So in early March '05, we arranged a gathering to which these alumni and all current students were invited. The session allowed current students to interact with alumni and get a feel for the kinds of things, in terms of technical skills, knowledge of particular tools and techniques, as well as soft skills, that are likely to be important for new CSE graduates to succeed in the profession. There was also a brief presentation by the department chair, summarizing recent changes in the program and other important changes (such as the addition of Comm 321 as a required course for the BS-CSE program, and the introduction of the individualized option as a new tech elective option), to help update the alumni's knowledge of the program.
The session was well attended and seemed quite beneficial. We hope to make this a regular annual event.