METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE OF DENVER OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH

Results from the 2009-2010 Alumni Data Survey In early 2010, the 2009-2010 Metro State graduates were given the opportunity to complete the Alumni Data Survey. All graduates received an email with a URL link to complete the survey. E mail reminders were sent to those who did not complete the survey after the first mailing. The survey remained open for nearly a year and closed in early 2011.

 

 

Emails were sent to 2,750 graduates. In total, 175 students completed the survey, a response rate 6.36%. The survey included questions focusing on satisfaction with the education experience, employment, and further education (See Appendix A).

Survey Demographics Surveys were coded so that respondents could be matched to demographic variables in the database and compared to the entire 2009-2010 graduating population. As the table below shows, in most cases, the survey respondents were representative of all 2009-2010 graduates.

  % of Survey Respondents

(n=175) % of all 2009-2010 Graduates

(N=2750) Sex:

Male Female

 33.7 66.3

40.8 59.2

Ethnicity: African American or Black

American Indian or Alaska Native Asian

Hispanic or Latino/a White

Two or More Races Other

 5.1 2.3 4.6 15.4 64.6

1.7 6.3

3.9 1.1 4.0 10.7 71.1 0.2 9.1

School1: Business

Letters, Arts, and Sciences Professional Studies

 19.4 53.7 26.9

19.3 52.7 28.0

Age: 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34

35 and older

 36.0 29.1 12.6 22.4

39.6 30.5 13.1 15.7

GPA of 3.0 or higher 72.0 69.0 Entered as a Transfer 62.9 68.0

Of the graduates who responded the survey, nearly 50% graduated with a degree in one of the top ten majors; all three schools were represented in the top ten majors.

Major2 Frequency % of Graduates Criminal Justice and Criminology 11 6.3 Accounting 10 5.7 Political Science 10 5.7 Chemistry 7 4.0 English 7 4.0 Finance 7 4.0 Human Services 7 4.0 Management 7 4.0 Mathematics 7 4.0 Speech Communication 7 4.0

TOTAL 80 45.7 2Note that 7 students also graduated with an Individualized Degree Program. 

Satisfaction with Metro State

Most respondents (95%) were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their experiences at Metro State. Eighty-eight percent of respondents also reported that their program at Metro State “mostly” or “very much” met their educational goals.

A total of 95% of respondents indicated that they would recommend Metro State to someone specifically interested in their major field of study.

95%

5%

How Satisfied Are You With Your Experience at 

Metro State?

Satisfied or Very Satisfied

Dissatisfied or Very Dissatisfied

88%

9%

3%

Did Your Program at Metro State Meet Your 

Educational Goals?

Mostly or Very Much Somewhat No

The survey was modified during the assessment period and as a result Spring 2010 graduates were asked a series of questions that were not asked of Summer or Fall 2009 graduates.

Students were most satisfied with the instruction of the faculty; more than 80% of students reported a high or very high degree of satisfaction with both full-time and part-time faculty instruction. Students were far less satisfied with the advising they received from faculty and the information they received about careers and future study.

84%

11%5%

Would You Recommend Metro State to Someone Interested in Your Field of Study?

Recommend or Highly Recommend

Recommend w/ Reservations

No

Instruction of FT Faculty

Instruction of PT Faculty

Accessibility of Faculty

Faculty Advising

Instructional Facilities

Scheduling of Courses

Careers and Further Study

Availability of Clubs

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%88%

84%78%

55%52%

68%

39%44%

74%

13%19%

29%34%

20%

36%26%

4% 3% 3%

16% 15% 12%

25%30%

Degree of Satisfaction3

Very High or High Moderate Low or Not at All

Overall, most students felt that the courses at Metro State provided a solid foundation for their career or graduate study.

3Only asked of Spring 2010 graduates. 

Employment

The majority of respondents (73%) were employed. Of the 47 respondents who were not employed, 37 were seeking employment. All subsequent percentages in the Employment section are based on the 128 respondents who are employed.

88%

12%

Did your courses provide an overall foundation?3

Yes No

73%

21%

6%

Employment Status

Employed

Not Employed ‐Seeking Employment

Not Employed ‐Not Seeking Employment

Of the 128 respondents who were employed, more than half (59%) had jobs that were “related” or “somewhat related” to their major. Another 19% reported that their jobs were not related to their major but still expressed job satisfaction. The increase in unemployed graduates still seeking work and employed graduates dissatisfied with their jobs over previous years, is likely reflective of the generally high unemployment rate seen throughout the country during the economic crisis.

Job Titles Responses were broadly categorized according to corresponding majors at MSCD. Since the responses were self-report, there is room for error in how we interpreted the job titles. Top Ten Job Title Categories Percent Education 18% Management/Business/Administration 10% Customer Service/Clerical 9% Computer/IT 9% Accounting/Financial 7% Human Services 7% Research/Analysis 5% Sales/Marketing 5% Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement 4% Science/Engineering 4%

Employers As in the previous question, responses were self-reported, so employers were grouped together with some margin of error. Top Five Employers Percent State of Colorado 9% Federal Government 4% Denver Public Schools 2% Boulder County 2% Jefferson County/ Jefferson County Schools 2%

59%19%

22%

How Related is Your Job to Your Major

Related or Somewhat Related

Not Related ‐Satisfied w/ Job

Not Related ‐Not Satisfied w/ Job

Obtaining Employment The majority of respondents (81%) either had a job at the time they graduated or found employment within six months of graduation.

Most respondents (75%) felt that their program of study at Metro State helped them obtain their new job or earn a promotion.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Had Job at Graduation Found Job Within 6 Months of Graduation

Found Job More than 6 Months After Graduation

43%38%

19%

How Soon After You Graduated Did You Obtain Your Current Primary Job?

62%

25%

13%

Did Your Program at Metro State Help You to Obtain, or Keep, Your Current Job, or Get a 

Promotion?

Obtain Current Position Keep Current Position Get a Promotion

Salary Range Sixty-four percent of respondents made at least $25,000 annually.

Further Education Respondents were asked to report whether they were pursuing further education; thirty-eight percent of respondents were admitted to, enrolled in or had already completed a program of further study. All subsequent percentages in the Further Education section are calculated on the 67 respondents who indicated they were pursing further study.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Less than $25,000

$25,000 to $49,999

$50,000 to $74,999

$75,000 or more

34%

52%

10%

2%

Annual Salary Range

34%

12%

54%

Further Education Status

Enrolled

Admitted

Completed

Fields of study were transformed into broad categories of study by grouping together similar fields, with some margin of error. Fields of study were spread out over numerous areas. The majority of those respondents were pursuing study in Health/Medicine (7%). The other top areas of study tied at 6% each.

Top Five Further Fields of Study Percent Health/Medicine 7% Accounting/Finance 6% Business/Management 6% Education 6% Speech/Communications 6% Similar to Fields of Study, Institutions were grouped together based on self-reported responses from respondents. Of those pursuing further education, 25% were attending a public university in Colorado. Metro State was, by far, the preferred school to further graduates’ education, with 21% of graduates reporting they had been admitted to, enrolled in, or completed additional education at Metro State. Top Institutions of Further Study Percent Metropolitan State College of Denver 21% Regis University 4% University of Colorado – Denver 3% University of Denver 3%

28%

3% 3%10% 6%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Post‐Graduation Degrees Pursued

Alumni Association More than half (57%) of all respondents were unaware of any services offered by the Alumni Association, and another 35% were aware of Alumni Association services but did not use them. Only 7% of respondents reported “sometimes” using Alumni Association services.

Respondents were also asked to indicate which services they would like to see offered by the Alumni Association, and had the opportunity to write in their own suggestions as well. Most responding graduates (58%) would like to see the Alumni Association offer career-related/networking programs and events. A high percentage also showed interested in remaining connected to Metro through Alumni Association emails (38%) and departmental events (37%). Students also suggested they be allowed to keep their Metro email address after graduation.

1%

7%

35%

57%

Alumni Association Services

Frequently use

Sometimes use

Aware, don't use

Unaware

3%

23%

34%

10%

58%

39%

23%

23%

37%

38%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Other

Social Online Community

Volunteer Opportunities

Family Programs

Career‐Related Programs/Networking

Lectures by professors

Affinity products

Group travel, sports, arts events

Departmental events

Emails

What Services Would You Like to See the Alumni Association Offer?

Comments Respondents were given the opportunity to leave additional comments on their Metro State experience – fifty-three of the 175 respondents took this opportunity. Response statements were then grouped together as to whether they were positive, negative, or neutral; a couple of responses contained statements that were classified into more than one category, resulting in 65 statements for 53 responders. Most (49%) of the statements were positive. Many comments noted Metro State’s diversity and ability to serve non-traditional students as strengths of the college. One student wrote:

“Because I am a "nontraditional" student, I truly appreciated the fact that Metro State has such a diverse campus. I never once felt out of place. Thank you for paying attention to the needs of the community.”

Several students noted the overall quality of education and the relatively low cost of attending Metro State. Twenty-eight percent of the statements were classified as negative. Six of these statements noted negative interactions with Metro State staff. Others were concerned that Metro State had not prepared them for the job market or that Metro State had a bad reputation among potential employers. Two comments expressed displeasure at the prospect of changing Metro State’s name. Twenty-three percent of statements were neutral, or not otherwise classifiable. Examples include statements like “Go Runners!”, suggestions for improvement, or comments on the survey itself.

APPENDIX A Survey Questions

Question 1: In general, how satisfied are you with your experiences at Metro State? Question 2: Overall, did your instructional program at Metro State meet your educational goals?

Question 3: Would you recommend Metro State to someone who is specifically interested in your major field of study? Questions 4-11*: Please rate your degree of satisfaction with the following aspects of your major program: instruction by full-time faculty; instruction by part-time faculty; accessibility of faculty; faculty advising on course selection and degree program; instructional facilities; scheduling of courses; information about possible careers and further study; and availability of clubs related to the major. Question 12*: Overall, did your courses provide a solid foundation for your career or graduate study? Question 13: Based on your current experience, what courses, academic content or training do you wish were available in the program? Question 14: What suggestions do you have for strengthening your major department? Question 15: Following graduation, what professional advancements or achievements have you made or awards have you received related to your degree or academic program? Question 16: Which of the following best describes your current employment situation? Question 17: Which of the following best describes your job or primary job if you have more than one?

Question 18: What is your job title?

Question 19: Who is your employer?

Question 20-23: Employer Address, City, State, Zip, and Email.

Question 24: Can we send a survey to your employer? Question 25: How soon after you graduated did you obtain your current primary job?

Question 26: Did your program of study at Metro State help you to obtain, or keep, your current primary job?

Question 27: What is your current salary range? Question 28: Are you able to serve as an alumni mentor to current students? Question 29: Did you do an internship while attending Metro? Question 30: Did your internship provide experience relevant to your career goals? Question 31: Are you currently working for your internship employer? Question 32: Do you believe that your internship helped you gain employment? Question 33-38: Please rate the internship benefits listed below: increasing your skills in and of your Metro academic major; academic credit for your work experience; finding out about job and career choices in your field; work experience and resume enhancement in your field; opportunity for a full-time career position with your internship employer; personal growth and self-confidence. Question 39: If you internship was paid, how important was the pay?

Question 40: Are you enrolled in, or have you been admitted to, a program of further study? Question 41: What is your status? Question 42: Field of Study? Question 43: Institution/Organization? Question 44: Indicate the degree, certification, or licensure that you are seeking. Question 45: Anticipated or Completed Date. Question 46: How aware are you of the services offered by the Alumni Association? Question 47: What services would you like from the Alumni Association? Question 48: How did you find out about this survey? Question 49: Please add any additional comments you would like to make about Metro State. *Added for Spring 2010 survey