SCPS instructional designer Kevin Lucey called it “a whirlwind” that began at the end of March when Arts & Sciences Dean Ian Baucom and SCPS Dean Alex Hernandez proposed working together to quickly develop a new summer program in response to the pandemic. … It’s been incredible.” All hands on deck to create a unique student experience I felt like I didn’t have much time to figure out what I want to do after college, but this has given me the opportunity to really step back and start some concrete plans. “It couldn’t have been more timely for me, going into my last year.
The career search and networking lessons woven into Launchpad helped her see how to apply the ethnography skills she’s learned in her major to a consulting career. “This has been an invaluable experience for me,” said Elli Perkins, a fourth-year anthropology major from Richmond.
The positive feedback from students who completed the program with six course credits from the College, as well as “bootcamp” experience in digital marketing, data analytics, podcast production and other marketable skills, has the College and SCPS working on continuing the program in the future.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the College collaborated with UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) to design and launch - in a matter of weeks - a new eight-week online program in the University’s Summer Session that combined liberal arts courses with technical workshops and career-focused projects to help propel students toward a spectrum of career possibilities.Īppropriately called UVA Launchpad, its debut session this summer drew more than 100 students, primarily from the College of Arts & Sciences. With the COVID-19 pandemic triggering mass cancellations of education abroad programs, internships and volunteer jobs, the College of Arts & Sciences had little time this spring to figure out how to rescue what could have been a lost summer of opportunity for students.