A May 2024 Student Voice survey found 29 percent of students believe their college or university should prioritize or focus more on connecting students to alumni and other potential mentors.

Colleges and universities often have connections to a wide range of successful graduates who can provide insight and support to current students, but creating organic relationships between the two groups can be a challenge.

One initiative institutions have undertaken is establishing alumni-in-residence programs to offer career development opportunities for current students.

How it works: Similar to a formal mentoring program, alumni in residence hold one-on-one conversations with learners to address the student’s career goals and answer questions related to work or life after college.

The alumni-in-residence program, however, asks alums to serve in a variety of functions, including panel presentations, etiquette dinners and a networking reception, as needed.

What’s the value: Alumni can offer specific insights into career pathways from their alma mater into their current role, helping highlight the student journey in a unique way. Involving former students in career services can also increase funding and support for the institution. A 2024 survey by Gravyty found alumni who have participated in a mentoring program say they are 200 percent more likely to donate in the future.

Effective career services can also impact a student’s perception of their institution after graduation; 19 percent of alumni reported receiving strong career support from their institution, and those alumni are 2.8 times more likely to say their degree is worth the tuition, according to the 2023 National Alumni Career Mobility Annual Report.

A 2025 analysis by Gravyty also found 46 percent of alumni rank career support and networking as the most valuable services their alma mater can provide, yet only 40 percent of engagement programs at universities include mentoring opportunities.

Who’s doing it: Some of the institutions hosting an alumni-in-residence program include:

• Howard University’s School of Business, which has an alumni-in-residence program that describes volunteers as career counselors. Alumni, representative of a broad range of careers, help students with interview prep, résumé reviews and answering industry questions.
• Clark University in Massachusetts, where the alumni-in-residence program, established in 2004, asks alumni to engage in roundtable discussions, campus tours, networking receptions and a dinner with the president.
• Villanova University’s College of Liberal Arts and Science, which invites alumni in residence to participate in guest lectures, lunches and informal meetings during a full- or half-day event.
• The University of Connecticut’s Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills, where the program asks graduates to commit to four hours of weekly virtual office hours as alumni in residence, as well as participate in on-campus or virtual career events and programming.

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