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Senior Exit Survey

Senior Exit Survey: 2019-2020

With post-college life on the horizon, 1,855 graduating seniors reflect on their stay at SDState. 
During summer 2018, a representative taskforce (including individuals from each College, Office of Career Development and Office of Institutional Research and Assessment) designed a survey to collect information on graduating students’ overall perceptions of their undergraduate experience, abilities and knowledge related to general education goals, participation in High Impact Practices (HIPs), satisfaction with student service offices and their graduate education aspirations. This information helps inform strategies and goals for improving undergraduate students’ educational experiences at ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ. The 2018-19 academic year was the pilot year for the survey. ³ÉÈËÊÓƵ is following up with the second year of the survey on 2019-20 academic year. The results below are from the 2019-20 survey.

Methods and analysis
Almost all graduating seniors who completed the graduation application participated in the Senior Exit Survey (98% response rate). The survey instrument consists of 50 questions in closed-ended response format.

The survey had items related to

  • Overall experiences
  • General education goals
  • High-Impact Practices (HIPs)
  • Graduate school aspirations
  • Student services

Results
There are a combined of 1,855 senior students who participated in the 2019-2020 senior exit survey (246 participants from summer 2019, 436 from fall 2019 and 1,173 from spring 2020).

Descriptive statistics were used for each survey item. Moderately agreed/satisfied, agreed/satisfied, and strongly agreed/satisfied selections were combined to produce percentages of agreement and satisfaction. 

Overall Satisfaction with Educational Experience.

97%
Received high quality of education
97%
Achieved their educational goals
96%
Were prepared to be successful
95%
Had their educational expectations met
95%
Were satisfied with their experience at SDState
95%
Would recommend SDState to others

General Educational Goals

97%
Felt they improved their ability to write effectively and responsibly
98%
Felt they improved their ability to communicate effectively and responsibly
95%
Felt they improved their knowledge in social sciences
91%
Felt they improved their knowledge in arts and humanities
94%
Felt they improved their knowledge in mathematical processes and reasoning
95%
Felt they improved their knowledge in natural sciences

Participation in High Impact Practices (HIP's)

82%
Participated in first-year seminar
62%
Participated in Common Intellectual Experience (e.g. Common Read)
28%
Participated in Living-Learning Community
48%
Participated in writing-intensive courses
79%
Participated in collaborative assignments and projects
46%
Participated in undergraduate research and creative activity
35%
Participated in diversity and global learning
25%
Participated in creating ePortfolios
42%
Participated in service learning/community-based learning
69%
Participated in internships
60%
Participated in Senior Capstone Courses

Graduate School

34%
Have plans of pursuing a graduate degree