WFU's President Hatch receives Career Services Excellence Award

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) awarded Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch the 2018 Career Services Excellence Award.

The award is given to a college or university president from an accredited institution of higher education who supports the establishment of, and demonstrates forward-thinking leadership in, career services education.

At a time when colleges and universities were slashing career services budgets, Hatch envisioned a plan to transform the traditional, outdated concept of “career services” into a holistic, four-year approach to personal and career development. He created the role of Vice President for Personal and Career Development, the first known cabinet-level position focusing on supporting students from college to career. He made personal and career development a mission-critical component of the Wake Forest student experience.

Under Hatch’s leadership, Wake Forest has raised about $20 million over the past eight years in support of personal and career development and entrepreneurship. The investment and support have been paying off. The most recent data show that 97.5 percent of the Wake Forest undergraduate class of 2017 were either employed or in graduate school six months out of college.

Wake Forest is a national leader in career development among higher education institutions. University experts and students have been quoted in media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today, Forbes and Fast Company.