NEWS & EVENTS
First class of GE SWEAP program gets to work.
The Princeton Review also took into account the percentage of graduating seniors who borrowed from any loan program and the average debt those students had at graduation. First Class of UNO GE Capital Software Engineering Apprenticeship Program Gets to Work
The GE Capital Technology Center in New Orleans launched its first Software Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SWEAP) class with 13 students from the University of New Orleans. These students will apprentice with GE Capital while earning their degree and will receive formal industry mentorship and training in addition to their hands-on work experience. The first class of apprentices comes from UNO's Department of Computer Science. More than a quarter of the apprentices are from outside Louisiana, including Illinois, Ohio, Mississippi, and even Yaoundé, Cameroon. For most of the students, this apprenticeship is their first experience developing software at an enterprise level. According to GE Capital officials, the students’ interests in web development, mobile applications, data science, artificial intelligence, and cyber security are already sparking creativity and pushing the GE Capital employees look at different, simpler ways of solving problems. The apprentices understand the importance of learning technical and professional skills to transition effectively from campus to corporate life. “SWEAP is a good fit for my career because it allows me to grow professionally, meet other people who are passionate about technology and tailor my skills for the corporate world,” 10
UNO MAGAZINE
says Brice Djilo, a UNO student and SWEAP apprentice. In addition to providing apprentices with industry mentorship from GE Capital technology professionals and real-world experience, the partnership with UNO will include GE Capital's investment in UNO’s computer science curriculum to ensure that the pipeline of talent remains vibrant in the future. By the end of 2014, GE Capital plans to hire another class of software apprentices for the program. The training that students receive will position them for better engineering opportunities with GE Capital or other employers in the area. “This co-op position is allowing me to develop skills in a friendly environment and gain some experience before graduation,” says James Bates, a senior SWEAP apprentice. “I was surprised by how excited everyone here at GE Capital is about the SWEAP program. The team here at the technology center is really committed to the idea of making this program succeed, and in turn, making sure we succeed.” UNO Unveils Mentoring Program Designed for First-Generation Students
A new mentoring program at the University of New Orleans is designed to help first-generation students surmount hurdles, stay in school and achieve success. “What we’ve learned is that our first-generation students are not being retained at the same rate as their non-firstgeneration contemporaries,” says student success counselor Nick Fuselier. “This isn't just a UNO population problem. This is a national problem faced by first-generation students.”
SPRING 2014
The first member of a family to attend college faces a unique set of challenges, studies show. First-generation students may be unfamiliar with the jargon, traditions or expected behaviors of college life, face family separation or financial issues or simply lack a common home life experience. Studies also show that these students are more likely to have less disposable income and work more hours while in college than some of their peers, to have greater need for professional mentoring and leadership opportunities and to describe themselves as “on my own” when navigating the financial aid process. A review of retention rates for the 2012-2013 academic year at UNO showed that 62 percent of first-generation students returned for the following semester while 70 percent of non-firstgeneration students returned, says Fuselier. The eight percent gap pointed to a need for support. In response, the University’s First Year Experience office this spring launched a mentoring program that pairs first-generation students with a graduate student, faculty or staff member and hosts group meet-ups at least once a month. Fuselier says he hopes the program will provide first-generation students with a tremendous resource and support network. Mentors will provide information and coaching — and help any students feeling isolated to earn a sense of community membership. For starters, all members attend a review workshop that covers topics ranging from financial aid, scholarships and student housing opportunities to time management, personal finances and faculty-student relationships, says Fuselier. Such topics are addressed during New Student Orientation and reviewed in UNIV-1001, a one-credit course attended by all first-year students. The workshop
Undergraduate Caitlin Murphy meets with mentor Lindsey Jakiel.