Canadian business graduates (n=217) saw Canada facing economic difficulties but many felt optimistic about their own career prospects. Those who were optimistic also reported more positive work outcomes, fewer work stressors, and greater psychological well-being. (SK)

A survey of 10,000 United Kingdom college graduates explored satisfaction with the contribution that higher education had made to their general development. The study examined which students were likely to evaluate the contribution favorably, made inferences about institution type and contribution, and explored the relationship with student age.…

A study of almost a thousand graduates of 14 diverse colleges and universities investigated the extent and nature of their post-college educational and lifelong learning efforts and, based on this information, whether colleges and universities could provide appropriate and adequate educational opportunities for interested alumni. (Originally…

Evaluates a distance education program that offered all undergraduate social work courses over an interactive television network to four rural sites. Found few differences in satisfaction and student outcomes between on-campus and distance cohorts. An alumni survey seven years after program termination found all graduates licensed to practice…

Review of methodology for assessing the employment "success" of higher education graduates finds that graduate and employer surveys generally to do not serve this purpose well. It finds, however, that despite substantial methodological problems, institutions can implement expert guidance to obtain targeted feedback related to…

Describes use of a follow-up study and newspaper scanning techniques to collect data to review and revise the Library and Information Science curriculum at the University of Zululand (South Africa). Includes a case study of graduates that investigated whether their training was adequate and a scan of job advertisements. (Author/LRW)

A survey of 89 graduates with learning disabilities of a large public university found they were employed at comparable rates and salaries to graduates from the institution at large and at higher rates than individuals with LD who did not graduate from postsecondary institutions. Also provided are data on postgraduate education, types of…

This chapter addresses the opportunities and challenges of using alumni research in Spain.

This paper is a report of the development of a systematic process for locating instructional design alumni and recruiting them to provide feedback from their workplaces. The purpose of initiating this process is related to program improvement through alumni participation. The process for tracking, contacting, and gathering data from alumni is…

A survey of 1988-1992 doctoral graduates from 11 highly ranked chemistry departments found no statistical difference in the percentages of men and women who pursued tenure-track positions at Ph.D.-granting institutions. The goal of the survey was to determine whether the top National Research Council (NRC)-rated institutions were also the top…

This survey research study uses job choice theory to assess recent educational leadership doctoral graduates' perceptions of the desirability of the educational administration professorate. Results reveal attractive and unattractive aspects of professorial work as well as those job attributes that are most strongly related to candidates'…

Based on a recently completed alumni study of 522 graduates at a private college in the northeastern Unites States, this paper presents a model for designing alumni research to assess higher education's effectiveness in preparing graduates for work and life. Results revealed substantial variation in alumni evaluation of their education. While…

This paper focuses on an assessment of an online certification program in K-12 library media which has a near-perfect record of retaining students. Students and graduates of the program were asked to identify reasons for enrolling (and staying enrolled) in the program as well as functions that faculty performed well. These reasons were drawn upon…

Through secondary analysis of the National Graduate Survey data, this study examines determinants of choice of further education pathways by Canadian university graduates in early 2000s. This paper extends the Cross' participation model by introducing a typology of path choices that are related to socio-demographic, post-secondary and situational…

The 2006 census found that around 30% of people residing in Australia were born overseas, a trend unlikely to be reversed in the short-term, given the Australian Government's recent decision to significantly boost the places in the permanent skilled migration program to help employers redress their skill shortages. In light of this, employers are…