George Mason University: University Career Services earns two awards from Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers
George Mason University’s Career Services staff and industry adviser Philip Wilkerson received two awards from the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE). The awards were presented at the association’s annual conference, June 22-24, in Atlantic City.
The staff received the Innovation in Diversity and Inclusion award for their Anti-Racism Learning Program, which is required for all 25 members of the team. The program includes a set of clear expectations and scaffolded curriculum for staff to engage in over at least a three-year period, including completion of Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), annual participation in two trainings and group debrief to discuss implications of the topic on the work of career services, and attendance at one campus diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) event of the staff member’s choosing. Optional activities are available as well.
“To be effective, we must recognize the role that students’ social identities play in their hopes, fears, options, and professional journey,” the award criteria on the EACE website notes.
Wilkerson, who has MEd counseling and development from Mason, collaborates with employers to make them aware of the talented Mason students through invitations to visit the campus for fairs, workshops, and unique events. He meets with students to market their creative skills through personal branding (resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, etc.). In March, Wilkerson was recognized as a Northern Virginia Forty Under Forty honoree by the Leadership Center for Excellence and Leadership Fairfax.
An active member of EACE, Wilkerson currently serves on the association’s Technology and Communication Committee and manages the #EACE Twitter Chats. He was elected its board, serving as the EACE’s director of technology and information management, starting July 1. He also co-hosts an EACE web show titled “EACE Conversations with Bob and Phil” with Bob Bullard, who previously served as a co-chair of the Conference Experience Committee for the 2021 EACE Virtual Conference.