The California State University has launched a robust effort to infuse alumni engagement into all stages of the student life cycle, from recruitment to career, with the goals of helping universities enroll more students and encouraging students to achieve their academic and career goals.
A 2023 report from the CSU Alumni Council identified multiple opportunities to leverage its network of more than 4.3 million alumni to benefit students, including participation in outreach and orientation events, internship and career fairs, mentorship programs and more. The council then encouraged the 23 CSU alumni groups to further develop these opportunities for alumni-student connections on their campuses.
To help facilitate this work, in spring 2024 the CSU Chancellor’s Office awarded a total of $500,000 in one-time funding to 26 projects across the system in the areas of recruitment/admission yields, student retention, career preparation and supporting underserved students. The funds were used during the 2024-25 academic year to either develop new projects or expand upon existing projects.
CSU alumni associations found that partnering with other university departments was integral in reaching current students and in collecting important data that may inform future practices. In total, 127 partnerships were formed, including critical ones in campus Career Services, Outreach and Academic Affairs offices.
And according to feedback from CSU alumni surveys and broader research, alumni indicate they want to be even more directly engaged with students. These opportunities provide new ways to grow alumni engagement and increase student success.
“The potential for the CSU is enormous,” said Kraig Scheyer, a Cal Poly San Luis Obispo alumnus (‘79, B.S. Environmental Engineering) who served as co-chair of the CSU Alumni Council’s Special Committee on Alumni-Student Connections. “With over 4 million alumni as a largely untapped resource, the CSU stands to begin a new era in improving student success through alumni engagement.”
Learn about a few of the funded projects and their impact on students.
Cal State East Bay Alumni Tell Students to ‘Keep Going’
When students stop out between the fall and spring terms, the decision can derail their educational journey.
To help improve student retention from fall 2024 to spring 2025, the
Cal State East Bay Alumni Association created short videos that were sent via email and text message to 1,732 students who were considered “at-risk,” and posted to social media. CSUEB alumni shared about themselves and the struggles they overcame on their path to earning a degree, encouraging students to continue their studies.
In
one of the videos, CSUEB alumnus Paul Maldonado (‘12, B.S. Hospitality and Recreation), who was a nontraditional, first-generation, working student, shared his experiences while in college and the impact his degree has had.
“[My education] gave me the tools I needed to learn how to articulate myself in meetings and how to speak in public, and to be able to think strategically,” said Maldonado, who is now the vice president of IT infrastructure at SoFi Stadium.
CSUEB Alumni sent about 6,700 texts and emails in total, and nearly 500 students who received the messages registered for the spring semester after receiving one or more message. This represented a lower drop off between semesters than in recent years.
The CSUEB Alumni Association partnered with several campus entities for the first time to reach students—like University Research, the Office of the Registrar, the Strategic Enrollment Management Task Force and University Advising—and leveraged existing partnerships with University Communications, Associated Students, Inc. and Renaissance Scholars.
The association found that alumni liked the quick volunteer opportunity, especially one with such a large impact, and that having multiple communication points was the key to the project’s success. They also have plans to replicate this project for guaranteed admission students.
Cal Poly Pomona Students Get Career-Ready
Confidence is an often-overlooked soft skill that can define a person’s career trajectory.
To empower students to get the most out of Cal Poly Pomona’s annual university-wide career fair,
CPP Alumni and External Relations used funding from the CSU Chancellor’s Office to host its first-ever
Career Readiness Conference in September 2024.
The conference enabled students to engage with alumni, become familiar with networking sites like LinkedIn, have professional headshots taken, get advice on their resumes and learn how to translate their educational experiences into marketable skills.
“The Office of Alumni and External Relations works closely with the Career Center on events throughout the year to provide our students with opportunities to connect with alumni,”
said Melissa Riordan, executive director of CPP Alumni and External Relations. “Our thought process [around hosting the Career Readiness Conference] was to offer opportunities for students to feel prepared and comfortable to go out and meet recruiters.”
More than 200 students and 70 alumni participated in the conference and, according to a survey, attendees reported a 286% increase in their confidence in career readiness.
“Attending the Career Readiness Conference was an excellent opportunity,” said Priscilla Rosales Santos, a senior studying technology operations management at CPP. “The keynote speaker and alumni panelists were inspiring, and I discovered several valuable resources that I had not previously known were available to me.”
“I left the event feeling well prepared for the upcoming Career Fair,” she added.
Following the conference, CPP Alumni saw an increase in the use of the university’s online
Bronco Mentoring Network and in the number of students utilizing CPP Career Center applications like Handshake, Big Interview and V Mock—a virtual career center that uses AI to provide feedback on students’ resumes.
CPP Alumni’s partnership with the Career Center was instrumental to the success of the conference, and they have identified future opportunities to partner with Associated Students, Inc., Student Housing and more.
CSU Bakersfield Alumni Encourage Future ‘Runners
When students can envision themselves in their future careers early on in their university experience, they are more likely to be successful.
CSU Bakersfield’s Alumni Association wants students to see themselves in their future careers before they even step foot in the classroom and help improve the university’s enrollment at the same time. To achieve that, CSUB Alumni used funding from the CSU Chancellor’s Office to host an Alumni Industry Lounge at the university’s 2025 Future ‘Runner Day on April 5.
The annual event is an open house for students who have been admitted to the university and their families to visit the campus, learn about support services and majors, and commit to attending CSUB.
This year marks the first time CSUB alumni were invited to talk to prospective students about their CSUB experience, how their degree has changed their lives and what a day in their life is like in their respective field during the event. They also shared information about career pathways to their industry. Each session was 45 minutes and featured a Q&A with alumni and a CSUB swag giveaway.
Alumni volunteers came from myriad industries that are critical to ensuring Kern County thrives, such as agriculture, education, energy, finance, government, law and healthcare.
CSUB alumna
Blanca Cavazos (‘80, ‘87, ‘92) shared wisdom gained during her 40-plus-year career in PK-12 public education at an Alumni Industry Lounge session. A former teacher, principal and superintendent, Cavazos is now a partner in an executive search and leadership development firm that serves California school districts.
“I really liked the concept [of the session] because it was more intimate than talking to a large group of students, and they were able to ask me personalized questions,” Cavazos said. “I also enjoyed being able to tell students about careers in education beyond teaching.”
Cavazos added that she felt well supported during her time at CSUB and she wants to pay it forward by volunteering with current students. These connections with future California educators also “renew her faith in the profession.”
In addition to hosting information sessions with alumni, organizers provided general information on CSUB Alumni resources, including on the ‘Runner Alumni Mentor Program.
“We see our students as future alumni, and the CSUB alumni family wants to help prepare them for the future as the next generation of ‘Runners will shape our university, region and state,” said CSUB Director of Alumni Engagement Sarah Hendrick.
Learn how to get more involved as a CSU alumni.