A Follow-up of 2005-2006 Graduates

A Follow-up of 2005-2006 Graduates:

Results from the= Fall 2007 Alumni Survey

Abstract=

This report summarizes the results of a survey of 20= 05-6 graduates. Among the find= ings from the 35% who responded were:

Very fe= w (3%) were unemployed and seeking employment
By grad= uation over half already had a full-time job
Over three-quarters were employed in the Treasure Valley

Almost = 90% were using the knowledge and skills acquired through their educati= on in their jobs

Over 90= % felt adequately prepared for employment and continued education

Over ha= lf planned to continue their education and 22% were already doing so<= o:p>

Almost one-third had participated in an internship<= /b>

In = the fall of 2007, students who graduated between the summer of 2005 and the spring of 2006 were sent a survey asking about their current employment and education activities as well as activities that they participated in while at Boise State. The survey was jointly sponsored by the Career Center and Institut= ional Analysis, Assessment, and Reporting. Of the 2,680 graduates who received the survey, 938 surveys were returned for a 35% response rate.

What are graduates currently d= oing? How well prepared were they to do = it?

As = shown by Figure 1 below, most (78%) graduates were working full-time. Only 3% were unemployed and seeking employment. Those with advanc= ed degrees were most likely to be employed full-time and least likely to be seeking employment (see Table 1 for details).

Most graduates also planned on continuing their education (see Figure 2). Over half planned to continue at s= ome point in time, while over 20% were currently continuing their educations on eithe= r a full-time or part-time basis. Those with advanced degrees were least likely to continue their education (see Ta= ble 2).

Gra= duates felt very well-prepared for graduate or professional school and for employment. Over 90% felt adequately prepared for both further education and their current employment (see Figure 3). Those with advanced degrees f= elt particularly well-prepared (see Table 3).

Where are graduates working an= d how do they describe their jobs?

Most graduates (76%) were working in the Treasure Valley, though thos= e with advanced degrees were more likely to be working outside the state (see Figu= re 4 and Table 4).

A m= ajority of Boise = State graduates had a job at the t= ime of graduation, either because they were already employed at the time of graduation and continued in that job (32%) or they obtained a job prior to graduation (21%). Only 16% ne= eded more than six months to get a job (see Figure 5). As shown by Table 5, graduates with advanced degrees were most likely to already be employed and continued in t= heir jobs, while bachelor’s degree recipients were least likely to continu= e in the same jobs they had prior to graduation. Baccalaureate graduates also took = longer to find their jobs compared to other groups.

Alm= ost 90% of respondents reported that they were using the knowledge and skills they acquired at Boise State either freque= ntly or occasionally (see Figure 6). Those who had obtained advanced degrees or who had received an associate’s degree or certificate were using their knowledge and skil= ls most frequently (see Table 5). These two groups were also most likely to indicate that their jobs w= ere “very related” to their career goals (see Figure 7 and Table 6). Overall, more than 80% of responden= ts indicated that they were satisfied with their current employment (see Table= 7).

What activities did graduates = report participating in while at Boise State University?

The= most popular activity that students participated in was the internship experienc= e, completed by almost one-third of respondents. In addition, about 25% completed a clinical, practicum, field work or student teaching experience. Slightly more (27%) reported belon= ging to students clubs or organizations. Other activities participated in by more than 10% of respondents included on- or off-campus student employment, service-learning, undergradu= ate or graduate research experience, or volunteer services. For details, see Figure 8 and Tabl= e 9.

Other information available

Thi= s report provides a general overview of the alumni survey results. Full results are available to departments and colleges by contacting either the Career Center or Institutional Analysis, Assessment, and Reporting. Additional information available to departments and colleges includes school and program being pursued for furt= her education, job titles and organizations where graduates are working, type or organization and industry where job is located, and salary ranges.

<= /o:p>

Appendix of Tables

Table 1. Current employment conditions base= d on degree obtained

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
What best describes what you are currently doing in the area of employment?	I am employed full-time outside th= e home	Count	*136*	*432*	*145*	*713*
% of group	*76.8%*	*77.6%*	*84.3%*	*78.7%*
I am empl= oyed part-time outside the home	Count	19	55	11	85
% of group	*10.7%*	*9.9%*	*6.4%*	*9.4%*
I am self-employed	Count	5	29	7	41
% of group	*2.8%*	*5.2%*	*4.1%*	*4.5%*
I am cari= ng for my home or my family and not seeking employment	Count	9	22	6	37
% of group	*5.1%*	*3.9%*	*3.5%*	*4.1%*
I am seek= ing employment	Count	8	19	3	30
% of group	*4.5%*	*3.4%*	*1.7%*	*3.3%*
Total	Count	*177*	*557*	*172*	*906*
% of grou= p	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*

Table 2. Educational plans by degree level

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
What best describes what you are d= oing in the area of continuing your education?	I plan on continuing my education = at some point in time	Count	95	*307*	74	*476*
% of group	*53.1%*	*54.2%*	*43.0%*	*51.9%*
I have no= plans to continue my education	Count	43	*129*	73	*245*
% of group	*24.0%*	*22.8%*	*42.4%*	*26.7%*
I am curr= ently continuing my education Full-time	Count	28	62	8	98
% of group	*15.6%*	*11.0%*	*4.7%*	*10.7%*
I am curr= ently continuing my education Part-time	Count	13	68	17	98
% of group	*7.3%*	*12.0%*	*9.9%*	*10.7%*
Total	Count	*179*	*566*	*172*	*917*
% of grou= p	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*

Table 3. Level of preparation for graduate school and employment by degree level

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
Count=	% of group	Count	% of group	Count	% of group	Count	% of group
How well did Boise State prepare you for graduate/professional school? (Respond only if in school)=	Very well	15	*34.1%*	42	*30.9%*	15	*40.5%*	72	*33.2%*
More than adequately	11	*25.0%*	39	*28.7%*	9	*24.3%*	59	*27.2%*
Adequately	16	*36.4%*	45	*33.1%*	8	*21.6%*	69	*31.8%*
Less than adequately	2	*4.5%*	8	*5.9%*	3	*8.1%*	13	*6.0%*
Poorly	0	*.0%*	2	*1.5%*	2	*5.4%*	4	*1.8%*
How well did Boise State prepare you for your current employment?= (Respond only if working full-time)	Very well	56	*34.8%*	*115*	*23.1%*	51	*32.1%*	*222*	*27.1%*
More than adequately	32	*19.9%*	*105*	*21.1%*	48	*30.2%*	*185*	*22.6%*
Adequately	62	*38.5%*	*232*	*46.6%*	52	*32.7%*	*346*	*42.3%*
Less than adequately	9	*5.6%*	28	*5.6%*	6	*3.8%*	43	*5.3%*
Poorly	2	*1.2%*	18	*3.6%*	2	*1.3%*	22	*2.7%*

Table 4. Location of full-time job by degree level

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
Region	In Treasure Valley	Count	*120*	*361*	*102*	*583*
% of group	*81.1%*	*77.1%*	*66.7%*	*75.8%*
In Idaho Outside Treasure<= /st1:PlaceName> Valley=	Count	13	43	9	65
% of group	*8.8%*	*9.2%*	*5.9%*	*8.5%*
Outside <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Idaho	Count	15	64	42	*121*
% of group	*10.1%*	*13.7%*	*27.5%*	*15.7%*
Total	Count	*148*	*468*	*153*	*769*
% of grou= p	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*

Table 5. Length of time to first jo= b by degree level

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
When did you obtain your job after graduating from Boise State?=	Already employed and continued in = that job	Count	47	*107*	69	*223*
% of group	*32.9%*	*25.2%*	*51.5%*	*31.8%*
Obtained = the job prior to graduation	Count	34	89	23	*146*
% of group	*23.8%*	*21.0%*	*17.2%*	*20.8%*
Obtained = the job within three months of graduation	Count	31	93	21	*145*
% of group	*21.7%*	*21.9%*	*15.7%*	*20.7%*
Obtained = the job within 4-6 months of graduation	Count	10	54	8	72
% of group	*7.0%*	*12.7%*	*6.0%*	*10.3%*
Obtained = the job more than 6 months after graduation	Count	21	81	13	*115*
% of group	*14.7%*	*19.1%*	*9.7%*	*16.4%*
Total	Count	*143*	*424*	*134*	*701*
% of grou= p	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*

Table 6. Use of knowledge and skills on the= job by degree level

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
How often are you using knowledge = and skills acquired at BSU in your job?	Frequently	Count	*116*	*302*	*115*	*533*
% of group	*70.7%*	*60.2%*	*71.4%*	*64.4%*
Occasiona= lly	Count	37	*131*	34	*202*
% of group	*22.6%*	*26.1%*	*21.1%*	*24.4%*
Seldom	Count	8	56	11	75
% of group	*4.9%*	*11.2%*	*6.8%*	*9.1%*
Never	Count	3	13	1	17
% of group	*1.8%*	*2.6%*	*.6%*	*2.1%*
Total	Count	*164*	*502*	*161*	*827*
% of grou= p	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*

Table 7. Relationship of job to car= eer goals by degree level

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
Do you consider your job related t= o your career goals?	Very related=	Count	*119*	*285*	*135*	*539*
% of group	*71.7%*	*56.4%*	*83.9%*	*64.8%*
Somewhat related	Count	34	*164*	20	*218*
% of group	*20.5%*	*32.5%*	*12.4%*	*26.2%*
Not at all related	Count	13	56	6	75
% of group	*7.8%*	*11.1%*	*3.7%*	*9.0%*
Total	Count	*166*	*505*	*161*	*832*
% of grou= p	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*

Table 8. Satisfaction with current employme= nt by degree level

	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
How satisfied are you with your cu= rrent employment?	Very satisfied	Count	64	*197*	81	*342*
% of group	*39.0%*	*39.2%*	*50.3%*	*41.3%*
Satisfied=	Count	64	*198*	66	*328*
% of group	*39.0%*	*39.4%*	*41.0%*	*39.6%*
Neutral	Count	24	69	7	*100*
% of group	*14.6%*	*13.7%*	*4.3%*	*12.1%*
Dissatisf= ied	Count	5	32	7	44
% of group	*3.0%*	*6.4%*	*4.3%*	*5.3%*
Very dissatisfied	Count	7	7	0	14
% of group	*4.3%*	*1.4%*	*.0%*	*1.7%*
Total	Count	*164*	*503*	*161*	*828*
% of grou= p	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*	*100.0%*

Table 9. Program participation at Boise State University by degree level

Activity:	Participated:=	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
ASBSU	No	Count	*173*	*539*	*165*	*877*
% of group	*96.6%*	*94.9%*	*95.9%*	*95.4%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	6	29	7	42
% of group	*3.4%*	*5.1%*	*4.1%*	*4.6%*
Clinical, Practicum, Field work or Student Teaching	No	Count	*117*	*442*	*135*	*694*
% of group	*65.4%*	*77.8%*	*78.5%*	*75.5%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	62	*126*	37	*225*
% of group	*34.6%*	*22.2%*	*21.5%*	*24.5%*
Graduate Assistantship<= /span>	No	Count	*179*	*555*	*126*	*860*
% of group	*100.0%*	*97.7%*	*73.3%*	*93.6%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	0	13	46	59
% of group	*.0%*	*2.3%*	*26.7%*	*6.4%*
Internship	No	Count	*143*	*353*	*132*	*628*
% of group	*79.9%*	*62.1%*	*76.7%*	*68.3%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	36	*215*	40	*291*
% of group	*20.1%*	*37.9%*	*23.3%*	*31.7%*
National Student Exchange	No	Count	*179*	*559*	*172*	*910*
% of group	*100.0%*	*98.4%*	*100.0%*	*99.0%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	0	9	0	9
% of group	*.0%*	*1.6%*	*.0%*	*1.0%*
Off-Campus Student Employment=	No	Count	*153*	*456*	*155*	*764*
% of group	*85.5%*	*80.3%*	*90.1%*	*83.1%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	26	*112*	17	*155*
% of group	*14.5%*	*19.7%*	*9.9%*	*16.9%*
On-Campus Student Employment<= /o:p>	No	Count	*163*	*467*	*156*	*786*
% of group	*91.1%*	*82.2%*	*90.7%*	*85.5%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	16	*101*	16	*133*
% of group	*8.9%*	*17.8%*	*9.3%*	*14.5%*
Study Abroad=	No	Count	*179*	*548*	*166*	*893*
% of group	*100.0%*	*96.5%*	*96.5%*	*97.2%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	0	20	6	26
% of group	*.0%*	*3.5%*	*3.5%*	*2.8%*

Table 9. Program participation at Boise State University by degree level (continued)

Activity:	Participated:=	Degree Level
Less than Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor's Degree	Beyond Bachelor's Degree	Total
Service Learning=	No	Count	*151*	*493*	*164*	*808*
% of group	*84.4%*	*86.8%*	*95.3%*	*87.9%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	28	75	8	*111*
% of group	*15.6%*	*13.2%*	*4.7%*	*12.1%*
Student Clubs/Organizations	No	Count	*145*	*372*	*147*	*664*
% of group	*81.0%*	*65.5%*	*85.5%*	*72.3%*
Yes<= /o:p>	Count	34	*196*	25	*255*
% of group	*19.0%*	*34.5%*	*14.5%*	*27.7%*
Student Leadership Program	No	Count	*171*	*538*	*168*