian University (TCU)

Texas Christian University has a very active faculty and staff community that assists students on campus and off.   Both the business school and the merchandising department take trips annually to NYC.

The Horned Frogs have access to superb activities on campus like Trinity Shakespeare Festival, the Piano Texas International Academy & Festival and the Schieffer Symposium in Journalism.

TCU Points of Pride include: Recent graduates of the Film-Television-Digital Media department work on television shows such as The Office  and on films such as Crazy Heart and Avatar.

Bloomberg Businessweek ranks the Neeley School No. 29 among Best Undergraduate Business Schools out of 1,400. 100% percent of students in the areas of social work, physical education, teacher preparation, habilitation of the deaf and hard of hearing, and speech-language pathology passed national exams this academic year.

The Horned Frogs were the 2011 Rose Bowl champions and ended a 13-0 season with a No. 2 national ranking.

TCU is a leader in sustainability efforts and is listed in

The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges.  All new construction projects are designed for certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program.

The TCU Jazz Ensemble performed in the Havana International Jazz Festival and was among the first U.S. college groups in decades to travel to Cuba.

Students from 28 countries studied in the TCU Intensive English Program last year. Many will transition to degree programs at the University.

Visiting the school of Horned Frog has been quite an experience. We look forward to to visiting again and maybe even catch one of  TSU’s great performances everyone here raves about!

Texas Tech University: A Place Where Law and Medicine Meet

 Texas Tech University

Our visit to  Texas Tech University was very enjoyable!  We witnessed southern hospitality at its finest on the campus with several college specific career services offices and academic advisors that are plugged in to students’ plans and goals. It is easy to see why Texas Tech Red Raider students enjoy rankings, awards, and notables such as the following:

The educational experience in Texas Tech’s Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering is one of the nation’s top 80, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2011 College Rankings.

Forbes Magazine named Texas Tech University one of the top 50 colleges in its list of America’s Best College Buys.

Texas Tech earned a top-tier ranking among national universities in the 2011 edition of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.

With 1,839 acres, Texas Tech has the second largest contiguous campus in the United States and is the only school in Texas to house an undergraduate institution, law school, and medical school at the same location.

The Carnegie Foundation classifies Texas Tech as having “high research activity.” Research projects in the areas of epidemiology, pulsed power, grid computing, nanophotonics, and wind energy are among the most prominent at the university.

And finally, who could forget Bob Knight, the second most winning coach in men’s NCAA Div. I basketball history, served as the team’s head coach from 2001 to 2008.

As you can tell Texas Tech has a lot to be proud of! We had an amazing time and hope to make it back for another visit soon.

The University of Oklahoma: Go Sooners!

 The University of Oklahoma (OU)

They do not miss a beat at The University of Oklahoma campus.   The career services department is top notch!  Its  mission is to enhance the career development of students by teaching career planning/job search skills and by facilitating the exchange of information among students, alumni, faculty, administrators, and employers. Their Academics are renowned! OU currently ranks No. 1 in the nation among all public universities in the number of freshman National Merit Scholars enrolled, with 207 National Merit Scholars in this year’s Freshman class.

The hospitality is superb. We were personally escorted, by a dean, from one appointment on campus to the next, door to door.  Even the emergency phone booths, fire hydrants and trash bins have OU flair (see photos).

Just in time for the elections: OU’s Julian P. Kanter Political Commercial Archive houses the world’s largest collection of political commercials. With more than 95,000 commercials, the archive includes political advertisements dating back to 1936 for radio and 1950 for television.  The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center houses the papers of more than 55 former members of Congress, making it the nation’s most comprehensive center for congressional studies.

Success is found in the legal world of OU also: The OU College of Law had a bar passage rate of 97 percent in 2010, which placed OU among the very best in the nation.

Other remarkable impressions made on us during our visit to OU:

OU has established a faculty-in-residence program with faculty members and their families living in apartments in the student residence halls.

Five Native American languages are taught at the University of Oklahoma, more than any other university in the world.

The OU Health Sciences Center is one of only four comprehensive academic health centers in the nation with seven professional schools. It includes the colleges of Allied Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Graduate Studies.

As you can tell, we learned a ton and had an amazing trip. Hope to be back soon… and Go Sooners!

Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City University

 

On our sunny visit to Oklahoma City University (OKCU) we learned quite a bit and would like to share with you what we learned about this amazing campus.

The Career Services department assists students with choosing a major, resume and cover letter writing, interview techniques, career fairs, and internships.  The department also hosts an Alumni Mentoring Network to connect students with OKCU alumni.

 

More than 78 percent of faculty hold the highest degrees in their fields and  no classes are taught by graduate assistants. Very impressive!

The two-year period in which OCU observed its Centennial afforded abundant opportunities for celebration. It began and ended with the dedications for two major additions to its campus, the Meinders School of Business and the Wanda L. Bass School of Music.

More than $10 million awarded annually in academic merit or performance scholarships, with awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Many other scholarship programs such as the Clara Luper Scholars and the American Indian Scholarship Program offer assistance to our students. More than 90 percent of students receive academic, merit, performance or need-based financial aid.

And if all of this wasn’t impressive enough, the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Arts Management at Oklahoma City University is the first of its kind in higher education.

We learned a ton and had an amazing visit. Hope to be back to visit again very soon!

Langston University: A leader in Agriculture

Langston University

We visited the main campus of Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma.  There are two additional, smaller campuses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  In meeting with the business school, we learned that most students complete internships before they graduate.

Interesting facts about Langston University:

It is known as a leader in the field of agricultural research, and hosts the internationally recognized E (Kika) de la Garza Institute for Goat Research.

The student life at Langston University garnered the attention of Black Entertainment Television and the second season of the reality television show College Hill, a show that follows historically black colleges, was filmed there.

The Langston University Quiz Bowl team won games against Spelman and an all-star team from the City Colleges of Chicago on the 2009 nationally televised “Black College Quiz” show airing nationally throughout Black History Month in 2009 to make the championship game.

Langston University is named after John Mercer Langston (1829–1897)

Langston was a civil rights pioneer, the first African American member of Congress from Virginia, and founder of the Howard University Law School, and American consul-general to Haiti.

We look forward to seeing Langston University students in NYC!

 

Oklahoma State University: Home of the Benny the Beaver

Oklahoma State University

As we wove our way through the construction on campus, we noticed  amazing progress .  Oklahoma State University is doing a great job of persevering the old, while inviting the new and modern.  This was especially apparent in the Career Services office. What a great place to work! Not to mention, Oklahoma State University has quite the impressive Career Service website.

Internships are vital in the Spears School of Business. There are two dedicated staff members available to assist students in launching their careers with internships. Evidently two programs, the Master of Science in Management Information Systems and the MBA Concentration in Global Business, within Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business were recently recognized in the Eduniversal Rankings as among the best master’s programs in North America!

Did you know?  The Student Union on campus is called the Orange Peel, in reference to the schools’ predominate color. Go Cowboys (recent Fiesta Bowl Champs)!

Last Stop in AR: University of Arkansas at Little Rock

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Our final stop in the great state of Arkansas was at the University by the same name in bustling city Little Rock.

The cold and strong winds did not stop the internship and co-op team from all corners of campus from meeting with us.  Brought together in the College of Business, Educational Housing Services was able to learn what makes the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) a great place to learn.  As a metropolitan campus, UALR students have access to unique learning and internship opportunities in the states’ capital and across the country through a wide range of employer connections.

Career Services provides students with employer mixers, state of the art career exploring facilities, resource rooms, career course and workshops as well as a very cohesive and dedicated co-op and career services staff, campus wide.

Fun fact: Derek Fisher, point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, was drafted into the NBA from UALR!  Go Trojans!

Arkansas, you will be missed!

Arkansas Adventure Stop #3: Harding University

Harding University

With temperatures in the 60’s and students energetic as the semester begins, it was easy to enjoy our visit on campus at Harding University.  With so much student leadership on campus, it is easy to see why Harding University is a Campus of Character.

Harding University faculty and staff go to great lengths to ensure their students are prepared for life outside of Searcy, Arkansas.  In addition to career and internship preparation, nearly 50 percent of each graduating class has spent a semester at one of Harding’s international campuses in Brisbane, Australia; Viña del Mar, Chilé; London, England; Paris, France; Athens, Greece; Florence, Italy; or Namwianga Mission, Zambia.

Student experience does not stop there.  In 2010, Harding was named once again to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Last year nearly 6,500 students, faculty and staff contributed more than 89,000 hours of service.

Additionally, during the year, more than 350 recruiters representing 230 organizations met with students. Recent graduates are working for such national and global companies as Dell, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Wal-Mart, Ford Motor Co., Dillard’s Inc., HCA Healthcare and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

There sure is a lot of character on this campus!  Go Bisons!