New Networking Hub Offers Ways for Alumni and Students to Connect
Alumni and students can now meet for networking and mentoring through a new platform. Excelsior Connects, found online at excelsiorconnects.org, provides opportunities for alumni and students to interact with each other and the College. After registering, participants have access to a news feed, information on upcoming webinars, and job postings. They can also register to volunteer as a mentor for current students or recent graduates or browse a directory to find a mentor.
Excelsior Connects launched in late November, and efforts are underway to encourage alumni and students to join the online community. The platform encourages pop-up engagement so that participants can email and engage with one another, make virtual meet and greets with contacts, and hold group conversations. Groups based on career fields and specific interests, such as military students and alumni, already exist.
Excelsior Connects gives alumni and students a way to get or give help to others when they need it, according to Kane Tomlin, president of the Excelsior College Alumni Association. “Excelsior Connects is a way for me to give back to the College by being available to help alumni and students with mentoring, networking, and connecting our quality application pool with open positions in fields where I routinely get asked for candidates from my network,” says Tomlin. “As a student, alumnus, and faculty member of the College, I see value in maintaining a community with lifelong learners and people ascending in their careers for my own personal and professional benefits as well as for the benefit of the College family as a whole. I also think that our collective crowd-sourced content of articles, webinars, and other tips will provide long-term value to all stakeholders on Excelsior.”
Alumni and current students can expect the career, directory, and events sides of the platform to expand as new members join. The career side will have a link into the Excelsior job board with Career Network, an enhanced network directory providing connections to other alumni with location information (where available). The career features also include connections to member-hosted and Excelsior College events.
