Quinnipiac University partnered with career readiness software company UpperCampus to roll out a mobile app that will provide students with a range of career-related information.

The app, CampusCT, will provide career and internship information exclusively to students at Connecticut colleges or universities through a mobile interface similar to other social media apps.

“Many employers are producing content in there that is specific to their organizations,” said John Bau, director of career development in the School of Computing and Engineering. “Students can leverage the app to research career directions, research college majors.”

Bau said that the university is working directly with UpperCampus to introduce the interactive platform to Quinnipiac students.

“CampusCT aims to increase awareness of the state’s innovative employers as well as highlight all the diverse quality of life assets here for them as they launch their careers,” UpperCampus wrote on its website.

CampusCT is also sponsored by nonprofit economic development company AdvanceCT and by the Connecticut Governor’s Workforce Council, both of which President Judy Olian is a member.

“This is a very new effort from AdvanceCT and certainly from Quinnipiac as well,” Bau said. “As career is reexamined on campus, we’re hoping that it can be a place where we can better leverage shared services or have some central support for some of these career-related services.”

Students received an email on April 4 from their individual schools announcing the app. However, Bau noted that the university’s partnership with AdvanceCT has been years in the making.

“We’ve been in general (contact) with AdvanceCT since at least 2020,” Bau said. “We first learned about the CampusCT app last fall. The email (students) received about CampusCT was the first direct notice — we only made the decision to launch in March.”

Bau pointed out that the new initiative with CampusCT will not replace any of the university’s existing job and internship platforms, such as QU Career Connections or Bobcat Connect.

“The idea is that this is a value add,” Bau said. “It doesn’t take the place of any tool that we have already. We’re looking at CampusCT as yet another platform that we can leverage collaboratively to bring good career-related content to Quinnipiac students.”

He also noted that the university hopes to create Quinnipiac-tailored content for the CampusCT app in the future.

“In the near term, it’s just another resource,” Bau said. “As the campus engages with the app more fully, we’ll be able to put some alumni stories or upperclassmen stories in there to talk about their experience within these fields and majors.”

Some students applauded the university’s latest initiative and expressed interest in using the platform to find career information and internship opportunities.

“I think it’s a good idea, and definitely a more accessible way for students to easily find an internship,” said Madison Coveney, a first-year criminal justice major. “I think the school should definitely try and put more effort to make it known, so seniors and upcoming graduates know about it.”

First-year nursing major Kaylee Gates expressed similar feelings.

“I think it’s a good idea because I think that people may have trouble finding different internships and jobs and having them all in one place could be really good,” Gates said. “Even now, I’m having trouble finding jobs where they’re hiring (certified nursing assistants) or other medical (professionals), and I feel like if I knew about that, it would be beneficial for me to see the different jobs that are available where I live or surrounding campus.”

Some students said they had not read or seen the email sent out earlier this month regarding the university’s new initiative.

“I wish that there was a broader announcement,” Gates said. “I feel like a lot of people haven’t heard of it and didn’t really know about it like myself.”

Senior graphic and interactive design major Corey Windham remembered receiving the email about CampusCT but said he was unfamiliar with the new app’s purpose.

“I know it was publicized in the email, but I wish it was explained more,” Windham said.

Though Windham said he appreciated the university’s initiative to provide students with better access to career and internship information, he agreed with Coveney and Gates in wishing Quinnipiac had made more of an effort to advertise the CampusCT app.

“I think it’s a good effort at trying to provide more resources to students,” Windham said. “I think maybe (the university should) put it on Quinnipiac’s website or share it more than one time in an email that most people aren’t going to read that may go to the spam folder.”

Bau explained that students’ lack of awareness was likely due to the university’s intentionally slow introduction of the new platform.

“We’ve done a very soft rollout here on this product by making it available to students, so they can access some of this content and begin to get comfortable with using the platform,” Bau said.

Despite the gradual launch, Bau anticipates that the CampusCT app will become a more prominent asset for students and for the university in coming months.

“(We have) the hope and expectation that over the next academic cycle or so, as we look at ways to reinvigorate both experiential education and career development and education on our campus, that there will be some greater sharing of central resources,” Bau said.