Photos: Dr. Chris McNair, Dr. Carol Hill, Dr. Janelle O'Connell, Melissa Milliorn, Michael Monhollon, David Stuckey, Dr. Wayne Dorothy
As students prepare to graduate from Hardin-Simmons University in December, faculty members have encouraging news. In a recent opportunity to respond to a question regarding what recent graduates are doing, they say student acceptance into grad schools is high. Faculty members also say job placement rates in many professions is extremely encouraging. In some cases, faculty members offered data concerning beginning salaries.
Below are some of the responses from HSU faculty members.
Dr. Chris McNair, dean of the Holland School of Sciences and Mathematics, says, “One hundred percent of students majoring in the sciences last year were accepted into health professional programs for the 2012-2013 academic year. Graduated students were accepted to schools in medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, podiatry, graduate-level nursing, physician’s assistant (PA), and optometry.”
Dr. Carol Hill, head of the department of speech-language pathology, broadens the scope of students, saying, “Over the past three years, 100% of the graduates from HSU’s program who have applied to highly competitive graduate schools have been admitted.
“The students who sought employment had several job offers from which to select, both in the Abilene area and in larger cities in Texas,” says Hill. “We receive emails and phone calls weekly from potential employers inquiring about students who can start working immediately.”
Students participating in one of Holland’s graduate programs have enjoyed 100% job placement since 1997, says Dr. Janelle O’Connell, director of the physical therapy grad program. “Median salary of PTs in Abilene is $68,000 with the average starting salary for PT’s in Abilene at $60,000.” O’Connell also says that HSU students’ pass rate on the PT licensure examination has been 98% for the last five years, and HSU students’ matriculation rate is 95.5%, which is higher than the national average.
In the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts, Melissa Milliorn, head of the department of social work, says, “Of our 2012 graduates, 72% are employed in the field of social work, 14% are continuing their education, and another 14% postponed their careers for various reasons.” Among those students who have reported their beginning salaries to Milliorn, the highest salary is $33,000.
But primarily, Milliorn points to what the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is saying about the rapid growth of social work job opportunities. The website at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Community-and-Social-Service/Social-workers.htm reveals a median income of $42,480 per year and an anticipated 25% growth rate in the profession through 2020.
Milliorn says social work jobs are expected to increase from 650,500 jobs nationally to 821,700 jobs by 2020. She points out, “That’s an increase of 161,200 social work jobs that will be added over the next seven years.”
Milliorn says that the government information further indicates that social work is one of the fastest growing professions. “Basically, the government website statistically supports what we already know. We need more social workers and the only way to become one is to graduate with a degree in social work from an accredited program like ours here at HSU,” says Milliorn.
Michael Monhollon, dean of HSU’s Kelley College of Business, says that the KCOB surveys all its alumni one year after graduation and for each of the past two years more than 90% had jobs or were in graduate school or both.
Looking at these statistics more specifically, Monhollon says, “Last spring 36 business students graduated. Eighteen accepted job offers during their last semester and another six were accepted into graduate school before graduation. Three students contacted us over the summer to let us know they had landed jobs in their field.”
Good job placement figures also come out of the Irvin School of Education. David Stuckey, head of the department of fitness and health sciences, says graduates in athletic training will have no trouble once they enter the job market. “One hundred percent of our graduates for, at least, the last five years are either employed or are in graduate school,” says Stuckey.
Logsdon School of Theology offers the link below, showing the results of a questionnaire answered by students pertaining to the academic preparedness and the effectiveness of the Logsdon graduate programs. http://www.logsdonseminary.org/forms/EducationalEffectiveness.pdf
Dr. Wayne Dorothy, director of bands and professor of music in the HSU School of Music and Fine Arts, says, “All of our music majors have been successful in finding the employment they sought, whether in music or in another field. Others have successfully pursued additional study in graduate school.”
Results from a survey, compiled by the HSU Career Services Office on the post-graduation plans of students who graduated as late as May 2011, shows which businesses employed HSU grads (315 students replied to the questionnaire).
Students with Bachelor’s Degrees
Employers of August 2010 - May 2011 Grads
Abilene Independent School District (7)
Abilene Police Department (2)
Abilene Public Library
Abilene Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Inc.
Abilene Ruff Riders
Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union
Accenture
Adidas
Apache Corporation
Apple Creek Private Pre-School
Apple Glass and Mirror
Atlas Oilfield Construction
Baylor All Saints Medical Center
Bel-Ami Dermatology
Bell Helicopter
Brighter Image Labs
Buckle
Christian Care Centers
Christus Spohn
City of Ralls
CompuCom
Covenant Health System (2)
CVS Pharmacy
Dallas Children's Advocacy Center
Davis Kinard, CPA
Dilliard’s Inc.
Don-Nan Pump and Supply Co., Inc.
Dozier
Eastland County Probation Department
ECarList
Fastenal
Fidelity Investments
First Baptist Church of Abilene
First Baptist Church of Tuscola
First Financial Bank (3)
First United Methodist Church of Eastland
Funeral Directors Life Insurance Company (FDLIC)
Gulf Coast Treatment Center
Hardin-Simmons University (2)
Hendrick Medical Center (8)
Hendrick Regional Lab
Hollico, Inc.
JMR Industries
Kosmos Energy
KTAB-TV Nexstar Broadcasting
Love and Care Ministries
Main Street Capital Corporation
McCarty Equipment
Montgomery High School
N D White Engineering
Nation Wide Products
Nationstar Mortgage
Nexstar Broadcasting
NFP
Nolan County Probation
Peace Corps
Prestonwood Baptist Church
Randy Bailey
Royal Equipment
Serenity Foundation of Texas (2)
Shoreline Hospital
SoftSearch Investments, LLC
Susan G. Komen Foundation
Taylor County CSCD (2)
Teleperformance
Texas Family Institute
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
The Acting Company
The Art Institute of Fort Worth
The Brook Hill School (2)
The Fire Escape
Tige Boats
Top Notch Staffing
Tyler ISD
University Medical Center
UT Southwestern
Washington Regional Medical Center
Williamson County Juvenile Services (2)
Winona ISD
Wylie ISD (2)
Students with Master’s/Doctoral Level Graduates
Employers of August 2010 - May 2011 Grads
Abilene Independent School District (7)
Abilene State Supported Living Center
Acadia Abilene Health Care
Angelo State University
Boys and Girls Home of Alaska
BuildASign.com United States Air Force (3)
Camp Eagle
Comanche County Memorial Hospital
Concordia University Texas
Condley & Company, LLP
Double Eagle Development, LLC
Drilling Info
Emergency Veterinary Clinic
Emeritus Senior Living
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church of Amarillo
Hardin-Simmons University (6)
Hendrick Medical Center
Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center
KENS 5
Mazda of Midland
McMurry University
Midland Academy School
New Horizons
Newpoint Management, LLC
Ortho Sport Physical Therapy
Pioneer Drive Baptist Church (2)
Railroad Commission of Texas (2)
Rapha Rehab Services
Reach Academy for Girls Charter School
River Region Human Services
Santa Fe ISD
Sears
Sears Methodist Hospice
Serenity House
Shades of Hope Treatment Center
South Main Baptist Church
St. John Lutheran Church
Sweetwater Intermediate School
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital, Fort Worth
The Bair Foundation
THPG
Trinity Baptist Church
TXU Energy
United Way of Abilene/ 2-1-1 Texas A Call for Help
University Baptist Church
Valley Mills ISD
WellMed Medical Management
West Texas Rehabilitation Center