Speaking of ... College of Charleston

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On this episode, we speak with Anne Pryor, the Vice President of Alumni Affairs that was founded in 1888 to support the College of Charleston and according to Ann Pryor, in the subsequent 136 years the mission has not changed one iota. The Alumni Association is an international organization of more than a 103,000 members worldwide. Pryor says there are many tangible benefits for members including free professional certificate courses through Coursera, a platform that was launched earlier this year. Pryor talks about the network of alumni clubs across the country, the pride alumni take in the College and much more.
Featured on this Episode:
Ann Looper Pryor '83
Vice President, Alumni Affairs
In November 2015, Ann Pryor returned to her alma mater to become Vice President, Alumni Affairs. Ann earned her BA degree in political science from the College in 1983 and moved to Washington, D.C., to begin her professional career on Capitol Hill.
Prior to joining the College staff, Ann was Chief Operating Officer of The Cultural Landscape Foundation in Washington, D.C., and directed its business operations, communications, and marketing programs. She worked for the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) for 13 years.
From 1998-2002, Ann served as Director of Regional Alliances for McGraw-Hill Construction, promoting Architectural Record and Engineering News-Record magazines, among other brands. She was Director of Government Affairs for the American Institute of Architects from 1989-1995, representing the architecture profession before Congress and the White House on issues including historic preservation, small business, and surface transportation.
Resources from this Episode:
The Alumni Association's LinkedIn group: https://bit.ly/CofCAALIGroup
Class Note Form: https://bit.ly/CofCCN
A Charleston Affair tickets: https://bit.ly/ACAtickets2024

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On this episode of Speaking Of...College of Charleston, Julia Heslin, CofC senior majoring in communication, speaks with Jim Allison, executive director of the College's career center and Karen Fritchman, director of employer relations at the career center. Allison kicks off the conversation by talking about the various offerings at the career center for students of all ages.
"In higher education and student development, probably the areas that are most underutilized or areas that would be the most appropriate to emphasize, for soon to be graduates, are to please make sure to have your resume critiqued by someone in the Career Center before you graduate," says Allison. "The hardest thing for an undergraduate student to do is apply for a job after graduation cold."
Fritchman shares some of the most common questions students ask when they come to the center. She also talks about the upcoming Spring Career Exploration Fair that is curated for all students, including those just starting to take a peek into what career might fit their passions and interests and those who are graduating and ready to start their careers. The EXPLORATION format will encourage career exploration and discovery, as well as extensive networking options beyond the traditional career fair. The fair will have workshops and programming before and after to effectively prepare students for the fair – like writing a resume, planning professional attire and enhancing communication skills. The event is on Thursday, February 29, 202, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Most Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Does my resume have to be one page?
2. Do I need a cover letter?
3. Where do I start if I have no job experience?
Final Words of Career Center Wisdom:
"National data has shown for several decades that students who utilize their college career centers have a much higher percentage of securing an internship as well as securing an interview for a full time job."
Featured on this Episode:
Jim Allison, executive director career center, earned his Bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University and a second degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He earned his Master's degree in Counseling with a concentration in Student Development in Higher Education. When he is not busy in the Career Center, Jim enjoys spending time with his family, his dog, and his bird!
Karen Fritchman, director of employer relations , career center, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and her Master of Education degree in the Art of Teaching from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. Her previous experience within Higher Education includes alumni engagement, student advising, event planning, recruiting, and fundraising. She and her family love spending time at the beach with their dog, Ivy, a rescued German Shepherd, and at home with her twenty pound cat, Beefy!
Resources from this Episode:

• Career Center
• Handshake
• Financial Wellness
• IGrad

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On this episode we speak to Yuriy Bekker, conductor of the College’s orchestra, and two of his students, Rj Grant and Isaac Hill about performing at Carnegie Hall. We talk to Bekker about emigrating from Minsk, Belarus when he was ten years old and his journey from studying music to teaching and performing. Grant and Hill share stories about their passion for playing music and their plans for the future.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, the College of Charleston Orchestra will have the experience of a lifetime performing on one of the most prestigious stages in the world — Carnegie Hall. Their performance, together with performances by the Charleston Symphony and Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra, will give a taste of the cultural jewels of Charleston.
Under the direction of Yuriy Bekker, conductor of the College’s orchestra, these artistic powerhouses will pay tribute to Charleston’s exceptional musical legacy and connections to New York City. The College’s ensemble will play Antonín Dvořák’s New World Symphony Finale , which premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1893; Professor of Music Yiorgos Vassilandonakis’s Corsaro, which will have its world premiere; and former CofC music professor Trevor Weston’s Subwaves. Music Professor Edward Hart’s A Charleston Concerto, will be performed by the Charleston Symphony.

Resources from this episode:

• New York City Celebrates Charleston
• Purchase concert tickets
• Register for pre-concert happy hour for alumni and friends

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On this episode of Speaking Of...College of Charleston we talk to Dr. Rénard Harris, associate professor of management in the School of Business. Dr. Harris is the host of Teachable Moments, a radio program about education topics for parents and students on South Carolina Public Radio.

Teachable Moments airs every Friday at 6:44 a.m., 8:44 a.m., 1:33 p.m., and 4:48 p.m., but you can listen any time on South Carolina Public Radio.org or today.charleston.edu/podcast.

Launched in April 2024, Teachable Moments covers topics that range from cell phones in the classroom to getting ready for college to teacher shortages. This is a great partnership between the College of Charleston and South Carolina Public Radio for many reasons, one of which is the opportunity to showcase the expertise of our faculty to the 315,000 weekly listeners across the state.

“The College of Charleston is proud to partner with S.C. Public Radio on educational content that will inform and, maybe, even entertain its listeners,” says President Andrew Hsu. “Professor Harris is a gifted teacher-scholar and he can pack a lot in only a minute of instruction!”

Dr. Harris says he loves hosting Teachable Moments because each episode is a conversation with the wider community. “It’s not about high-end research. Nobody’s going to get tested on it, nobody’s going to fail, we’re just having a conversation in the studio,” he says. “It’s a teachable moment that hopefully inspires listeners to talk about with their neighbor, family and community and hopefully those discussions will make those spaces better.”

Sean Birch, director of South Carolina public radio, says Teachable Moments aligns with their mission to keep South Carolinians informed and connected to the world around them in a way that’s entertaining and accessible.

“Dr. Harris’ energy and positivity – not to mention the tasty licks of his harmonica – are a natural fit for our public radio style. We are proud to partner with the whole College of Charleston team and look forward to growing our shared efforts in the future.”

Featured on this episode:

Dr. Rénard Harris is an Associate Professor of Management in the School of Business at the College of Charleston. He holds an Ed.D in teacher education. Since his time at the College of Charleston and several years prior, he has explored multicultural education, diversity, equity and inclusion, storytelling, cultural relevance and leadership. He is often called upon to serve as a keynote speaker, inclusion facilitator and consultant for businesses and educational institutions.

Resources from this episode:

· S.C. Public Radio and the College of Charleston launches “Teachable Moments”

· Teachable Moments

· Teacher Shortages episode

· School of Buisness

· School of Education

· Rénard Harris Celebrates International Blues Day on Harmonica

· MTA's 'Music Under New York' program

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Paul Schwager, dean of the School of Business, talks about program growth in the School of Business, partnerships with local and regional businesses, student internships and more. The host is Mike Robertson from University Communications.