According to surveys performed through Vitae, half of all graduates from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá secure employment prior to obtaining their degree, with an additional 30 percent landing a job within six months after graduation. Alumni have a profound belief in the university, with 94 percent recommending it to others and 88 percent indicating that their degree helped them to achieve their career goals.
With these kinds of positive indicators, many universities would be satisfied that they’re serving students well and take no further action. The leadership of Javeriana, however, saw the opportunity to create an action plan to further enhance its employability support structures. The university also wished to build upon its strengths, which include its reputation as a leading institution, a multi-disciplinary curriculum structure, and comprehensive experiential learning and entrepreneurship resources for both students and alumni.
Of critical importance to the university was the prioritization of its mission, which is for alumni to contribute directly to social transformation. By framing the occupational dimension as part of an objective that transcends the individual, Javeriana chose to become even better at supporting its students in finding their purpose in life.