Oklahoma City University announced a new Office of Corporate Relations will be implemented for students.
On Feb. 11, Oklahoma City University announced a plan to strengthen their connection with Oklahoma City’s surrounding business community by establishing a new Office of Corporate Relations. This new operation aims to gather and provide feedback to the university regarding workforce development by partnering with local corporations.
The Office of Corporate Relations is supervised by the Office of Advancement and headed by Frank Franzese, principal of Frank Franzese & Company.
“Over the years I’ve worked with the university, I saw an opportunity to more deeply connect its talented students, faculty, and staff with current and potential corporate partners,” Franzese said in the announcement. “I’m looking forward to facilitating these connections to strengthen our mutually beneficial relationships.”
Judy Reyes-Henderson, assistant vice president for development, said she took a key role in building the new office.
“This program was created to fulfill our promise to serve as Oklahoma City’s university. We will be able to serve our partners more strategically and effectively while listening to their workforce needs and incorporating those into our students’ educations,” Reyes-Henderson said.
Reyes-Henderson said students of all majors will have the opportunity to participate in both paid and unpaid internships, mentorship programs, and other career services initiatives through the Office of Corporate Relations.
“Solidifying these partnerships with the community and our university is a vital part of our mutual success,” Reyes-Henderson said.
Students will be able to gain workplace experience from these new partnerships, while local corporations will benefit from OCU’s resources.
“We have been able to witness the impact of our partnership with Oklahoma City University first-hand,” Jacob Rodriguez, vice president of analytics at Jasco Products Co., said in the university’s announcement. “They bring a unique entrepreneurial spirit and level of engagement to our relationship.”
Ada Lopez, music theater sophomore, said the new Office of Corporate Relations is bound to be a positive development.
“I think it’s great that students will be able to gain such good experience before heading out into the workforce,” Lopez said. “College is supposed to be preparing us for the real world. Experience is just as valuable as any college class or credit.”
More information on how to get involved with the New Office of Corporate Relations can be found on the OCU website.
Leave a Reply