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CoE Assessment Processes 2005-2006

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Alumni Survey Senior Survey Employer Interviews
Purpose Our survey of recent undergraduate alumni gathers
  • opinions about their undergraduate program including the quality of preparation in specific curricular outcomes and
  • information about both their work experience and ongoing learning after graduation.
Our exit survey of seniors gathers
  • opinions about high school and first-year preparation for the major,
  • opinions about their undergraduate program including advising and the quality of preparation in specific curricular outcomes,
  • information about co-curricular involvement, and
  • opinions about how important specific curricular outcomes will be in the workplace.
Our employer interviews are designed to ascertain, for a variety of engineering employment contexts, both
  • employers' definitions of key skills and attitudes in outstanding engineering performances and
  • employers' perceptions of the relative importance of those skills and attitudes.
Survey Recipients Surveys are sent to all CoE alumni who received their undergraduate degree(s) two (2), six (6), and ten (10) years prior to the year of the survey. Surveys are sent to all students who apply for an undergraduate CoE degree in August, December, or May of the academic year of the survey. A sample of twelve employers is selected for each interview administration. Staff from the Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC) select individuals to interview who have
  • personal knowledge of the work of multiple CoE graduates and
  • an established relationship with ECRC staff to create sufficient trust for a 30-60 minute interview.

The annual set of organizations represented must hire CoE graduates from a variety of majors.

Initial Development In 1998, a survey was developed by the ABET subgroup in consultation with the School of Education. In 1997-1998, a survey was developed by the ABET subgroup in consultation with the School of Education. In 1998, a survey was developed by the ABET subgroup in consultation with ECRC.
History of Modifications
  • Each academic year, the survey has been modified slightly based on feedback from faculty and respondents.
  • In 2003, the survey was revised to clarify scales and enable a web version of the survey. These revisions were made in consultation with the School of Education.
  • Each academic year, the survey has been modified slightly based on feedback from faculty and respondents.
  • In 2003, the survey was revised to make it more parallel to the Alumni Survey and to enable a web version of the survey.
  • In 2002, an interview was developed in consultation with ECRC to gain access to employer representatives with substantial knowledge of the work of multiple CoE graduates.
  • For each administration of the interviews, the interview protocol is modified slightly based on feedback from interviewees and faculty.
History of
Survey Distribution & Collection Procedures
  • Since 1998, the survey has been administered annually.
  • From 1998 through 2005, paper surveys have been mailed to the entire target population.
  • Since 2002, the paper survey contains an optional URL for the web version of the survey.
  • Since 2002, additionally, emails containing a link to a web version of the survey have been sent to recipients of the paper survey who also have an email address in our records (~1/3 of the target alumni). Email reminders are also sent.
  • Since 1998, the survey has been administered each semester. (The Spring/Summer semester has been included since August 2003).
  • From 1998 through May 2003, paper surveys were handed to recipients within their departments when they applied for their degrees.
  • Since August 2003, this survey has been administered entirely through email invitations and email reminders.
  • In 1999, a paper survey was administered to company representatives at a large career fair on campus.
  • Since 2002, telephone interviews of a sample of 12 employers are conducted bi-annually by ECRC staff.
Data Entry Procedures
  • Approximately 1/3 of the respondents use the web survey and enter their own data.
  • Data for completed paper surveys is entered by staff in the Office of Undergraduate Education (UE).
Since the change to the web survey, respondents enter all of their own survey data. Telephone interviews are not taped (in order to increase individuals' willingness to respond). ECRC interviewers take notes during each interview and type question-by-question summaries soon after each interview.
Response Rates
For CoE Overall
By Graduation Year
(Note: Some graduation years have been surveyed more than once).
1988 grads 30%
1989 grads 33%
1990 grads 26%
1991 grads 21%
1992 grads 17%
1993 grads 23% & 32%
1994 grads 31% & 24% & 19%
1995 grads 22%
1996 grads 17% & 32%
1997 grads 23% & 31%
1998 grads 25% & 18%
1999 grads 18%
2000 grads 15%
2001 grads 23%
2002 grads 19%
By Year of Degree Application
(Note: Each academic year consists of August, December, and May graduation lists.)
1998-99 60%
1999-00 53%
2000-01 48%
2001-02 50%
2002-03 57%
2003-04 57%
2004-05 56%
  • Response rates are not available for the 1999 employer survey.
  • Interviewees are selected based on willingness to grant an interview, so response rates are not relevant.
Analysis & Comprehensive Reporting
  • Each academic year, comprehensive reports of the results for that survey administration are produced by UE. Reports include a college-wide report and reports for each undergraduate program. Reports include descriptive statistics by survey question and compilations of verbatim responses to open-ended questions.
  • Reports are posted to the "Assessment for Curricular Improvement" website with an email announcement to all faculty about the posting.
  • Each academic year, comprehensive reports of the results combining the three survey administrations are produced by UE. Reports include a college-wide report and reports for each undergraduate program. Reports include descriptive statistics by survey question and compilations of verbatim responses to open-ended questions.
  • Reports are posted to the "Assessment for Curricular Improvement" website with an email announcement to all faculty about the posting.
  • For the 1999 employer survey, a comprehensive report was produced by the UE.
  • For the interviews, UE performs qualitative analysis on ECRC's interview summaries. The results of the qualitative analysis and the interview summaries are combined in a comprehensive report for each administration of the interviews.
  • Reports are posted to the "Assessment for Curricular Improvement" website with an email announcement to all faculty about the posting.
Selective Presentations of Assessment Results
  • In order to answer the faculty's key questions, UE triangulates information from the alumni survey, the senior survey, the employer survey/interviews, and the course evaluations.
  • For selective presentations of assessment results UE distills assessment information. Most often these interpretations are communicated in live presentations (ranging from 15-45 minutes) to CoE decision-makers, such as the department chairs, the curriculum committee, and the ABET coordinators. A few of the selective presentations are made only in published reports, such as annual budget documentation.
  • All the selective presentations are posted on the "Assessment for Curricular Improvement" website.