UConn to Survey Alumni on Impact of Degree

So, how’d that UConn education work out for you?  That question is at the core of a planned survey of graduates of the University of Connecticut, as the university takes part in a national survey on alumni career mobility.

UConn will participate later this year in the National Alumni Career Mobility Survey (NACM), which provides universities across the country with data on their graduates’ career paths at the five-year and 10-year mark after they receive their bachelor’s degrees. The class of 2009, with 4,600 bachelor’s degree recipients, and about 5,200 in the Class of 2014, which will contacted for participation in the survey.

Officials indicate that the information gained in the survey should help guide the University and policymakers – as well as prospective students and their families - as they consider the impact of a UConn education on graduates’ career paths after commencement.

“As we gain a better understanding of alumni satisfaction with their career choices and how UConn prepared them for post-graduation success, we can better create targeted programs to assist current students with their career development and planning,” James Lowe, UConn assistant vice provost and executive director of the UConn Center for Career Development, recently told UConn Today.

“In addition to analyzing our own alumni data, we will also have access to aggregate information on peer and aspirant institutions. This will help us to assess the comparative strength of our existing programs and develop plans to address any gaps that may exist,” he added.

Graduates from 2009 and 2014 will be provided access to a secured online portal to fill out the survey, later this summer or early fall, which officials indicate will be presented in an easy-to-navigate interactive dashboard. It is estimated to take about seven to 10 minutes, and participants can elect to complete the survey in Spanish.

Survey questions will ask about specific numbers and locations of jobs the alum has held and in which industries; how satisfied they’ve been with their career choices; and their economic mobility, such as salary growth, over the previous five or 10 years, UConn Today reported.  The UConn graduates will also be asked about their civic engagement, including honors and volunteerism; how satisfied they are with their degree, and whether they feel it prepared them for the working world.

The NACM website highlights that the data can “discover and share how your university influences success,” and provide a means to “know your alumni career pathways and mobility.”  It also will provide insight into national trends, and peer institution comparisons.  The survey is conducted annually, but participating universities vary from year-to-year.  Fees charged to universities for their participation vary. 

The UConn alumni results will be delivered to UConn next February, according to the NACM website.  National survey results will be announced in March.  UConn’s Center for Career Development and Office of Alumni Relations will coordinate UConn’s participation in the survey.

Overall, UConn has more than 225,000 alumni nationwide.