Graduated Student Survey Report Excerpt from the
Annual Assessment Report
2014-2015 Academic Year Report
Office of Accreditation Assessment and Learning
The Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning is responsible for directing the university’s
assessment process, and for coordinating planning and implementation strategies for the assessment of
major fields of study, general education, and academic programs. The office also serves as the primary
liaison to the university's regional accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission.
University Assessments
One of the main responsibilities of the Office of
Accreditation, Assessment and Learning (AAL)
is the coordination, administration, and
communication of key assessments for the
university. AAL currently oversees the
administration of seven assessments, which
(1) gauge student learning and practices
associated with student success across
students’ educational experiences,
(2) assess faculty and staff experiences related to
work and campus climate, and
(3) provide accountability and demonstrate
compliance in external reporting and
accreditation processes.
The purpose of conducting these assessments is
to collect the data necessary to continuously
improve the Kent State student and employee
experience.
communication skills using performance tasks
and questions, and also gauges overall student
growth in these skills (e.g., analysis and problem
solving, critical reading and evaluation, and
writing mechanics and effectiveness). The
CLA+ was developed and is overseen by the
Council for Aid to Education.
The following assessments are currently
overseen by AAL:
The Collaborative on Academic Careers in
Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Job
Satisfaction Survey gauges faculty job
satisfaction and experiences, and helps to
identify “drivers of faculty vitality”. Institutions
enter into a three-year COACHE membership to
aid in transforming actionable survey data into
practices and/or policies. COACHE and the
COACHE survey were developed and are
overseen by the Harvard University Graduate
School of Education.
The Beginning College Survey of Student
Engagement (BCSSE) assesses incoming first
year students’ high school experiences and
expectations for participating in educational
practices that have been shown to be linked with
learning and student success during their first
year as undergraduates. The BCSSE was
developed and is administered by the Indiana
University Center for Postsecondary Research.
The Kent State University Graduated
Student Survey (GSS) provides feedback
regarding the quality of recent graduates’
undergraduate education and primary activities
(e.g., employment, education, family) following
graduation. The survey also allows for the
identification of individuals who positively
impacted graduates’ college experience. The
GSS is administered by the Kent State
University Survey Research Lab.
The National Survey of Student Engagement
(NSSE) assesses key aspects of first year and
senior students’ undergraduate experience,
including students’ engagement in educational
practices that have been shown to be linked with
learning and student success. The NSSE was
developed and is administered by the Indiana
University Center for Postsecondary Research.
The Great Colleges to Work For program was
designed to recognize institutions that have
created great workplaces. Employees’ responses
to the ModernThink Higher Education Insight
Survey provide insight into multiple dimensions
of workplace experience and quality. The Great
Colleges to Work For program was developed
and is overseen by The Chronicle of Higher
Education and ModernThink.
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+)
measures critical thinking and written
The Kent State University Alumni Surveys
provide feedback from alumni regarding the
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | Division of Academic Affairs | Office of the Provost | Kent State University
Kent State University
AY 2014-2015 Annual Assessment Report
quality of their education, and are administered
in conjunction with academic program review.
The Alumni Surveys are administered by the
Kent State University Survey Research Lab.
The number of assessments administered during
a given academic year varies, as some
assessments are administered annually, while
others are administered at less frequent intervals
(e.g., every three years, only once, in conjunction
with academic program reviews).
Table 1 displays the seven assessments
coordinated and administered by AAL. The first
column shows the name of each assessment,
followed by the groups sampled and occurrence
of each assessment in the second and third
columns, respectively.
Table 1. Assessments Conducted by Accreditation, Assessment and Learning (AAL)
Kent State University Assessments
Assessment
Group(s) Sampled
Occurrence; Years Administered*
Beginning College Survey of Student
Engagement (BCSSE)
First Year Students
Every three years prior to Fall
semester; 2010, 2013
National Survey of Student
Engagement (NSSE)
First Year and Senior Students
Every three years during Spring
semester; 2011, 2014
Collegiate Learning Assessment
(CLA+)
First Year Students (Fall);
Senior Students (Spring)
Every year during Fall and Spring
semesters
Kent State University Graduated
Student Survey (GSS)
Recently graduated (UG)
students who graduated during
the preceding year
Every year during Summer session(s)
Collaborative on Academic Careers in
Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty
Job Satisfaction Survey
Faculty
Spring 2015; Assessment is
administered during first year of threeyear membership
Great Colleges to Work For
University Employees
(Faculty and Staff)
Every year during Spring semester
Kent State University Alumni Surveys
Recently Graduated Students
Varies; Occurs in conjunction with
Program Reviews
*subject to revision as needed
Moving Assessment Forward in AY 2014-2015
Enhancing the coordination, administration, and
communication of Kent State’s university-level
assessments was a key priority for AAL in the
2014-2015 academic year. This priority, which
will be an ongoing one, took the form of multiple
initiatives that moved the university’s
assessments forward this year.
Some of these initiatives include:
Enhancing Communication of Existing
Assessments and Assessment Findings
A central focus during the 2014-2015 academic
year was to enhance awareness about the
assessments that AAL coordinates on behalf of
the university, and to communicate related
assessment findings. To do this, AAL staff
attended university committee meetings
throughout the year, giving presentations about
the assessments, making announcements
regarding upcoming survey initiatives, and
providing handouts summarizing information
about and key findings from a selection of
recently administered assessments. The
following report is one such example of these
efforts to enhance communication about
university assessments and assessment findings.
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | 2
Kent State University
AAL staff also updated the assessment portion of
its website (www.kent.edu/aal/assessment),
including updating its overall layout and
assessment-specific report materials. AAL staff
also added several new “snapshot” handouts.
These results snapshots are intended to provide
accessible, concise, and visually appealing
findings at-a-glance for internal and external
stakeholders. Additional snapshot documents
will be developed and shared during the coming
academic year.
Enhancing Assessment Processes and
Procedures
Another key focus during the 2014-2015
academic year was to enhance the processes and
procedures used to coordinate and administer
university assessments. AAL staff - together
with the input of newly formed faculty and staff
assessment-specific committees (e.g., KSU
COACHE team, GSS planning group) and other
university staff (e.g., Research Compliance) worked to enhance the methods associated with
each assessment administered, carefully
examining each step of the assessment process.
AAL staff look forward to continuing these
enhancement efforts with each subsequent
survey administration.
Enhancing Assessment Participation
An additional focus of the current academic year
was to enhance participation in university
surveys and assessments in the form of increased
response rates. AAL staff was pleased to achieve
this goal, likely due in part to the
aforementioned enhancements to assessment
communication and administration procedures.
For example, accompanying revisions and
enhancements to the survey recruitment and
administration process, students’ participation in
AY 2014-2015 Annual Assessment Report
the CLA+ during this 2014-2015 academic year
reflected an increase of 30 or more additional
students each semester, compared to the
preceding academic year’s participation - a 30.6%
and 47.6% increase over the 2013-2014 academic
year’s Fall and Spring participation, respectively.
Additionally, employees’ participation in the
Great Colleges to Work For faculty/staff survey
this 2014-2015 academic year marked an
increase of 40 participants compared to last
academic year’s participation - a 30.5% percent
increase over last academic year’s participation.
Efforts to enhance assessment participation will
continue in the coming academic year.
Enhancing Support for University Needs and
Initiatives
An additional objective of the 2014-2015
academic year was to continue to enhance
support of university needs and initiatives. For
the current academic year, this took the form of
various efforts including: providing assessment
data to support Academic Affairs Strategic Plan
metrics; updating and enhancing reporting
through Kent State University’s College Portrait
(Voluntary System of Accountability) together
with Institutional Research (IR; formerly,
RPIE), including new Student Achievement
Measure reporting; developing and
administering two surveys to assess the
assessment management system software needs
of both academic and administrative units; and
creating reports needed as part of Provost’s
Office initiatives.
The primary purpose of conducting university
assessments is to collect the data necessary to
continuously improve the Kent State student and
employee experience, an effort that AAL staff
look forward to continuing to support through
efforts like these in the upcoming academic year.
Report Overview
During the current 2014-2015 academic year,
four key assessments were administered: (1) the
Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+), (2) the
Kent State University Graduated Student
Survey (GSS), (3) the Great Colleges to Work
For survey for faculty and staff, and (4) the
Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher
Education (COACHE) Faculty Job Satisfaction
Survey. An annual update, including overviews
and any available recent findings for each of the
four assessments administered during the 20142015 academic year, is provided below.
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | 3
AY
2014-2015
UNIVERSITY
ASSESSMENTS
Kent State
University Graduated
Student Survey
(GSS)
Kent State University
AY 2014-2015 Annual Assessment Report
Kent State University Graduated Student Survey (GSS)
Overview and AY 2014-2015 Update
Kent State University’s annual Graduated
Student Survey (GSS) was introduced in 2005 to
gauge undergraduate students’ perceptions
regarding the quality of their education
experience. The survey is administered each
summer-fall, targeting Kent campus
baccalaureate degree recipients who graduated
during the previous calendar year (i.e., May,
August, or December conferrals during the
preceding calendar year). Survey respondents
provide feedback about knowledge and skills
acquired, as well as undergraduate curricular and
co-curricular activities, primary activities since
graduation (e.g., employment, education, family),
and perceptions of the institution, including
satisfaction with programs and services. The
survey also allows for the identification of
individuals who positively impacted graduates’
undergraduate experience.
The GSS is coordinated by the Office of
Accreditation, Assessment and Learning with
assistance from the Office of Institutional
Research (IR; formerly, RPIE) staff.
AY 2013-2014, 2014-2015 Administrations
The 2013-2014 academic year survey was
administered by the Survey Research Lab,
housed in the Kent State University Department
of Sociology. Respondents were first contacted
via telephone to complete the survey by phone.
Per past methods used during this previous
deployment, respondents may include a small
number of members of graduates’ households
confident answering on graduates’ behalves.
The telephone survey was active from July to
September of 2014, after which time it was
folded into a web survey. All respondents who
had not completed the telephone survey during
the July to September timeframe were then
contacted via email to complete the survey
online. The web survey concluded in October
2014.
The 2014-2015 academic year administration of
the GSS will take place in the Summer to Fall of
2015. Preparations, including enhancements to
the survey process, are currently underway.
AY 2013-2014 Results
The following are findings from the 2013-2014
academic year administration of the GSS.
During the 2013-2014 academic year, the GSS
was administered during the Summer of 2014,
targeting recent Kent State graduates who
received their baccalaureate degrees from the
Kent campus during one of three 2013 degree
conferrals (May 2013, August 2013, or
December 2013). 4,641 Kent campus 2013
graduates were invited to take the survey in
July of 2014. At the close of the web survey,
which followed the initial telephone survey
period, 1,256 (27.1%) respondents had
completed the survey. This represents
increased participation, compared to the
previous year’s (2013) response rate of 24.5%
(n=1,121 of 4,581).
The GSS provides a wealth of information
concerning graduates’ perceptions of the
university and their post-graduation activities.
A snapshot of GSS data concerning students’
overall satisfaction with the university, as well
as information regarding post-graduation
outcomes is presented below. For additional
information provided by respondents via the
GSS (e.g., satisfaction with academic major,
skills acquired, student engagement), please see
the Accreditation, Assessment and Learning
website.
Student Characteristics
Among respondents, most identified as female
(64.3%), as white (85.8%), and as not Hispanic
or Latino (96.5%). The most frequently
reported college affiliation among respondents
was the College of Arts and Sciences (28.2%).
Table 6 shows these graduate characteristics
and valid item percentages in greater detail.
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | 11
Kent State University
AY 2014-2015 Annual Assessment Report
Table 6. Graduate Characteristics, AY 2013-2014
Baccalaureates (n=1256)
Respondent College
Applied Eng., Sustainability & Tech./Tech.
Architecture & Environmental Design
Arts
Arts & Sciences
Business Administration
%
3.6
3.7
7.1
28.2
12.9
Respondent Sex
Female
Male
Other Sex
Item valid total (n=1256)
%
64.3
35.5
.2
100.0
Respondent Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino
Not Hispanic or Latino
Item valid total (n=1225)
%
3.5
96.5
100.0
Communication & Information
Education, Health & Human Services
Nursing
Public Health
Item valid total (n=981)
10.5
20.2
10.5
3.3
100.0
Respondent Race
African American or Black
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian
Identified By Two or More Races
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
Other Race
White
Item valid total (n=1226)
%
6.9
.5
2.8
1.2
.2
2.6
85.8
100.0
Overall Graduate Satisfaction Findings
The GSS asks graduates to indicate their overall satisfaction with and perceptions of the university.
Figure 2 shows that, among 2013 graduates, in 2014
Figure 2. Graduates’ Overall Satisfaction nearly all respondents - 96.4% (n=1,207) - indicated that
they were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall Kent
Percent Satisfaction with Kent State
State experience. Similar perceptions were held regarding
Graduates satisfied or very
the overall quality of university services provided at Kent
satisfied with the overall
State, with 92.5% (n=1,158) of respondents indicating that
Kent State experience
(n=1207)
they were satisfied or very satisfied. Graduates were
likewise satisfied with the overall quality of Kent State
education, with 94.6% (n=1,185) of respondents indicating
that they were satisfied or very satisfied with Kent State
Graduates satisfied or very
satisfied with the overall
education.
quality of university
services provided (n=1158)
Graduates’ level of satisfaction with Kent State overall, as
well as the quality of the services and education it offers,
was similar to the level of satisfaction graduates felt with
Graduates satisfied or very
respect to the quality of their interactions with key Kent
satisfied with the overall
State employees. The majority of graduates – 94.0%
quality of Kent State
(n=1,177) - for example, were satisfied or very satisfied
education (n=1185)
with the quality of their interaction with faculty.
Moreover, a similar number of respondents – 94.2%
(n=1,180) indicated that they were satisfied or very
Graduates satisfied or very
satisfied with the quality of their interaction with staff.
satisfied with the overall
quality of their interaction
Taken together, respondents’ responses regarding
with faculty (n=1177)
satisfaction with the Kent State experience, the quality of
the services and education it offers, as well as the quality of
interaction with key employees - such as faculty and staff Graduates satisfied or very
reflect a high level of satisfaction with these key aspects of
satisfied with the overall
the university, with satisfaction ranging from 92.5 to
quality of their interaction
96.4% across these items - the highest of which being
with staff (n=1180)
graduates’ overall Kent State experience.
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | 12
Kent State University
AY 2014-2015 Annual Assessment Report
Post-Graduation Outcome Findings
The GSS asks respondents to provide information about the activities in which they have been engaged
since graduation. Figure 3
provides an overview of these
Figure 3. Graduates’ Activities Post-Graduation
responses. Respondents were
Post- Graduation Activities (All Applicable)
able to select all applicable postgraduation activities. Therefore,
zero to nine types of post68.8% Employment, FT paid
graduation activities could be
Employment, PT paid
35.5%
selected by each respondent.
Graduate/Professional Sch.,
18.5%
FT
Graduate/Professional Sch.,
4.1%
Among the graduates (n=1,256),
PT
Addtl. Undergrad. Coursework
6.4%
the most frequently reported
2.2%
Military Service
post-graduation activity was fulltime paid employment (68.8%),
24.0%
Volunteer Activity
followed by part-time paid
10.7%
Starting/Nurturing a Family
employment (35.5%). Just under
6.4%
Other Activity
one quarter reported engaging in
volunteer activity (24.0%), while
0.0%
25.0%
50.0%
75.0%
100.0%
18.5% reported attending
Each item valid total n=1256
graduate or professional school
full-time. Just over ten percent of
respondents (10.7%) reported
starting and/or nurturing a family. Finally, fewer than 10% reported doing each of the following:
completing additional undergraduate coursework (6.4%) or
some other post-graduation activity (6.4%), attending
Figure 4. Graduate Employment
graduate or professional school part-time (4.1%), and/or
Percent Employed
engaging in military service (2.2%).
Graduates who are currently
employed (n=1088)
Figure 4 provides the overall percentage of graduates who
were then currently employed. The majority – 86.8%
(n=1,088) – of respondents reported having current
employment.
Findings Among Currently Employed Graduates
The following figures (Figures 5 – 8) and table (Table 7) show responses from those respondents who
reported having current employment.
Figure 5 provides a snapshot of graduates’ (n=1,087) current employment. Most respondents
described their current employment as consisting
of a single full-time job (68.7%). Just under a fifth
Figure 5. Graduates’ Current Employment
of employed graduates were employed in a single
Description of Current Employment
part-time job (19.0%). 6.1% described their
19.0% 6.1%
employment as part-time in two or more jobs, while
FT in 1 Job
3.7%
3.7% reported having some other form of
FT in 2 or
employment. Finally, a smaller percentage
More Jobs
characterized their employment as consisting of
PT in 1 Job
two or more full-time jobs (2.5%).
PT in 2 or
68.7%
More Jobs
Other
Figure 6 provides the overall percentage of
2.5%
Item valid total n=1087
employed graduates whose current employment is
related to their education at Kent State University.
The majority – 68.2% (n=743) – of employed graduates had secured employment related to their
education at the university.
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | 13
Kent State University
AY 2014-2015 Annual Assessment Report
The GSS also asks employed graduates to indicate when they began their current job following
graduation. Figure 7 shows these responses (n=1,090).
The most frequently reported time frame was 1-3 months
Figure 6. Employment & Education
after graduation (29.7%), followed by employment 4-6
Percent Employed
Graduates whose
months after graduation (18.0%). 14.2% and 17.7% of
employment is related to
employed graduates, respectively, either retained the
their education at Kent
employment that they held while attending Kent State, or
State University (n=743)
had an offer of employment prior to graduation. A smaller
number retained employment 7-9 months (8.3%), 10
months – 1 year (6.9%), or more than 1 year (5.2%) after
graduation.
Figure 7. When Graduates Began Current Employment
Start of Current Employment Following Graduation
17.7%
14.2%
8.3%
6.9%
5.2%
0.0%
18.0%
25.0%
Had employment offer prior to graduation
Retained employment held while attending KSU
1 - 3 mos
4 - 6 mos
7 - 9 mos
10 mos - 1 yr
More than 1 yr
29.7%
50.0%
75.0%
100.0%
Item valid total n=1090
Figure 8 shows employed graduates’ reported annual income, before taxes (n=1,010). The most
frequently reported annual gross income range
for graduates’ current employment is under
Figure 8. Annual Income for Current Position
$25,000 (34.5%), followed by $25,000 to
Current Annual Gross Income
$34,999 (24.6%). Just under one fifth of
graduates reported making $35,000 to $44,999
Under $25,000
in their current position (19.4%), while 13.2%
34.5%
$25,000 - $34,999
24.6%
reported earning $45,000 to $54,999 annually.
35,000 - $44,999
19.4%
Just over five percent of graduates reported
$45,000 - $54,999
13.2%
yearly income of $55,000 to $64,999 (5.2%).
5.2%
$55,000 - $64,999
1.9%
Finally, taken together, less than four percent
$65,000 - $74,999
1.3%
$75,000 or Above
of graduates earned between $65,000 and
$74,999, and $75,000 or above, annually (1.9%
0.0%
25.0%
50.0%
75.0%
100.0%
and 1.3%, respectively).
Item valid total n=1010
Table 7 shows employed graduates’ description
of their current employment, thinking about the
next five years (n=901). The most frequently reported expectation held by graduates for the next five
years with respect to their current employment
was to change jobs and secure employment with
Table 7. 5-Year Expectations for Current Job
another employer (43.6%), followed by graduates’
%
Employment Expectations (5 years)
Remain in current employment
expectation to receive a promotion in their
13.1
Receive a promotion
25.7
currently held position (25.7%). 13.1% of
Change jobs with current employer
10.9
employed graduates expected to remain in their
Change jobs and go with another employer
43.6
current employment, while just over ten percent
Other
6.7
anticipated changing jobs with their current
Item valid total (n=901)
100.0
employer (10.9%). Finally, 6.7% of graduates
held other expectations, thinking about the next
five years with respect to their employment.
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | 14
Kent State University
AY 2014-2015 Annual Assessment Report
Graduate School Outcomes
Figure 9 and Table 8 show graduates’ responses regarding graduate school-related outcomes.
The GSS asks respondents to report whether or not they have applied to graduate school. Figure 9
shows the graduates’ responses. Of those
graduates who applied to graduate school
Figure 9. Graduate School Acceptance
(n=371/1254, 29.6%), the majority - 78.2% Report of Acceptance
reported receiving an acceptance. An additional
11.9%
11.9% had not yet received a response concerning
Yes
10.0%
their graduate school application(s), and just ten
percent of graduates reported not receiving an
No
acceptance into graduate school.
78.2%
Have not yet
received
response
Table 8 extends this reporting by providing
additional information regarding those accepted
Item valid total n=371
to graduate school - namely, when those
graduates accepted into graduate school received
their notification of acceptance. Of those accepted into graduate school (n=291), the most frequently
reported notification timeframe was prior to
Table 8. Graduate School Acceptance Timeline
graduation (38.1%), followed by one to three
months after graduation (25.1%). Just under
When Graduate Was Accepted
%
thirteen percent of accepted graduates were
Prior to graduation
38.1
notified of their acceptance between ten months to
1 - 3 mos after graduation
25.1
one year after graduation (12.7%). 11.3% of
4 - 6 mos after graduation
11.3
accepted graduates were notified of their
7 - 9 mos after graduation
7.2
acceptance four to six months after graduation,
10 mos - 1 yr after graduation
12.7
More than 1 yr after graduation
5.5
followed by 7.2% of accepted graduates, who
Item valid total (n=291)
received notification seven to nine months after
100.0
graduation. Finally, just over five percent of
graduates accepted into graduate school received notification of their acceptance more than one year
after graduation (5.5%).
Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning | 15