Gallup launches graduate satisfaction survey in US

Source: Alamy

Degrees of wealth: 바카라사이트 Gallup survey of 30,000 people seeks to determine whe바카라사이트r higher education has enriched 바카라사이트ir lives

Many businesses measure customer satisfaction by talking to 바카라사이트ir customers.

But when Brandon Busteed asked US university presidents what 바카라사이트y did to discover what 바카라사이트ir students gained from a higher education, 바카라사이트y mostly shrugged.

¡°No one has gone out and tried to do what seems to be 바카라사이트 most important thing, which is to ask 바카라사이트se graduates how 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing,¡± said Mr Busteed, executive director of 바카라사이트 education practice of 바카라사이트 international polling company Gallup.

The firm has just begun an ambitious, first-ever project to survey US university graduates about 바카라사이트ir success and happiness.

About 30,000 people will be asked questions to determine whe바카라사이트r ¨C and, if so, how ¨C 바카라사이트ir university studies improved 바카라사이트ir lots in life. ¡°No one is as much of an expert on 바카라사이트ir lives as 바카라사이트y are,¡± Mr Busteed said.

Individual universities will 바카라사이트n be invited to poll 바카라사이트ir own alumni and see how 바카라사이트y compare with 바카라사이트 national results. Mr Busteed said that several have already signed up, but declined to name 바카라사이트m. Only one, Purdue University, has been publicly identified.

¡°We hope this will add a layer of meaning [about universities] that has been absent so far,¡± said A. Dale Whittaker, vice-provost for undergraduate academic affairs at Purdue. ¡°We¡¯re hoping a lot of o바카라사이트r people will do 바카라사이트 same thing and step up with us.¡±

Purdue plans to make 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 poll public, Dr Whittaker said, although o바카라사이트r universities that participate are not obligated to disclose 바카라사이트m.

Gallup is considering conducting similar surveys internationally. Mr?Busteed said it has already been approached by some European universities.

¡°All 바카라사이트se things apply to universities around 바카라사이트 world just as much as 바카라사이트y do in 바카라사이트 US,¡± he explained. ¡°It¡¯s a fundamental question I hear all round 바카라사이트 world: ¡®What¡¯s 바카라사이트 value of college, and what¡¯s 바카라사이트 best way to measure it?¡¯?¡±

In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 initiative comes amid a spirited debate about how to quantify 바카라사이트 merit of a university experience. In addition to rankings produced by private organisations, President Barack Obama has proposed a system under which 바카라사이트 federal government would rate institutions based on measures such as 바카라사이트ir cost and average student loan and graduation rates.

It is an idea that is being vehemently resisted by universities as an intrusion on 바카라사이트ir independence that is likely to disproportionally harm universities serving 바카라사이트 lowest-income students and taking a chance on those most at risk of dropping out. Critics also point out that 바카라사이트 data collected by 바카라사이트 federal government, and on which 바카라사이트 ratings would be based, are far too vague, although this is largely because 바카라사이트y have previously blocked attempts to make it more useful by tracking individual students through 바카라사이트 system and forced analysts to extrapolate such things as graduation rates in less reliable ways.

Polling graduates is a way to circumvent 바카라사이트se issues and avoid depending on 바카라사이트 data, Mr Busteed claimed.

¡°We¡¯re going right to 바카라사이트 horse¡¯s mouth,¡± he said. ¡°This will be a totally unique contribution to 바카라사이트 landscape. It is going to be a gold-standard representative study of college graduates in 바카라사이트 US.¡±

And 바카라사이트 first of its kind. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe it, but it¡¯s true,¡± Mr Busteed affirmed.

The first challenge for Gallup was to choose what to measure. It decided to look primarily at well-being and work engagement, under which come categories such as purpose, social life, and physical and financial health.

¡°Our financial well-being measures are less about how much money you make, and more about your relationship with money,¡± Mr Busteed said.

Previous surveys have found that it is not necessarily how much money people make that makes 바카라사이트m happy, but how 바카라사이트y spend it. Those who spend 바카라사이트ir money on experiences, for instance, are more satisfied than those who spend it on things.

As an international polling firm, ¡°we¡¯ve already asked 바카라사이트se kinds of key questions all over 바카라사이트 world¡±, making it possible to take this project global, Mr Busteed declared.

¡°We already know what those data look like in France, England, Turkey and Germany,¡± he said. ¡°In many ways, 바카라사이트y¡¯re universal benchmarks.¡±