Employees
Our dedicated faculty and staff members educate and guide our students and contribute to our community by teaching courses, publishing research and volunteering their time by serving on various University and community boards. The happiness of our students is their number one priority, and they demonstrate this by virtue of their dedication to the college and its vision.
Employee Spotlight: Melinda Tavernier
Obtaining a degree requires a significant investment of time and money, but if it leads to a successful career in business, the rate of return on higher education is quite high. Melinda Tavernier is the student coordinator in the Wall Center for Excellence at CCU, and her job is to help business majors start their careers by helping them find internships that will give them work experience and help them develop soft skills such as interviewing, making effective presentations, networking, etc., through a series of Professional Development Activities (PDAs). One of the unique aspects about the Wall College of Business is that every business student is required to complete 12 PDAs during their college career.
Tavernier organizes and promotes the college’s PDAs as well as helps students find internships and reports their internships for credit through a program called Handshake. “I am always on the lookout for new ways to help students prepare resumes, practice interviewing skills, create professional profiles, find internships and ultimately start their own careers,” said Tavernier. “I would love to see a 100 percent participation rate on Handshake. This lets me know students are finding resources they need to succeed.”
Tavernier received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education administration and supervision from Winthrop University. She served as an adjunct faculty member at CCU and founded and managed a couple of charter schools before she joined the Wall Center for Excellence. Her husband, Pierre-Olivier Tavernier, also works at CCU, and two of her children graduated from CCU.
Tavernier is passionate about student success. “My supervisor, Ellen Hayward, and I are both concerned about student success,” said Tavernier. “Working together on common goals has helped us take on new roles in serving students.”
This year, the Wall Center for Excellence added an interview room and a career peer center to help students with their resume. Tavernier hopes the Wall Center for Excellence will be a launching point for business students to start successful careers after graduating.