Wright-Swadel Named OCS Head

William Wright-Swadel was named director of the Faculty of Arts and Science's Office of Career Services at a press conference yesterday afternoon.

Wright-Swadel, who is currently director of career services at Dartmouth College, said he is eager to bring the community-oriented style he learned there to Harvard's employment office.

"[At Dartmouth] we have gotten very assertive about working and collaborating across the campus," Wright-Swadel said yesterday. "Many of our programs are co-sponsored by an academic department and a student group."

Wright-Swadel will replace outgoing director Martha Leape, who yesterday praised her successor.

"I am very pleased with his appointment," Leape said. "I've known Bill for several years as a colleague. He brings many strengths to the position."

Wright-Swadel attributed the recent increase in undergraduates choosing corporate finance as post-graduation options to the prevalence of investment firms at on-campus recruiting functions, companies' aggressive recruiting strategies and a strong corporate job market.

"Among these organizations, the opportunity is there," he said. "Our job is to make sure students consider the rangeof opportunities available to them rather thanonly the opportunities that come directly tothem."

"For students who are out there looking the jobmarket is a very exciting one...In general the jobmarket is improving," he said. "But it's not amarket that comes to students.

Wright-Swadel said his Dartmouth office hashelped to make students aware of theseopportunities by placing them on a computerdirectory available over the campus network.

Because all Dartmouth students have identical,networked computers, it is easier to make suchprograms available.

"Without everybody [at Harvard] having access,we must insure that every student on campus canget [information] in a positive and equitableway," he said.

At Harvard, Wright-Swadel will manage an officethat handles up to 1,000 student visits a day. TheBoston-area native has been working in the careerplanning field for nearly 20 years.

The new director said he will work with OCSstaff to develop and improve upon exisiting plansfor computerization of the office's resources.

"I see myself as having three roles: educator,counselor and administrator," he said. "I think itwould be inappropriate for me to divorce myselffrom seeing students entirely. I will see studentsand will stay in contact."

Wright-Swadel said he also hopes to improve theoffice's emphasis on scholarship and fellowshipprograms such as the Rhodes and Marshall. He saidmany students do not begin thinking about theseprizes until junior year, when their academicrecord is largely set.

"We'd like to show you how to plan, completeand assist yourself," he said.

Wright-Swadel, 45, said the time line for hismove to Cambridge has not yet been finalized, butthat he hopes to begin work by mid-July and to bein office by August

"For students who are out there looking the jobmarket is a very exciting one...In general the jobmarket is improving," he said. "But it's not amarket that comes to students.

Wright-Swadel said his Dartmouth office hashelped to make students aware of theseopportunities by placing them on a computerdirectory available over the campus network.

Because all Dartmouth students have identical,networked computers, it is easier to make suchprograms available.

"Without everybody [at Harvard] having access,we must insure that every student on campus canget [information] in a positive and equitableway," he said.

At Harvard, Wright-Swadel will manage an officethat handles up to 1,000 student visits a day. TheBoston-area native has been working in the careerplanning field for nearly 20 years.

The new director said he will work with OCSstaff to develop and improve upon exisiting plansfor computerization of the office's resources.

"I see myself as having three roles: educator,counselor and administrator," he said. "I think itwould be inappropriate for me to divorce myselffrom seeing students entirely. I will see studentsand will stay in contact."

Wright-Swadel said he also hopes to improve theoffice's emphasis on scholarship and fellowshipprograms such as the Rhodes and Marshall. He saidmany students do not begin thinking about theseprizes until junior year, when their academicrecord is largely set.

"We'd like to show you how to plan, completeand assist yourself," he said.

Wright-Swadel, 45, said the time line for hismove to Cambridge has not yet been finalized, butthat he hopes to begin work by mid-July and to bein office by August