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Faculty & Staff

Liberal Arts CDO Staff

Our Philosophy  |  Support for Faculty & Staff  |  Contact Us

Our Philosophy

The Liberal Arts Career Development Office is committed to helping students take full advantage of the power of a liberal arts education. We believe that a liberal arts degree is the best preparation for our students’ future, whatever our students plan to pursue.

We know that many students struggle with the transition between their courses of study and the working world. We take a highly personalized and customized approach when helping students clarify and achieve their goals and dreams.

We espouse an approach very similar to that of Liberal Arts Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin, which seeks to assist students in indentifying and articulating the specific value of the knowledge and skills they develop during their time at IUPUI. As noted on the UT Liberal Arts Career Services web site:

"While we agree that students acquire valuable skills in the process of pursuing their degrees, we believe that the strength of the degree doesn’t lie in generic skills, but in the specific depth and breadth of the knowledge gained in and out of the classroom. We therefore encourage our students to examine the courses they’ve taken, look beyond the superficial aspects ("I’m a history major and am good at research") and dig deep for the unique learning and understanding they developed through their education and experiences."

Specific ways we help students include providing services such as walk-in coaching and individual appointments to discuss career and graduate school options, providing feedback on written application materials such as resumes, cover letters, and personal statements and essays for graduate school, as well as creating plans and strategies for targeted job and internship searches, and preparation and practice for interviews and attendance at networking and career events.

Specific Ways We Support Faculty and Staff

Classroom Presentations

We welcome the opportunity to speak directly to your students. We can present in any class at any time. We are also available to "fill in" for you if you’re are unable to teach a class and would prefer not to cancel the class.

We regularly collaborate with faculty who teach introductory, gateway and capstone courses to provide class lectures and assist with assignments related to exploring career options and learning to translate and articulate the value of what they learn in your classes to prospective employers. We believe collaborating with faculty in the context of their curriculum is particularly valuable and helpful to students, faculty and the Career Development Office staff as well. 

To schedule a classroom presentation or to discuss ways we can collaborate, contact Sloane Thompson, Director of Career Development at slvthomp@iupui.edu or 317-274-8304.

Internship Assistance

We assist students in locating internship opportunities, preparing application materials for internships and connecting with appropriate faculty to discuss potential opportunities for earning academic credit.

We are available to help faculty make connections with prospective internship sites, learn about best practices for internship porgrams, and develop informational materials and reflective assignments to document learning and describe the expectations and parameters of their respective internship programs. We’re happy to help in any way we can when it comes to internships and experiential learning opportunities. 

Contact Sloane Thompson if you would like to talk about internship opportunities for your students and ways to develop or improve your internship program.

Advertising Job Openings You Receive

To comply with employment laws, it is important that any job opportunity you hear about be publicly posted. It is permissible to tell particular students about an opportunity, as long as you have publicly posted the position, so anyone who is interested can apply.

We can assist you with this; just email Sloane Thompson with the information and we will take care of the public posting.

Legal Information Regarding Letters of Reference, Employment, and Internships

Faculty are often asked for letters of recommendation, job leads, or to supervise internships. While these are invaluable and greatly appreciated services you can provide to students, each of these situations has the potential for problems if you don’t know the rules. For instance:

The Liberal Arts Career Development Office belongs to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which regularly publishes guidelines and legal briefs related to the role of faculty in the career search process. We encourage you to read and become familiar with this information if you are providing these services to your students. Our staff is always available for a consultation if you are unsure of what action to take in a situation. We will also consult with the University attorneys as needed. Below are links to NACE articles that may be especially helpful for faculty and staff:

NACE Faculty Guide to Ethical and Legal Standards in Student Hiring

NACE Guide to Hold Harmless Agreements Used by some internship sites. Do not sign one of these agreements. Contact our office for further information.

How to Write Reference Letters
 This helpful site from NACE includes sample reference letters and the legal guidelines you will want to know.

References: What Can a Faculty Member Say or Write? Another NACE publication.

Contact Us

Contact Sloane Thompson, Director of Career Development, for help with any services for faculty and staff: slvthomp@iupui.edu, 317-274-8304, CA 243

Students who are encouraged by faculty and staff are much more likely to take advantage of our services.

We look forward to partnering with you in helping our students make the most of their experiences while studying in the School of Liberal Arts.