University News
Mayor Toni Harp and University of New Haven President Steven Kaplan announced today that the city of New Haven and UNH have entered into a co-op partnership that will allow UNH students to gain valuable experience by working for the city’s public service departments.
November 13, 2014
The Public Safety Cooperative Work/Education Program will begin in January. The city of New Haven will fund positions for 10 students from UNH’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences to work 35 hours a week for one semester in the New Haven Fire, Police, Emergency Medical Services and Communications Departments.
"This new demonstration of the alliance between the city of New Haven and the University of New Haven builds on the growing reputation of each," said Mayor Harp. "The city’s improving public safety record is a key component of continuing economic growth, and the university is building on its well-deserved, national reputation as a center for public safety training and instruction. The co-op program announced today cements the importance of preparing new public safety professionals with effective, real-world, public-safety experience."
The city of New Haven and UNH have worked closely together on a number of projects, including the new Public Safety Academy at Hillhouse High School, for which UNH is providing instructional assistance, and the Engineering and Science University Magnet School, which is being built adjacent to the UNH campus. UNH also runs a Command College to help train supervisors in the city’s police department and works closely with the city on Project Longevity.
"We are excited to take experiential education to this new level," said Kaplan. "Our students will gain valuable experience to supplement their classroom training and will provide the city with an excellent value for its investment."
In addition to the positions funded by the city, Alexion Corp., a worldwide pharmaceutical company with headquarters under construction in downtown New Haven, will join the co-op program and offer two students in the Lee College the chance to work in global security.
"Alexion is proud to support this program for University of New Haven students," said Bob Weronik, senior director of Global Security at Alexion Pharmaceuticals. "We look forward to providing UNH students with valuable, hands-on experience that will cultivate the next generation of our national and global security and risk management workforce right here in New Haven."
While UNH has a strong experiential education component for all students, including internships, research and study abroad opportunities, this is the university’s first co-op program.
The Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR), a private, charitable organization that helps special needs, at-risk and troubled youth and families through residential and community-based programs, will also sponsor one co-op student.
"The Connecticut Junior Republic is very excited to be part of the UNH co-op program," said Daniel W. Rezende, executive director of the Connecticut Junior Republic. "This project will provide an intensive work-based learning experience that benefits UNH students, the New Haven community and our organization. Developing a talented workforce is vital to ensuring that our programs are successful in meeting the increasingly complex needs of the youth and families we serve," he said.
Rezende said the collaboration with UNH will enhance CJR’s services in New Haven, allowing CJR to provide the highest quality of care for some of the community’s most vulnerable and at-risk children.
Students in the program will not take classes while working but may live on campus and participate in UNH activities while they are working full time in the co-op program. The students also will be able to sign up for meal plans and receive financial aid. They will be paid up to $15 per hour.
Mario Gaboury, dean of UNH’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, said students will spend five months in the program.
"The program will create an even stronger relationship between the university and the largest police, fire, emergency management and municipal departments in the area," Gaboury said. "The city agencies will now also be filled with some of the best and brightest young minds from the University of New Haven, who will undoubtedly bring energy, new ideas and input to the departments."
Co-op students will gain practical, on-the-job experience and develop confidence, a sense of responsibility and maturity through the workplace experience, he said. "The real-world experience in their chosen field will help students gain career focus and acquire professional contacts for networking purposes after graduation."
Gaboury said the students selected for the co-op program will fill new positions created for them that will add value to the department they are assigned to. For example, one co-op student will create a database of elderly, disabled and infirm residents in New Haven. The list will help the police department and first responders find those residents more easily in a crisis, such as a hurricane.
Others will be working in the areas of crime and fire data analysis, creating management-level reports to better track crime, fire and medical incidences.
The Lee College hopes to expand the program in the future.
About Alexion
Alexion is a biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients with severe and rare disorders through the innovation, development and commercialization of life-transforming therapeutic products. Alexion is the global leader in complement inhibition and has developed and markets Soliris® (eculizumab) as a treatment for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), two debilitating, ultra-rare and life-threatening disorders caused by chronic uncontrolled complement activation. Soliris is currently approved in nearly 50 countries for the treatment of PNH and in nearly 40 countries for the treatment of aHUS. Alexion is evaluating other potential indications for Soliris in additional severe and ultra-rare disorders beyond PNH and aHUS, and is developing other highly innovative biotechnology product candidates, including asfotase alfa, across multiple therapeutic areas. For more information, go to www.alexionpharma.com.
About the Connecticut Junior Republic
Founded in 1904, the Connecticut Junior Republic provides care, treatment, education and family support for vulnerable at-risk, special needs and troubled young people so they can become productive and fulfilled members of their homes, schools and communities. The Junior Republic conducts residential programs in Litchfield East Hartford and Winchester and short-term, residential crisis intervention for girls in Waterbury and prevention, early intervention, family support, behavioral health and intensive home-based services and aftercare programs are throughout the state.
About the University of New Haven
The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates.
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