Big Ten Academic Alliance universities join forces to advance liberal arts graduates' career success

Representatives from the Big Ten Academic Alliance liberal arts and sciences colleges will gather at the Big Ten Conference Center May 8-10 to discuss ways to advance the liberal arts as a path for career success.

Organized by deans of the liberal arts and sciences colleges of the Big Ten Academic Alliance, this career initiative was created to determine how liberal arts colleges can best support students in making the connection between their liberal arts study and broader career and life goals. These universities recognize the imperative to ensure that liberal arts students are aware of and actively engaged in exploring their many employment opportunities and to cultivate relationships with employers to provide internships and other experiential learning opportunities. All 14 universities of the Big Ten are dedicated to this work and are banding together to identify common challenges while accelerating their ability to make effective career services transformation.

The group recognizes that liberal arts students have unique needs and career services models should be evolved with those in mind. This second meeting will build on this work, identify solutions, and begin shaping a new narrative around the liberal arts as a path for career success.

 “Our first meeting was energizing, as we brought together a committed group of colleagues from across the Big Ten,” said Paula Wishart, planning committee chair and assistant dean of student development and career initiatives, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, University of Michigan. “We’re excited to gather together again this second year and work in unison to move forward our shared belief in the incredible potential for the liberal arts to empower our students’ careers, and position them to contribute to the world in meaningful ways.”