A&T Chosen for Lumina's From Campus to Career Initiative

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 15, 2026) — North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been selected as one of 16 institutions to participate in From Campus to Career, a national initiative supported by the Lumina Foundation designed to scale career-connected high-impact practices (HIPs) and strengthen workforce outcomes for students.

Through the initiative, N.C. A&T’s Office of Career Services (OCS), in partnership with Office of Transformation Initiatives, will receive $100,000 over two years, tailored technical assistance and cohort-based support from national higher education intermediaries to expand and strengthen career-connected learning opportunities.

High-impact practices such as internships, undergraduate research, service learning, capstone projects and student employment are widely associated with increased student engagement, deeper learning and higher completion rates. This initiative focuses on intentionally connecting those experiences to career pathways and labor market demand so that students graduate prepared to demonstrate the skills employers need.

“At N.C. A&T, we are committed to offering meaningful experiences that ensure students not only graduate, but connect learning to career opportunity,” said Nina Davis, Ed.D., OCS executive director. “This initiative assists with expanding and developing high-impact practices to enhance career-readiness programming and strengthen outcomes for our students.”

As a part of the initiative, A&T plans to expand its Career Champions Program, which equips faculty and staff to embed career readiness into coursework and student advising, ensuring students consistently gain critical career skills. The OCS launched the program in 2025 with 63 champions. Growing it with more training and resources reinforces employability as a campus-wide responsibility.

The funding will also enhance experiential learning at A&T by expanding paid, flexible, and project-based opportunities, such as internships, micro-internships, undergraduate research, service learning and student employment. This aims to reduce financial and logistical barriers, embed experiential learning across disciplines and assess student skill development using the NACE Career Competency Assessment.

The OCS will introduce the Career Analytics Dashboard to monitor key grant-related indicators, including involvement in career-connected HIPs. Other indicators will measure career readiness development through NACE Career Competency Assessments, participation in Career Champions, employer partnerships and post-graduation outcomes.

Lumina launched From Campus to Career to help institutions scale career-connected HIPs that strengthen the value of a bachelor’s degree. Along with the other 15 universities, A&T will serve as a national model for integrating academic learning with career preparation.

“In an era of rising skepticism about the value of college, strengthening the connection between learning and work is essential,” said Debra Humphreys, vice president of strategic engagement at Lumina. “When students can clearly see and show how their education prepares them for meaningful careers, the value of a credential becomes tangible.”

The initiative is implemented in partnership with Excelencia in Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the Center for Innovation in Postsecondary Education, which will support participating institutions through technical assistance and cross-campus learning opportunities.