North
Carolina State University
2003 Baccalaureate Alumni Survey:
All Respondents
This report presents findings from the 2003 Baccalaureate Alumni Survey. It describes the overall responses to each survey question within the following topics: goals of undergraduate education, general education preparation, further education, employment, professional preparation, and alumni services. For a full discussion of the survey�s methodology, see 2003 Baccalaureate Alumni Survey: Introduction, Methods, and Student Demographic Profile. Responses broken down by gender, race/ethnicity, and college, as well as a copy of the survey instrument with exact question wording, are available on the web.
Table of Contents:
Goals of Undergraduate Education
Goals of Undergraduate Education (Table 3-1)
|
|
Mean |
Mean |
Relative |
Relative |
|
Preparing for a career |
4.64 |
3.82 |
1 |
12 |
|
Ability to think critically |
4.56 |
4.29 |
2 |
2 |
|
Viewing learning as a lifelong process |
4.56 |
4.17 |
3 |
3 |
|
Understanding my own abilities and interests |
4.50 |
3.85 |
4 |
10 |
|
Recognizing and acting upon ethical principles |
4.43 |
4.08 |
5 |
5 |
|
Having tolerance for different points of view |
4.36 |
4.13 |
6 |
4 |
|
Ability to understand current literature in field |
4.27 |
4.03 |
7 |
7 |
|
Acquiring a broad education |
4.17 |
4.33 |
8 |
1 |
|
Appreciating gender equity |
4.11 |
3.93 |
9 |
8 |
|
Developing a commitment to personal health and fitness |
4.05 |
3.83 |
10 |
11 |
|
Appreciating racial equity |
4.03 |
3.92 |
11 |
9 |
|
Understanding issues and problems facing the world |
4.03 |
3.75 |
12 |
14 |
|
Understanding how science and technology influence everyday life |
3.89 |
4.06 |
13 |
6 |
|
Awareness of scientific knowledge and discoveries |
3.81 |
3.81 |
14 |
13 |
|
Being involved in public and community affairs |
3.81 |
3.66 |
15 |
16 |
|
Understanding the present as it relates to historical events/processes |
3.74 |
3.73 |
16 |
15 |
|
Advancing my appreciation of the arts, music, and literature |
3.49 |
3.56 |
17 |
17 |
General Education Preparation (Table 3-2)
| Mean | 5: Agree | 4: Tend to Agree | 3: Neither Agree/Disagree | 2: Tend to Disagree | 1: Disagree | |
| Educ prepared me to be competitive | 4.34 | 55.2% | 30.8% | 8.3% | 3.8% | 1.8% |
| Know how to access and use info | 4.26 | 46.1% | 40.7% | 7.6% | 4.4% | 1.2% |
| I read newspapers/ magazines frequently |
4.19 | 52.8% | 28.3% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 4.5% |
| Courses encouraged creative thinking | 4.16 | 42.6% | 39.0% | 11.2% | 5.6% | 1.6% |
| Made friends with diverse persons | 3.96 | 45.5% | 26.6% | 12.3% | 9.8% | 5.9% |
| I read for leisure frequently | 3.80 | 41.6% | 25.9% | 12.0% | 12.5% | 8.0% |
| Foreign lang. helped
me appreciate other cultures |
3.70 | 32.9% | 28.5% | 21.4% | 10.4% | 6.8% |
| Social science courses were useful | 3.60 | 26.7% | 32.0% | 22.4% | 12.6% | 6.3% |
Further Education (Table 3-3 through Table 3-9)
Table 3-3: Current Status Regarding Graduate/Professional Study
| N | % | |
| Have not applied | 1884 | 63.9 |
| Have applied | 141 | 4.8 |
| Have been accepted | 64 | 2.2 |
| Curr enrolled | 444 | 15.1 |
| Already completed | 417 | 14.1 |
Table 3-4: Interest in Graduate/Professional School (Among alumni who have not attended and are not currently enrolled, n=2075)
| Mean | 4: High interest | 3: Moderate interest | 2: Low interest | 1: Not interested | |
| Level of interest in grad/prof school | 2.93 | 32.7% | 37.4% | 19.6% | 10.3% |
Table 3-5: Current Enrollment Status
| N | % | |
| Full time | 287 | 63.9 |
| Part time | 149 | 33.2 |
| Do not know | 13 | 2.9 |
Table 3-6: Preparation for Graduate/Professional School (Among alumni who are currently enrolled or have already completed)
| Mean | 5: Excellent | 4: Good | 3: Average | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
| Level of prep for grad/prof school | 4.20 | 39.4% | 45.3% | 12.0% | 2.6% | 0.8% |
Table 3-7: Top 10 Institutions Attended for Post-Baccalaureate Education (Among alumni who are currently enrolled or have already completed)
|
|
|
to all Institutions (N=886) |
to Top 10 (N=531) |
|
N |
% |
% |
|
|
NC State University, Raleigh, NC |
321 |
36.2% |
60.5% |
|
University of NC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC |
67 |
7.6% |
12.6% |
|
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC |
28 |
3.2% |
5.3% |
|
Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC |
23 |
2.6% |
4.3% |
|
University of NC at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC |
19 |
2.1% |
3.2% |
|
University of NC at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC |
18 |
2.0% |
3.4% |
|
Duke University, Durham, NC |
17 |
1.9% |
3.2% |
|
Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC |
15 |
1.7% |
2.8% |
|
North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC |
12 |
1.4% |
2.3% |
|
University of Georgia, Athens,GA |
11 |
1.2% |
2.1% |
|
Totals |
531 |
60.0% |
100.0% |
Table 3-8: Location of Institutions of Further Education
|
|
|
All Institutions (N=886) |
Institutions within Category |
|
Triangle Institutions (N=422) |
N |
% |
% |
|
NC State University, Raleigh, NC |
321 |
36.2% |
76.1% |
|
University of NC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC |
67 |
7.6% |
15.9% |
|
Duke University, Durham, NC |
14 |
1.6% |
3.3% |
|
North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC |
12 |
1.4% |
2.8% |
|
Meredith College Raleigh, NC |
6 |
0.7% |
1.4% |
|
Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC |
2 |
0.2% |
0.5% |
|
Total: Triangle |
422 |
47.6% |
100.0% |
|
NC Institutions Outside Triangle (N=157) |
|
|
|
|
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC |
27 |
3.0% |
17.2% |
|
Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC |
23 |
2.6% |
14.6% |
|
University of NC at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC |
19 |
2.1% |
12.1% |
|
University of NC at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC |
18 |
2.0% |
11.5% |
|
Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC |
15 |
1.7% |
9.6% |
|
Appalachian State University, Boone, NC |
10 |
1.1% |
6.4% |
|
University of NC at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC |
6 |
0.7% |
3.8% |
|
Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC |
4 |
0.5% |
2.5% |
|
Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC |
4 |
0.5% |
2.5% |
|
Other NC Institutions |
31 |
3.5% |
19.7% |
|
Total: NC Outside Triangle |
157 |
17.7% |
100.0% |
|
Other Institutions (N=307) |
|
|
|
|
Institutions Outside NC |
301 |
34.0% |
98.0% |
|
Online Programs |
3 |
0.3% |
1.0% |
|
Location unknown |
3 |
0.3% |
1.0% |
|
Total: Other Institutions |
307 |
34.7% |
100.0% |
Table 3-9: Academic Discipline and Degree Sought or Completed (Among alumni who are currently enrolled or who have already completed)
|
|
Certificate/ |
Professional |
Master's |
PhD |
JD |
MD and other |
Degree Level |
Total |
||||||||
|
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
N |
% |
|
Agriculture and Life Sciences |
3 |
0.3% |
0 |
0.0% |
64 |
7.2% |
25 |
2.8% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
5 |
0.6% |
97 |
11.0% |
|
Education |
8 |
0.9% |
0 |
0.0% |
68 |
7.7% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
3 |
0.3% |
79 |
8.9% |
|
Humanities and Social Sciences |
3 |
0.3% |
0 |
0.0% |
105 |
11.9% |
13 |
1.5% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
5 |
0.6% |
126 |
14.2% |
|
Natural Resources |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
10 |
1.1% |
6 |
0.7% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
16 |
1.8% |
|
Engineering |
1 |
0.1% |
0 |
0.0% |
129 |
14.6% |
27 |
3.1% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
6 |
0.7% |
163 |
18.4% |
|
Management |
2 |
0.2% |
0 |
0.0% |
164 |
18.5% |
4 |
0.5% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
2 |
0.2% |
172 |
19.4% |
|
Textiles |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
8 |
0.9% |
2 |
0.2% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
10 |
1.1% |
|
Physical and Mathematical Sciences |
3 |
0.3% |
0 |
0.0% |
20 |
2.3% |
18 |
2.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
41 |
4.6% |
|
Design |
2 |
0.2% |
14 |
1.6% |
10 |
1.1% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
26 |
2.9% |
|
Law |
1 |
0.1% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
61 |
6.9% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
62 |
7.0% |
|
Medicine |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
64 |
7.2% |
0 |
0.0% |
64 |
7.2% |
|
Other |
8 |
0.9% |
1 |
0.1% |
9 |
1.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
0 |
0.0% |
6 |
0.7% |
6 |
0.7% |
30 |
3.4% |
|
Total |
31 |
3.5% |
15 |
1.7% |
587 |
66.3% |
95 |
10.7% |
61 |
6.9% |
70 |
7.9% |
27 |
3.1% |
886 |
99.9% |
Employment (Tables 3-10 through 3-22)
Table 3-10: Participation in Work-Related Experiences at NCSU
| N | % | |
| Participated in Coop Educ Program | 412 | 13.9% |
| Participated in Research | 522 | 17.6% |
| Participated in Internship | 922 | 31.1% |
| Participated in summer empl/PT job | 1167 | 39.4% |
| Did not participate in work-rel. exp. | 923 | 31.2% |
Table 3-11: Work-Related Experience Helped Secure Employment
| N | % | |
| Work-rel exp. helped secure employment (yes) | 1418 | 80.8 |
Table 3-12: Time to First Full-Time Permanent Job
| N | % | |
| Already had job | 473 | 17.2 |
| Upon graduation | 987 | 35.8 |
| 1-6 Months | 858 | 31.1 |
| 7-12 Months | 163 | 5.9 |
| Over 1 year | 169 | 6.1 |
| No FT job yet | 106 | 3.8 |
Table 3-13: Relationship of First Job to Degree
| N | % | |
| Not related | 424 | 16.0 |
| Somewhat related | 838 | 31.6 |
| Directly related | 1392 | 52.4 |
Table 3-14: Choose First Job Outside Field of Study (Among alumni whose first job was unrelated to their degree, n=420)
| N | % | |
| Choose to be employed outside major (yes) | 269 | 64.0 |
Table 3-15: Preparation for First Job
| Mean | 5: Excellent | 4: Good | 3: Average | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
| How well prepared for first job | 3.94 | 27.3% | 48.8% | 17.0% | 4.6% | 2.3% |
Table 3-16: Starting Salary at First Job
| N | % | |
| Under $20,000 | 198 | 7.5 |
| $20,000-$24,999 | 480 | 18.2 |
| $25,000-$29,999 | 568 | 21.5 |
| $30,000-$34,999 | 409 | 15.5 |
| $35,000-$39,999 | 301 | 11.4 |
| $40,000-$44,999 | 253 | 9.6 |
| $45,000-$49,999 | 235 | 8.9 |
| $50,000-$54,999 | 113 | 4.3 |
| $55,000-$59,999 | 30 | 1.1 |
| $60,000-$64,999 | 23 | 0.9 |
| $65,000-$69,999 | 9 | 0.3 |
| $70,000-$74,999 | 7 | 0.3 |
| $75,000 or over | 17 | 0.6 |
Table 3-17: Current Employment Status
| N | % | |
| Full time | 2327 | 87.6 |
| Part time | 123 | 4.6 |
| Unemp & seeking | 108 | 4.1 |
| Unemp not seeking | 97 | 3.7 |
Table 3-18: Current Position Same as First Position (Among currently employed, n=2449)
| N | % | |
| Same position and employer | 795 | 32.5 |
| Different pos. and/or employer | 1654 | 67.5 |
Table 3-19: Relationship of Current Position to Degree (Among currently employed)
| N | % | |
| Not related | 440 | 18.0 |
| Somewhat related | 799 | 32.7 |
| Directly related | 1204 | 49.3 |
Table 3-20: Choose Current Position Outside Field of Study (Among currently employed who are working outside field of study, n=439)
| N | % | |
| Choose to be employed outside major (yes) | 353 | 80.4 |
Table 3-21: Preparation for Current Position (Among currently employed, n=2373)
| Mean | 5: Excellent | 4: Good | 3: Average | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
| How well prepared for current position | 3.92 | 26.8% | 47.7% | 18.7% | 4.9% | 1.9% |
Table 3-22: Current Salary (Among currently employed)
| Total
(n=2407) |
Part
time (n=120) |
Full
time (n=2287) |
|
| % | % | % | |
| Under $20,000 | 4.5 | 55.8 | 1.8 |
| $20,000-$24,999 | 4.8 | 14.2 | 4.3 |
| $25,000-$29,999 | 8.7 | 3.3 | 9.0 |
| $30,000-$34,999 | 13.0 | 7.5 | 13.2 |
| $35,000-$39,999 | 12.0 | 6.7 | 12.3 |
| $40,000-$44,999 | 11.3 | 5.0 | 11.6 |
| $45,000-$49,999 | 9.8 | 2.5 | 10.1 |
| $50,000-$54,999 | 10.0 | . | 10.5 |
| $55,000-$59,999 | 7.6 | . | 8.0 |
| $60,000-$64,999 | 5.9 | 0.8 | 6.1 |
| $65,000-$69,999 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 3.6 |
| $70,000-$74,999 | 2.3 | . | 2.4 |
| $75,000 or over | 6.7 | 3.3 | 6.9 |
Professional Preparation (Table 3-23)
|
|
Mean Importance
in |
Mean Preparation |
|
Overall communication skills |
4.67 |
3.93 |
|
Listening skills |
4.55 |
3.84 |
|
Written communication skills |
4.32 |
3.93 |
|
Reading skills |
4.20 |
3.89 |
|
Public speaking/presentation skills |
4.05 |
3.72 |
|
Overall technical knowledge |
4.24 |
3.98 |
|
Overall knowledge of computer applications |
4.22 |
3.88 |
|
Basic computer skills |
4.39 |
4.01 |
|
Technical computer skills |
2.87 |
3.33 |
|
Ability to apply scientific principles |
3.41 |
3.90 |
|
Ability to apply mathematical skills |
3.60 |
4.01 |
|
Foreign language skills |
2.15 |
3.11 |
|
Ability to work in teams |
4.35 |
4.14 |
|
Leadership and management skills |
4.35 |
3.65 |
|
Using knowledge to solve problems overall |
4.62 |
4.09 |
|
Solving problems |
4.58 |
4.06 |
|
Defining problems |
4.43 |
3.95 |
|
Bringing information/ideas together |
4.41 |
3.98 |
|
Thinking creatively |
4.28 |
3.84 |
|
Planning projects |
4.28 |
3.86 |
|
Skills gained through research/internship/student teaching |
3.96 |
3.95 |
|
Work attitudes/skills overall |
4.59 |
3.93 |
|
Being dependable and punctual |
4.62 |
4.02 |
|
Ability to work independently |
4.59 |
4.18 |
|
Working under pressure |
4.56 |
4.07 |
|
Ability to adjust to new job demands |
4.50 |
3.80 |
|
Making decisions under pressure |
4.45 |
3.81 |
|
Ability to work with diverse persons |
4.18 |
3.99 |
|
Professional development overall |
4.54 |
3.94 |
|
Willingness to accept new responsibilities |
4.63 |
3.94 |
|
Ethics |
4.62 |
4.04 |
|
Confidence in performance |
4.62 |
3.90 |
|
Ability to grow on the job |
4.57 |
3.83 |
|
Resourcefulness |
4.56 |
4.03 |
|
Ability to learn independently |
4.55 |
4.11 |
|
Professionalism |
4.54 |
3.91 |
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity,
College
Back to Top
| Mean | 4: A lot | 3: Some | 2: A little | 1: Not at all | |
| Value info about NCSU community | 3.12 | 42.3% | 35.5% | 14.6% | 7.6% |
| Value hearing about NC State events | 3.05 | 40.4% | 34.8% | 14.2% | 10.6% |
| Value Career Planning/Placement assistance | 2.85 | 38.9% | 25.8% | 16.3% | 19.0% |
| Value receiving Alumni magazine | 2.74 | 26.4% | 36.1% | 22.3% | 15.2% |
| Value alumni seminars/short courses | 2.60 | 25.9% | 31.4% | 19.1% | 23.6% |
| Value NC State reunions | 2.44 | 19.4% | 29.3% | 26.9% | 24.3% |
For more information on the
2003 Baccalaureate Alumni Survey contact: Posted: April, 2003
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Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu