School of Arts & Sciences to host annual program A&S NEXT
In a society that values business and pre-professional degrees, why might a student pursue a degree in history, philosophy, physics, or any of the 30-plus departments and programs in the School of Arts & Sciences? The vision of A&S NEXT is to give students every opportunity to build purposeful careers they are passionate about.
A&S NEXT is held in the spring semester and encourages students to discover their personal strengths and use their education at UR to transform their passion into a career they’ll love. At A&S NEXT, students interact with alumni and faculty and work alongside them to find solutions to real-world problems that are particular to the city of Richmond.
This year, A&S NEXT will be held from January 24th to the 25th at the Richmond Marriott. Participants get to choose one of six contemporary problems, depending on their interest. Topics include Technology and Innovation, Sustainability and the Environment, Public Health, Arts, Creativity, and Culture, the 21st Century Citizen, and Global Richmond. Alumni and faculty who have experience in the respective fields will mentor each group and help give participating students insight on how they may approach the issue at hand.
“The way that we have evolved A&S NEXT is toward a kind of “pitch” competition, where teams of students, professors and alumni propose solutions to issues that surround us,” said Dean Rankine. “As with corporate pitch competitions, businesses recognize that many of the challenges we face are social, while others have implications for innovation. Arts & Sciences majors bring more tools and perspectives to the proverbial table.”
A&S NEXT not only provides students with these challenges, but it also gives students an opportunity to network as well as participate in skills workshops. Students will participate in a StrengthsQuest workshop that will help them understand their strengths and how to apply them in academic and professional situations.
After the workshop, students will be introduced to networking etiquette and have the opportunity to utilize their newfound knowledge at a reception with faculty and UR alums.
Transportation, food, program materials, and overnight accommodations will be provided to all participants.
Students can register for A&S NEXT via SpiderConnect, but registration will close December 6th. Learn more about the program here.
If you have a class conflict on Friday afternoon, please email asnext@richmond.edu to let us know. Please also communicate with your professors as soon as possible. Career Services will work with your faculty and deans whenever possible.