When Crosby Kids Return: Lessons from Students on how Alumni Boost Student Engagement, Authors

This study uses social identity theory to explore why journalism students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University favored advice from alumni over faculty during classroom visits from the fall of 2023 and 2024. A thematic analysis of interviews with 11 students revealed a central theme: "Students Search for Connection." They shared cultural experiences and generational similarities with alumni mentors as African-American students, resulting in increased student engagement. Consistent with social identity theory, students cast alumni into the ingroup. Students, on the other hand, cast faculty into the out-group because of generational gaps and lack of common experiences, resulting in diminished student engagement. These findings highlight the significance of alumni-student connections in enhancing educational engagement and offer strategies educators can use to re-engage students who may have become disengaged from learning due to remote instruction during and after the pandemic.