Alumni

• Full Schedule

  8:45 a.m. – Doors open with coffee and pastries provided

  9:15 a.m. – Welcome

  9:45 a.m. – Keynote by Dave Clayton, Ph.D., senior vice president of research at Strada Education Foundation

  10:30 a.m. – Break 

  10:45 a.m. - 12 p.m. – First Session 

  12-1 p.m. – Luncheon with Provost Lawrence 

  1-2:15 p.m. – Second Session 

  2:15 p.m. – Break  

  2:30-3 p.m. – Closing Discussion 

  3-4 p.m. – Social Hour 

Outcomes Summit Workshops

• Steppingblocks 101: Data-Driven Insights for Enhancing Student Career Outcomes

  Discover how UM's new Steppingblocks platform can transform how we guide students toward career readiness. This workshop will explore the platform's powerful data insights, offering a comprehensive view of student outcomes, career trajectories, demonstrated career competencies, and industry trends. Learn how to integrate Steppingblocks into your program to:

  • Identify what UM graduates do after graduation and why
  • Interpret how curricula impact real-world career pathways
  • Use data to articulate how your program prepares students for long-term success
  • Address specific challenges UM students face in their career (skill development) preparation
  • Learn how to request access to the platform

  Join us for this hands-on session and see how Steppingblocks can empower educators and students to navigate the complex world of career development with confidence.

• Curricular Integration of Career Competencies: Preparing Students for Career Success

  At UM, we work to place career competencies at the core of our education, ensuring that students gain fundamental skills essential for their post-graduate career success. This workshop will enable participants to integrate career competencies—such as communication, critical thinking and problem-solving—into courses across all disciplines to complement UM’s liberal arts education. Attendees will:

  • Discuss how general education courses foster essential career skills that align with employer needs
  • Learn best practices for embedding competencies into course design and assignments
  • Examine examples of competency-based learning activities and high-impact practices that prepare students for real-world challenges – learn about course attributes
  • Collaborate with colleagues to develop strategies for scaffolding career competency development in core and specialized courses and across the degree program

  Join us to see how UM’s competency-focused approach empowers students to thrive in their careers and beyond.

• Meeting Expectations and Closing Gaps: Ensuring ROI and Equity in Career Preparedness

  As the expectations of students and families evolve, colleges must demonstrate the tangible return on investment (ROI) of a college education while also addressing equity gaps in career preparedness and post-graduate success. This workshop will explore how the University of Montana (UM) can meet both challenges by aligning academic offerings with student and family expectations while embedding equity into career readiness efforts to ensure all students are fully prepared for meaningful careers, regardless of background. Participants will:

  • Explore how student and family expectations around career outcomes shape the demand for clear ROI from higher education.
  • Learn strategies for demonstrating the value of a UM degree, including employability, lifetime earnings and career outcomes.
  • Identify ways to communicate the broader value of a liberal arts education, emphasizing both career preparation and personal growth.
  • Identify equity gaps in career readiness and post-graduate outcomes, and learn actionable strategies for embedding equity in and out of the classroom.
  • Discuss how UM can showcase its programs' ROI through alumni success stories, data, career support resources and best practices from other institutions leading the way in equitable career preparation.

  Join us for this session to learn how UM can meet the dual imperative of demonstrating ROI while ensuring equitable access to career success for all students, providing strategies to rise to both challenges in an integrated way.

• Fostering Sustainable Employer Partnerships: Insights from Local Leaders, Alumni and Faculty

  Join us for an engaging panel discussion with University of Montana alumni who now own or work for thriving local businesses and organizations making an impact in our community. This session will focus on how to build and maintain sustainable partnerships that benefit both UM and Missoula businesses/organizations. Our panelists will share their insights on:

  • The traits, skills and habits of the graduates they prefer to hire
  • Successful strategies for engaging with owners and hiring managers
  • The challenges and opportunities of sustaining community-based partnerships over time
  • Their recommendations on how to best situate students and new graduates to enter the job market
  • Examples of effective partnerships with departments across campus

  This interactive panel provides a unique opportunity to hear real-world experiences and actionable advice from alumni and community members who have successfully built and sustained businesses and organizations in the community.