LEAPing to Employment
The Learn and Earn Advantage Program (LEAP) was developed to support
first year freshmen students at ODU. The LEAP program allows students the
opportunity to find academically relevant on-campus employment at a time when
student employment budgets have been significantly reduced. The program
also provides students with meaningful engagement and guidance, through
regular one-on-one interactions with LEAP program coordinators and work site
supervisors.
The LEAP program has employed more than 450 students and offers an average
of 110 students the opportunity to work in their freshman year. The LEAP2
Program offers an addition 50 sophomore students with campus employment.
LEAP students can find work experience opportunities in one of 85 different
offices across campus. As these freshmen students transition to sophomores, they
retain at an average of 86%, and LEAP2 students typically retain at an average
rate of 94%.
The Career Development Services (CDS) is always looking for new and exciting
work sites for students. If a department is interested in hiring a LEAP student,
contact the Student Employment Program Planner in the CDS for more details.
Many of our students must work while pursuing their degree… studies have shown that
on-campus jobs are the most supportive of students’ academic pursuits and contribute
to students’ ability to be successful in the classroom.
—President Dr. John Broderick
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These programs, both the LEAP and LEAP 2, not only provide jobs, but an experience
that allows interactions with diverse people and essentially boosts character.
—Christiana Hammond, past LEAP1 & LEAP2 Student
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