Scaling Career Support for Nontraditional, Online Students (feat. Anita DeCianni Brown)

How do you scale career support for thousands of nontraditional, online students—many of whom are balancing work, school, and family life?In this episode, host Meredith Metsker chats with Anita DeCianni Brown, who has led career services at SUNY Empire State University for over a decade. Anita shares how she built SUNY Empire’s career services function from the ground up, including how she transformed the career center’s digital presence from a single webpage to a full virtual career center that offers 24/7 resources and support to more than 17,000 students across New York and beyond.They discuss how Anita’s team personalizes support for learners at every stage—whether they’re career starters, career transitioners, or career advancers—and how tools like uConnect, Handshake, and Big Interview help her small team of four scale their impact.Anita also shares creative programming ideas (like her Ask5 alumni interview series), the importance of explaining the “how” and “why” behind every resource, and how she fosters collaboration with other departments through a new career liaison program.Key topics:How Anita built and scaled SUNY Empire’s career services function as a team of one for 10+ yearsHow she recently grew her team from one to fourStrategies for supporting nontraditional, online, and adult learnersWhy technology and accessibility are critical for equitable career supportWhat Anita’s tech stack looks likeHow to structure (and schedule) programming for students working full-timeThe power of collaboration across departments through career liaisonsWhy explaining the “how” and “why” of career tools boosts engagementAnd moreAbout Anita DeCianni Brown:Anita DeCianni Brown is the Director of Career and Experiential Learning Services at SUNY Empire State University, where she has led career services since 2014. Over her 35-year career in career services, Anita has built programs from the ground up, developed innovative ways to support adult and online learners, and created strong partnerships across departments to make career education accessible to everyone.A proud SUNY Empire alumna herself, Anita is passionate about helping nontraditional students find meaningful career paths and build confidence at every stage of their professional journeys.Resources from the episode:Anita’s LinkedIn profileAnita’s email: [email protected] SUNY Empire State’s Career Hub (powered by uConnect)Career Everywhere CommunitySUNY Empire State’s Career Kits (coming soon!) Continue the conversation in the Career Everywhere Community! Join 2,000 other higher ed career services leaders today: careereverywhere.com/community