Northeastern Voice

Co-op is the cornerstone, say provost and president

Provost Stephen Director speaks at the State of the University town meeting Oct. 15. Photo by CRAIG BAILEY

Reaffirming cooperative education’s centrality to the Northeastern experience, Provost Stephen Director told students this week that the university is exploring ways to offer four-year undergraduate programs that include co-op, along with the traditional five-year program.

“We are not backing away from co-op,” said Director at a meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA).

During the annual State of the University town meeting in October, the provost and President Joseph Aoun each mentioned the possibility of Northeastern’s offering both four- and five-year academic programs that are rooted in cooperative education, allowing students greater flexibility.

The option is seen as attractive to students who want to enter the workforce or graduate school a year earlier. The provost has also pushed for more international co-op opportunities for students.

“Cooperative education is Northeastern’s signature program and great strength,” Director said after the SGA meeting. “The traditional approach to co-op has been for students to graduate in five years, working three six-month co-op jobs along the way.

“Some majors already permit a four-year program,” added Director. “What we want to do now is find ways to let students in more programs graduate in four years if they so desire, while still having a meaningful co-op experience.”

During his State of the University remarks, Aoun said the issue is one of “time to degree” — that is, allowing students the option to graduate more rapidly if they choose. He called on the Northeastern community to “engage in a reflection” on how best to offer such an option.

The university now has students working at co-op jobs in every major city in the United States and around the world. “With more than 2,500 companies and not-for-profit employers working with us as partners, we are the undisputed leader in experiential education,” added Aoun. “This gives us a unique position in higher education.”