Serving as the central coordinating point for the College’s co-curricular activities that promote professional, social and civic development, the Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) was established in 2010. Comprised of four professional offices, the Career Services Office, the Internship Office, the Meelia Center for Community Engagement and the Study Abroad Office, the Center strives to be the institutional leader in developing students to become ethical leaders for a global society. Through applied transformative experiences and programs, the CEL prepares Saint Anselm College students to be professionally resilient ethical leaders and global citizens. Through collaborations with faculty, alumni community and business partners, the CEL provides innovative learning opportunities while addressing societal interests and needs.
The Center for Experiential Learning strives to…
- serve as a cohesive campus unit that governs all aspects of experiential education;
- foster engaged learning opportunities for our students by strengthening partnerships with community based organizations, businesses, agencies and alumni;
- showcase the College’s commitment to fostering civic engagement amongst our students;
- enhance the professional development of our students through interconnected campus partnerships;
The Office of Career Services and Professional Development
The Office of Career Services and Professional Development serves as the central coordinating point for the College’s career and professional development education and programs. The Office strives to be the institutional leaders and content experts in assisting students with self-assessment, experiential acquisition, professional skill development and employer contacts leading to post-graduate success. Through applied transformative training, experiences and programs, the OCSPD prepares Saint Anselm College students to be professionally resilient leaders and global citizens. Through collaborations with faculty, alumni, community and business partners, the OCSPD provides a framework for the application of learning outcomes flowing from the liberal arts curriculum.
The Office of Career and Professional Development strives to…
- serve as the professional resource that supports all aspects of experiential education;
- foster engaged learning opportunities for our students by strengthening partnerships with diverse organizations, businesses, agencies and alumni;
- showcase the College’s commitment to providing opportunities for acquiring practical experience leading to professionally engaged and enriched lives;
- enhance the professional development of our students through interconnected campus partnerships and dynamic employer and alumni relations
- ensure that Saint Anselm College graduates successfully reach their post-graduate goals.
As a liberal arts college, Saint Anselm provides an educational foundation which allows its students to make informed judgments regarding career options, including graduate or professional school and employment opportunities. The Office Career Services and Professional Development offers assistance to students and recent graduates in planning careers and identifying experiential or professional opportunities.
The College enrolls all students in a secure career management website that features local, regional and national job and internship posting boards, as well as tutorials and special topics relating to career exploration, preparation and professionalism. Personalized information on career fields, potential employers, job search strategies, professional preparation and expectations, and graduate or professional schools is supported through individual appointments and targeted outreach. In addition workshops, alumni visits and special employer events regularly address topics such as resume writing, job search correspondence, interviewing and career investigation.
Individual counseling is offered to students in order to develop a specific career plan that best meets the student’s needs. Self-assessment tools, including occupational selection and personality type, are available to students who require an in-depth exploration of career-related issues. Students are encouraged to utilize the office’s services prior to their senior year in order to fully develop and understand their skills, interests and values in relation to employment and graduate school opportunities.
Saint Anselm maintains contact with a variety of external organizations and constituencies which offer both on-campus recruitment activities and, as a service to students, provides listings of full-time, internship, part-time and summer employment opportunities
Internship Office
Since its inception over twenty-five years ago, the Saint Anselm College Internship Office has served as a support system to the businesses, organizations and agencies throughout local, national and international communities, as well as to students. Students learn about the nature of the workplace and how organizations and people function together to create a network of contacts and opportunities. Internships enable students to explore career options while assisting community partners and other College constituents in enhancing the productivity of their respective businesses.
Students are committed to a specified amount of hours at each site, while also attending a bi-weekly academic seminar. The seminar serves as the reflective component of the program; thus being the focal point of learning. Additionally, the seminar serves as the prime arena where theory and practice are discussed, providing students with the opportunity to engage one another in professional development issues that will ultimately enhance their own professional, civic and social growth.
During the academic year, the Internship Office offers hundreds of internship opportunities in the Manchester and surrounding areas. The program works in conjunction with area businesses, industries and organizations to provide the Saint Anselm student with the best professional experience the New England area has to offer.
Summer internships are also a very popular option for students. Upon approval of a summer internship proposal, students may participate in internships anywhere in the United State or abroad. Students often use this opportunity to intern full-time and gain invaluable experience in their respective field of choice. The academic component remains prevalent in the program. Distance learning technology is utilized for the review and submission of all assignments.
The Internship Office also partners with organizations to offer specialized semester-long opportunities for students in New York City; San Francisco, California; Washington D.C.; Toronto, Canada; and Singapore.
Although the Internship Office serves as the central advising point for all students interested in any internship, students participating in the internship program are typically interested in business related internships and receive academic credit for their participation. Dependent upon the needs of the student and agency, students commit 120-240 hours each semester working at the internship site. Upon the successful completion of the internship and seminar, students are awarded academic credit. Generally counted as “electives,” credits garnered from the internship program may be used to fulfill graduation requirements.
Areas of internship interest include:
- Advertising
- Marketing
- Education
- Graphic Design
- Public Relations
- Journalism
- Financial Planning
- Politics
- Human Services
- Communications
The Meelia Center for Community Engagement
The Meelia Center for Community Engagement supports the mission of Saint Anselm College by preparing students to be ethical leaders and informed citizens who contribute to a more just community and world. The Meelia Center accomplishes this by promoting, organizing and supporting volunteer service, service-learning, civic engagement and the development of student leadership.
Students, faculty and staff can volunteer with community agencies and schools that serve children, the homeless, the elderly, people with special needs, those with mental illness, and the incarcerated, just to name a few. Each semester, hundreds of students commit two or more hours per week at over 40 local agencies. The Meelia Center arranges community placements based on volunteer skills and interests, and assists with transportation as needed. New initiatives are launched nearly every year to respond to ideas that students have, or community needs that are brought to our attention.
Students can also volunteer for occasional projects and special events such as Special Olympics events, annual children’s festivals, park clean-ups, food drives, college shadowing days and others. The Meelia Center works closely with student organizations and residence halls to help connect groups of students wanting to get involved with agencies in need of assistance.
The Meelia Center keeps pace with student initiative and community requests by encouraging and developing student leadership. The Center employs over 40 Student Coordinators and office staff (mostly work-study students) to help recruit, place and support volunteers. In fact, the Center engages students in office and staff management positions. . Much of this coordination is done right from the agency where the student leaders serve clients directly and coordinate the service of their fellow students. The Center helps these coordinators gain the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective leaders.
The Meelia Center also supports service-learning on campus. Service-learning is an educational strategy that applies important course concepts through significant service to the community. Each semester around 200 service-learners engage in the community where they learn their course concepts more deeply, strengthen their professional skills and clarify their goals for the future. Each year service-learning is integrated into at least 10 academic departments and thirty courses, from Nursing and Psychology to Computer Science and Theology.
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