The Oakley Society

APPLICATIONS FOR THE OAKLEY SOCIETY MENTOR COHORT ARE AVAILABLE ON A CONTINUAL BASIS AT THE LINK BELOW. 

The Oakley Society is a professional development program that encompasses exclusive professional development opportunities and events. These opportunities are designed to grow and develop students into professionals, while also connecting participants to industry professionals through mentoring relationships. The desire of the Oakley Society is to equip students with the skills to be successful as future professionals in their respective fields. The program is open to C&IS students in all majors who have 45 or more semester credit hours earned and a 3.0 GPA.

The Oakley Society provides professional relationships with C&IS alumni and professionals in students fields of interest that are empowering and encouraging, and will help students achieve their highest post-graduate goals. Mentors help with questions big and small, all the while holding students accountable to the vision they have for themselves.

Contact with mentors is initiated by each student. Mentees are required to maintain professional standards as well as to respond to mentors in a timely manner. Contact is encouraged at least once a month with your mentor.

In addition to facilitating mentoring relationships, C&IS provides professional development events and opportunities for students that seek to further expose them to more industry professionals and learn skills that will equip them for their future career endeavors. Some of these events have included internship panels, etiquette meals, professional development skill workshops, and many more.

The Oakley Society program at C&IS is named after Mr. Jim Oakley.  Mr. Jim Oakley served as an advisor, counselor, career coach, and friend to students at our institution for over thirty years. As the vision grew for cultivating this program, alumni began sharing inspiring stories of how Mr. Oakley had connected students to professionals throughout the years – professionals who have, in their own way, mentored students and helped catapult careers and expand C&IS’ reach and reputation.

Questions? Please reach out to us at uaccis@ua.edu. Thank you!