New Name, Same Goal: The Weigand Career Center for Professional Excellence
The entrance to the Weigand Career Center for Professional Excellence.
The Russell G. Weigand Center for Professional Excellence (WCPE) has rebranded to the Russell G. Weigand Career Center for Professional Excellence (WCCPE). The name change was rolled out last spring semester, but the grand reopening will be at the WCCPE on Sept. 18.
The name change came from student and staff feedback. The center meets with focus groups of students and sends a survey to students every two to three years to find out what they know about the center.
The WCCPE found out that the awareness of the center was not as strong as it could be. The feedback also showed that students did not understand immediately that this was the career center from the name, which is why it was changed.
Executive Director of the WCCPE Martin Gahbauer explained the effectiveness of the new name.
“It does all the things that we would like it to do, namely, it keeps our heritage in professional excellence,” said Gahbauer. “And then just by simply adding the word career in front of the center, it’s clarified.”
The center officially launched at the Student Involvement Fair on Aug. 28. They will also be doing a social media campaign to launch the name, as well as a contest to spread the word.
Along with the new name, Gahbauer mentioned that there are some new resources that students will have access to. One new resource is called the WCCPE Resume Builder, an AI-powered tool that was developed by students, for students.
“What’s cool about this thing is that it will help you develop a first draft, then once you’ve got a first draft, it makes it great to come into the office, meet with an advisor, and they can really help you to make it even stronger,” Gahbauer said.
One program that the WCCPE has is called the “Meet the Professionals Program.” The program is designed to help students learn the skill of networking.
Gahbauer explained that networking is critically important for any successful job search, so by students having the opportunity to talk to professionals in the field they want to go into, they figure out what it really takes to get that job.
“The students get the opportunity to go up and talk to them, and network with them to learn that skill,” Gahbauer said. “Just by simply going up and talking to folks. And that has been really helpful to our students.”
Gahbauer said the main hope behind the name change is that students understand that this is the career center. He hopes that students are able to become aware of the resources that the WCCPE offers and that they are able to take advantage of them.
“You can come and see us. We can help you figure it out,” Gahbauer said. “And that’s really why we’re here. We all take great joy and pride in seeing our students succeed no matter what it is.”
