Careers
University Initiative
William & Mary will lead in the preparation of lifelong learners equipped to navigate rapid change and thrive from their first job to their last.
At a moment when work is transforming at extraordinary speed in every profession and industry, employees who can learn continually, think critically and adapt quickly are powerful assets. W&M will provide the best preparation for principled success. The fluent integration of work and learning that will last a lifetime must begin in college — and will be the hallmark of a W&M education. This evolution of the liberal arts, to include internships and other work-integrated experiences, will span every discipline. Building on distinctive excellence in research, athletics and study abroad, along with a strong global network, W&M is best positioned to deliver on this promise. W&M will be known as the university that brings together an exceptional education with extraordinary experiential learning and provides connections that will support alumni throughout their professional lives.
Goals:
- Lead the nation’s selective liberal arts & sciences institutions in applied learning opportunities for every student.
- Cultivate and retain exceptional talent for our commonwealth, our nation and world.
- Mobilize W&M’s worldwide network of alumni, employer and parent partners to broaden learning experiences and career pathways for graduates and support a lifetime of professional success.
- Create innovative curricular pathways to credentials in high demand skills and fields, such as summer “jump start” minors.
- Provide a funded internship or other applied learning experience for every undergraduate.
Targets:
- At graduation, 85% of undergraduate students record an internship or other hands-on learning opportunity by 2026:
- Identify and establish solutions to address any applied learning gaps related to student demographics by 2023. Show measurable progress in closing those gaps by 2026.
- Identify percentage of Virginia and Washington, D.C. “first post-graduate landing points” by 2023; show measurable progress in increasing that percentage by 2026.
- Seventy-five percent of the sophomore class takes a summer semester by 2026.
- One hundred percent of W&M undergraduate programs offer a credit-bearing internship opportunity (currently ~2/3 of undergraduate programs have such offerings on the books).
- Three to five jump-start minors offered every summer by 2026.
- Triple Washington Center applied-learning placements by 2026.
- Triple W&M VET partner companies by 2026.
- By 2023, set philanthropic and progress goals for funded internships:
- # of employers with parent or alumni connections who hire W&M graduates.
- # of alumni-led mentoring programs and certificate offerings.
- % of repeat employer partners.
- % of international employer partners.
- % of Virginia employer partners (small, medium and large businesses).
- Positive net promoter score from employer partners over life of the partnership.
Actions:
- Create an enterprise-wide internship (experiential learning) program at scale, providing early and academically integrated support for all students — with special focus on outcome gaps for first-generation, low-income, veteran and other under-represented students.
- Establish a pre-major, credit-bearing internship course to ensure professional exploration early and often.
- Address workforce skills gaps via summer “jump-start” minors, W&M VET career transition programs and other credentialing.
- Increase volunteer engagement for career support, to scale programs and services.
- Incorporate high-impact practices for employing organizations; track and report employer net promoter scores and outcomes.
- Track and report student progress, including learning and first destination outcomes to include analysis focused on underrepresented and marginalized groups in high-demand professions.
- Launch a fundraising initiative to support internships and other applied learning opportunities for every student.
- Partner with peer Virginia public universities to seek Talent Pathways legislation supporting paid internships in high-need areas such as teaching, data analytics, small business development, etc.
- Create an integrated, one-stop W&M website for students and hiring organizations, calling in all those at W&M who support internships and applied learning.
- Establish a faculty immersion program that embeds faculty members in leading and emerging industries around the commonwealth as a way to enhance teaching and mentorship, expand internship opportunities and inspire entrepreneurial initiatives.
- Create a program that trains faculty to help advise and mentor students in their educational and career pursuits.
- Develop a long-term strategy for a lifetime of career engagement with our graduates:
- Increase access to the full complement of the W&M network to grow talent pathways and enhance engagement by streamlining volunteer and mentorship support.
- Deploy leading-edge platforms that support experiential learning, constituent engagement and credentialing aligned with talent pathways.
- Implement a staffing plan to support our students and alumni in the full life cycle of career development and professional engagement.
