ABOUT SWACE
Affiliation
The Southwest Association of Colleges and Employers (SWACE) is a non-profit, incorporated professional association which provides a link between higher education and the employers of college graduates.
SWACE is one of five regional
constituency-based professional associations providing tools and
resources as well as bringing together the Career Services Centers of
the colleges in the Southwestern region with the employers who recruit
from the schools in this territory. The National Association of Colleges
and Employers (NACE) is the content-based professional association for career planning, placement and recruiting. NACE provides variable services for its members: publications, statistical surveys, research, professional development programs, and information on legislation, regulations and court decisions affecting the profession.
The SWACE region encompasses six southwestern states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Members
The membership of SWACE is composed of two constituencies:
- Individuals engaged in career planning and placement, and experiential learning (i.e., cooperative education and internships) in any degree-granting institution of higher education.
- Any employer representative (excluding contract employees) actively engaged in the recruitment and development of graduates from colleges and universities.
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Purpose
The ultimate purpose of SWACE is to facilitate the career development and employment of members of the college-educated workforce in our region by developing leaders in recruiting and college career services.
Ethical practices
All members of SWACE agree to adhere to the “Principles of Professional Conduct for Career Services and Employment Professionals” as published by the
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The Ethics Committee works with the Board of Directors to resolve any alleged violation of these principles and practices.
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Board of Directors
SWACE is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership. The Board includes: President; President-Elect; Immediate Past President; NACE Regional Governor; Secretary; Treasurer; Four-Year College Director; Two-Year College Director; and Employer Director. Committees report to the Board through designated liaisons. All matters concerning the entire membership are on the agenda of the business meeting held at the annual conference.
History
In 1948, Dr. Charles Clark of The University of Texas and George Bushong of Southern Methodist University thought the time was ripe and set out to form a placement association in the Southwest.
They extended invitations to colleagues at several colleges to attend an organizational meeting at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas in March of 1948. Seven answered the call: George Bushong - Southern Methodist University; Joe Farrar - Arkansas State College; Ralph Frede - University of Texas; Bertie Hammond - Texas State College for Women; Frank Ives - University of Oklahoma; T.F. Richardson and Dean E.M. Sowell - Texas Christian University.
To attract attendance at its next formal gathering, the fledgling Association attached itself to the Texas Personnel and Management Conference in Austin in 1949. A total of forty-four persons interested in or engaged in placement and recruiting turned out.
The Association’s first officers were elected for 1950: President, W.R. Hudson of the University of Texas, and Miss Lou Russel of the University of Houston, as Secretary. A Constitution and a “Code of Ethics of Interviewing” were adopted that year, the later was replaced by the “Principles and Practices of College Recruiting” in 1957.
A glance through the present roster reveals a handful of persons who have been active members for more than twenty years, and the list of Life Members honors many of those who have given unusual gifts of their time and energy to
SWPA.
From its early years, members of SWPA played key roles and provided leadership on the national scene in the College Placement Council. Many have been Directors and Committee Chairmen, and six have served as Presidents of CPC: Wendell Horsley, 1959-1960; John Brooks, 1963-1964; Elenora Cawthon, 1972-1973; Bob Milsted, 1978-1979; Pete Mann, 1986-1987 and Nick Nabours, 1995-1996. John Brooks also served as President of College Placement Services, Inc. - all significant contributions to the development of the Placement profession.
A distinct quality of the Association has been the very personal friendliness and congeniality among its members, with a palpable absence of hangups because of ethnic, racial or sexual distinctions.
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As the placement and recruiting professions matured, the Association grew. Changes were made in its structure and bylaws. In 1971, a complete revision of the bylaws was adopted without a single dissenting vote; a “silent revolution.” Indeed! Some of the changes were quite significant, including provision for employer members to be eligible for election to office. The Association itself was restructured as a non-profit, tax exempt corporation.
At the 1972 Annual Meeting, another significant change was adopted granting eligibility for membership to placement officers of two-year and three-year colleges. A seemingly small step perhaps, but one which has large scale implications for growth.
The Annual Conference held in New Orleans in 1973 celebrated the Association’s Silver Anniversary, and the first employer member to be elected President, Mr. A. Ray Hengst, was chosen to lead
SWPA into its second quarter century.
Old timers need not be reminded that placement people started out as “paper shufflers, traffic policemen and appointment makers.” We can now look confidently to the future.
Since the middle sixties, placement directors, career counselors and employers have been helping students to establish realistic career goals and to obtain employment as a start in pursuing their chosen careers.
Such is the nature of SWACE, an association of people in several dynamic professions dedicated to the common goal of helping students make successful transitions from their world of study to their world of work.
At the annual meeting in June, 1995, the name of the Association was changed from Southwest Placement Association to the Southwest Association of Colleges and Employers - following the change in the national association from the College Placement Council to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
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