February 9, 2005
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Alumni survey assesses satisfaction
Desire for workplace skills and greater focus on undergrads reflected in survey
Many UC Davis faculty and staff fondly remember days gone by, when the campus was smaller and more intimate, making it easy to assume that past students had a more satisfying undergraduate experience.
However, a recent survey conducted by Student Affairs Research and Information revealed that the growth of the campus has had no negative impact on UCD graduates’ satisfaction — 96 percent of responding graduates from 1973, 1983 and 1993 said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their undergraduate education.
The Alumni Voices Survey released last week is one in a series analyzing their satisfaction with campus culture, willingness to recommend UCD to future students, preparedness for the workplace and number of postgraduate degrees.
According to survey author and SARI Administrative Analyst Gillian Butler, the newest installment in the series breaks down the results of the survey by ethnicity. She said previous analyses were centered on educational and occupational outcomes and year of graduation. In the near future there will be gender analysis.
According to the report, the survey was completed by 4,000 alumni — approximately 46 percent of those contacted. There were no substantive differences in satisfaction, opinion of the university or willingness to recommend UCD to current high school students among alumni of different races or ethnicities.
Among the subgroups, Asian-American alumni tended to rate their preparation for the real world somewhat lower than other graduates.
For all alumni subgroups, interpersonal, speaking and leadership/management skills were deemed the most deficient.
In addition, respondents cited a need for greater emphasis on developing workforce skills, teaching undergraduates, assisting moral development and providing need- and merit-based financial aid.
Current UCD students have mixed feelings about alumni concerns. Junior English major Jeanine Rust said that she has been satisfied with her instructors because they have fewer demands competing for their time. On the other hand, she said many of her friends in the “hard sciences” gripe about their professors only caring about research.
Junior Edward Martinet, a double major in political science and English, said research is a high priority, but that this is to be expected.
“For a research institution, research is not overemphasized,” he said. “But many students are ill-prepared for the realities of a research institution.”
In 2004, the Peter D. Hart Research Associates of Washington D.C. completed a survey of UCD faculty. Of the respondents, 79 percent reported satisfaction with their personal and professional experience at UCD — they cited social/cultural life, promoting work/life balance and student affordability as areas in need of improvement.
According to the report, the SARI study was conducted on behalf of campus and system-wide decision-makers. Butler said the research is intended to be a part of the campus’ upcoming financial campaign for funding.
The Peter D. Hart Research Associates also conducted a study at the request of the UC Office of the President to gauge public support for the university. The research team found the university enjoys a strong reputation as a research institution but that the general public “has little affinity for the institution.”
One of the findings was that alumni are the best ambassadors for the university, but with a general lack of knowledge of, enthusiasm for or bond with their alma mater, they can not serve in that capacity effectively.
MELISSA B. TADDEI can be reached at campus@californiaaggie.com.
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