Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Research
July, 2012
Middle Tennessee State University
2012 Alumni Survey
Associate and Bachelor’s Degree Recipients
AY 2002 – AY 2011
Executive Summary
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research (IEPR) surveyed MTSU’s alumni who
received either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree during AY 2002 - 2011. The purpose of the
survey was to assess alumni satisfaction in order to improve the quality of the undergraduate
programs. The survey is conducted in the second year (2011-12) of the five-year Performance
Funding cycle.
The data collection instrument is a modification of the 2010 version. The survey was conducted online, and the link to the survey was sent to the alumni via e-mail. Members of the survey population
were contacted up to three times. Of the 30,809 alumni surveyed, 1,865 responded. Respondents
were 43% male and 57% female, 83% Caucasian, 10% African American, and 3% Hispanic.
Highlights from the Results
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An overwhelming 96% reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with their educational
experience at MTSU.
The majority of respondents (93%) would recommend MTSU to others.
The percentage of alumni who rated the clarity of degree requirements in the major as good
or excellent continued its upward trend to 89%
The majority of alumni (87%) stated that the quality of instruction in the major was good or
excellent
The percentage of alumni who satisfied with the availability of faculty to help outside of
class increased by six percentage point to 82%
Eighty-one percent of alumni rated the preparation received for further study as good or
excellent.
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Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Research
July, 2012
Survey Results
Overall, the alumni surveyed were satisfied or very satisfied with their educational experience at
MTSU. The majority of the alumni were also satisfied with the student services and their major
degree programs.
Graduates were asked to rate services in the following areas: library, registration, financial aid,
computer facilities, advising, practicum/internship/service learning experience, and career services.
Library received the highest percentage of the alumni satisfaction (97%). Rating for the registration,
advising, and financial aid services increased compared to spring 2010 results.
Most used services were registration, library, and computer facilities. However, the satisfaction with
the computer facilities (87%) decreased compared to 2010 respondents (91%). The least-used
service was the career services. The usage of practicum/ internship/service learning experience
increased from 40% to 47%. However, the percentage who rated as good or excellent dropped (78%
to 73%).
Rating on items in their major degree programs were higher than in spring 2010 except two areas.
The percentage of the opportunities to express ideas in writing in the major was slightly lower, and
the quality of instruction in the major remained constant.
Life after MTSU
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The majority of MTSU alumni (85%) were employed. The percentage increased from spring
2010 (81%). More than half of the alumni surveyed were working in their major field. Onefifth of the alumni reported they could not find a job in their field.
Over 40% of alumni earned between $25,000 and $49,999. 20% earned less than $24,999,
and 17% earned between $50,000 and $74, 999. The percentage of alumni who earned
$75,000 or more was 10%.
The percentage of the alumni enrolled in graduate or professional school was lower than in
spring 2010. Alumni who developed new career interests increased from 14% to 17%.
The following table provides employment/graduate school data based on responses from the 2010
and 2012 Alumni Surveys. Complete results are posted on the IEPR Web site:
http://www.mtsu.edu/iepr/surveys/php.
Employed in
Major Field
Employed
Middle Tennessee State University
Basic and Applied Sciences
Behavioral and Health Sciences
Business
Education
Liberal Arts
Mass Communication
University College
2010
81%
80%
79%
88%
89%
73%
84%
75%
2012
85%
82%
81%
91%
83%
82%
90%
83%
2010
48%
57%
47%
55%
78%
32%
39%
31%
2
2012
51%
57%
54%
65%
66%
38%
40%
37%
Developed New
Career Interests
2010
14%
11%
14%
11%
4%
15%
19%
33%
2012
17%
13%
12%
13%
8%
26%
20%
28%
Graduate School
2010
22%
23%
29%
14%
25%
31%
12%
17%
2012
20%
20%
22%
15%
22%
28%
12%
27%