By Preeteesh Peetabh Singh
Dialog Reporter
There has been a silent concern among some of the students on co-op policies in the business programs of George Brown College (GBC), at the post-graduate level.
Post-graduate certificate programs requiring one mandatory four month long co-op work term are Sport and Event Marketing (B400), Marketing Management-Financial Services Program (B406), Human Resources Management (B408) and Strategic Relationship Marketing (B408).
According to the co-operative education student handbook, April 2012, the co-op fee of $450, which is in addition to the tuition fee, covers the cost of running the co-op prep course. 40 per cent of this amount is used for placement activities like job postings, interviews, confirming placements and monitoring visits with students and employers. 30 per cent towards student preparation and career advising which includes resumes, grades, work term reports, interviews and job search. 20 per cent towards employer promotions mailings, phone calls etc., and 10 per cent on database administration which covers ensuring accurate employer/student information, grades administration and follow-up.
Mahdokht Taba, Marketing Management-Financial Services Program says, “Students can prepare their resume, cover letters and even go for mock interviews through the career centre for free. It wasn’t necessary to have these conducted at the co-op office. The whole co-op course could have been summarized in a four-hour workshop.”
“The co-op term is within the period of our program, so it should not have extra tuition”, said Taba.
While most of the co-op jobs opportunity listed on Place Pro (a web-based system where students can search and apply for jobs and set up interviews) are unpaid, students are finding it tough to make the decision to apply for them. International students are on the receiving end once again. Working four months for free doesn’t seem to go over well when the tuition is four times higher than for domestic students and they have other expenses like lodging, food and transportation
Krithika S. Koundinya, a Strategic Relationship Marketing student, said, “I do not understand why we are paying. If all the jobs were paid, then maybe I won’t mind. But most of the jobs posted on Place Pro are free labour. And I am sure if we approach companies ourselves offering free labour, we will still get the Co-op.”
The co-op department is facing flack for another set of rules that puts the students on self-directed status. Students are not given access to the Place Pro system once they are on self-directed status and thus have to search for jobs on their own. Students may be put on self-directed status if they decline two scheduled interviews or two job offers, or one scheduled interview and one job offer without a reasonable explanation. They can also be disqualified if they do not apply to at least five jobs by the end of the first semester’s intersession week.
“It’s too rigid a rule. I understand they (GBC) want to protect their reputation with the companies. But the companies want the best students, we must have the right to choose the job that is the best for us,” said Koundinya.
“The other concern is that we have to apply for five jobs by March 1. But what if I don’t like the jobs posted? The answer was that we have to apply and there is no option.” Koundinya said, “Now, if I get called in for one of those positions that I applied to – because I had no option – I can’t even refuse the interview or the job or else I am put on self-directed status. What am I paying for? If getting experience is the most important thing through co-op, how does applying to random jobs and accepting the first one coming my way makes sense?”
The Dialog tried to contact the co-op office for comments. Kenny Clayton, Human Resource assistant directed the questions to Robyn Papoff, co-op assistant, who said she was not in a position to answer policy questions and forwarded it to Kimberly Recoskie, co-op officer, who thought it would be best to contact the management to answer in-depth questions.
The hierarchy continued, but without an answer.
Carolyn Grayston, administrative assistant to the Dean, said that Elizabeth Speers, director of Centre for Business was leaving for a vacation and she will be willing to talk about it after she comes back in the first week of April.
With the co-op term scheduled to start from May 6, it might be too late to address and act upon student concerns.
