As if the expenses of university and life in general were not enough, there is another one that comes at the end, and often unexpected until it becomes painfully clear. That is the professional wardrobe that is expected in many offices. Suitable office attire does not come cheaply, and is typically not hanging in a typical college student’s closet.
Yet they need to have at least a modicum of professional wear even before interviews begin, much less walking into the office for the first time.
To help alleviate the challenges some students face in acquiring acceptable garments, one College of Business faculty member has helped provide a solution. Rahul Chauhan, the McCray Professor of Business and Associate Professor of Management has helped ensure that COB students are properly attired.
“I have served as a faculty advisor for the WT Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) since 2016. I serve in this role alongside my esteemed colleague Dr. Jillian Yarbrough,” he said. “The SHRM Professional Clothing Closet and its corresponding Professional Clothing Drive is a COB initiative that secures donations throughout the Panhandle community and provides these professional clothing donations to WTAMU students at no cost to them.”
The effort has been in place for a decade, and has earned its place–and space–on campus. “The concept of the professional clothing drive originally started around 2014, just before my arrival at WT,” Chauhan continued. “It began as a community-service type project whereby professional clothing was acquired through various faculty and staff throughout the university. The donations quickly became borderline overwhelming in quantity, as we had to borrow space from miscellaneous campus resources such as Education on Demand and faculty personal garages!”
The event subsequently caught the attention of A&M system Chancellor, John Sharp, who donated permanent space in the basement of the JBK to store the clothes, alongside a $5,000 stipend.
Impact of the clothing drive has been profound. “Hundreds of students secure hundreds of articles of professional clothing each event at no cost to them,” he went on. While just one professional outfit could cost $500-$1000, this is a significant benefit to recipients. “Students are ecstatic, over-the-moon, and in utter disbelief that such high-quality and expensive articles of professional clothing are simply being given to them for free. They are extremely thankful so say the least and I believe such programs help maximize their college experience with regard to what they take away from WTAMU.”
Both he and Dr. Yarbrough take pride in being able to assist students who need a little help. “As someone who rose above poverty myself, this program is very rewarding,” Chauhan explained. “Given the fact that nearly half of our students are first-generation college students and that a substantial portion of our students overall receive financial aid in order to pay for their education; securing professional clothing for job interviews is yet another substantial expense that our students must generally incur.”