2010 Exit Survey of Graduate Students Completing Degrees Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, and Summer 2010

John Krieg, Western Washington University
Beth Hartsoch, Western Washington University
Linda Clark, Western Washington University
Grant Fosheim, Western Washington University
Michael Barr, Western Washington University

Abstract

The 2010 Exit Survey of Graduate Students Completing Degrees continues the Office of Survey Research’s (OSR) survey of Graduate students first initiated in 2009. The current survey was administered at the end of each quarter to graduate students slated to graduate that quarter. This report summarizes responses from students who graduated in Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, and Summer 2010. With the help of the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School, this survey was designed to elicit information on program satisfaction, the frequency and scope of academic interaction on and off campus, barriers to success, and plans for the future. OSR used a mixture of online and telephone survey methodologies and links survey results with Western’s student records thus expanding their usefulness to researchers and university decision makers. Anonymous individual-level survey responses may be shared with interested campus parties. This exit survey was administered to graduate students earning their master’s degrees at the conclusion of their final enrolled quarter. Of the 329 recipients of this degree, (Fall 2009-Summer 2010) OSR received valid responses from 231 (a response rate of 70.2%).