University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is hosting the 42nd annual Oshkosh Placement Exchange (OPE), a platform for connecting employers and candidates seeking jobs in student affairs at secondary and higher education institutions across the country.

In the past, UW Oshkosh’s residence life department organized OPE as an in-person exchange, in which candidates and employers from across the country traveled to UWO for a weekend to participate in the conference.

This year, due to the pandemic, it will be a listings-only placement exchange, essentially serving as a clearinghouse for employers and candidates to connect, contact and communicate with one another.

Registration opened Dec. 15. To date 49 employers and 225 candidates have registered for the exchange, which will remain open until Sept. 7.

“As an OPE planning team we felt strongly that there could not be a year without our exchange,” said Marc Nylen, associate director of residence life. “We are all very passionate about the purpose and mission of our placement exchange and felt there was still a need within the field of student affairs for what we offer, in spite of the pandemic. Thus, we made the decision to alter our format to a listings and have found this format is resonating with our candidates and employer base. Our registration numbers within the first month are outstanding, and we believe many more candidates and employers will continue to register.”

OPE is one of the most widely recognized, trusted and historically significant placement exchanges in the United States.

For a flat fee of $100 employers can list unlimited open positions for an array of jobs, including graduate assistantships, full-time entry level, full-time mid level, and in some cases, part-time positions. Candidates have the opportunity to register for free to showcase themselves and seek employment opportunities.

Once candidates and employers are registered, they can begin planning interviews based on their own availability. The interviews will not be scheduled through your registered OPE account, but rather via the employers’ and candidates’ own calendars.

Registration is available online.