If students are the best ambassadors for a postsecondary institution, then Western’s recent graduating classes might be its best yet. According to the recently released 2017-18 Survey of Graduating Students, more than 9-in-10 graduates would recommend Western to a friend.
The survey, with findings posted publicly this week, was distributed to 5,748 undergraduate, certificate and diploma students who were expected to graduate at the Fall 2017 or Spring 2018 Convocations. Of these, 1,933 questionnaires (33.6 per cent) were returned.
The survey was a 12-item questionnaire in which graduates rated their satisfaction with academic courses and programs, the quality of instruction, the degree to which their university experience enhanced a range of abilities and skills, and their satisfaction with Western’s administrative services. Graduates were also asked to describe their reasons for choosing Western, funding sources while at university, their education-related debt upon graduation, and their plans for future employment or study.
Three open-ended questions provided an opportunity for graduates to offer comments about their experiences at Western and their suggestions for improving the university.
Following years of declining response rates the Survey of Graduating Students underwent significant modifications in both format and delivery. Questions related to living arrangements, employment, reasons for pursuing postsecondary education, and satisfaction with physical facilities were removed to shorten the questionnaire and focus exclusively on academic issues.
Click here to view the results. Once you click 2017-18, you will be prompted for your Western credentials (user ID and password). Click the tab across the top of the page to view results with dynamic charts.
Western has conducted the survey since 1995.