Questionnaires for alumni and employers

External Review Panelists have developed various questionnaires to survey alumnae and employers of alumnae. Off-site panel members often take up this task because it can be accomplished electronically. Here are samples that can be adapted and used.

Alumni questionnaire

Hello,

I am [Name], a member of the American Library Association’s accreditation panel (External Review Panel) reviewing the [Master of ?] program for [School] at [Institution]. I have been given your name by [School] as a graduate. I would like to ask you some questions. I can call you if you’d like or you can return this questionnaire to me by email at [email address]. If you would like to call me, I am at [phone #].

Name:

Year graduated:

Location program was offered:

1.      Did the program prepare you for

a. Your first job?
b. Your current job?

Have you been involved in continuing education? If yes, through what program?

2.       What have proved to be the most helpful things you learned in your master’s program?
 
3.       What did you learn that is most applicable (useful, most vital) to your current position?

4.       What course or courses do you wish you had taken or been offered?

Were you able to construct a coherent program of study?

Could you specialize in your area of interest?

5.       What led you to choose [Institution]?

Would you still make that same decision?

6.       Did [Institution] meet your expectations?

Why?

Why not?

7.       Are you involved with the school in any way now?

Curriculum review?

Accreditation review?

Selection of the dean or faculty members?

8.       Did you receive course and career counseling?

Did you have input into your course of study?

Did you have a particular faculty advisor?

How would you rate the advising process?

Was the school helpful in getting a job?

Do you continue to interact with your advisor?

Do you consider the advisor a mentor?

9.      Did you use the placement services offered at [Institution]?

10.    Were faculty members in your program approachable?

Did you feel they were experts in their field?

Did they share their own research with you?

Employer questionnaire

Hello,

I am [Name], a member of the American Library Association’s accreditation panel (External Review Panel) reviewing the [Master of ?] program in the [School] at [Institution]. I have been given your name by [School] as an employer of their graduates. I would like to ask you some questions. I can call you if you’d like or you can return this questionnaire to me by email at [email address]. If you would like to call me, I am at [phone #].

Organization:

Name:

1.       How many [Institution] graduates have you hired in the past five years?

Did you use the [Institution] placement services? What was your experience with that?

2.       Have you been satisfied with [Institution] graduates as employees?

How long were these graduates in your employ?

Have they been promoted within your institution?

Why did they leave?

3.       Did [Institution] graduates come to you with sufficient library skills and understanding of your job needs?

What were their strengths?

What were their weaknesses?

4.       Did graduates have sufficient technology background?

Have they been able to learn and adapt to new technologies?

Are they receptive to them?

 5.       What other training do you wish they had received?

 6.       How have [Institution] graduates contributed to the profession?

To your organization?

To the community?

To professional associations?