An Associated Student resolution to increase the amount of full time professional state-funded staff in the Career Center fell through during an AS Senate meeting on Friday.
“The fact that the Career Center here is really small and we only have one career counselor is ridiculous,” said Jenn Boldizar, employer relations student assistant in the Career Center. “How can one person serve 10,000 students? How can one actual paid staff and then a team of four serve 10,000 students? That is crazy.”
Increase Staff To Student Ratio In Career Services, a resolution to increase the amount of full time state-funded professional employees and to provide additional funds to Careers Services, failed to be voted on by the AS Senate, due to technical errors within the resolution.
The resolution will be brought back to the AS Senate once revisions are made.
“Students and staff both feel that one career advisor for over 9,000 students is [unacceptable],” said Undeclared Senator Matthew Goodin during the meeting.
The resolution was sponsored by AS President Anthony Gallino, Goodin and Student Services Senator Luke Tesluk in order to aide Career Services, a program at Sonoma State University, which has the least employed state funded professionals compared to other schools within the California State University system.
“In my conversations with students, I found that many students weren’t aware of Career Services and what it had to offer,” said Tesluk during the AS meeting.
According to the CSU Career Center Staffing Report, Sonoma State has the lowest number of state-funded staff members in career center staffing.
Sonoma State, a school of just over 9,000 students, has only one full time state-funded staff member and four student employees to serve the whole student community.
CSU Maritime, a school of just around 1,100 students has four state-funded staff members and three student employees.
Humboldt State with around 8,000 students has 11 state-funded staff positions, one non state-funded employee, two interns and four student employees.
“A career center is vital to a college campus. To overhaul a space, a website and bring in workshops weekly is huge [in a campus career center]” said Ann Mansfield, career advisor at the Career Center of Sonoma State.
Mansfield is currently the only state-funded professional staff member in the Career Center, with four student workers running the whole career service program.
“I have definitely seen a huge increase in people using the program since Ann got here,” said Brittany Silva, Career Services communication coordinator and student employee. “Expanding the program, doing more workshops and making the website more available to students.”
Since the move of the international program to the rededicated International Hall, the Career Center was able to expand its space in Salazar 1070, where it can host workshops and classes for students.
“Last year we got things done,” said Boldizar. “Ann has come in and transformed what she wants the career center to be known as.”
The Career Center hosted a mock up interview workshop on Oct. 7 to help students with the fears of a job interview.
Local businesses came in from around the area to participate
in the mock up interviews on campus; students were interviewed by real employers and received feedback on how they did in the interview.
“A interview is not a natural interaction,” said Mansfield, “it’s very hard to anticipate and I think the opportunity to get in front of a hiring manager and test out your skills is great.”
The next workshop the Career Center is hosting is the LinkedIn Workshop on Wednesday between 2-3 p.m. in Salazar 1070.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for students to get involved in this area of their college career as soon as possible,” said Boldizar. “At the end of the day, we are coming to college to get a job.”
