New options make O’Neill study abroad more accessible

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Leslie Wells

Graphic with details to apply for spring break study abroad. UAE trip: $1400, law, policy, public administration. Poland, $500, solving urban challenges, Cayman Islands $1,500, research in diverse ecosystems, Berlin $800 policy and economic resilience. Airfare is not included in the cost of the course.

Studying abroad can be the experience of a lifetime for college students. Yet the cost and the length of these programs may make some students question whether it’s a realistic option.

Jessie Silguero was almost one of them. Almost.

“I currently work two jobs and I’m the oldest in my family,” he says. “I have a lot of responsibilities.”

Jessie Silguero standing with luggage. — Jessie Silguero traveled to Berlin, Germany on a study abroad trip with O’Neill International.

Silguero is a criminal justice major at O’Neill. He was interested in taking his first trip out of the country through a summer study abroad program to Ireland. It would require two weeks of time off and about $1,400. The financial burden and time investment required worried him.

That’s when Kris Schuster, an O’Neill career advisor who oversees O’Neill International at IUPUI, offered Jessie an alternative. O’Neill International’s spring break study abroad program—previously only available to students in Bloomington—was opening to IUPUI students for the first time.

“Leaving for one week was more convenient and affordable for me,” he says.

The new spring break options open the door to four experiences: Germany, Poland, the Cayman Islands, and the United Arab Emirates. Costs range from $500 to $1,500 depending on the destination, not including airfare and some meals.

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Connect with careers in public safety

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Leslie Wells

Students stand in front of a military helicopter during Public Safety Career Day 2018.

From helicopters thundering above Taylor Courtyard to heavy-duty equipment rolling through the breezeway and the sound of sirens blaring at noon, it’s hard to miss the O’Neill School’s annual Public Safety Career Day. This year, the sights and sounds of public safety will arrive on campus on Wednesday, September 25, from noon to 3 p.m.

For the past 13 years, the O’Neill School has gathered dozens of public safety agencies in one location with one goal in mind: connect students to careers. Yet the event also serves as an opportunity for students and the public alike to meet and build relationships with public safety agencies and officials.

Whether you’re ready to hand out resumes, want ideas for a future career, or have questions about how these agencies keep communities safe, you can make connections at Public Safety Career Day to help you in the years to come.

Just ask Payton Van Kalker. She landed an internship thanks to Public Safety Career Day. She worked with a parole field team for the Indiana Department of Correction to serve warrants, search homes, and look for those who may have violated the terms of their parole.

“PSCD has a huge impact on those wanting to pursue a career in law enforcement or public safety,” Van Kalker says. “There are so many agencies and individuals there to help students make connections and answer questions. I don’t think I would have been able to find information about my internship had I not made the connection I did that day.”

Law enforcement K9 sits on sidewalk at Public Safety Career Day. — Agencies often bring their bomb- and drug-sniffing K9s to show off their skills.

WHAT YOU’LL SEE:

Agencies bring out some serious equipment for this event. There will be police helicopters, bomb squad trucks and gear, fire engines, ladder trucks, ambulances, the IMPD Mounted Patrol, ambulances, first-aid training equipment, and—one of the most popular stops—bomb and drug-sniffing dogs, including IUPD’s K9 Indy.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

A student stands behind a police shield during Public Safety Career Day as part of the event's hands-on approach to public safety. — A student stands behind a police shield during Public Safety Career Day as part of the event’s hands-on approach to public safety.

As you move from booth to booth, you can get hands-on with the equipment, trying on gear and seeing exactly what agencies use to respond to situations. You’ll also get to network with representatives from more than 40 local, state, and federal agencies. Many have internship and employment opportunities available for students right now.

Remember: each of these agencies employs a variety of positions—from boots on the ground to support staff, such as communications, accounting, information technology, and more—so students from a variety of majors can find opportunities and make connections at this event.

WHO’S COMING (SO FAR):

Before you go, get a plan together. Decide which agencies you want to speak with, have your resume and elevator speech ready, and know what opportunities you could be interested in. Here’s a look at which agencies have already RSVP’d to attend so far:

List of agencies attending event: Bureau of ATF Carmel Police Department Cumberland Metropolitan Police Department Danville Police Department Decatur Township Fire Department Department of Public Works Drug Enforcement Administration ESG Security Inc. FBI Greenwood Police Department Hamilton County Emergency Management Hendricks County Sheriff's Office IMPD IMPD Bomb Squad IMPD Mounted Patrol IMPD Swat Indiana Department of Correction Indiana Department of Homeland Security Indiana Department of Transportation Indiana Office of Energy Development Indiana State Excise Police Indiana State Police IU Emergency Management & Continuity Indianapolis Airport Police Department Indianapolis EMS Indianapolis Fire Department Indianapolis-Marion Co. Forensic Services IU Police Department-IUPUI IUPUI Army ROTC Johnson County Sheriff's Office Marion County Community Corrections Marion County Prosecutor's Office Marion County Public Health Department Pendleton Correctional Facility Plainfield Police Department RightFit Shelby County Sheriff's Office Speedway Police Department TSA United States Marshals Service Westfield Police Department

Course provides candid conversations about corrections

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Leslie Wells

Speakers at the front of a classroom talk to students. — In O’Neill’s J-331 Corrections course, Dr. Eric Grommon (second from left) invites practitioners to speak with students about working in corrections.

As students in Eric Grommon’s Corrections course wait for class to begin, a group of guests walks into the room. They’re here to pull back the curtain on corrections for students.

“It’s rare for students to gain direct access to correctional experts,” Grommon says.

One by one, people at the front of the room introduce themselves. Depending on the day, they may be from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Indiana Department of Correction, Marion County Probation Office, Marion County Community Corrections, or another agency.

Grommon says these critical classroom exchanges blend academics with practitioner knowledge, allowing students to see two sides of the corrections equation.

Samantha Nunnery, a criminal justice major, says they also let students connect with professionals in the field on more personal level.

“These practitioners are here to show us what their jobs are really like,” she says. “They help us balance any pre-conceived ideas we may have about this profession with the reality they see every day.”

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HobNob internship provides next step for students interested in policy

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Leslie Wells

HobNob internship; Michael Grubb; Erin Query; Tom Stucky. — Michael Grubb (left), Cripe vice president of Architecture, and O’Neill Executive Associate Dean Tom Stucky (right) recognize O’Neill’s Erin Query as the 2020 HobNob intern.

For those who have walked the halls of the Indiana Statehouse as interns, it can be a career-shaping experience, providing guidance and clarity for students considering a future in policy or politics.

Each year, the Indy Chamber selects one O’Neill School graduate student interested in policy development and political action as its HobNob intern, named for the Chamber’s annual HobNob event.

On August 29, the Chamber selected O’Neill Policy Analysis major Erin Query, who will begin work when the 2020 legislative session starts in January. She will also receive the $5,000 stipend from Cripe Architects & Engineers that comes with the internship.

O'Neill MPA student Sydnee Cseresznyes stands outside Wood Fountain at IUPUI — O’Neill MPA student Sydnee Cseresznyes served as the 2019 HobNob intern for the Indy Chamber.

But Query will do much more than mix and mingle with influential people at the Statehouse.

Sydnee Cseresznyes, an O’Neill MPA student focusing on public management, served as the 2019 HobNob intern. She says the HobNob experience provides a unique nonpartisan view of the policy process.

“With caucus internships, you’re loyal to a party; lobbying internships are loyal to clients,” she says. “The HobNob internship focuses on issues that impact Hoosiers.”

It’s that political neutrality that appealed to Cseresznyes.

“I think the HobNob internship is the best internship in the Statehouse,” she says. “I was able to interact with everyone. I think doing what is right for the people and businesses in your community is more important than sticking to one side of the aisle. The Chamber hits that nail on the head.”

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Report helps IUPUI better understand student needs

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Leslie Wells

wide aerial shot of students walking around on campus.

If you are a student facing financial, food, housing, or academic challenges, email the Office of Student Advocacy and Support at stuadvoc@iu.edu or visit their office in Room 270 in the Campus Center. If you are facing a non-emergency mental health challenge, contact CAPS at capsindy@iu.edu or visit 719 Indiana Ave, Suite 220. More resources are available at https://helpmeroar.iupui.edu.

Ty Davis, assistant dean of students and director of the Office of Student Advocacy and Support, is charged with helping students facing a variety of needs. From academic advocacy to providing emergency resources, Davis and her team help students navigate through life’s challenges.

“Our students don’t leave their needs at the door,” she says. “Before they even step foot on this campus, many don’t have enough. The problem is they don’t know they don’t have enough until they’re here.”

To effectively respond to students’ needs, Davis needed more information. And she wanted it to come to directly from the source.

“We should always ask students what they need; we shouldn’t drive that part of the conversation,” she says. “Their responses should inform our actions.”

The Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention was also interested in the needs of IUPUI students. Working with CHIP and researchers from the IU Public Policy Institute, Davis got the answers she needed from nearly 500 students.

Four basic needs areas emerged in the 2019 PPI student survey: finances, food, housing, and mental health. But there was also critical information about barriers students face when accessing the university’s support systems.

One was program awareness. Half of students who received on-campus services learned about them from an advisor; another 29 percent found out from a faculty or staff member. Yet 56 percent of students who needed help—and never got it—said they didn’t know where to go.

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