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Excerpt: About DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS Spring 2011 Issue

2011-05-26T09:41:00.002-05:00

IMDiversity announces the release of Diversity Employers Magazine,40th Anniversary Issue, a special edition commemorating the company's 40th anniversary publishing year.

About this Issue

By Stewart Ikeda

This magazine was originally envisioned as a special commemorative edition of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine. Concluding our company’s 40th anniversary publishing year celebrations, it would wrap things up with a retrospective of our best features and milestone moments, largely chosen and recalled by our founder, publisher and company CEO, Preston J. Edwards, Sr. It turned out to be something else.

The transformation of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN into this new publication was motivated by the needs of our expanded job seeker audiences, employer clients and career center partners, and by changes in the job market, workforce demographics, and technology. It would coincide with Preston’s announced transition into his retirement, as he steered us through the last of three planned anniversary issues. It felt like the end of an era.

But there is something appropriate to the timing of this issue. Falling as it does now, amid spring’s renewal, at the end of the academic year, it feels like both an end and a beginning, a graduation and a commencement.

As one might expect, this edition contains seasonal features emphasizing entry-level, student and recent college graduate jobs. But the issue contains more. As incoming editor, I’ve found both inspiring and sobering our two special, retrospective features, with Preston’s selections arrayed like gems commemorating some major moments and figures from our publishing past.

In a “Best of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN: 1970-2010” package that is in many ways deeply personal, he samples some of the themes and events that have driven him and influenced the publication’s character over the decades. Excerpted are unblinking examinations of the legacy of slavery and racial segregation; philosophical explorations of African American traditions and the values underlying a good life; and profiles of groundbreaking Black achievements and “firsts” in virtually every industry and sphere of American life – right up to the election of the first Black U.S. president.

“Straight Talk from the Top” collects frank discussions with CEOs of major organizations about the vision and strategies that helped them become, in many cases, the national diversity leaders they are today. Conducted across three decades, the interviews show the evolving notions of workplace diversity. They illustrate employers’ movement beyond regulatory compliance and narrowly defined race categories in the 1980s to the strategic integration of diversity and inclusion as a fundamental business value – a necessity of long-term global competitiveness and sustainability.

As incoming publisher Preston Edwards, Jr. observes in his Publisher’s Message, such employers have come far in diversifying their workplaces. One ascending the corporate ladder today, he writes, “will see more women, African Americans, Latinos, Asians, indigenous peoples, gays and lesbians, Muslims, people with disabilities, older workers, veterans, among others” at all levels.

In “Today’s Workplace: The Times They are a-Changing,” Chris Campellone concurs, but also notes that in a period of high unemployment, it is “Blacks and Hispanics who are shouldering most of the burden, with rates that are far outpacing those of Whites and Asians,” and women still make 81 cents on the male dollar. As far as we’ve come, we’ve still a long way go.

Explored in these features are questions likely to remain relevant in future editions of DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS: What are the hallmarks of those employers that are most proactive and successful in reaching their diversity goals, to the benefit of their organizational mission? What resistances and obstacles must be overcome? Indeed, what does “diversity” mean today, and tomorrow – the approaching era of the so-called “minority-majority” America, the post-Obama America?

The continued exploration of these questions and our company’s founding values will serve to guide the staff of DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS moving forward from this, our commencement.

-- Stewart Ikeda

Former Director of Online Content and Editor-in-Chief at IMDiversity.com, Stewart Ikeda is a new media planning, editorial, and diversity consultant, author of What the Scarecrow Said, editor of Diversity Employers Magazine, and VP of Online Publishing for IMDiversity, Inc.

FEATURES IN DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS SPRING 2011

Publisher's Message:
Diversity Employers Finding the New Beat

About this Issue

Message from the Founder

Diversity in the Workplace:
The Times They Are a-Changin’

Straight Talk from the Top

The Best of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN: 1970-2010

America’s Top Employers Help Match Jobs to Veterans

Building a Career While Making a Difference

Graduating and No Job: Now What?

Evaluating a Job Offer: Should I Say Yes?

Gallery of Advertisers

Premiere Issue: Diversity Employers (Incorporating THE BLACK COLLEGIAN)

2011-04-15T09:36:00.000-05:00

IMDiversity Inc. announces the release of the new Diversity Employers Magazine, incorporating and expanding the scope of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN), starting with its Winter 2011 Issue:

The Jobs and Top 100 Employers Issue

Career Planning and Job Search Issue, featuring The Top 100 Employers for the Class of 2011, "The Way Forward: The Road to Job Growth and a Stronger Economy" by President Obama, "Needed: Bilingual Health Care Providers," and more

BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine to Cease Publication in Print

2011-04-12T13:52:00.004-05:00

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine to cease publication in paper form after 40 years. The magazine will be succeeded by, and incorporated into, Diversity Employers Magazine, and wider online jobs and content network.

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN will continue to exist as an online entity, with an active website at www.blackcollegian.com and a Facebook group, and a dynamic jobs database featuring employment opportunities for entry-level job seekers and recent college graduates, at http://jobsearch.blackcollegian.com.

Diversity Registry: Look up Employer Diversity Initiatives

2010-06-28T14:43:00.002-05:00

We're pleased to unveil the new Diversity Registry -- A reference to look up employers' diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace, supplier contracting, markets and other areas.

THE DIVERSITY REGISTRY is your online resource to research and compare information from employers with active diversity programs according to a wide range of indicators. Its mission is to showcase the diversity initiatives of major employers, and to help job seekers, researchers and others to determine the extent to which employers promote diversity within and outside of their organizations. It is accessible at THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online (http://www.blackcollegian.com/registry) with additional features posted at the new partner site, DiversityRegistry.com [beta].

Easily look up employers by name, or skip ahead to one of the Diversity Registry Lookup categories, including:

Updates: 2010 Virtual Diversity / MBA Career Fair

2010-03-09T16:41:00.002-06:00

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN is pleased to introduce the latest featured employers to join the 2010 Virtual Diversity Career Fair, co-presented this year by THE BLACK COLLEGIAN, the IMDiversity.com Career Center & Multicultural Villages Network, and the Howard University MBA Program.

Cintas Employer Profile
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Employer Profile
Federal Reserve Information Technology Employer Profile
Illinois State Police Academy Employer Profile
National Fuel Employer Profile
National Trust for Historic Preservation Employer Profile
RJ Reynolds Employer Profile
RSM McGladrey Employer Profile
Thomas & Herbert Consulting Employer Profile

The seasonal Virtual Diversity Career Fair features detailed profiles, recruiter statements, diversity information, and job or internship opportunities by diversity-committed employers who are still actively recruiting in the second semester.

Additional features include career advice content from recruiters and career center directors, Fair update email alerts, resume drive with private job tools for quick posting of your employer-searchable resume during and after the Fair, and expanded custom job search tools for searching tens of thousands of additional job listings across the world.

Visit http://blackcollegian.com/careerfair for more information.

Website for students, interns coming to South Africa

2010-02-17T09:22:00.003-06:00

The editors received a message announcing the launch of a fairly comprehensive online resource that will be of interest to any student interested in traveling to South Africa, whether for a study exchange or internship. Among the helpful sections are a listing of internship opportunities, travel and accommodation planning for foreign students, and more.

----- RELEASE -----

Cape Intern is a free 'online information portal for foreign students' coming to South Africa. Cape Intern is all about giving students free access to information and opportunities in the Internship & Volunteer markets.

South Africa is a growing destination for overseas students looking to do Internships and volunteer programs. Information for these students is limited at the best of times or fees are involved. We at Cape Intern would like to support and encourage these students with our knowledge and research, which we post on our website www.capeintern.com. We believe South Africa has a lot to offer students from all over the world.

Cape Intern offers the following information:
Provide Internship Database
Provide Volunteer Database
Contact details for the main Universities
Medical internship programs and opportunities
Language schools and Volunteer work opportunities
Safety guidelines
Accommodation
How to get around Cape Town
Activities in Cape Town
Map of important locations

Information and opportunities for Internships and Volunteer programs in South Africa are available in three languages:

http://www.capeintern.com ( English )
http://de.capeintern.com ( German )
http://nl.capeintern.com ( Dutch )

African-American History 101 Contest

2010-02-16T14:36:00.000-06:00

It's back!

Take our African-American History 101 Pop Quiz, and you could win $50.00 cash, and be named THE BLACK COLLEGIAN's African-American History Scholar on your campus. Your photo will be posted on THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online at www.blackcollegian.com!

View the current magazine edition for more details.

Upcoming Scholarship Deadline: Minority Chemistry Students

2010-02-15T14:42:00.002-06:00

African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian students who are high school seniors, or college freshmen, sophomores or juniors are among those who can now apply for a scholarship from the American Chemical Society Scholars Program. Applications will be accepted through March 1, 2010, for the 2010-2011 school year.

Students must plan to major in or already be majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering or a chemically-related science, and they must plan to pursue a career in the chemical sciences. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on college level and economic need.

For more details, see The American Chemical Society (ACS) Scholars Program accepting applications for minority students studying chemistry.

Pre-Registration for 2010 Virtual Diversity Career Fair

2010-02-15T14:21:00.003-06:00

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN is pleased to announce that pre-registration has opened for the 2010 Virtual Diversity Career Fair, co-presented this year by THE BLACK COLLEGIAN, the IMDiversity.com Career Center & Multicultural Villages Network, and the Howard University MBA Program!

Diverse college students, soon-to-be college graduates, and entry-level jobseekers from all backgrounds, areas of study and educational institutions are invited to attend the annual, pre-graduation careers event, hosted on THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online at http://www.blackcollegian.com/careerfair.

The seasonal Virtual Diversity Career Fair features detailed profiles, recruiter statements, diversity information, and job or internship opportunities by diversity-committed employers who are still actively recruiting in the second semester.

Additional features include career advice content from recruiters and career center directors, Fair update email alerts, resume drive with private job tools for quick posting of your employer-searchable resume during and after the Fair, prize drawings and private content for registrants, and expanded custom job search tools for searching tens of thousands of additional job listings across the world.

The Fair will coincide with both the circulation of the new First Semester Super Issue (Top 100 Employers/African American History Edition) of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine on college campuses nationwide, and the springtime MBA Diversity Forums careers event on the campus of the Howard University Graduate School of Business (details to come).

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Second Semester Issue Shipped

2010-02-01T14:29:00.000-06:00

The editors are pleased to announce the release of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine Second Semester Super Issue, now being distributed on college campuses nationwide, and released in an extended online edition at THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online.

This edition includes The Top 100 Employers for the Class of 2010, Profiles of African-American Chief Executives, History of Employment Discrimination in America, a profile of businesswoman and super model, Tyra Banks, who launched her career in THE BLACK COLLEGIAN, the annual African-American History 101 Contest, and much more.

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN now on Facebook

2009-11-17T13:37:00.002-06:00

We're pleased to announce the launch of the new THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine on Facebook Page. The page intends to focus on jobs and careers information, feature article information, fan feedback, and other information-sharing with fans of our magazine.

While many of the postings will be specifically focused on the interests of our college student, recent graduate, and active entry-level jobseekers, anyone on Facebook, of any background, who has an interest in keeping up with our magazine, website and online career tools is welcomed to become a fan.

The Great Job Hunt Contest @ BCO

2009-10-15T12:34:00.001-05:00

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN is pleased to introduce the 2009 GREAT JOB HUNT Contest.

We know the jobs climate may appear gloomy now, so we want to help motivate and invigorate your search for entry-level and internship opportunities. As our Mother Lode of Career Opportunities shows, there are good entry-level jobs out there for those determined to pursue them. The GREAT JOB HUNT "sweetens the pot" by offering cash and prizes just for exploring available job opportunities and career information on the Mother Lode of Career Opportunities.

We'll be adding new questions throughout the semester. The first person to submit the correct answer to each question will receive a prize of $50 + The Job Hunter's Survival Guide; the second person to submit the correct answer will receive a prize of $25; both winners will be featured with their photo on THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online.

Try your hand at The Great Job Hunt Contest today.

New Issue of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN

2009-10-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

We're pleased to announce our First Semester 2009 Super Issue, the Career Planning and Job Search Issue, featuring:

The Mother Lode of Career Opportunities for the Class of 2009
Gentlemen of Quality
Where are the Jobs in Government?
Opportunities in the Green Economy
The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide

...and more

New articles from the magazine will be added to our website on a rolling basis throughout the semester, along with some special online-only features.

Fellowship Program for PhD in Political Science

2009-09-28T13:50:00.001-05:00

The American Political Science Association is accepting applications for the 2010-2011 APSA Minority Fellowship Program.

Deadline: postmarked by October 2, 2009.

Eligibility

The APSA Minority Fellows program is designed primarily for minority students applying to enter a doctoral program in POLITICAL SCIENCE for the FIRST TIME.
Additional eligibility criteria include:
Applicants must be members of one of the following racial/ethnic minority groups: African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Latinos/as, and Native Americans (federal and state recognized tribes)
Applicants must demonstrate an interest in teaching and potential for research in political science
Applicant must be a United States citizen at time of award
Applicants must demonstrate financial need

To apply, and review eligibility requirements and application materials, please visit: http://www.apsanet.org/content_3284.cfm

The APSA Minority Fellowship Program is in its 40th year. Please forward this announcement to interested students/individuals.

New Job Tools and Expanded Jobs Network for Students

2009-07-14T11:20:00.004-05:00

We're pleased to announce we've completed the migration to our new Job Tools format and jobs database, offering improved resume posting and Saved Search Job Alert agent tools, as well as the ability to search a vastly expanded selection of job opportunities through our new Job Sites Network.

Student and entry-level job seekers are welcomed to create an account on our new system using our Job Tools Quickstart wizard.

Other additions of interest include a new series of QuickTips offering advice on how to optimize your job search on our site network, and the ability to subscribe for Jobs and Careers Updates mailings to receive notices about additional features such as our virtual career fairs, Top 100 Employers specials, graduate study opportunities, unpublished job opportunities and more.

To view the new tools and try the extended job search, visit www.blackcollegian.com and click "Job Tools".

Recently Added Features: Video, Nonprofit Careers, Male Students

2009-07-13T11:39:00.000-05:00

This week, we are featuring in our Xtra Video and Media section an inspiring video, "Lift Every Voice and Sing". The video produced by Ascender Communications features the 'Negro National Anthem' originally screened at the historic African-American Church Inaugural Ball in Washington, DC on January 18th, 2009.

Also added recently is a feature profile of Willie Iles, Jr., National Director for Government & Community Relations for the Boy Scouts of America. Mr Iles discusses the challenges and rewards of working in the nonprofit sector, and in the BSA, which is embarking on its 100th Anniversary in 2010.

We are also glad to welcome back past contributor Ian Evans, with his feature Gentleman of Quality, an exploration of "Young Black Men who are upholding the tradition of achievement, striving for excellence, and battling society's negative stereotypes."

BLACK COLLEGIAN Moving to New Online Job Board Format

2009-06-26T19:45:00.002-05:00

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online will be moving this month to a new jobs database format with expanded network jobs, instant Saved Search job alert emails, and streamlined searchable resume posting. We invite you to preview the beta model of our new job bank and its extended network of jobs.

For jobseekers with existing accounts on our old system, your account tools, resume, applications history, jobs in-box and search agent will still be accessible on our current system at http://blackcollegian.searchease.com until July 15, 2009. If you have any outstanding applications you would like to make to jobs saved in your in-box, we encourage you to do so or to make a copy of the posting before then.

If you have not visited our site recently, we hope you will explore our new job bank, now with simple new methods to search a vastly expanded network of postings, filter relevant jobs and schedule automated searches. Although the new system does not require it to search for and apply to jobs, creating a new account takes only a moment, and lets you also access the new versions of our easy-to-use searchable resume posting and manage multiple Saved Search Job Alert Email Agents.

For more, please see http://www.blackcollegian.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=580&Itemid=289

New feature spotlights "Gentlemen of Quality" on HBCU campuses

2009-06-19T13:11:00.003-05:00

We're glad to announce the return to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online of contributor Ian Evans ("The Dress Code" First Semester Super Issues 2008) with a new feature, "Gentlemen of Quality," and examination of "Young Black Men who are upholding the tradition of achievement".

The far-ranging article features young men from across America's HBCUs, who in photographs and quotes tackle the challenges of being young, Black and male in a society where "positive images of quality, educated, enlightened young black men are few, while the image of uneducated drug dealers, pimps and thugs are widely known and celebrated."

The piece gives a compelling look at what men from Morehouse, Dillard, Howard, FAMU, Tuskegee and Fisk feel about the opportunities and hopes, and the continuing challenges and stigmas that lay ahead for Black men in Obama-era America.

Deadline: HBS Summer Venture in Management Program 2009

2009-04-27T14:24:00.002-05:00

Release from Harvard Business School:

The Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP) is a week of Harvard Business School instruction that exposes high-potential college students in the summer between their junior and senior year to the HBS MBA experience and the variety of opportunities a degree in management can afford. Participants from diverse backgrounds spend the week on campus living the MBA student experience - attending classes, analyzing case studies, and debating management issues with peers and faculty.

This unique educational experience, in combination with a summer internship at a sponsoring company or organization, gives participants a broader understanding of the challenges business leaders face, the innumerable opportunities that exist in management, and the impact they can have on their community and the world through leadership.

In order to attend, a completed application is due by May 11, 2009. Click here for particulars on the application process.

For more information about this program, please visit the SVMP Website.

Best regards,
MBA Admissions
Harvard Business School

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Fellowships

2009-04-09T15:26:00.002-05:00

With a new generation of social advocates and policy makers changing the landscape on Capitol Hill, it is important to provide them with the tools necessary to conduct positive change. For more than two decades, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) has groomed motivated young adults into tomorrow's talented thought leaders. It is also one of the nation's largest provider of internships, scholarships, and fellowships to African Americans and persons of color.

A New Generation of Promise, by Sean Nixon, a 2009 CBCF Communications Intern, describes the program and the experiences of current Fellows, as the April 16 deadline approaches for next year's round of applications.

Study: Black Student-Athletes More Likely to Finish School

2009-04-07T16:12:00.003-05:00

Interesting findings from by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, as reported on Miller-McCune.com:

A study released Monday on the occasion of National Student-Athlete Day (or, as is more widely celebrated, the last day of the men's March Madness tournament), turns on its head a long-standing stereotype about black college athletes and the schools that recruit them.
Since the integration of major college athletic programs two generations ago, universities have been accused of using black athletes to win titles and build lucrative brands — with nary a degree exchanged in the process.

But today, it turns out, athletic departments are doing a better job of graduating black students than universities are as a whole. Put another way: black student-athletes are more likely to finish school than black students who aren't athletes.

Read the rest of the report, Grad Rates Higher For Black Athletes Than Black Students

Updates to the Virtual Diversity Career Fair

2009-03-15T12:27:00.001-05:00

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online is pleased to announce our 2009 Virtual Diversity Career Fair, co-presented this year with Black College Wire and IMDiversity.com!

Learn about employment and internship opportunities with major employers in a variety of sectors, including many who were featured in the Top 100 Employers List of our current issue. The annual Fair is by invitation only, and spotlights employers who are confirmed to still by seeking diverse entry-level candidates in the second semester, as well as college students and new graduates for internships and coops. Opportunities currently posted seek entry-level candidates in several majors, including engineering, business, IT, liberal arts, accounting and finance, and more.

It will be updated with new employers and opportunities throughout the semester until graduation, or until participating employers determine they are no longer actively hiring.

The Fair runs February 1 through April 30, with continuing new employer updates. Visit the Fair today at http://www.blackcollegian.com.

Ohio event: Aspiring Physicians and Research Scientists Conference

2009-03-04T10:57:00.001-06:00

CLEVELAND CLINIC TO HOST THE SECOND ANNUAL ASPIRING PHYSICIANS AND RESEARCH SCIENTISTS CONFERENCE

Conference Focuses on African American and Hispanic College Students Interested in Science and Medicine

WHO: Cleveland Clinic is honored to host the second annual Aspiring Physicians and
Research Scientists Conference for African American and Hispanic/Latino(a) junior and senior math, science and pre-med majors. These 22 students are from historically black colleges and universities as well as Hispanic-serving institutions and Ohio colleges and universities.

WHAT: This two-day conference will focus on medical and scientific innovation. Several Cleveland Clinic physician and research scientists will welcome and address the students who will, in turn, have the opportunity to present their research to these experts. Scholarships will be given to the (three?) students who win the poster research presentations.

WHEN: March 5-6.

WHERE: Cleveland Clinic HealthSpace Auditorium, 8911 Euclid Avenue

WHY: Cleveland Clinic is dedicated to attracting and teaching medical experts from all over the world. This event will be a learning experience as well as a networking opportunity for these students.

Media is invited to attend the conference, interview the physicians and students. For more information and a schedule of events call Natalie Guzzo at 216.444.5703

About the Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Approximately 1,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2007, there were 3.5 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic and 50,455 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. Cleveland Clinic’s Web site address is www.clevelandclinic.org.

Features on the Outlook and Options for the Class of '09

2009-02-24T13:59:00.006-06:00

It's a high anxiety time for seniors on college campuses across America. With the U.S. Department of Labor reporting that the unemployment rate has spiked to 7.6 percent, or a 16-year high, economic analysts continue to project a bleak employment outlook for the class of 2009.

Dr. Phil Gardner, director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University, writes in the current edition of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine, recruitment of new college graduates was already cooling off in the fall.

"Companies [were] still seeking to fill a number of positions and [had] a busy fall on many campuses," Dr. Gardner reported in his feature The Outlook for the Class of '09. But, he went on to warn, "Do not expect the same level of intensity during the second semester, however, as employers will be more likely to be very cautious as they monitor economic conditions."

This semester, the recruitment situation seems downright chilly in many corners of the stumbling economy.

So, what are concerned students to do? This is the question we take up in a couple of interrelated feature articles recently posted on THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Online.

As Walter Vertreace argues in How to Find Your Dream Job In a Nightmare Economy, "The process you would use to target your job search and evaluate opportunities in a stronger economy will still work today."

Researching companies, reviewing company websites and government sources, noting "top companies" lists, networking with knowledgeable professors, alumni and company employees in your network -- the same rules and tools still apply. Finding a job in today's market requires the same diligence, smarts and legwork as in better times, only augmented.

It's not always easy for jobseekers to meet and nail down knowledgeable employees of potential hiring organizations to ask their advice. In an extended online feature, Job Outlook for the Class of '09: Recruiters' Messages, we invited several recruiters from major employer organizations to share their frank advice for those seeking to enter the job market amidst today's harsh economic realities. An online-only companion to Dr. Gardner's feature, the real-world advice column will be updated on a rolling basis this semester with new contributions, many of which are being contributed by representatives of companies participating in our second semester Virtual Diversity Career Fair, an event for companies still actively hiring entry-level candidates up until graduation.

For other soon-to-be-grads, the difficulty of finding a job and the desire to be more strongly positioned for career with an advanced degree, making a direct move to apply to graduate schools is an increasingly attractive option.

As Catherine Cannon reports in a video piece for VoA News this month (Video: College Graduate Job Outlook (in streaming Windows Media Format), directors of college career offices are anticipating seeing more of their newly minted graduates head straight for graduate programs rather than get their feet wet in an entry-level employment opportunity. The current edition of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN features a special section for prospective Graduate and Professional school students -- what we're calling "a bit of an appetizer" introducing a new publication, "Diversifying Graduate and Professional Schools" to launch later this year.

For college seniors especially who have not yet found employment, we encourage you to review these features in our magazine at your campus career center, or on our website. You may preregister now for our career fair, which will be co-presented this year by the IMDiversity.com Career Center and Black College Wire, as well as post a searchable resume.

SuperScholar/EXCEL at XU Accepting Applications

2009-02-17T08:15:00.000-06:00

NEW ORLEANS - The Xavier University SuperScholar/EXCEL program returns to the campus this summer June 21- July 18, 2009. The four-week summer program, which prepares African American students for college and ultimately for graduate or professional school, is currently accepting applications.

Students are required to live on campus and also participate in social and cultural events. Extracurricular highlights include the Essence Festival, a steamboat cruise and a talent/fashion show. The total cost of the program is $1950; merit scholarships up to $1550 are available.

To participate in Xavier's SuperScholar/EXCEL summer program, students should be high school seniors in the fall of 2009 or graduating seniors who have been admitted to Xavier for the fall. Applicants are encouraged to apply by March 15.

For full details, see the complete release SuperScholar/EXCEL at XU Accepting Applications.