History of the UF Division of Student Affairs | Page 40

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and academic majors in which the company was interested; and any additional
information considered appropriate. Sharing the information in this database
with academic departments was the incentive needed for Mayberry to gain
access to classrooms and student professi onal organizations to present
programs about placement services, job-hunting, and employers. Student
response was immediately positive and overwhelming while faculty response
was mixed.
The second step toward establishing a centralized placement operation was
a public relations campaign that targeted students, faculty, and employers.
Supplementing this campaign was the personal and professional relationships
fostered between Mayberry and other placement officials around the country.
As a result of Mayberry’s efforts in building relationships, placement officers
from other universities referred their “excess” employers to UF.
The final step toward establishing a centralized placement operation was the
development of a comprehensive student database. During outreach programs
in classrooms and at professional student organization meetings, seniors
completed information forms providing their names, local addresses, colleges,
academic majors, class level, and projected dates of graduation. This information
was then hand typed on 3-by-5 inch index cards and kept in the Placement
Service Office where they were readily available to employers.
In 1955, Mayberry negotiated an agreement with the Colleges of Engineering,
Business Administration, and Agriculture. Employers seeking students in
disciplines relating to two or more colleges would work through the Placement
Service Office to coordinate student interview scheduling. Employers seeking
students in disciplines relating to only one college would deal directly with
the college to coordinate student interview scheduling. As a result of this
agreement, the number of employers that expressed a desire to have their
interview schedules coordinated solely through the Placement Service Office
increased and the colleges’ confidence in centralized placement also improved.
The transition of placement authority from the colleges to the Placement
Service Office occurred gradually over a period of years. In 1963-64, the
Colleges of Agriculture, Business Administration, and Engineering transitioned
control of placement services to the Placement Service Office. As a result of
these actions, the President’s Placement Committee recommended that

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