To the Editor: 

Three weeks ago, we attended the All Majors Career and Internship Fair in Levin Ballroom. We walked in excited to explore the opportunities that the career center had brought to campus. We were met by an underwhelming spread of organizations that bore little resemblance to both our interests and aspirations. Of the thirty three organizations present, a number significantly lower than career fairs at peer institutions, nearly half were tabling not for jobs or careers, but for further education, study abroad programs, or summer internships. Moreover, the lack of meaningful jobs in the scientific research and healthcare industries, a strong suit of the university, was especially damning. In our perspective the room felt empty, as though the administration had struggled to fill it with relevant career opportunities. Our disappointment was best represented by the presence of Chick-Fil-A of Framingham, who attended to advertise “Front of House” and “Kitchen” roles at a local franchise. We want to be clear: We hold great respect for those who work in the service industry. But the careers being advertised were not those that students graduating with a Brandeis degree might hope to attain, especially after four years and more than $300,000 in tuition. Inviting recruiters for hourly positions at the local fast food franchise is not an oversight; it is a clear statement about what the administration aspires to for its students. We believe that Brandeis students, who will pay more than $97,500 in total cost of attendance next year, have far more to offer the world than this career fair suggested.