Abstract
Background and Methodology
Results:
Employment
Continued Education
Gains and Emphasis
Satisfaction with the University
Questions Related to Alumni Association Programs and Services
Open-Ended Questionnaire Responses
Summary and Conclusions

ABSTRACT

This report describes the results of the 2004 administration of the BGSU Short-Term Alumni Questionnaire (2002 Bachelor's Degree graduates) and the BGSU Long-Term Alumni Questionnaire (1998 Bachelor's Degree graduates). The questionnaires were designed to collect information about the employment and continued education activities of alumni, their educational and personal gains as a result of their BGSU education, their satisfaction with various aspects of the University, and their participation with various Alumni Association programs and services. The results of the surveys could be used to support the University's assessment priority.

BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

The need for information about the post-graduation activities and perceptions of alumni prompted the development of the BGSU Short-Term and Long-Term Alumni* Questionnaires in late 1997. This information constitutes a critical component of BGSU's assessment efforts. Since no single commercially-available questionnaire would provide the data specifically needed by BGSU in a timely and cost effective manner, short-term and long-term questionnaires were developed by the Office of Institutional Research in 1997 following widespread consultation with various sectors of the University. The questionnaires were administered to BGSU baccalaureate alumni in 1998, 2001, and 2004.

( * Short-Term Alumni are baccalaureate alumni who graduated from BGSU one to two years before the time the survey was conducted. Long-Term Alumni are baccalaureate alumni who graduated from BGSU five to six years before the time the survey was conducted.)

Unlike in 1998 and 2001, web-based questionnaires, instead of paper ones were used to collect data this year. On March 9, 2004, more than five thousand postcards were mailed out by the Office of Institutional Research to invite 1998 and 2002 BGSU Bachelor's degree graduates to fill out the online surveys. Four additional postcard and email follow-ups were carried out by the office between March 15 and April 22 to remind the alumni to complete the surveys. A total of 392 long-term alumni questionnaires and 386 short-term alumni questionnaires were returned from the groups of 2,329 baccalaureate alumni of 1998 and 2732 baccalaureate alumni of 2002. The response rate is 17% for Long-Term Alumni Survey and 14% for Short-Term Alumni Survey. This year's response rates are lower than the rates in 2001 and in 1998 (see table below).

To examine how representative the survey respondents were of the entire 1998 and 2002 BGSU baccalaureate alumni, the demographic characteristics of the survey respondents were compared to the population. As shown on the table below there was a high degree of college similarity between the respondents and the population. The proportion of women respondents as well as European-American respondents were somewhat higher than in the population. These limitations and the low response rates require that all results from this survey be interpreted with some caution.

Alumni questionnaire results were analyzed by noting the percentages of respondents who provided each response to each questionnaire item. Percentages may not always sum to 100 due to rounding. Results were also compared with those of previous administration of the surveys. In addition, group differences (female vs. male, minorities vs. European-Americans, and college vs. college) were investigated for this year's survey and significant differences are noted where they occurred.

EMPLOYMENT

The great majority of respondents, both long-term or short-term, indicated that they currently were employed full-time in jobs either related to their majors or unrelated to their majors. While 1998 alumni were more likely than the 1991 and 1995 alumni to claim that they had full-time jobs related to their majors after they graduated from BGSU for five years (74% vs. 68%), 2002 alumni were less likely than the long-term alumni as well as 1996 and 1999 short-term alumni to report that they hold full-time jobs related to their majors after they graduated from BGSU for two years.

Among 1998 respondents males were more likely than females to report that they were working full-time in the fields unrelated to their majors. Among 2002 respondents, Arts and Sciences as well as Musical Arts alumni were less likely than the alumni in other colleges to report that they were holding full-time jobs related to their majors.

What is the annual salary of your current job? (Long-Term Alumni)
What was the annual salary of your first job after graduation? (Short-Term Alumni)

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%	%	%	%
less than $20,000	9	10	8	34	18	29
$20,000 - $29,999	20	13	12	43	46	38
$30,000 - $39,999	24	30	32	17	28	22
$40,000 - $49,999	20	17	20	5	7	8
$50,000 and above	27	29	28	1	2	3

The majority of BGSU recent graduates earn less than $30,000 a year. Long-term alumni were more likely to have an annual income of $40,000 and more than short-term alumni since they had been on job market for 5 years. Males, on average, reported higher salaries than females. Specifically, 48% of 2002 male alumni vs. 26% of females reported earning $30,000 or more a year and 46% of 1998 male alumni vs. 17% of females claimed earning $50,000 and more a year. A significantly greater percentage of alumni, both 1998 and 2002, from the College of Technology and College of Business Administration had salaries in the $40,000 and above ranges.

The majority of the respondents, especially long-term alumni, were satisfied or very satisfied with their current/first jobs. 2002 alumni, however, were somewhat less satisfied with their first jobs when compared with 1996 and 1999 alumni (one of the reasons may be because they were less likely than 1996 and 1999 alumni to hold full-time jobs related to their majors.). Arts and Sciences alumni of 2002 were less likely to be satisfied with their first jobs than were 2002 alumni in the other colleges.

How satisfied are you with the way BGSU prepared you for your current job? (Long-Term Alumni)
How satisfied are you with the way BGSU prepared you for your first job after graduation? (Short-Term Alumni)

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%	%	%	%
very satisfied	31	34	29	26	22	20
satisfied	61	56	65	60	63	61
dissatisfied	6	8	5	10	11	13
very dissatisfied	2	3	2	4	3	6

And again, the majority of the respondents were happy with the way BGSU prepared them for their jobs. Among 2002 respondents, Technology alumni more often said that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the way BGSU prepared for their first jobs than did alumni in other colleges.

How many different jobs have you had since you graduated from BGSU?

	Long-Term Alumni only
	1991	1995	1998
	%	%	%
none	4	5	1
one	14	13	22
two	26	32	34
three or more	57	50	43

Among 1998 respondents in the six colleges, Arts and Science graduates were most likely to have three or more different jobs since they left BGSU.

What methods did you use to find your first job after you graduated from BGSU? 

	Short-Term Alumni only
	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%
personal contacts/networking	53	52	56
BGSU Career Services	25	25	28
newspaper ad	28	26	27
co-op/internship contacts	16	19	16
BGSU faculty	13	10	12
employment agency	7	6	12
recruiter	5	7	9
other BGSU contacts	7	5	7
alumni career programs	1	1	1

BGSU graduates more often use personal contacts/networking, BGSU career services, and newspaper ads to find their first jobs. While graduates in College of Business of Administration and College of Education and Human Development more often use BGSU Career Services to get their first jobs, graduates in College of Arts and Sciences and College of Health and Human Services more frequently use newspaper ads to land their first jobs.

How long did it take you to get your first job after you graduated from BGSU? 

	Short-Term Alumni only
	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%
I continued in a job I already had	13	10	14
I found a job before graduation	28	34	27
less than 3 months	32	31	28
3 to 6 months	15	16	14
6 to 12 months	9	6	10
more than 12 months	4	2	8

Most of survey respondents indicated that they had jobs or job offers either before graduation or in less than three month after their graduation. Compared with respondents in other colleges, Technology graduates were most likely to continue in the jobs they already had before their graduation.

If you are required to take a licensing or certification examination related to your area of study at BGSU, please choose one of the following options:

	Short-Term Alumni only
	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%
I have taken and passed the examination	95	92	85
I have taken the exam but do not yet know the results	2	2	9
I have taken the exam but did not pass	3	6	6

Respondents in College of Business Administration were most likely to report that they have taken the licensing or certification examinations related to their area of study at BGSU but did not pass them among the respondents in six colleges.

CONTINUED EDUCATION

Since graduation from BGSU have you completed any additional college courses?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%	%	%	%
No	39	40	44	60	67	51
Yes, I've completed courses, but not towards another degree.	18	16	12	12	9	9
Yes, I've completed courses towards another Bachelor's degree, but haven't yet earned it.	1	2	1	2	2	1
Yes, I've completed courses towards and earned another bachelor's Degree.	1	1	1	0	0	0
Yes, I've completed courses towards a Master's Degree, but haven't yet earned it.	11	17	15	12	17	29
Yes, I've completed courses towards and earned a Master's Degree.	22	20	23	8	3	6
Yes, I've completed courses towards a doctoral degree, but haven't yet earned it.	3	2	1	3	2	2
Yes, I've completed courses towards and earned a doctoral degree.	3	1	1	0	2	0
Yes, I've completed courses towards a law or medical degree, but haven't yet earned it.	0	1	1	2	0	2
Yes, I've completed courses towards and earned a law or medical degree.	3	1	2	1	1	0

Long-term alumni were more likely to complete additional college courses after their graduation than were short-term alumni. Among short-term alumni, 2002 graduates were more likely to take courses towards a Master's degree than were 1996 and 1999 graduates. Compared with the respondents in other colleges, respondents in the College of Technology were less likely to say that they have taken additional college courses since they graduated from BGSU.

What is the most important reason that you continued your education after graduating from BGSU?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%	%	%	%
for continued career preparation	56	49	49	54	53	57
for preparation for a new career	11	16	17	15	14	14
to increase my earnings	19	24	22	17	24	19
for general self-improvement	14	12	13	14	8	11

Career preparation was the main reason for most of the alumni who continued their education. Among the 1998 alumni in the six colleges, Musical Arts graduates were most likely to claim that they continued their education after graduation simply because they want to  improve themselves more. While minority respondents of 1998 often reported that the most important reason for them to take additional courses was continuing their career, European-American respondents frequently cited increasing the earnings as well as preparing for a new career as the important factors for them  to continue additional college work.

How satisfied are you with the way BGSU prepared you for additional college work?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%	%	%	%
very satisfied	32	37	38	33	25	31
satisfied	61	59	58	60	69	62
dissatisfied	6	3	2	7	5	5
very dissatisfied	1	2	2	1	2	2

The vast majority of survey respondents, both short term and long term, were satisfied or very satisfied with the way BGSU prepared them for additional college work. Among the 2002 alumni, males and graduates from the College of Technology were somewhat less satisfied with the way BGSU prepared them for continuing education than were females and the graduates from other colleges.

GAINS AND EMPHASIS

For each of the following items, please indicated how much you feel you have gained as a results of your BGSU education. (Percentage "Quite a Bit" or "Very Much")

	Long-Term Alumni Only
	1991	1995	1998
being open to new ideas	NA	72%	80%
developing knowledge and skills applicable to a career	NA	68%	78%
making informed judgments	NA	62%	75%
relating to others	61%	65%	74%
thinking critically	66%	63%	74%
understanding my own abilities, interests, and values	60%	56%	72%
writing effectively	70%	66%	70%
making connections between things I have learned in class and other experiences in my life	NA	52%	70%
using computers	39%	49%	70%
being prepared for further education	NA	63%	68%
solving problems	67%	60%	67%
speaking effectively	61%	54%	66%
making connections between the classes I have taken	NA	52%	65%
developing a better understanding of my career goals	NA	45%	61%
understanding cultural, racial and gender differences and how they relate to me, my field of study, and my future career	NA	50%	57%

For each of the following items, please indicated how much emphasis you feel BGSU should place in each area (Percentage "Need to Emphasize More")

	Long-Term Alumni Only
	1991	1995	1998
speaking effectively	45%	45%	42%
writing effectively	44%	35%	40%
developing a better understanding of my career goals	NA	43%	39%
developing knowledge and skills applicable to a career	NA	37%	37%
using computers	67%	55%	35%
thinking critically	39%	38%	34%
making connections between the classes I have taken	NA	35%	32%
making connections between things I have learned in class and other experiences in my life	NA	36%	29%
making informed judgments	NA	27%	28%
solving problems	37%	38%	27%
being prepared for further education	NA	25%	26%
understanding my own abilities, interests, and values	27%	29%	20%
being open to new ideas	NA	16%	20%
understanding cultural, racial and gender differences and how they relate to me, my field of study, and my future career	NA	29%	19%
relating to others	35%	18%	17%

Most of 1998 respondents indicated that their BGSU education benefited them quite a bit or very much in all the items listed on the survey. They were also more likely than the 1991 and 1995 respondents to report that they gained a lot in 13 out of 15 areas listed on the survey, such as using computers, developing a better understanding of their career goals, and making connections between things they have learned in class and other experiences in their life.

Among the 1998 respondents in the six colleges, Musical Arts graduates were most likely to feel that they only gained some in using computers and very little in related to others.  They were also least likely to say that they learned a lot in understanding their own abilities, interests and values from their BGSU education. Sixty-seven percent of them, however, did report that they progressed a lot  in developing knowledge and skills applicable to a career compared with 18% to 42% of the respondents in other colleges. Since male respondents of 1998 were less likely than females to claim that they gained quite bit or very much in being prepared for further education, it's not surprise that they were more likely to state that BGSU should emphasize this area more.

SATISFACTION WITH THE UNIVERSITY

How satisfied are you with each of the following aspects of the department or college from which you earned your BGSU degree? (Short-Term Alumni Only)(Percentage"Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied")

	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%
the overall quality of instruction	95	94	95
the overall quality of advising	70	69	74
ease of access to instructors	90	92	95
helpfulness in preparing for employment	72	74	73
helpfulness in preparing for further education	81	80	86
concern for me as an individual	80	79	83

How satisfied with each of the following aspects of BGSU outside of the department or college from which you earned your degree (e.g., other departments where you took classes, administrative offices, etc.)? (Short-Term Alumni Only) (Percentage"Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied")

	1996	1999	2002
	%	%	%
the overall quality of instruction	95	93	94
ease of access to instructors	87	88	89
helpfulness in preparing for employment	73	73	70
helpfulness in preparing for further education	82	80	80
concern for me as an individual	76	73	76

Seventy percent or more of the short-term respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with all the aspects listed on the survey, either inside their department/college or outside of the department/college from which they earned their bachelor's degree. Among the 2002 respondents in the six colleges,  Arts and Sciences graduates were least likely to be satisfied with the way their own departments or colleges prepared them for employment; they and graduates from College of Education and Human Development were also less likely to be satisfied with the help they received from other departments or offices for their employment. Respondents from Business Administration, Technology, and Health and Human Services were more likely than the respondents from the three other colleges to be satisfied with the help they got from other departments and colleges in preparing for further education. Musical Arts graduates were least likely to be satisfied with the overall quality of instruction they received from other departments or colleges.

Regardless of the financial benefits, has your college education improved the quality of your life so far?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
definitely	79%	75%	79%	69%	66%	64%
probably	18%	20%	20%	25%	27%	29%
probably not	2%	4%	2%	4%	4%	7%
definitely not	1%	2%	1%	2%	3%	1%

Long-term alumni more frequently indicated that their college education definitely improved the quality of their lives regardless of the financial benefits than did short-term alumni. Among  the 2002 respondents, females more often reported that they definitely benefited from their college education than did males.

If you could start college over again, would you choose to enroll at BGSU?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
definitely	34%	50%	55%	40%	42%	48%
probably	52%	38%	35%	44%	43%	41%
probably not	13%	9%	8%	12%	13%	8%
definitely not	1%	3%	2%	3%	3%	3%

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

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
definitely	25%	32%	36%	37%	37%	40%
probably	40%	35%	34%	34%	32%	31%
probably not	25%	26%	22%	21%	25%	23%
definitely not	10%	7%	8%	9%	6%	7%

Would you encourage others to enroll at BGSU?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
definitely	56%	66%	73%	57%	57%	63%
probably	40%	30%	24%	36%	37%	31%
probably not	4%	3%	3%	6%	4%	4%
definitely not	1%	2%	1%	1%	2%	2%

The majority of BGSU alumni seem willing to enroll at BGSU if they could start college again. More than 90% of them reported that they would encourage others to enroll at BGSU.

Among the 2002 respondents, graduates from College of Musical Arts and College of Health and Human Services were more likely than the graduates from the other colleges to indicate that they would choose the same majors they had at BGSU if they could start college again. While graduates from colleges of Business Administration, Education and Human Development, and Health and Human Services were more likely to say that they will definitely enroll at BGSU again if they could and definitely will encourage others to enroll too, Musical Arts graduates were least likely to do so.

Among the 1998 respondents, Musical Arts and Technology graduates were more likely than the graduates in other colleges to claim that they probably will not choose to enroll at BGSU if they could start college over again. While 74% of white respondents of 1998 reported that they definitely would encourage others to enroll at BGSU, only 14% of minority respondents said so.

QUESTIONS RELATED TO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Do you consider yourself a member of the BGSU Alumni Association?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
Yes	NA	NA	42%	NA	NA	39%
No	NA	NA	27%	NA	NA	24%
Not Sure	NA	NA	31%	NA	NA	38%

Male alumni of 1998 were more likely to consider themselves the members of BGSU Alumni Association than were female alumni.

Have you returned to BGSU for Homecoming since your graduation?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
Yes	NA	NA	37%	NA	NA	36%
No	NA	NA	63%	NA	NA	64%

Among the 2002 alumni, males and European-American graduates more frequently reported that they have returned to BGSU for Homecoming since their graduation than did females and minority graduates. Among the 1998 alumni, Technology as well as Education and Human Development graduates more often claimed that they attended Homecoming activities than did the graduates in four other colleges.

What prompted you to return to BGSU for Homecoming if you have returned to it since your graduation?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
Mailing/Promotion/Invitation	NA	NA	10%	NA	NA	4%
Seeing Classmates	NA	NA	25%	NA	NA	23%
Cultural Event	NA	NA	2%	NA	NA	2%
Football Game	NA	NA	21%	NA	NA	27%
Community	NA	NA	10%	NA	NA	11%

Male respondents of 2002 were more likely than females to report that football games and the community were the two reasons that prompted them to return to BGSU for Homecoming. Among the 1998 respondents in six colleges, alumni from Education and Human Development as well as Musical Arts were more likely to say that mailing/promotion/invitation is the reason for them to attend Homecoming events, while alumni from College of Technology, College of Health and Human Services, and College of Education and Human Development were more likely to claim that the community is the reason for them to return for the Homecoming.

What types of future homecoming activities would you be interested in attending?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
Pre-Game Tent	NA	NA	42%	NA	NA	46%
Academic Programs	NA	NA	12%	NA	NA	10%
Cultural Event (theatre or music performance)	NA	NA	24%	NA	NA	23%
College or Department Reunion	NA	NA	29%	NA	NA	29%
Student Group Reunion	NA	NA	26%	NA	NA	28%
Other	NA	NA	18%	NA	NA	19%

Among the short-term respondents, males more often reported that they were interested in pre-game tent and other for the future homecoming activities than did females; Minority alumni more likely point to cultural events and student group reunions as the activities they would like to see for homecoming than did European-American alumni; Musical Arts alumni were most likely to have cultural events in the list of homecoming activities among all the 2002 respondents in the six colleges.

Among the long-term respondents, European-Americans were more interested in pre-game tent activities than were minorities; males were more interested in other homecoming activities than were females.

Would you be interested in participating in Young Alumni activities?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
yes	NA	NA	37%	NA	NA	45%
no	NA	NA	63%	NA	NA	55%

Minority respondents of 2002 were more interested in participating in Young Alumni activities than were European-Americans. 1998 respondents from College of Arts and Sciences as well as College of Education and Human Development were more likely to attend Young Alumni activities than were alumni from the four other colleges.

Please indicate alumni chapter activities that interest you:

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
Networking Events (Happy Hours, Business Card parties)	NA	NA	47%	NA	NA	37%
Community Service Activities	NA	NA	22%	NA	NA	21%
Student Recruitment	NA	NA	18%	NA	NA	19%
University Guest Speaker at Regional Program	NA	NA	6%	NA	NA	6%
Other	NA	NA	11%	NA	NA	15%

Male respondents of 1998 were more interested in networking events and student recruitment than were females. Male respondents of 2002 were more interested in other activities than were females. Minority respondents of 2002 were more interested in community service activities than were European-American alumni.

What is your preferred method of communication from BGSU Alumni Association (if you win the survey prize)?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
Home Email	NA	NA	65%	NA	NA	61%
Work Email	NA	NA	16%	NA	NA	14%
US Mail	NA	NA	22%	NA	NA	28%

Home Email is communication method that most of survey respondents, both long-term and short-term, preferred.

If you prefer e-mail, how often would you like us to contact you on information related to alumni association events and happenings?

	Long-Term Alumni			Short-Term Alumni
	1991	1995	1998	1996	1999	2002
Once per week	NA	NA	9%	NA	NA	16%
More than once per week	NA	NA	2%	NA	NA	1%
Once per month	NA	NA	77%	NA	NA	72%
Twice per month	NA	NA	12%	NA	NA	11%

The majority of the respondents prefer to email them once a month.

Please indicate if you have participated in any of these Alumni Association programs since your graduation and whether you will participate them in future. (1998 and 2002 alumni only)

Have You Participated?					Will You Participate in Future?
1998 Alumni		2002 Alumni			1998 Alumni		2002 Alumni
Yes	No	Yes	No		Yes	No	Yes	No
15%	85%	6%	94%	Alumni Chapter Activities	48%	52%	41%	59%
22%	78%	16%	84%	Alumni gatherings at athletic events	58%	42%	55%	45%
44%	56%	36%	64%	Alumni Merchandise	72%	28%	65%	35%
42%	58%	26%	74%	Alumni Association Website	62%	38%	52%	48%
61%	39%	58%	42%	E-Ziggy (electronic newsletter)	66%	34%	64%	36%
2%	98%	10%	90%	Grad med-short-term insurance	3%	97%	5%	95%
36%	64%	31%	69%	Homecoming	60%	40%	58%	42%
10%	90%	14%	86%	MBNA Credit Card	12%	88%	20%	80%
3%	97%	2%	98%	NelNet-student loan	4%	96%	7%	93%
8%	92%	8%	92%	consolidation program	7%	93%	15%	85%

E-Ziggy, the electronic newsletter is the only program that more than half of the survey respondents have participated. Other than E-Ziggy, most of respondents also indicated that they would like to attend alumni gatherings at athletic events and and Homecoming, to buy Alumni Merchandise, and to access Alumni Association Website in future.

Among 2002 respondents, males were more likely to say that they have participated in alumni gatherings at athletic events while females were more likely to say that they have bought alumni merchandise. Among 1998 respondents, females were more likely to indicate that they will buy alumni merchandise in future while males were more likely to state that they have participated in alumni chapter activities and they will participate it again in future.

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES

There are seven open-ended questions, including two Alumni Association questions, in the survey.

What activities, events, programs, or individuals contributed the most to your educational and personal development at BGSU?

Two hundred and nineteen 2002 alumni and two hundred 1998 alumni answered the question above.

Individuals, mentioned by name or as a group, activities, and programs are the factors that were more frequently credited by alumni, both 1998 and 2002, as having contributed significantly to their educational and personal development (see table below). Faculty, Greek Life, student activities/clubs/organizations, athletics/recreation sports, academic programs, and residence life, are the subcategories with the highest frequencies.

	2002 Alumni Responses	1998 Alumni Responses
Individuals (total)      Faculty      Peers      Staff	124 93 11 10	104 71 10 7
Activities (total)      Greek Life      Student Activities/Clubs/Organizations      Athletics/Recreation Sports	114 41 39 26	117 44 37 18
Programs (total)      Academic Programs      Residence Life	99 54 20	100 55 17
Events (total)	33	13
All the factors above (total)	6	7

What does BGSU do well?

Two hundred and eight 2002 alumni and one hundred ninety 1998 alumni answered this question.

2002 Alumni Responses:

Alumni mentioned a wide range of factors that they believed were the strengths of BGSU. Responses that pertained to the overall campus climate were most often mentioned (115). The sense of community (75), variety of activities (34), physical environmental factors/facilities (15), and care for students (10) were subcategories with the highest frequencies. The academic experience (69) was often described as varied, solid, and worthwhile. Faculty and staff (51) were described as dedicated, awesome, and knowledgeable. Campus services (18) such as career services, alumni office, dining services, admissions, and shuttle services, were the areas receiving praise. Several respondents noted that BGSU had done well to promote itself and to encourage diversity, recruit new students, and obtain money.

1998 Alumni Responses:

Again, an intimate small town feeling with variety of opportunities and associated factors (120) was the most frequently described strength of BGSU. The quality of education (88) was the second most frequently mentioned strength. The variety of courses, programs and majors, along with the helpful instructors were common sources of alumni academic experiences. Other areas that received praise were facilities, the alumni office, and recruiting new students.

What does BGSU need to improve?

Two hundred  2002 alumni and one hundred sixty-seven 1998 alumni answered this question.

2002 Alumni Responses:

Academic and service issues were the broad areas of concern for 2002 alumni.

Sixty-six 2002 alumni indicated that BGSU needs to improve academic programs including adjustments in curriculum for specific majors/degrees, providing students with more "relevant and real world" information and experience in and out of the classroom, improving the quality and evaluation of faculty and graduate assistants, reducing class size, and increasing class availability.

Alumni also believe that BGSU needs to improve several service areas. Career and academic advising, Career Services, and job placement (46) were often mentioned as having potential to be more beneficial. Some alumni suggested that BGSU should add more programs/services that serve for traditional as well as non-traditional students. Others hoped that more parking space would become available. The Alumni Office could provide more activities other than fund raising as a means for enhancing alumni involvement.

Other areas that need to be improved were facilities (buildings, grounds, updating computers, more safety phones and blue lights) (16), communications between units and individuals (7), tuition (6), allocation of funds (6), and diversity (4).

1998 Alumni Responses:

Again, academic issues (71) were a frequently mentioned area for improvement. Increasing "relevant and real world" material and experience in the classroom/curriculum (19), adjusting specific programs/majors/classes in curriculum (13), improving the quality of faculty and graduate assistants (9), and raising academic standards (7) were important for preparing for employment.

Career services, job placement, and academic/career advising (23) were the areas viewed as needing improvement. Alumni expressed the need for those services to help students with their decisions about choosing a major as well as career advising as early as possible. 
 
Other areas that BGSU needs to improve were student activities/organizations (15), parking (8), Alumni Association activities (7), and promoting BGSU (5).

What other information would you like to share with us?

Eighty-eight 2002 alumni and eighty 1998 alumni answered this question.

Many of the comments in this section of the survey were very positive. Numerous respondents exclaimed that they were proud and happy with their BGSU education. "I had a wonderful/fantastic/rewarding experience at BGSU," " It was the best time in my life", and "BGSU was a great college to go to" were the few of the sentences respondents used. Some people, however, were not satisfied with the way BGSU prepared them for the real world situation. Several others were not happy with the way BGSU asks for donations.

What other questions should we ask on future surveys?

Forty-three 2002 alumni and forty 1998 alumni answered this question.

A variety of suggestions have been made for future surveys. Alumni would like the survey to ask more questions related to their career preparation and career change, their connections with other alumni as well as with BGSU, their life in BGSU, and where they are living now.

If you are interested in University Guest Speakers at regional programs, please provide the name of the guest speaker and the topics (academic focus, athletic focus, and etc.)

Only sixteen alumni (8 from each groups) answered the question with interests in topics including religion, sports, business, academics, and issues that graduates will face after graduation, and with speakers such as The President, authors Zig Ziggler and John Maxwell, and athletic coaches. One respondent offered a speech by himself/herself.

Please list any student group or academic affiliations from which you would like to receive periodic updates, newsletters or information

Eighty 2002 alumni and 61 1998 alumni answered this question. The majority of them would like to receive periodic updates, newsletters or information from the departments, programs, and student organizations in which they participated previously.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

This year's survey results are similar to those of the previous two studies, in most areas.

BGSU alumni were more likely to use personal contacts/networking, BGSU Career Services, and newspaper ads to find their first jobs and most of them obtained their first jobs either before their graduation from BGSU or in less than three months after their graduation. More than half of the survey respondents indicated that they were currently employed full time in jobs related to their majors. 1998 alumni were more likely than 2002 alumni to have full time jobs in their major fields as well as higher annual salaries. Male alumni and alumni from the College of Technology and the College of Business Administration reported higher salaries than did females and alumni from the other four colleges. Seventy-five percent or more of the survey respondents claimed that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs and with the way that the University prepared them for employment. The vast majority of them who were required to take a certification examination have passed it. 

About half of the 1998 and 2002 survey respondents have taken additional college courses since they graduated from BGSU and a considerable portion of this group earned additional college degrees. Nearly all alumni who took additional college courses were satisfied or very satisfied with the way that BGSU prepared them for doing so. Career preparation is the most important reason for most of them to continue their education.

The majority of the 1998 survey respondents feel that they gained quite a bit or very much in all 15 areas listed on the survey as a result of their BGSU education. In addition, 1998 respondents were more likely than the 1995 respondents to state that their BGSU education benefited their personal development in all 15 areas, especially in using computers, developing a better understanding of their career goals, and making connections between things they have learned in class and other experiences in their life.

The vast majority of 2002 respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of instruction and the ease of access to instructors, both within and outside of their major field of study at BGSU. Seventy percent or more of them were happy with the overall quality of advising, the concern shown for them as individuals, and the helpfulness in preparing them for employment and for further education.

More than 90% of the respondents, both in 1998 and in 20002, agreed that having a college education has improved the quality of their lives. The vast majority of them indicated that they would choose to attend BGSU if they could start over again, and they would encourage others to enroll at BGSU too.

Other than receiving E-Ziggy electronic newsletters, most of alumni were not actively involved with Alumni Association events, activities, or programs since they graduated from BGSU. More than half of them, however, indicated that they will buy alumni merchandise, visit the Alumni Association website, read E-Ziggy, attend Homecoming activities, and participate in alumni gatherings at athletic events in future.

The open-ended results reinforced and provided greater depth to the basic questionnaire results. BGSU's faculty, the general institutional climate, the academic programs, and student organizations/activities were cited as most helpful and positive. Increasing "relevant and real world" material and experience in the classroom and curriculum, improving academic and career advising, and helping in job search were among the areas identified as needing emphasis.

The major limitation of this year's alumni questionnaires were the low response rates. Therefore all the results from this survey should be interpreted with some caution. Additionally, it is important that alumni follow-up efforts be continued, both at the program and institutional levels. 

The Office of Institutional Research welcomes feedback concerning this and other studies and how they can continue to be improved.