Merging Career Services and Advancement

By combining career services and advancement, Northampton Community College has created a community of student, alumni, and employers that better facilitates engagement, relationship building, and outreach. Modeling itself after the four-year model, hear from Northampton’s Sharon Beales, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, and Dr. Deb Noble Burak, Associate Vice President and CIO, as they discuss implementation, staffing impacts, and technologies like Razor’s Edge, Handshake, Hubspot, Graduway, and LiveAlumni. They offer advice for other two-year institutions thinking about rolling out this model, including the importance of career support and systems for community college students.

Highlights include:

• History behind Northampton’s decision to merge departments.
• Unique challenges with implementation as a two-year institution.
• Types of technology and tools used.
• How the college’s staffing model has changed with combined departments.
• Impact on employment metrics and corporate giving.
• Best practices for institutions considering rolling out this model.

Columnist: Katelyn Ilkani - Tambellini Analyst

Katelyn Ilkani is responsible for The Tambellini Group’s interaction and outreach with higher education institutions. She collaborates with market leaders to identify trends, challenges, and market experiences. She is an innovator in education and provides strategic guidance to higher education executives based on best practices, technology advances, and emerging threats. Ms. Ilkani is responsible for guiding and directing The Tambellini Group’s Cybersecurity Research Practice.