Student Services and Resources

Center for Experiential Learning

The mission of the Piper Center for Vocation and Career is to create and facilitate experiential learning that complements the St. Olaf curriculum to enrich students' academic programs and to guide students in the process for pursuing vocational goals. 

The Piper Center is made up of four programs: career connections, internships, entrepreneurial studies, and service and civic leadership.  Each of the four programs offers services and unique learning opportunities for students. 

CAREER CONNECTIONS

Assists students in identifying their interests and strengths, planning experiential learning activities to complement their academic program, setting short and long-term goals, and creating action plans for post-college options.

  • Interactive workshops for all stages of career development
  • Assessment inventories
  • Guidance in selecting a major and identifying a career
  • Career exploration activities
  • Graduate/professional school information
  • Resources on post-graduate volunteer opportunities
  • Assistance with job search strategies, including resumes and practice interviews

INTERNSHIPS

Encourages students to discover the links between their academic study and application of classroom knowledge to an educational work experience. 

  • Academic credit and non-credit internship options
  • Assistance with the internship search process
  • Resources with internship opportunities
  • Workshops on exploration, process and reflection of an internship experience
  • Fulfills experiential learning component for majors and concentrations

ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES

Promotes the exploration, study and discipline of entrepreneurship through developing and practicing opportunistic and social entrepreneurial thinking.

  • Entrepreneurial courses, workshops and speaker events
  • Internships and independent studies
  • Finstad small business grants
  • Hands-on consulting

SERVICE AND CIVIC LEADERSHIP

Supports students connecting academic experiences with practical, "hands-on" engagement in service.  

  • Service-learning initiatives
  • Campus and community development
  • Values-based leadership development
  • Civic dialogues

The Piper Center offers many valuable resources through its website and resource library.   The Piper Center calendar lists a variety of activities and events, ranging from assessment workshops to employer information sessions, from internship search workshops to entrepreneurial speakers, from career panels/forums to job and career fairs.  Students are urged to register for the Piper Center email alias to receive individual emails about Piper Center activities.  OleRecruiting, Piper Center's internet-based job and internship database, offers a wealth of opportunities for current students and recent graduates. 

Immediate assistance is always available in the Piper Center through our trained peer advisors.  The Piper Center is located on the first floor of Old Main Annex.  Hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.