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FEATURE
What You're Thinking
By
Derek A. Wittner '65
Executive Director,
Alumni Affairs & Development
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In
the September 2000
issue of Columbia College Today, I was given the opportunity
to mention an alumni survey we undertook last summer. Here is a
summary of significant findings from that survey.
First, a word about the process. The Alumni Office engaged M
Booth & Associates, a public relations firm, and Jeffrey Wack,
an opinion surveyor, to conduct the survey. They contacted 769
alums, selected randomly except for age groups (a sample was sought
from each of the last five decades) and donor status (we wanted
responses from donors, irregular donors and non-donors). The survey
was conducted by telephone, based upon a questionnaire developed by
the consultants, professional staff and alumni
representatives.
Topics of most interest to the College included the degree of
involvement with the College, views about experiences with the
College, interest in programs, information of interest and methods
of communicating. The reason we focused on these areas was to
inform us about how to connect more alumni to the College. As many
of you know, Columbia ranks last in the Ivy League and 22nd in the
nation in alumni participation, according to U.S. News &
World Report, which depresses the College's overall ranking.
This is why the presidents of the Alumni Association, past and
present, have sought to convey in CCT the importance we all
attach to increasing participation. This begins with establishing
connections, which brings us back to the reason for the survey: we
wanted information about our alumni.
By
overwhelming numbers among all respondents (95-99%), alumni take
great pride in having graduated from Columbia. That reservoir of
positive feeling about the College should dispel any pessimism
about achieving the potential we believe exists to better connect
our alumni; the data suggests that alumni find connections with
other alumni important to them as well as connections with the
College.
The
following material highlights responses to the survey on topics of
most interest. Please take the time to look at them - some you
might have supposed, others might surprise you, as they did me. We
would welcome your own thoughts and perspectives.
You
will hear more about the program "Columbia Connections," whose
objective is to implement tactics designed to reach out to more
alumni, in the weeks and months ahead. We hope you will take the
opportunity to become involved with Columbia College, or to become
more involved. It is a part of all of us.
Highlights
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1.
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The
activities or programs in which alumni have been involved in the
last five years, in order of greatest response: |
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a.
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spoke with or wrote to a classmate |
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b.
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was
on campus
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c.
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logged onto the Web site
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d.
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called or wrote someone at the College
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e.
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sent
information for Class Notes
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f.
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went
to an athletic event
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g.
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assisted in admissions recruitment
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2.
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Only 16% have attended a class reunion in the last five years
(classes from the '70s had the lowest percentage of
attendees). |
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3.
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90%
describe their academic experience as very or mostly
positive.
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4.
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Over
36% believed the quality of life experienced was very positive, and
another 40% described it as mostly positive. Less than 5% called it
negative.
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5.
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53%
believe Columbia's reputation has improved in relation to other
Ivies since their graduation, 42% discern no change and 5% believe
it has declined. |
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6.
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95%
take pride in having graduated from Columbia. |
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7.
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Of
suggested initiatives, the following would be of most
interest: |
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a.
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an
event near home
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b.
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access to the libraries |
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c.
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a
service to provide contact information for classmates |
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d.
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career advice services (80% in classes of the '90s)
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8.
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81%
feel they receive the right number of communications from the
College.
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9.
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80%
read most or all issues of CCT; 67% spend 15 minutes or more
reading it.
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10.
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73%
use the Internet at least twice a week (about 90% for the classes
of the '80s and '90s).
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11.
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Of
suggested online services, the following would be of most
interest: |
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a.
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directory to locate classmates |
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b.
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news
of classmates
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c.
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news
about the College
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d.
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e-mails about classmates
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e.
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online courses
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f.
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online salary survey and job postings |
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12.
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54%
might or would be very likely to use online job
postings.
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Attitudes
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13.
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95%
believe the Core Curriculum should be retained, 90% view Columbia
as academically rigorous and 90% believe racial and socioeconomic
diversity enhances the educational experience. |
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14.
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85%
believe it is important to retain need-blind admissions.
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15.
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59%
don't believe that Columbia has such financial resources that their
contributions aren't needed. |
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16.
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Other philanthropic interests (in order): the arts, poverty
programs, religion, health care, environment.
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Memories
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17.
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Least pleasant memories: poor housing and food, safety issues,
emotional isolation, stress of academics.
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18.
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Most
pleasant memories: teaching, intellectual experience, Core,
faculty, social life, friendships, New York, meeting spouse,
sports.
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