Why does the Center for Mentoring and Professional Networks exist and how does it help?
Up to 85% of jobs are found through personal or professional connections; and 70-75% of all jobs are not posted on public job boards.
~ Important Networking Statistics Everyone Should Know (2023), Apollo Technical
The Center helps make these statistics less scary by:
- Mobilizing the greater alum network and community partners for students to make connections at any and all stages of their college journey.
- Offering every student equitable access to tools and programs to cultivate as broad a network of connections as possible by graduation.
- Offering the same tools and programs for alums still searching or looking for a career change to engage with Drew’s worldwide network to develop connections as well!
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The opportunities for students and alums to build networks, include:
- Access to Drew Connect—a powerful global online community of alums and students–where students and alums can form critical connections at any time, day or night.
- Access to other tools to develop connections that may focus around career, identity, or even fundamental life management skills. These connections may be brief (flash mentoring) or long-term, depending on each person’s interest.
- In-person and virtual interactive programming, including informal programming to help students and new “networkers” ease into networking in larger groups.
- Access to opportunities for mock (practice) interviews, job shadowing, and more.
- A variety of other ways for students to engage with mentors based on their interests and where they are in their college experience.
Alums: please email mentoring@drew.edu for more information about getting involved or seeking guidance for yourself!
More Information
Vision Statement
Connections open doors. Drew University and The Center for Mentoring and Professional Networks believe that each and every student should have guaranteed and equitable access to tools, resources, and programs to support building a network of mentors and external social capital that will open doors and/or support our learners’ professional and personal development.
The Center's Mission
The mission of the Center for Mentoring and Professional Networks is to work with students to ensure they graduate with as expansive a network as possible through equitable access to the world-wide network of Drew alumni and community partners. To support students’ efforts to build social capital with the greater community, the Center will ensure that the greater alum network and community partners are mobilized for students to seek additional advice and guidance at any and all stages of their college journey.
Our Guiding Principles
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: The Center and its staff are committed to ensuring that every student has equitable access to the Center’s programs and that its programs and services are inclusive of our entire community. The Center promotes a just and equitable environment for all community members.
Student-Focused: The Center will support all students in their pursuits by ensuring that its programs and services are focused on student success and offer a powerful lever for opportunity and equity.
Mutual Respect: Drew alums, community partners, and students all have competing priorities, but it is important to respect the time and commitment each makes to the Center and to one another. The Center will offer guidance and support to all participants about best practices for demonstrating that respect.
Relationship-focused and personalized engagement: The Center will work to make introductions, as needed, and offer programming that is relevant to each student based on their own personal, academic, and professional goals and interests.
Staff
Carol Bassie serves as the director of the Center. She joined Drew in August 2016 as Director of Alumni and Parent Relations, in which role she was responsible for thinking critically and strategically about ways in which alums engage with the University. Among other things, Carol and the APR team found ways in which to better connect alums and students through initiatives such as development of informal networking programs, involvement of alums in classes and other programming, informational interviews, implementation of an online networking platform, and connecting alums and students for one-to-one conversations.
Carol received a bachelor of arts from Haverford College, with a major in microbiology, and a juris doctor from the Beasley School of Law of Temple University where she was editor-in-chief of the law review. Carol spent 16 years practicing employment law and litigation at Dechert LLP and Rubin Fortunato P.C. before transitioning to constituent engagement in independent schools and universities.
As director, Carol is responsible for setting the Center’s strategic priorities and developing sustainable programming that will ensure every student graduates with as expansive a network as possible to enhance their opportunity for post-college success.