Photo courtesy of: Ohio UniversityOhio University’s Career and Leadership Development Center (CLDC) has been recognized by the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) with a National Excellence Award for Career Services Excellence.
Ohio University’s Career and Leadership Development Center (CLDC) has been recognized by the National Association for Colleges and Employers (NACE) with a National Excellence Award for Career Services Excellence.
Imants Jaunarajs, assistant dean of students for the CLDC, accepted the award on behalf of the center during NACE’s 2018 conference, held June 5-8 in New Orleans. NACE awards recognize career services, university relations and recruiting best practices.
“In its five years of existence, Ohio University’s Career and Leadership Development Center has established itself as a national model of excellence in the field of career services,” said Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis. “Through career and leadership coaching, among other programs and services, the center helps our students develop qualities that employers demand in the workforce. I applaud the CLDC staff for their important contributions to the Bobcat experience and congratulate them on this latest, well-deserved recognition.”
Nominees for the Career Services Excellence Award included Florida State University and Ohio State University, in addition to OHIO. OHIO’s selection was based, in part, due to the CLDC’s development of Brain Based Career Development (BBCD), a career development theoretical model based on neuropsychological best practices. The model, which debuted in 2013, provides practitioners with new strategies with which to approach their day-to-day career development work with clients.
“BBCD exemplifies the center’s innovative, personalized approach to career development, which empowers Bobcats to take ownership of their personal and professional development one step at a time,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Pina. “Our graduates are well-rounded, better connected, more employable and more prepared for the future, thanks to the training that they receive through the CLDC.”
In the fall of 2012, OHIO became one of the first higher education institutions in the country to merge its student leadership development efforts with its career services office, setting a new standard for the holistic preparation of young scholars. Under Jaunarajs’s supervision, the center has served tens of thousands of Bobcats, providing opportunities for students and alumni to cultivate co-curricular skills, engaging hundreds of employers in that process and weaving together a University community dedicated to students’ post-graduation success.
“We are humbled and grateful to our career services and employer colleagues for identifying Ohio University as a standout in the field,” Jaunarajs said.
NACE is the largest national association for career services and employers who engage in university relations and recruiting. NACE has over 8,400 college career services professionals and over 3,300 university relations and recruiting professionals in the community. For more information on NACE, visit http://www.naceweb.org/.