graduating senior survey summary of results 1999-2000 through 2005-06

Graduating Senior SurveySummary of Results

1999-2000 through 2005-06

• Administered to almost 5,500 graduating seniors since fall 1999 by the Colleges and Registrar’s office

• Response rates average 21% but vary greatly by college

• Administered on paper only

Response Rate by College, Aggregate Results from 1999-2000 through 2005-06

Business

Education

Engineering

NursingScience

CAUPA

Arts and Letters

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

College of Arts and LettersResponse Rate by Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

College of BusinessResponse Rate by Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

College of EducationResponse Rate by Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

College of EngineeringResponse Rate by Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

College of NursingResponse Rate by Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

College of ScienceResponse Rate by Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

CAUPAResponse Rate by Year

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

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

Are you likely to beinvolved with FAU as an

Alum? (n=5,475)

Would you recommendFAU to a friend orrelative consideringcollege? (n=5,475)

Have you beenchallenged to do your

best at FAU? (n=5,475)

If you could start overagain, would you choose

the same major?(n=5,475)

Yes, definitely Probably yes Probably not No, definitely not No reply

If you could start over again, would you choose the same major?

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

Arts and Letters(n=1,008)

Business (n=910)

Education (n=1,591)

Engineering & ComputerScience (n=654)

Nursing (n=184)

Science (n=743)

CAUPA (N=235)


Have you been challenged to do your best at FAU?

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


Business (n=910)

Education (n=1,591)


Nursing (n=184)

Science (n=743)

CAUPA (n=235)


Would you recommend FAU to a friend or relative considering college?

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

Arts and Letters (n=1,008)

Business (n=910)

Education (n=1,591)


Nursing (n=184)

Science (n=743)

CAUPA (n=235)


Are you likely to be involved with FAU as an Alum?

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


Business (n=910)

Education (n=1,591)


Nursing (n=184)

Science (n=743)

CAUPA (n=235)


What will be your primary activity after graduation?

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters

EmploymentPursuing graduate/professional educationPursuing a second undergraduate degreeOtherNo reply

What are your plans for employment?

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters

I am looking for a jobI plan to continue in my current jobI have accepted employment after graduationI plan to start my own businessI do not plan to be employedNo reply

If you are currently employed or will be soon, is the job related to your degree field?

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters

Yes, directly related Yes, somewhat related Not related No reply

After graduation, where do you plan to reside? (n=5,475)

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

In South Florida

Elsewhere in Florida

In another state

In another country

No reply

Student Satisfaction with Aspects of their FAU Education

Faculty Advising in your Major

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters

Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Did Not Use No Reply

Advising by College Advising Office

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


Clarity of Degree Requirements

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


Availability of Courses Required for Degree

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


Availability of Elective Courses

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


Instruction in your major

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


Instruction in Elective Courses

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

Arts and Letters

Business

Education

Engineering and ComputerScience

Nursing

Science

CAUPA

Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied No Reply No Reply

Satisfaction with…(FTIC students only)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Instruction in generaleducation courses

Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Did not use No reply

Opportunities to interact with Faculty, In or Out of Class

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


Professional Competence of Faculty in your major

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


Responsiveness to your concerns by your major department

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

Science

Nursing

Engineering

Education

CAUPA

Business

Arts and Letters


How satisfied were you with: (n=5,475)

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

Library holdings in yourmajor discipline

Library services


Satisfaction with Library Holdings in Your Major Discipline

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

Arts and Letters

Business

Education


Nursing

Science

CAUPA



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

Job placement services

Career advising services


Preparation for the job market

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

Arts and Letters

Business

Education


Nursing

Science

CAUPA


Preparation for graduate or professional school

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

Arts and Letters

Business

Education


Nursing

Science

CAUPA



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

Overall quality of yourFAU degree

Sense of "belonging" atthis university


Contribution of FAU Experience to

Development of Abilities and

Attributes

How much did your FAU experience contribute to the development of these abilities and attributes?

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

Self-confidence (n=5,425)

Possessing your ownvalues and ethical

standards (n=5,425)

Following through onprojects to completion

(n=5,425)

Setting priorities andmanaging time (n=5,425)

A Great Deal Some A Little None No Reply


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

Locate, screen andorganize information

(n=5,425)

Read with comprehensionand efficiency (n=5,425)

Write clearly and logically(n=5,425)

Give effective oralpresentations (n=5,425)



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

Appreciate the value ofhistory in understanding

past and present (n=5,425)

Appreciate great works ofmusic, art and drama

(n=5,425)

Understand and enjoyliterature (n=5,425)

Gain a broad educationabout different fields ofknowledge (n=5,425)



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

Critically evaluateinformation for decision

making (n=5,425)

Awareness of globalissues and events

(n=5,425)

Working with a team orgroup (n=5,425)

Leadership skills(n=5,425)



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

Being a responsiblecontributor to society

(n=5,425)

Openness to new ideasand practices

(n=5,425)

Enthusiasm for lifelonglearning (n=5,425)

Appreciation of culturesor groups other thanyour own (n=5,425)

Intellectual curiosity(n=5,425)



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

Self-confidence (n=5,425)

Possessing your ownvalues and ethical

standards (n=5,425)

Following through onprojects to completion

(n=5,425)

Setting priorities andmanaging time (n=5,425)


How often did you work with a professor on a research project or publication at FAU?

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

Arts and Letters

Business

Education

Engineering & ComputerScience

Nursing

Science

CAUPA

Often Several Times Once Never No reply

Contribution of FAU experience to development of abilities and attributes

Graduates consistently gave the highest ratings to FAU’s contribution to:

• the ability to work with a team or group • the ability to critically evaluate information• the development of intellectual curiosity• openness to new ideas and practices • enthusiasm for lifelong learning

What survey items predict overall satisfaction?

The factor that best predicts whether a graduating senior is satisfied with the overall quality of the FAU degree and will recommend FAU to a friend or relative is satisfaction with faculty and instruction, including:

• Instruction in your major• Instruction in elective courses• Instruction in general education core courses• Opportunities to interact with faculty, in or out of class

• Professional competence of faculty in your major

• http://iea.fau.edu/surveys/gss/positive_comments_index.htm

Is there a particular faculty or staff member at FAU who especially helped you succeed? Who

and How?

What was the biggest challenge you faced in your efforts to earn a degree?

• Almost one quarter of students surveyed who wrote responses expressed that balancing work and school was the biggest challenge they faced while completing their degree.

• 17% of students responded that Academics was their biggest challenge.

• 9% of students responded that time management was their biggest challenge.

What would you like to see changed at FAU to help future students?

• Almost one quarter of students surveyed who wrote responses expressed that class scheduling was the one thing they would like to see changed at FAU.

• 14% of students responded that they would like to see changes made to various aspects of the academic curriculum.

• Almost 14% of students responded that they would like to see changes made to specific faculty membership.

Please add any other comments on your experiences at FAU.

• Almost half the students who wrote responses had positive remarks about their FAU experience.

• Almost 13% of students who responded made remarks about specific faculty members.

• 5% of students who responded made remarks about their academic experience.

Trends from

The Graduating Senior Survey

1999-2005

Have you been challenged to do your best at FAU?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000(n=796)

2000-01(n=883)

2001-02(n=779)

2002-03(n=651)

2003-04(n=901)

2004-05(n=867)

2005-06(n=598)


Would you recommend FAU to a friend or relative considering college?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06


Are you likely to be invovled with FAU as an Alum?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06


On average, how many hours per week were you employed while attending FAU?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

None 1 to 10 hours 11 to 20 hours 21 to 39 hours 40 or more hours No reply

What was your main source of financing for your college education?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

Parents or family Employment Personal Savings Scholarships or Grants Loans No reply

`

How satisfied are you with the overall quality of your FAU degree?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied

`

Trends from the Graduating Senior Survey 1999-2005

• Since 1999 graduates have consistently indicated they would choose the same major if they were to start over, they felt they had been challenged to do their best at FAU, and they would recommend FAU to a friend or relative considering college.

• Graduates in 2004-05 and 2005-06 were slightly more likely to indicate they would be involved with FAU as alumni than were graduates of previous years.

• There were consistent patterns across the years in the number of hours graduates were employed per week and the main sources graduates had used to finance their college education.

Destination of FAU Bachelor’s Degree

Recipients

• Follows 6,315 FAU bachelor’s graduates from 1999-2001 through spring 2006

• Data sources: National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) for education records; Florida Employment and Training Placement Information Program (FETPIP) for employment records

• For graduates with both records, education trumped employment

• Subsequent destination records were found for 70% of graduates

Destination After Bachelors DegreeGraduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=6,315)

1,680

181

452 373 375

1,345

1,909

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

FAU Other SUSInstitution

Priv FL Inst. Non-FL Inst. FL Pub CommCollege

Employed Not Found

# G

rad

uate

s

FIU 79UF 39 FSU 32UCF 24UNF 4 FAMU 2 UWF 1USF (not avail)

Next DestFAU 83Priv. FL 39Other FL CC 15Non-FL 11Other SUS 8 None 219

Degree SoughtBach 295 (53)Mast 662 (426)Doct 7 (2) Unclass. 716(# compl. degree )

Nova 302Barry 72 UM 25St. Thomas 17PB Atlantic 14FIT 6 Others 16

U. Phoenix 54Troy 10NYU 6Devry 5 Others 298

Includes only graduates who have not yet returned to a university or community college

Includes self-employed, stay-at-home parents, anyone who left the State or who enrolled at an institution not tracked by NSC

Individuals are counted only in one category. Priority was given to continued education over

employment when classifying graduates.

Destination After Bachelors DegreeArts & Letters Graduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=1,054)

313

40 5786

59

254 245

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400



Employed Not Found

# G

radu

ates



Degree SoughtBach 67 (10)Mast 115 (69)Doct 0 (0)Unclass. 131(# compl. degree )


U. Phoenix 4Texas South. 3St. Johns 2Tulane 2Troy 2Union Inst. 2Others 71





Destination After Bachelors DegreeBusiness Graduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=1,935)

396

27105 96 100

552

659

0100

200300400

500600

700800



Employed Not Found

# G

radu

ates

FIU 18UF 3FSU 2UCF 3UNF 0 FAMU 0 UWF 1USF (not avail)



Nova 79Barry 7 UM 8St. Thomas 0PB Atlantic 3FIT 2Others 6

U. Phoenix 30Devry 5 Troy 3CUNY 2Webster 2Georgetow n 2Kennesaw St 2W. Virginia 2Others 48

Includes only graduates w ho have not yet returned to a university or community college

Includes self-employed, stay-at-home parents, anyone w ho left the State or w ho enrolled at an institution not tracked by NSC

Individuals are counted only in one category. Priority w as given to continued education over employment w hen

classifying graduates.

Destination After Bachelors DegreeCAUPA Graduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=544)

132

25

66

3241

143

105

020406080

100120140160180200



Employed Not Found

# G

radu

ates





U. Phoenix 4Troy 3NYU 2Devry 0 Others 23





Destination After Bachelors DegreeEducation Graduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=965)

222

21

72

34 45

329

242

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400



Employed Not Found

# G

rad

ua

tes




Nova 59Barry 6UM 3St. Thomas 0PB Atlantic 2FIT 0Others 2

U. Phoenix 2George Mason 2Others 30





Destination After Bachelors DegreeEng & Comp Sci Graduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=400)

146

8 10

32

10

72

122

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200



Employed Not Found

# G

rad

ua

tes





Old Dominion 3Viriginia Tech 3SMU 2Stanford 2Others 22





Destination After Bachelors DegreeNursing Graduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=305)

98

113

1526

92

60

0

20

40

60

80

100

120



Employed Not Found

# G

radu

ates





U. Phoenix 6U. Wyoming 2Others 7





Destination After Bachelors DegreeScience Graduating Seniors in 1999-00 & 2000-01 (N=704)

243

27

7658 66

112 122

0

50

100

150

200

250

300



Employed Not Found

# G

radu

ates





U. Phoenix 4Argosy 3NYU 2NC State 2Hahneman 2Others 45





graduating senior survey summary of results 1999-2000 through 2005-06

Documents

fractional degree totals

year degree grantedall1999

double major

triple major

single major

graduating seniors

multiple majors

arts letters504569583695840