Representatives from a higher education consulting group will arrive at Syracuse University at the end of February to begin a review of the university’s career services operations.

Manny Contomanolis and Trudy Steinfeld, who together form TruMann Consulting, will partner with SU officials to review both the career service centers at SU’s different schools and colleges and the centralized Career Services unit, SU Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost Liz Liddy said.

Contomanolis and Steinfeld will work with officials in SU’s Divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, representatives from each of SU’s 11 schools and colleges and officials from Career Services to review and ultimately enhance the university’s career services, Liddy said.

Contomanolis is the senior associate vice president for enrollment management and career services at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Steinfeld is the assistant vice president and executive director of New York University’s Wasserman Center for Career Development.

Liddy said it made sense to review career services now because a similar review hadn’t been conducted “in a while.” But there was nothing specific that triggered the review, Liddy said.

“We want to make sure we’re providing everything we should,” Liddy said. “… It’s just good business practice.”

After Contomanolis and Steinfeld arrive at SU, they’ll begin to sift through data and visit the different career centers on campus, including Career Services, Liddy said.

They’ll also conduct informational interviews with current students and alumni about their experiences with career services at SU, Liddy said. Additionally, the consultants will reach out to employers of SU graduates to garner feedback regarding how prepared those students were for their jobs, Liddy added.

Contomanolis and Steinfeld will then provide SU officials with feedback on the positives and negatives of the university’s career services operations and give recommendations on things that SU should consider changing or making adjustments to, Liddy said.

Liddy said she expects the university to release a report on the findings before the end of the semester.

TruMann Consulting was recently chosen to assist in the review after a round of Skype interviews with finalist consulting firms, Liddy said.

“You can get huge firms to do this, but these people, they’re academics and I think they’re experts at this,” she said. “… It’s a good fit.”

Contomanolis said in an email that he could provide no additional comments beyond the original SU News release announcing the partnership.

Christopher Sedore, SU’s senior vice president for enrollment management, said in an email that the Division of Academics Affairs’ role in the process will be to work to ensure that its “efforts are aligned to help our students achieve their aspirations.”

“The teaching, learning, research, and service that defines our schools and colleges is the cornerstone of preparing students for life after Syracuse,” he said.

Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, SU’s senior vice president and dean of student affairs, said in an email that the Division of Student Affairs’ role will include “offering insight, sharing recommendations, meeting with TruMann Consulting, and coordinating efforts to gather input from students, faculty and staff.”

Officials from Career Services did not respond to an email requesting comment.

Liddy said the overarching goal of the review process will be for SU to figure out the best way it can provide “basic services such as expertise and counsel” to its students.

“The university sees this as a high priority to the students and to students’ parents that when we bring (students) here, that we educate them well-rounded and we ensure that they’re ready for a successful future,” Liddy said.

Published on February 17, 2016 at 10:33 pm

Contact Michael: mdburk01@syr.edu