I think I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it is nearly impossible to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced Augustana’s 10-week terms what it feels like to go from standing still less than a month ago to flying by the seat of your pants at week four. But here it is verging on mid-term time, and I’m hurtling through space trying everything I can to get my bearings!

So, to show that the Institutional Research and Assessment staff (AKA Kimberly and I) doesn’t just sit around dreaming up ways to collect more data, I thought I’d share with you . . . more data. (I guess this doesn’t really debunk my assumptions about your assumptions, does it.)

Every spring, we ask our graduating seniors to complete a survey that asks all sort of questions about their experiences at Augustana. In addition, we ask a few important questions that we’ve found to be useful outcome questions (would you choose Augustana again, is your post-graduate plan a good fit for who you are and where you want your life to go, and do you already have a job or grad school place).

It takes a lot of work to process this data into a readable report, but it’s finally finished and posted on the IR web page.  Here is the direct link to the 2014 Senior Survey results.

2014 Senior Survey Report and Findings

Now you could jump on that link right away and start swimming in the data – percentages, averages, and standard deviations (oh, my!). And you might survive the experience, although your eyes will probably start to glaze over as you look at mean score after mean score and your brain will likely start to go soft wondering (rightly so) what exactly each average score means – is it good? is is bad? is it just right? (sort of like Goldilocks in the house of the three bears . . . replacing the bowls of porridge with excel spreadsheets, of course).

So if I may, let me make a suggestion that I hope will make some of this data more meaningful.  Instead of looking at the numbers first, put a sheet of paper over the numbers and look at the questions first.  Reflect on why each question might matter for students and what might be the “about right” distribution of responses.  Pick out 3-5 questions that seem particularly interesting to you.

THEN take away the sheet of paper covering the numbers. Do your musings match up with the average score or the distribution of responses?  What more would you like to know that might help you get a better handle on what we could do to improve, if the difference between your reflections and the actual score suggests that institutional improvement might be valuable?

This data isn’t of much use if it doesn’t help us get better at what we do. And you – the people on the ground floor who are working with students every day – are the ones who are ideally suited to tackle this data, jump into this process, and benefit from the results of your efforts.

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or criticisms (I prefer to think of it as constructive feedback!) about the senior survey, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE contact us – Kimberly or me – in the IR office. Nothing we have built is so important that it can’t be changed . . . especially if those changes make the survey better.

Make is a good day,

Mark