2012 alumni employment survey-data analysis-final-8-1...top occupational fields among those who are...

2012 Alumni Employment Survey

Office of Institutional Research

July 2012

2 Office of Institutional Research‐ July 2012

Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4

Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 4

Demographic Profile of Respondents ....................................................................................................... 4

Summary of Survey Findings ..................................................................................................................... 4

Employment ................................................................................................................................................. 5

Employment Status ................................................................................................................................... 5

Top Occupational Fields ............................................................................................................................ 5

Educational Requirement for the Current Employment ........................................................................... 6

Employment and Academic Major ........................................................................................................... 6

Job Requirements ..................................................................................................................................... 7

Academic Preparation ............................................................................................................................... 8

Academic Preparation versus Job Requirements ..................................................................................... 9

Practical Learning Experience at CMU .................................................................................................... 10

Post‐baccalaureate Education ................................................................................................................... 11

Degree sought ......................................................................................................................................... 11

Institutions .............................................................................................................................................. 11

Top 10 Fields of Post‐Baccalaureate Degrees ......................................................................................... 12

CMU Impact on Student Preparation for Graduate School .................................................................... 12

Income and Debt ........................................................................................................................................ 13

Annual Income ........................................................................................................................................ 13

Estimated Average Starting Salary .......................................................................................................... 14

Student Loan Debt .................................................................................................................................. 14

Overall Satisfaction with CMU Experience ................................................................................................ 15


Appendices

Table 1‐ Gender ...................................................................................................................................... 16

Table 2 ‐ Ethnicity .................................................................................................................................... 16

Table 3 ‐ State of Residence .................................................................................................................... 16

Table 4‐ Employment Status ................................................................................................................... 16

Table 5‐ Occupational Fields Ranked from High to Low ......................................................................... 17

Table 6‐ Education Requirement for the Current Position ..................................................................... 17

Table 7‐ How Current Job Positions are Related to Academic Majors ................................................... 17

Table 8‐ How Academic Majors Prepared Alumni for Their Current Positions ...................................... 18

Table 9‐ Current Job Requirements ........................................................................................................ 18

Table 10‐ Skills and Competencies Learned from CMU .......................................................................... 18

Table 11‐ Skills and Competencies Required by Current Jobs ................................................................ 19

Table 12‐ Practical Learning Experience Accquired from CMU .............................................................. 19

Table 13‐ Assessment of Practical Learning Experience ......................................................................... 20

Table 14‐ Percent Currently Pursuing Degrees/Certificates ................................................................... 20

Table 15‐ Post‐baccaulaureate Education by Degree Level .................................................................... 20

Table 16‐ Top 10 Degrees Sought ........................................................................................................... 20

Table 17‐ Top 10 Fields of Study ............................................................................................................. 21

Table 18‐ Top 10 Institutions Where CMU Alumni Are Currently Enrolled ............................................ 21

Table 19‐ How CMU Prepared Students for Graduate School ................................................................ 21

Table 20‐ Alumni Annual Income Range ................................................................................................. 22

Table 21‐ Alumni Student Loan Debt ...................................................................................................... 22

Table 22‐ Overall Satisfaction with CMU ................................................................................................ 22

Table 23‐ Would Still Choose CMU if Starting Over Again ...................................................................... 23

Table 24‐ Correlation between CMU Satisfaction, Income, and Major‐Related Jobs ............................ 23

Table 25‐ Employment, Average Salary, and Major‐Related Jobs by College ........................................ 23

Cover Letter ............................................................................................................................................ 24

Survey Instrument ................................................................................................................................... 25


Introduction During the academic year 2011‐12, in working together with the Office of Career Services, the Office of

Institutional Research developed the current version of Alumni Employment Survey. The process of

developing this instrument was a highly collaborative one, in which major stakeholders across the

campus were asked to assess their needs for data from a survey of CMU alumni. During spring 2012, the

resulting survey instrument was then administered to all CMU alumni who graduated within the past 18

months.

Methodology

In March 2012, the Alumni Employment Survey was distributed to 2,918 baccalaureate degree recipients

who graduated from CMU in either December 2010 or May 2011. The survey administration involves

three phases:

(1) For those alumni whose e‐mail addresses were known and current, a web‐based version of the survey was sent. The Survey Monkey service was used.

(2) For those alumni with missing or invalid e‐mail addresses and those who did not respond to the online survey, a follow‐up hard copy of the survey was sent via first‐class mail, with a business reply envelope provided for each respondent. (See the appendix for the survey instrument and cover letter.)

(3) As the last step, telephone surveys were conducted by the Office of Career Services to solicit

responses from those who did not respond to the electronic or mailed survey. By the end of June 2012, OIR has collected responses from a total of 1,026 alumni – a 38% response rate

out of 2,732 alumni with valid contact information.

Demographic Profile of Respondents

Judging from their demographic profile, the survey respondents (n = 1,026) are not substantially

different from the overall alumni population. Compared to CMU’s overall population of baccalaureate

degree recipients in 2010‐2011, there are slightly more Caucasians (90.3% vs. 87.5%) and women

(62.5% vs. 57.3%) among the survey respondents. In terms of the state of residence, the proportion of

in‐state residents among the survey respondents is about the same as that of the population (95.8% vs.

95.5%) (See Table 1, 2, and 3 in the appendices.)

Summary of Survey Findings

As a descriptive summary of the survey results, the following report is organized into four sections: (1)

employment, (2) post‐baccalaureate education, (3) annual income and debt, and (4) overall satisfaction

with CMU. While the tabular statistics reported under each of these sections present only institutional

level information, OIR will work with colleges and departments to provide more specific information

where data can be further broke down. The following is a summary of major findings.


1. Employment

Employment Status

According to the collected responses from CMU’s December 2010 and May 2011 graduates, nearly 60%

of the respondents are currently employed full‐time, and about 21% have part‐time jobs. In addition,

about 11% are currently pursuing post‐baccalaureate studies instead of seeking employment.

Meanwhile, 6.7% of the respondents reported that they are unemployed and seeking jobs (Chart 1.)

Chart 1‐ Employment Status

Top Occupational Fields

Among those who are currently employed, approximately one of every five work as teachers or professionals in K‐12 Education. Next to K‐12 Education, the other top three occupational fields include Healthcare (10.1%), Financial Services (8.5%), and Retail (7.8%) (See Chart 2.)

Chart 2‐ Occupational fields

59.3%

21.2%

10.6%

2.2% 6.7%

Employment Rate

Employed Full Time

Employed Part Time

Continuing Education, NotSeeking Employment

Other

Unemployed SeekingEmployment

5.9%0.5%0.6%0.7%1.0%1.2%1.2%1.3%1.3%1.4%1.6%1.6%2.0%

2.7%2.7%2.8%2.9%3.0%3.1%

4.4%5.2%

5.8%7.8%

8.5%10.1%

21.0%

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0%

Other (please specify)Visual/ Performance Arts

Utility

ConstructionMilitary

Engineering

Pre‐K EducationAdvertising

Science

TransportationSales/ Marketing

Sports

Automotive

MediaAdmin/ Mgt/ HR

Manufacturing

GovernmentConsulting Services

Technology

HospitalityPost‐secondary Education

Non‐profit organizations

RetailFinancial Services

Healthcare

K‐12 Education

Occupational Fields


Educational Requirement for the Current Employment While 69.4% of the survey respondents reported that their current employment requires a bachelor’s

degree or higher, a substantial number of CMU graduates (19.5%) work in a field that only requires a

high school diploma, and roughly 11.2% of the reported employment requires some college experience

or an associate degree (Chart 3.)

Chart 3‐ Educational Requirement for the Current Position

Employment and Academic Major

When asked how closely the alumni’s current positions are related to their academic majors at CMU,

more than half (51.3%) of the respondents reported “directly related,” and 28.9% indicated “moderately

or somewhat related.” On the other hand, it is to be noticed that a significant portion of respondents

(19.8%) indicated that their current employment position is not related at all to their academic majors at

CMU (See Chart 4.)

Chart 4‐ Employment and Academic Major

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

High schooldegree

Some college,no degree

Associatedegree

Bachelor'sdegree

Graduate orprofessiondegree

19.5%

9.2%2.0%

68.0%

1.4%

Educational Requirement for the Current Position

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

DirectlyRelated

ModeratelyRelated

SomewhatRelated

Not At AllRelated

51.3%

17.5%11.4%

19.8%

Relationship Between Employment and Academic Major


Job Requirements

With respect to skills and competencies required for their current job positions, verbal communication

and interpersonal skills come on top of the survey respondents’ list. About 97% of the surveyed CMU

alumni reported that their current job roles “often” or “very often” require them to apply these skills. To

a lesser extent, other frequently required job skills include analytical/critical thinking (85.1%),

information gathering (84.3%), and leadership (80.8%). In comparison, mathematical and statistical

competency remains the least cited job requirement (53.7%) (See Chart 5.)

Chart 5‐ Skills and Competencies Required for the Current Job

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Specific knowledge and training

Information gathering skills

Written communication skills

Mathematical/ statistical competency

Analytical/critical thinking skills

Leadership skills

Interpersonal skills

Verbal communication skills

12.2%

4.5%

6.6%

12.2%

2.7%

3.5%

0.1%

0.6%

15.7%

11.1%

13.6%

34.1%

12.2%

15.7%

2.9%

2.5%

72.1%

84.3%

79.7%

53.7%

85.1%

80.8%

97.0%

96.9%

Skills and Competencies Required for Current Jobs

Very Often/Often Sometimes Never


0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

Exceptionally Well Moderately Somewhat Not At All

48.2%

40.6%

10.4%

0.8%

How Well Your Academic Major at CMU Prepared You for Your Current Job?

Academic Preparation

Related to the skills and competencies required by the current labor market is the question of how well

CMU has academically prepared its graduates to meet the challenges in these areas. Overall, about 89%

of the survey respondents indicated that their academic studies at CMU had prepared them either

“exceptionally” or “moderately” well for their current jobs (See Chart 6.)

Chart 6‐ Academic Preparation

More specifically, in a retrospective assessment of their college experience at CMU, more than 80% of

the respondents reported their self confidence in terms of knowledge and training in a specialized field

(86.7%) as well as general competencies such as information gathering (87.5%), analytical /critical

thinking (85.1%), verbal (86.2%) and written communication (82.8%), and interpersonal skills (85.6%)

(See Chart 7.)

Chart 7‐ How Well CMU Prepared Alumni for the Above Skills and Competencies

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Other educational experience

Professional experience






Leadership skills



13.1%

11.1%

2.3%

1.4%

2.4%

9.1%

2.0%

4.1%

2.6%

2.0%

26.2%

16.9%

11.0%

11.1%

14.8%

29.0%

12.8%

16.3%

11.8%

11.8%

60.6%

72.0%

86.7%

87.5%

82.8%

61.9%

85.1%

79.6%

85.6%

86.2%

How Well CMU Prepare Alumni For The Following Skills and Competencies

Exceptionally Well/Moderately Somewhat Not At All


Academic Preparation versus Job Requirements

However, while most respondents feel confident about these acquired competencies and skills from CMU, their career success may often require more frequent demonstrations of such capabilities at work. As shown in Chart 8, it is clear that the extent to which most of these competencies and skills are required at work often exceed what a college graduate may expect.

Chart 8‐ Academic Preparation versus Job Requirements

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00

Specific knowledge & training

Information Gathering




Leadership skills



Mean Score of Responses

Skills/ Competencies

Academic Preparation versus Job Requirement

Requied Prepared

Practical Learning Experience at CMU

In response to the question regarding practical learning experience at CMU, the majority of the survey

respondents reported that they had participated in either research projects (62.5%) or internships

(51.2%) while in college. To a smaller degree, some respondents had also participated in other

practical learning programs such as student teaching (25.7%), clinical experience (9.2%), study abroad

(9.9%) and co‐curricular activities (41.0%) (See Chart 9.)

Chart 9‐ Percentage of Alumni Who Had Practical Learning Experience at CMU

When asked to assess the impact of these programs on their job placement, the participants in student

teaching programs reported the highest satisfaction. About 94% of them indicated that student

teaching experience had proved to be “helpful” or “very helpful” in getting their current jobs. Next to

student teaching, internship and clinical experience had also generated high satisfaction among the

program participants (85.7% and 83.3%) (See Chart 10.)

Chart 10‐ Assessment of Practical Learning Experience

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

Internship ClinicalExperience

StudentTeaching

Study Abroad ResearchProjects

Co‐curricularActivities (plays,performances,

etc)

51.2%

9.2%

25.7%

9.9%

62.5%

41.0%

Percentage of Alumni who had Practical Learning Experience at CMU

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

Internship ClinicalExperience

Student Teaching Study Abroad ResearchProjects

Co‐curricularActivities

85.7% 83.3%

93.6%

76.9%73.9%

76.1%

Assessment of Practical Learning Experience


32%

68%

Percentage of Alumni Who Are Currently Pursuing a Degree/Certificate

Yes

No

3%13% 2%

82%

Types of Degree Alumni Are Currently Pursuing

Associate Degree

Certificate

Second Bachelor

Graduate Degree

2. Post‐baccalaureate Education Degree sought

Based on the collected responses from the December 2010 and May 2011 graduates, nearly one third (32%) of CMU’s new baccalaureate recipients in the past year are currently pursuing another degree or certificate in post‐secondary education (See Chart 11). While most of them (82%) are enrolled in graduate programs, about 16% indicated that they are seeking either certificates or associate degrees (See Chart 12.)

Chart 11‐ Percentage of Alumni Pursuing a Degree/Certificate Chart 12‐ Degree Sought

InstitutionsAmong those currently pursuing graduate studies, more than two‐fifths (40.7%) are enrolled at their

alma mater – CMU, whereas about 31.6% chose to go to other Michigan public four‐year institutions

including: Michigan State University (8.7%), Wayne State University (5.4%), Grand Valley State

University (4.6%), University of Michigan (3.3%), Eastern Michigan University (3.3%), Western Michigan

University (2.5%), Oakland University (2.1%) and Ferris State University (1.7%) (See Chart 13.)

Chart 13‐ Top 10 Institutions Where CMU Alumni Are Currently Enrolled

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

CentralMichiganUniversity

MichiganState

University

WayneState

University

GrandValleyState

University

Universityof

Michigan

EasternMichiganUniversity

WesternMichiganUniversity

OaklandUniversity

FerrisState

University

IndianaUniversity

40.7%

8.7%5.4% 4.6% 3.3% 3.3% 2.5% 2.1% 1.7% 1.2%

Top 10 Institutions CMU Alumni Are Currently Enrolled in to Pursue a Degree


88%

9% 3%

How Well Did CMU Prepare Alumni for Graduate School?

Exceptionally Well/Moderately

Somewhat

Not At All

Top10FieldsofPost‐BaccalaureateDegreesWith regard to the fields of study, the collected responses from the survey have highlighted a list of

ten most popular post‐baccalaureate programs pursued by CMU’s graduating class of 2011. These

include: (1) Physical therapy (6.3%), (2) Education (4.9%), (3) Physician Assistant (3.5%), (4) Law (3.1%),

(5) Social Work (3.1%), (6) Speech‐Language Pathology (3.1%), (7) Accounting (2.8%), (8) Counseling

(2.8%), (9) Sports Administration (2.8%), and (10) Human Resources (2.4%) (See Chart 13.)

Chart 13‐ Top 10 Fields of Study

CMU Impact on Student Preparation for

Graduate School

During the survey the respondents were also asked to

assess the extent to which CMU had prepared them for

graduate studies. Among those who are currently

pursuing advanced degrees, the vast majority (88%)

indicated that CMU had either “exceptionally” (47%) or

“moderately” (41%) prepared them for studies at a

graduate school (See Chart 14.)

Chart 14‐CMU Impact on Student Preparation for Graduate School

0.0% 1.0% 2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% 7.0%

Human Resources

Sports Administration

Counseling

Accounting

Speech‐Language Pathology

Social Work

Law

Physician Assistant Studies

Education

Physical Therapy

2.4%

2.8%

2.8%

2.8%

3.1%

3.1%

3.1%

3.5%

4.9%

6.3%

Top 10 Fields of Study


59.9%

23.6%

8.8%

3.3% 1.6% 1.1% 1.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.5%

Part‐time Employed Alumni's Annual Income Range

3. Income and Debt

Annual Income

Apart from employment and career placement, annual income is another important indicator of

college graduates’ post‐graduation success. Among all full‐time employed respondents in the survey of

CMU’s graduating class of 2011, about 37% reported an annual income between $30,000 and $40,000,

and 27% earned more than $40,000. Altogether, those who earned an annual income of $30,000 or

more accounted for approximately 65% of all full‐time employed respondents. Meanwhile, for the

part‐time employed respondents, a large majority of them (84%) reported an annual income below

$20,000 (See Charts 15a and 15b.)

Chart 15 a‐ Alumni Annual Income‐ Employed Full Time

Chart 15 b‐ Alumni Annual Income‐ Employed Part Time

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

8.2% 6.0%9.1%

12.1%

23.4%

13.9%9.9%

4.8%7.8%

2.7% 2.1%

Full‐time Employed Alumni's Annual Income Range


$0

$5,000

$10,000

$15,000

$20,000

$25,000

$30,000

$35,000

$40,000

$45,000

Overall CBA CCFA CEHS CHP CHSBS CST

$34,162

$41,542

$31,573 $28,511

$32,283

$28,983

$34,940

Estimated Average Starting Salary

EstimatedAverageStartingSalarySince the collected data on annual income are grouped in ranges, it is difficult to provide an accurate

report on the average earning of CMU’s 2010‐11 graduates. As a proxy, an estimated average was

calculated based on the midpoints and weighted responses across all ranges. Furthermore, given the

short time span between these alumni college graduation and their entrance into the labor market, it

was assumed that the annual incomes reported by those full‐time employed respondents actually

reflected their starting salaries. Overall, based on this approach, it was estimated that the average

annual starting salary for the full‐time employed CMU baccalaureate degree recipients in 2011 was

slightly more than $34,000 (See Chart 16 for a further breakdown by college.)

Chart 16‐ Estimated Average Starting Salary

Student Loan Debt

As reported by the respondents at the time of this survey – which was about 12 to 18 months after

they graduated from college, one fourth of CMU’s 2010‐11 graduates do not have any student loans,

whereas more than half (56.3%) still carry a substantial amount of debt ($20,000 or more). As can be

observed from Chart 17, these self‐report debt data have highlighted a polarized picture of how

students finance their college education.

Chart 17‐ Total Student Loan

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

None $2,500 orless

$2,501 ‐$5,000

$5,001 ‐$7,500

$7,501 ‐$10,000

$10,001 ‐$15,000

$15,001 ‐$20,000

$20,001 ‐$25,000

$25,001 ‐$30,000

$30,001or more

25.4%

1.5% 1.8% 1.1% 2.3%5.0% 6.7%

8.9%12.1%

35.3%

Total Student Loan


90%

8% 2%

Overall Educational Experience At CMU

Excellent/ Good

Fair

Poor

88%

10% 2%

If you could start over again, would you still choose CMU?

Definitely/Probably Yes

Probably No

Definitely No

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

95%

100%

Graduating StudentExit Survey (19months ago)

Alumni EmploymentSurvey (Now)

87%90%

How would you evaluate your overall educational experience at CMU?

(Responses of "Excellent or Good")

50%

55%

60%65%

70%

75%80%

85%

90%

95%100%

Graduating StudentExit Survey (19months ago)

Alumni EmploymentSurvey (Now)

93%89%

If you could start over again, would you still choose CMU?

(Responses of "Definitely" or "Probably")

4. Overall Satisfaction with CMU Experience The last section of the survey asked the 2010‐11 graduates to provide an overall assessment of their

educational experience at CMU. In responding to the question, about 90% of the surveyed alumni rated their

overall educational experience at CMU as either “excellent” (41%) or “good” (49%) (See Chart 18.) When asked

whether they would still choose to attend CMU if they could start over again, more than half (51%) answered

“definitely,” while another 38% indicated “probably” (See Chart 19.)

Chart 18‐ Overall Satisfaction with CMU Chart 19‐ Would Still Choose CMU if Starting Over Again

The above responses are consistent with the earlier findings from the Graduating Senior Exit Survey in 2011

when these CMU alumni were asked the same questions shortly before their college graduation. An

examination of Charts 20 and 21 shows that, as a whole, our alumni’s perceived quality of education at CMU

remains largely unchanged during their transition from college to the workplace. Given the consistent survey

findings, it is apparent that in the eyes of the vast majority of CMU graduates, the time they spent at their

alma mater proves to be a good investment for their future success.

Chart 20‐ Evaluation of Overall CMU Experience Chart 21‐ Decision to Attend CMU


Appendices

Table1‐Gender

Respondents Population

Gender:

Female 62.5% 57.3%

Male 37.5% 42.7%

Table2‐Ethnicity

Ethnicity Respondents Population

Caucasian 90.3% 87.5% African American 1.7% 2.2% Hispanic 0.3% 1.1% Asian or Pacific Islander 0.5% 1.2% Amer. Indian or Alaskan Native 0.4% 0.3% Other 2.2% 2.2% Unknown 4.6% 5.4%

Table3–StateofResidenceState of Residence Respondents Population

MI 95.8% 95.5%

Out‐of‐State 4.2% 4.5%

Table4‐EmploymentStatus

Employment Type Frequency % of 1,026

Employed full time 608 59.3%

Employed part time 217 21.2%

Self‐employed 9 0.9%

Serving in the military 5 0.5%

Continuing education and not seeking employment

109 10.6%

Unemployed, seeking employment 69 6.7%

Unemployed, not seeking employment 7 0.7%

Other (please specify) 2 0.2%


Table5‐OccupationalFieldsRankedfromHightoLow

Occupational Fields Frequency % of 863

K‐12 Education 181 21.0%

Healthcare 87 10.1%

Financial Services 73 8.5%

Retail 67 7.8%

Non‐profit organizations 50 5.8%

Post‐secondary Education 45 5.2%

Hospitality 38 4.4%

Technology 27 3.1%

Consulting Services 26 3.0%

Government 25 2.9%

Manufacturing 24 2.8%

Media 23 2.7%

Administration/ Management/ Human 23 2.7%

Automotive 17 2.0%

Sales/ Marketing 14 1.6%

Sports 14 1.6%

Transportation 12 1.4%

Advertising 11 1.3%

Science 11 1.3%

Engineering 10 1.2%

Pre‐K Education 10 1.2%

Military 9 1.0%

Construction 6 0.7%

Utility 5 0.6%

Visual/ Performance Arts 4 0.5%

Other (please specify) 51 5.9%

Table6‐EducationRequirementfortheCurrentPosition

Degree Type Frequency % of 805

High school degree 157 19.5%

Some college, no degree 74 9.2%

Associate degree 16 2.0%

Bachelor's degree 547 68.0%

Graduate or profession degree 11 1.4%

Table7‐HowCurrentPositionsAreRelatedtoAcademicMajors Frequency % of 872

Directly Related 447 51.3%

Moderately Related 153 17.5%

Somewhat Related 99 11.4%

Not At All Related 173 19.8%


Table8‐HowAcademicMajorsPreparedAlumniforTheirCurrentPositions

Frequency % of 596

Exceptionally Well 286 48.1%

Moderately 242 40.6%

Somewhat 62 10.4%

Not At All 5 0.8%

Table9‐CurrentJobRequirements

Skills Prepared Required Gap

Verbal communication skills 3.24 3.80 (0.56)

Interpersonal skills 3.23 3.80 (0.57)

Leadership skills 3.16 3.32 (0.16)

Analytical/critical thinking skills 3.26 3.42 (0.16)

Mathematical/ statistical competency 2.74 2.67 0.07

Written communication skills 3.21 3.25 (0.04)

Information Gathering 3.31 3.38 (0.07)

Specific knowledge and training related to my academic major/minor at CMU

3.34 3.10 0.24

Table10‐SkillsandCompetenciesLearnedfromCMU

CMU prepared me for:

Exceptionally Well

Moderately Somewhat Not At All Not

Applicable Total1

N % N % N % N % N % N

Verbal communication skills 327 39.4% 389 46.8% 98 11.8% 17 2.0% 6 0.7% 831

Interpersonal skills 336 40.4% 375 45.1% 98 11.8% 22 2.6% 6 0.7% 831

Leadership skills 338 40.8% 322 38.8% 135 16.3% 34 4.1% 8 1.0% 829

Analytical/critical thinking skills 356 42.7% 353 42.4% 107 12.8% 17 2.0% 3 0.4% 833

Mathematical/ statistical 173 21.6% 322 40.3% 232 29.0% 73 9.1% 37 4.4% 800

Written communication skills 333 40.1% 355 42.7% 123 14.8% 20 2.4% 5 0.6% 831

Information gathering skills 267 45.6% 246 42.0% 65 11.1% 8 1.4% 251 30.0% 586


related to my academic

411 49.8% 305 36.9% 91 11.0% 19 2.3% 10 1.2% 826

Professional experience (e.g.

internship, clinical, student

teaching, plays/ performances,

348 44.3% 217 27.6% 133 16.9% 87 11.1% 49 5.9% 785

Other educational experience (e.g.

certification, study abroad, and 175 29.8% 181 30.8% 154 26.2% 77 13.1% 242 29.2% 587

1 “Not Applicable” responses are not included in the total value


Table11‐SkillsandCompetenciesRequiredbyCurrentJobs

My job requires Very Often Often Sometimes Never Not Applicable Total2

N % N % N % N % N % N

Verbal

communication

skills

698 83.9% 108 13.0% 21 2.5% 5 0.6% 4 0.4% 832

Interpersonal

skills 691 83.2% 115 13.8% 24 2.9% 1 0.1% 5 0.5% 831

Leadership skills 443 55.0% 208 25.8% 126 15.7% 28 3.5% 9 0.9% 805

Analytical/critical

thinking skills 482 59.9% 203 25.2% 98 12.2% 22 2.7% 8 0.8% 805

Mathematical/

statistical

competency

196 24.9% 227 28.8% 268 34.1% 96 12.2% 25 2.4% 787

Written

communication

skills

416 51.9% 223 27.8% 109 13.6% 53 6.6% 11 1.3% 804


467 58.4% 207 25.9% 89 11.1% 36 4.5% 13 1.3% 799

Specific

knowledge and

training related

to my academic

major/minor at

CMU

391 50.6% 166 21.5% 121 15.7% 94 12.2% 36 3.5% 775

Table12‐PracticalLearningExperienceAcquiredfromCMU

Additional Learning Experience Yes No Total

N % N % N

Internship 422 51.2% 404 48.8% 827

Clinical Experience 72 9.2% 711 90.8% 786

Student Teaching 205 25.7% 593 74.3% 801

Study Abroad 78 9.9% 706 90.1% 787

Research Projects 496 62.5% 297 37.5% 796

Co‐curricular Activities (plays, performances, etc)

322 41.0% 464 59.0% 789

2 “Not Applicable” and invalid responses are not included in the total value


Table13‐AssessmentofPracticalLearningExperience

Practical Learning Experience Very helpful Helpful Not at all Total

N % N % N % N

Internship 267 64.5% 88 21.3% 59 14.3% 414

Clinical Experience 43 59.7% 17 23.6% 12 16.7% 72

Student Teaching 143 70.4% 47 23.2% 13 6.4% 203

Study Abroad 36 46.2% 24 30.8% 18 23.1% 78

Research Projects 137 29.8% 203 44.1% 120 26.1% 460

Co‐curricular Activities 122 41.1% 104 35.0% 71 23.9% 297

Table14‐PercentCurrentlyPursuingDegrees/Certificates

Yes No

N % of 975 N % of 975

314 32.3% 658 67.7%

Table15‐Post‐baccalaureateEducationbyDegreeLevel

Degree N % of 328

Associate Degree 10 3.0%

Certificate 42 12.8%

Second Bachelor 8 2.4%

Graduate Degree 268 81.7%

Table16‐Top10DegreesSought

Top 10 Degree Type N % of 291

Masters 89 30.6%

MBA 23 7.9%

MSA 16 5.5%

Masters of Social Work 10 3.4%

DPT 9 3.1%

Associates Degree 7 2.4%

CPA 7 2.4%

Juris Doctorate 7 2.4%

Ph.D. 7 2.4%

Doctorate 6 2.1%


Table17‐Top10FieldsofStudy

Frequency % of 286

Physical Therapy 18 6.3%

Education 14 4.9%

Physician Assistant Studies 10 3.5%

Law 9 3.1%

Social Work 9 3.1%

Speech‐Language Pathology 9 3.1%

Accounting 8 2.8%

Counseling 8 2.8%

Sports Administration 8 2.8%

Human Resources 7 2.4%

Table18‐Top10InstitutionsWhereCMUAlumniAreCurrentlyEnrolled

N % of 241

Central Michigan University 98 40.7%

Michigan State University 21 8.7%

Wayne State University 13 5.4%

Grand Valley State University 11 4.6%

Eastern Michigan University 8 3.3%

University of Michigan 8 3.3%

Western Michigan University 6 2.5%

Oakland University 5 2.1%

Ferris State University 4 1.7%

Indiana University 3 1.2%

Table19‐HowCMUPreparedStudentsforGraduateSchool

Frequency % of 294

Exceptionally Well 137 46.6%

Moderately 122 41.4%

Somewhat 26 8.8%

Not At All 9 3.1%


Table20‐AlumniAnnualIncomeRange

My annual income range is:

Overall Employed Full

time

Employed Part Time

N % of 881 N % of 563 N % of 182

$14,999 or Less 261 29.6% 46 8.2% 109 59.9%

$15,000 ‐ $19,999 86 9.8% 34 6.0% 43 23.6%

$20,000 ‐ $24,999 73 8.3% 51 9.1% 16 8.8%

$25,000 ‐ $29,999 78 8.9% 68 12.1% 6 3.3%

$30,000 ‐ $34,999 137 15.6% 132 23.4% 3 1.6%

$35,000‐ $39,999 82 9.3% 78 13.9% 2 1.1%

$40,000 ‐ $44,999 60 6.8% 56 9.9% 2 1.1%

$45,000 ‐ $49,999 28 3.2% 27 4.8% 0 0.0%

$50,000 ‐ $59,999 45 5.1% 44 7.8% 0 0.0%

$60,000 ‐ $69,999 15 1.7% 15 2.7% 0 0.0%

$70,000 or more 16 1.8% 12 2.1% 1 0.5%

Table21‐AlumniStudentLoanDebt

Frequency % of 926

None 235 25.4%

$2,500 or less 14 1.5%

$2,501 ‐ $5,000 17 1.8%

$5,001 ‐ $7,500 10 1.1%

$7,501 ‐ $10,000 21 2.3%

$10,001 ‐ $15,000 46 5.0%

$15,001 ‐ $20,000 62 6.7%

$20,001 ‐ $25,000 82 8.9%

$25,001 ‐ $30,000 112 12.1%

$30,001 or more 327 35.3%

Table22‐OverallSatisfactionwithCMU

Frequency % of 958

Excellent 395 41.2

Good 466 48.6

Fair 80 8.4

Poor 17 1.8


Table23‐WouldStillChooseCMUifStartingOverAgain

Frequency % of 957

Definitely Yes 485 50.7

Probably Yes 358 37.4

Probably No 93 9.7

Definitely No 21 2.2

Table24‐CorrelationsbetweenCMUSatisfaction,Income,andMajor‐RelatedJobs Overall Educational

Experience at CMU

Current Position

Related to Academic

Major(s) at CMU.

Annual

Income

Overall Educational

Experience at CMU .295** .178**

Current Position Related to

Academic Major(s) at CMU. .348**

Annual Income

**. Pearson Production Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2‐tailed).

Table25‐Employment,AverageSalary,andMajor‐RelatedjobsbyCollege

Colleges Employed Full Time

Employed Part Time

Unemployed Seeking

Continuing Education, Not Seeking Employment

Other Estimated Average Starting Salary (Full Time)

N

Overall 59.3% 21.2% 6.7% 10.6% 2.2% $34,162 1,026

CBA 79.9% 9.4% 4.9% 3.1% 2.6% $41,542 224

CCFA 55.7% 29.5% 9.0% 3.3% 2.5% $31,573 122

CEHS 69.7% 19.0% 5.6% 4.2% 1.4% $28,511 142

CHP 41.5% 20.3% 4.2% 33.1% 0.8% $32,283 118

CHSBS 44.7% 29.3% 8.8% 14.4% 2.9% $28,983 215

CST 53.9% 23.6% 7.9% 11.5% 3.0% $34,940 165

Colleges Percentage of Employed in a Job Related to Academic Major by College

N

Overall 80.2% 872

CBA 88.2% 204

CCFA 75.7% 111

CEHS 80.6% 129

CHP 64.4% 85

CHSBS 70.0% 170

CST 89.2% 139


Cover Letter

May 9, 2012

Dear [First name]:

We truly believe our alumni are one of the best sources of information regarding how Central

Michigan University (CMU) has prepared its graduates for employment, continuing education, and life

in general. As a graduate of CMU, please share your opinions and experiences by responding to the

enclosed survey.

The survey should take about 10 minutes of your time to complete and can be returned in the

enclosed, postage paid envelope. We would like to emphasize that your individual responses will

remain strictly confidential.

The input you provide will greatly enhance our planning efforts to offer CMU students outstanding

programs and services. Your willingness to share your experiences and opinions with us is very much

appreciated.

Sincerely,

George E. Ross, Ph.D. President

Dr. Gary Shapiro Provost


Survey Instrument

2012 alumni employment survey-data analysis-final-8-1...top occupational fields among those who are...

Documents