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Alumni Voices & Outcomes-Based Assessment. APRIL 2014. WASC ARC. Occidental College. Founded in 1887 Mission: Excellence, Equity, Community, and Service Eagle Rock, CA Small, Private, Highly Selective, Residential Liberal Arts College (FTE=2123) 31 Majors
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Alumni Voices & Outcomes-Based Assessment APRIL 2014 WASC ARC
Occidental College • Founded in 1887 • Mission: Excellence, Equity, Community, and Service • Eagle Rock, CA • Small, Private, Highly Selective, Residential Liberal Arts College (FTE=2123) • 31 Majors • Faculty-Student Ratio: 10 to 1 • Assessment
Why Alumni? • Alumni Engagement • Institutional Learning Outcomes (post-Oxy) • Post-Graduation Success • Time to Job • Graduate School • Lifelong Learning • Connecting
College-Wide Assessment Direct & Indirect Evidence • Direct Evidence • Senior Capstones& Comprehensives • Course Level Student Work • Indirect Surveys • Student Surveys (CIRP: TFS, YFCY, CSS, DLE) • Faculty Surveys • Alumni Surveys • Focus Groups
Results • 2013 Alumni Survey Findings • In-House: 1 & 5 Years • 50% response rates • Presented to Senior Staff & BoT • Shared and Presented to Department Chairs
ALUMNI SURVEY: Initial FindingsWhat is current (primary) status?
ALUMNI SURVEY: Initial FindingsIf employed, what is your employment?
ALUMNI SURVEY: Initial FindingsIf enrolled in Grad School, What is your highest degree planned?
ALUMNI SURVEY: Initial FindingsCLASS OF 2012 (Recent Graduates) • 40% (31) had a job lined up before graduation • 80% (62) had a job within 3 months of graduation • 97% had a job within 6 months of graduation What, if any, challenges did you face in your job search?
Are you doing what you thought you’d be doing after graduation? When I imagined post-graduate life, I imagined an entry-level (underpaid or volunteer) job in a psychology-related field while continuing to apply for graduate school and more education. In the job I have now, I work at one of the top children's inpatient psychiatric units in the country and I have more responsibility with a Bachelor's degree than I thought would be possible. I hoped to be working in a museum or other cultural history institution. I have realized that to secure a job in a museum I will need further schooling so plan to return to graduate school Fall 2014. I had no clue what I wanted to do. Currently, I'm just paying off student debt thanks to secure full-time employment at a "mom'n'pop" retail store. I hoped to stay in Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, but I didn't have the money to live independently out there.
College-wide Alumni Engagement • Connect the Dots • Changing perceptions for Alumni • Investment Engagement Protect their meaning and quality of their degree • Support Outcomes-Based Assessment
Self-Study Components • Program Overview • Goal Achievement • Curriculum Relevance • Student Experience • Program Resources • Supporting Documentation • Exhibits: CVs, Course Syllabi, etc. EXAMPLE: Psychology Self-Study for External Review Team
Example: Self-Study Psychology • Alumni Survey: Qualtrics & Facebook • Sample Questions • Results included in the self-study • Response Rate: 45% • Findings
Psychology Alumni Survey Questions • General Experience Questions • Specific PLOs How well do you think the department met these goals? • Which specific experience (e.g., course, research, lab, etc.) in the psychology major has had the most positive impact on you? Why? • If you had to select an aspect of your psychology major that needed the most improvement, which would it be and why?
Example: Education Department • Lost Accreditation from CA Commission on Teacher Credentialing • Self-Study • Triangulation of Data • Expert Panel called together by Education Dept • Expert Panel called together by Administration • Expert Panel called together by ALOED • Affected Future Programming • Loss of credential • Attempting to get a major • Climbing “uphill”
Example: Program Review- English Self-Study: Alumni in Graduate School Alumni Survey and Focus Group Graduating Seniors Alumni Jobs, Graduate School, National Awards Closing the Loop • Align requirements for graduate programs with senior capstone • Honors Requirement Changes
Next Steps • Connect with the Alumni Office • Create opportunities for the Alumni Office and Faculty/Departments/Colleges to collaborate in assessment • Create a culture of sharing results and collaboratively “close the loop” • Continue the momentum for the engaged alumni • Get Creative!