William H. “Bill” Hitch becomes the Cooperative Division’s fifth director.
During Jim Osborne’s leadership (Director of Corporate Relations & Placement; 1982 – 1987), major changes came to the operation of the Placement Office. Those changes included adjustments to staffing structure, modernization of registration and interviewing systems, and stronger corporate ties. Thee stronger ties resulted in corporate funding from over 800 companies, taking corporate gifts for the university from $3.6 million to $16.6 million annually.
Co-op opportunities were limited to undergraduates until this date, when a graduate component was introduced with support from a U.S. Department of Education grant.
Co-op’s seventy-fifth anniversary observances were conducted in 1987 and 1988 to coincide with the great fanfare surrounding Georgia Tech’s centennial birthday, held during 1985-1988.
John Hannabach accepted the position of director of the Georgia Tech placement office. He was instrumental in changing the name to Career Services, moving the program from the Fred W. Ajax Placement Center to the Bill Moore Student Success Center.
Associate Director Tom Akins is picked to succeed Bill Hitch as the next director of the Co-op Division.
Shortly after John Hannabach became director of Career Services, he successfully lobbied for the placement program to move to the Bill Moore Student Success Center.
The newly named office of Career Services was given office space on the 2nd floor. The Recruiting Center is located on the festival level (basement) of the Success Center where interview rooms are available for on-campus recruiting.
In September, industrial engineering student Guy Slann becomes the 10,000th co-op graduate.