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Senior Exit Survey

Senior Exit Survey: 2020-2021

With post-college life on the horizon, 1,718 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. The results below are from the 2020-2021 survey.

Methods and analysis
A majority of graduating seniors who completed the graduation application also participated in the Senior Exit Survey (93.5% 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
1,718 senior students participated in the 2020-2021 Senior Exit Survey (222 from summer 2020, 456 from fall 2020 and 1,040 from spring 2021).

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
98%
Achieved their educational goals
97%
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

96%
Felt they improved their ability to write effectively and responsibly
97%
Felt they improved their ability to communicate effectively and responsibly
94%
Felt they improved their knowledge in social sciences
93%
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)

81%
Participated in first-year seminar
51%
Participated in Common Intellectual Experience (e.g. Common Read)
30%
Participated in Living-Learning Community
47%
Participated in writing-intensive courses
80%
Participated in collaborative assignments and projects
48%
Participated in undergraduate research and creative activity
35%
Participated in diversity and global learning
24%
Participated in creating ePortfolios
41%
Participated in service learning/community-based learning
54%
Participated in internships
63%
Participated in Senior Capstone Courses

Graduate School

32%
Have plans of pursuing a graduate degree