Jobtrak at the University

Though Harvard initially refers recruiters to Jobtrak, OCS will keep hard copies of job listings in a binder if asked.

Harvard charges its alumni $25 for three months of access to Jobtrak, even though the University itself pays no fee for the service.

"There are administrative costs associated with assigning them passwords. We need to verify that the individual is indeed an alum of the College or GSAS," Vacca said. "There have been a couple of cases where we have waved the fee and asked them to pay when they can."

"We really do want to make it possible for people to have access," she added.

Most colleges, including Stanford and Yale Universities, do not charge alums for Jobtrak access.

Administrators at Dartmouth College, which charges a fee similar to Harvard's, said it did not offer alums any career services before this year.

"We budgetarily and service-wise did not charge alumni. This [new] charge allows us to serve them," said an official at Dartmouth's career services.

Normally, all the resources of Harvard's OCS are available to alums without a charge.

Kevin J. Harrington, director of the Graduate School of Education's career services, says the school will begin using the service on June 15 and hopes the timeliness of the job listings will enhance their effectiveness.

Previously, the school issued a biweekly newsletter with job listings, but it will now charge alums the same amount to use Jobtrak as it did for a newsletter subscription.

"[Jobtrak] will be a lot more convenient for people who are far afield to access," Harrington said.

The Business School presently does not use Jobtrak, but the career services' co-Director Kirsten J. Moss said the school hopes to join the service next fall when the listings had expanded further.