Get Hired Program Receives Bernard Pitts Award

DSAES News
July 21, 2022

The University of Houston was honored on Nov. 12th with ACUI’s Bernard Pitts award. The Bernard Pitts award recognizes a Region II institution that has planned, implemented, and evaluated an outstanding program or service that embodies ACUI’s Role of the College Union Statement. The Get Hired initiative, a joint effort by UH’s Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center, University Career Services, and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, is this year’s Bernard Pitts award winner.

The Get Hired program is a collaboration among the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center, and University Career Services to aid differently-abled students in their job search. Get Hired, which was hosted for the second time in 2018, brings in panelists to speak about their experiences navigating the workforce. These expert panelists, which this year included a representative from the University of Houston’s Equal Opportunity office, help Get Hired attendees to build confidence and overcome the challenges they may face in finding a job.

The collaborative effort by University Career Services, the Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center, and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion is aimed at reaching a population of students who can benefit from the expertise brought to the table by all three departments. “Together, they create a culture of inclusiveness, where differently-abled students are able to build contacts and confidence,” says University Career Services director, Monica Thompson. “Differently abled students may not be aware of the support University Career Services can offer them, and Get Hired is partly aimed at helping these students become familiar with the resources that are available to them.”

For more information on this year’s Bernard Pitts award, please contact Keith Kowalka, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs.