Fall 2015: Dean welcomes new and returning students!
Welcome to Northeastern’s Fall 2015 Term! And for those of you who are new, welcome to Northeastern University-Seattle!
You come to a far larger campus and experienced staff and faculty this Fall. We now have three campus locations here in South Lake Union, the hub of Seattle’s innovative tech companies, to accommodate the needs of our growing number of students and on-ground faculty. Our campus from the outset has served as a launching pad for new approaches in education and the student experience. The ALIGN program, for example, was successfully started here in Seattle and is now being used by Northeastern across the nation. This fall we are piloting career service online modules (careerX at Northeastern), to help all of our students gain the edge in securing the jobs they seek both for intern/co-op purposes and after they have secured their degree. This should be of particular interest to our online students who may not have easy access to our campus.
We also developed here in Seattle the term Networked for Life to convey the value of the global network Northeastern has developed. This network includes students in many countries, 6,000 co-ops which at any time are working in 124 nations across the world for 2,800 companies and non-profit organizations, and hundreds of thousands of alumni who value a lifelong connection with Northeastern. Our Seattle campus is closely networked on many levels with our campuses in Boston, Charlotte and now in Silicon Valley.
The 2015-16 school year at the Seattle campus will be exciting, with the on-campus range of academic and extracurricular experiences. We plan to bring many company leaders onto our campus to meet with our students and guests, and give them a first-hand introduction to our top-notch students. Our adjunct faculty, who take time off from their jobs at Boeing, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Microsoft Research and many other companies to teach our students, provide a unique resource for Seattle students.
Gina Takasugi, Assistant Director, Student Services, is available to answer student questions.
For those students coming this fall who are new to Seattle, welcome to one of the fastest-growing cities in America! Take advantage of our Student Services department, led by Gina Takasugi, to get help and guidance on how to navigate the campus, Seattle and the Puget Sound region. As your time and study schedule permits, you will find this to be a magnificent part of the world, with the cosmopolitan aspects of Seattle complemented by amazing natural attractions in the mountains, forests and waters all around us.
Recognize you are now registered in an advanced academic program, which will require much attention and focus for you to master the topic and develop your knowledge and specific skills. Having said that, many students forget during the school year that their overall goal in coming to Northeastern is to get a great co-op experience and full-time job or promotion once they have their degree.
Be sure to take time out to attend and participate in the many opportunities we will provide throughout the school year to learn about and interface with companies, as well as to develop your skills in finding and then getting the employment opportunities you seek. Like much in life, you will get out of this experience what you put into it, and important work is ahead of you both in your studies and your efforts to position yourself for success in finding employment.
I look forward to meeting the new students coming to our Seattle campus this Fall. Feel free to drop by my office at any time and get acquainted, and share your ideas on how we can enhance any aspect of the Northeastern experience.
– Dean Washburn