By Ella White ’22
News Editor
The Career Development Center will implement changes regarding its relationship with employers beginning Sept. 1. These new changes will include more opportunities for student feedback on their internships and employers, as well as how the CDC engages with employers.
Presently, employers can be suspended by the CDC based on reports from students of the employer using “racist or biased language” or exhibiting other potentially harmful behavior. The Lynk Summer Funding Program does not sponsor internships with employers suspended by the CDC, meaning students working with these employers cannot receive Lynk funding for their work.
Upcoming policy changes will create a process for employers previously suspended by the CDC to “make amends, resolve concerns and potentially begin working with MHC again,” according to Jenny Watermill, Senior Associate Director for the CDC. Through this policy change, the CDC will allow student interns at these organizations to once again be eligible for Lynk funding.
The new CDC updates will include resources regarding assessment of employers. Students, beginning Sept. 1, will now be asked to rate employers to “complement the existing employer rating system in Handshake,” according to Watermill. The CDC will also offer resources students can use to better assess employers who have not previously worked with the College or its students.
The CDC will now share its current policies and practices with all students via email once per semester. The policy states that while the CDC does screen Handshake job postings, these job postings do not indicate endorsement. The CDC also includes in its policy that it cannot guarantee the legitimacy of all employers listed on Handshake.