The university is creating a new senior administrative position, assistant provost for university career services, as part of its comprehensive, ongoing effort to enhance career services.
“We are eager to recruit a top leader to join us at GW as the inaugural assistant provost for university career services,” said Provost Steven Lerman. “This position will provide crucial, strategic leadership, oversee central university career services and facilitate collaboration among the university’s other career services centers and functions.”
The creation of a senior-level position for career services was recommended by the Career Services Task Force, a group convened by President Steven Knapp during the 2010-11 academic year. The task force assessed the GW community’s career services expectations and made several recommendations to enhance career services at GW.
Another of those recommendations led to the recent formation of a new Career Services Advisory Council to coordinate career services functions university-wide and serve as a sounding board for career services enhancements. The assistant provost for university career services will serve as chair and convener of the advisory council.
A search committee is beginning a nationwide search with the expectation of filling the assistant provost position later this summer or in the early fall. The committee is composed of senior administrators, staff, faculty members and students, and is chaired by Carol Sigelman, professor of psychology, who was a member of the Career Services Task Force. The search is being supported by executive search firm The Spelman and Johnson Group, and a position description can be found on its site.
With the appointment of the new assistant provost, Marva Gumbs Jennings, currently executive director of the GW Career Center, will transition to a new role as managing director of university interdisciplinary career services initiatives, reporting to the new assistant provost.
“I am excited Marva will help us lead the accelerated roll-out of interdisciplinary career services across the university’s career centers, which we believe will enhance support for strategic career opportunities in entrepreneurship, sustainability, globalization, and public service and government and develop expanded career services for specific student populations, including student veterans, students with disabilities, student-athletes and international students,” said Peter Konwerski, dean of students, to whom the new assistant provost will report.
“I am thrilled to have this unique opportunity to craft an interdisciplinary career services initiative and focus more attention on targeted student populations,” said Ms. Gumbs Jennings.
The new assistant provost position is one of several enhancements to career services the university is undertaking beginning this summer.
The GW Career Center will move to the fifth floor of the Marvin Center, and new shared resources, including databases and directories, for all students and career services staff will be available under the direction of the Career Services Advisory Council. Career services and the GW Career Center will have increased visibility during Colonial Inauguration, including new presentations for parents and students.
The university community can learn about the career services enhancements and track their progress on the President’s Office website. New updates will be available later this week.