HARRISONBURG, Va., Oct. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At James Madison University, the commitment to students no longer ends at commencement. Beginning with the Class of 2027, a new two-part promise called The JMU Guarantees extends the university’s responsibility for student success beyond graduation, amid growing national scrutiny over the value of a degree.
Through The JMU Guarantees, a central initiative of The Madison Promise strategic plan, JMU is making a concrete commitment to stand behind its students and alumni as they take their next step after graduation. The initiative pairs two promises: an Employment Guarantee for its undergraduate alumni and an Employer Guarantee for the organizations that hire them.
“At their core, The JMU Guarantees send a simple message: we walk beside our students while they are here and stand behind them after they graduate,” said JMU President Jim Schmidt.
The JMU Guarantees also have drawn attention from higher education leaders who see the initiative as part of a broader conversation about accountability and the value of a college degree.
“When a university is willing to stand behind its graduates and be measured by what happens after they leave, it changes the conversation for all of us,” said Dr. Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education. “It shows that accountability is not a risk to higher education; it is how we earn trust back. JMU isn’t just making a promise to its own students; it’s showing the country what higher education can do and setting an example others can follow.”
Standing behind graduates
The Employment Guarantee reflects JMU’s commitment to preparing every bachelor’s degree graduate for a positive career outcome within one year of graduation. A positive career outcome includes employment, graduate or professional school, military service or a service or volunteer year. If an undergraduate alum has not reached a positive career outcome within one year, JMU will continue to provide support at no added cost. That support can include career advising and coaching, resume and interview assistance, connections with employers and alumni, additional work-based learning opportunities, learning modules, and eligible undergraduate coursework.
For the student it serves, the promise is personal. “I believe the JMU Guarantees represent something bigger than a program; they represent a commitment to recognizing that the value of a JMU education is not measured only by the moment we graduate, but by what we are able to do with everything we gained here,” said Jessica Abadji, a member of the Class of 2028 who is majoring in chemistry with a minor in public policy and serves as the student body president.
Faculty see the same commitment from inside and outside the classroom. “The Guarantees show the value we place on building up authentic experiences that our students can carry over into their careers,” said Dr. Morgan Steffen, a JMU professor of biology in the College of Science and Mathematics. “We are fully confident that our graduates are among the most competitive in the nation for top jobs in all fields right after graduation, and The Guarantees demonstrate this confidence.”
Standing behind employers
JMU is also extending its commitment to the employers who hire its graduates. Under the Employer Guarantee, employers of recent JMU undergraduate alumni can request coaching and continued learning resources when they identify gaps in essential workplace skills. The support is available for the first three years after graduation and comes at no cost to the employer. Areas of support include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, entrepreneurial thinking, and AI literacy.
“We have tremendous confidence in our students and in the education they receive at JMU,” said Schmidt. “The Guarantees are our way of putting that confidence into action. We're making a public commitment that our support won't end at commencement. We'll continue walking alongside our graduates as they build their careers, serve their communities, and pursue their goals.”
Kathy Warden, JMU alumna and chair, CEO and president of Northrop Grumman, applauded JMU’s investment in its students and the employers who hire them.
"My JMU education set the course for everything that followed in my career, so I take real pride in seeing the university make a commitment this bold,” said Warden. “Industry does not just need graduates who are ready on day one. It also needs universities that stay invested in their people and build a genuine partnership with the employers who hire them. That is exactly what the JMU Guarantees do, and it is the kind of relationship between higher education and industry our workforce needs."
Dr. Angela Reddix, member of JMU’s Board of Visitors and founder of ARDX, said, “As a member of the Board of Visitors and as a Virginia entrepreneur, I see how much our employers need graduates who are ready to contribute and to keep growing, and I see what it means for our economy when a university is willing to be measured by what happens after the degree. This is JMU choosing to be accountable to its students and to the Commonwealth that counts on them.”
Eric Bowlin, partner, Life Sciences & Health Care Privacy, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and former president of the JMU Alumni Association, sees the value of the JMU Guarantees from both the perspective of a JMU alumnus and an employer who hires emerging talent.
“Most conversations about the value of a degree stop at graduation,” said Bowlin. “What JMU is doing extends the commitment in both directions: to its graduates, and to the organizations that welcome them into the workforce. That second half is genuinely rare, and as someone who has spent a career around young talent, it’s that part that caught my attention.”
Built on a proven record
The Guarantees build on JMU’s existing approach to career preparation, which combines rigorous undergraduate education with research, internships, work-based learning, career coaching, mentoring, and connections with employers and alumni. JMU’s Class of 2025 career outcomes show that 95% of bachelor’s graduates reached a positive career outcome, while 84% completed at least one work-based learning experience.
The university’s approach is designed to change the traditional conversation around the value of higher education.
“Students and families are asking serious and fair questions about the value of a college degree, and employers want graduates ready to contribute. JMU is showing them what makes a JMU degree distinctive: knowledge, experience and support that lasts beyond graduation,” said Schmidt.
The JMU Guarantees are a central component of The Madison Promise, which establishes a long-term vision for the university and its commitment to students, the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.
The JMU Guarantees President’s Press Conference event imagery: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/di5jxye2h3cvb7p6fmkgh/AMbhxTBqv-MiWpt53c7jn3o?rlkey=uu1s8116g450jizgtzpyen4dt&e=2&dl=0
The JMU Guarantees President’s Press Conference event recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ8HRFnV4SY&t=19s
Chad Saylor James Madison University saylorcx@jmu.edu
