Alumni Survey Analysis

Alumni Survey Analysis /
2009 /

The Alumni surveywas emailed to 5400 alumni(a mixture of UK and overseas). 1011 questionnaires were completed. A link to the survey was also placed in the Braduate. The survey was completed by 66.9% males and 33.1% females. The majority of the students were from the UK (64.1%) followed by International (27.8%) and EU (8.2%).

A summary of all the responses with percentages and numbers is provided in Appendix 4.

What Existing Services/Activities are important to you?

The idea of using Alumni services to keep in touch with other graduates, through reunions and networking opportunities were the only suggestions to be rated highly and important. All other suggestions were not generally considered important to respondents. The idea of access to careers advice was considered unimportant.

The following table shows the suggestions in order of their perceived importance to respondents.

Very important / Fairly Important / Somewhat important / Not very important / Not at all important
Networking opportunities/contact with other Alumni in your area / 32.7 / 29.4 / 20.6 / 10 / 7.4
Reunions / 25.5 / 29.6 / 27.8 / 11.3 / 5.7
Online Social Networking (Facebook; LinkedIn etc) / 21 / 26.3 / 21.5 / 16.3 / 14.9
Access to careers advice / 21.4 / 14.4 / 11.7 / 19.2 / 33.3
University events e.g. public lectures, talks, exhibitions / 15.3 / 24.8 / 25.8 / 15 / 19.1
Access to fitness/sports centre facilities / 9.1 / 15.3 / 18.1 / 16.3 / 41.2
Access to Arts on Campus (theatre/music/gallery) / 7.5 / 17.9 / 23.8 / 17.2 / 33.5

October 2009Page 1

How important would the following new services be to you?

What communications would you like to receive from the university?

Respondents were asked what communications they would like to receive from the university, and were given the following suggestions:

Printed Alumni Newsletter/Magazine
An E-newsletter
Information about further study opportunities

The idea of receiving an e-newsletter from the university was the most popular suggestion amongst respondents. 44.4% would like an e-newsletter more than twice a year. Only 4.1% of respondents would not like to receive an e-newsletter from the university.

Around 25% of respondents would not like to receive information on opportunities for further study, although still welcomed by 75.7%.

Other communications frequently stated are:

Department specific updates
Departmental news and opportunities
Contact information for specific academic year
University graduation dates and a timetable of upcoming Alumni events

A full list of communications stated are shown in appendix 1

Fundraising

Would you consider making a financial gift to your university to support:

Students in hardship
Scholarships
Facilities
Your department

Other financial gifts alumni would consider have been listed in appendix 2.

Alumni would prefer to make a one-off gift rather than a monthly annual donation:

Only 7% (#65) would consider leaving a gift in their Will for the university, 40.4% wouldn’t consider leaving a gift in theirWill whereas 52.6% were undecided.

51.8% of alumni were aware that any gift to the university could be worth significantly more than the amount donated.

Acting as a Bradford Ambassador

Alumni were asked if they would be interested in:

Talking to prospective students about studying at Bradford at Open Days/Recruitment Fairs
Talking to prospective students about studying at Bradford by telephone/email contact
Giving career information to present/prospective students on your area of work
Attending events appropriate to your study/occupation
If you are in a Higher Education Institute - would you be interested in opening up potential collaboration with the University of Bradford
If you are in a business, would you be interested in providing hospitality/facilities for events

The majority of alumni were interested in attending events appropriate to their study/occupation (60.7%) followed by giving careers information to present/prospective students (57.8%). Alumni were least interested in providing hospitality facilities for events (19.2%).As to be expected, the more involvement the suggestion included, the lower the percentage of respondents who were interested in the activity.As some alumni may be further away in age from prospective students than current undergraduate students would be, prospective mentors should be chosen wisely. However, this initial research demonstrates a reasonable willingness amongst our alumni to perform this role, especially in relation to career opportunities and paths.

When alumni were asked to make any general comments, these were mainly around the following areas:

Networking events to meet students from the same academic year
Country specific events
Regular contact between Alumni office UK and overseas Alumni

A full list of general comments can be seen in appendix 3

Appendices

Appendix 1

Are there any other communications you would like to receive from the University,
- Updated info of the school - The school 's ranking
1. More face to face networking/ unions by organizing events/activities. This is especially so in Singapore. Very limited in which an alumini ambassador can do.
1.)Addresses of/contacts to former class mates 2.) Career-Info of graduates
Academic secretary
Alumni Email Directory
Alumni Liaison Office in different countries, e.g., Hong Kong of China
an e-mail of any upcoming public events or lectures of interest to me.
ANy information about get togethers at bradford - chance to catch up with ex colleagues and old friends
Any research areas can also be published in the maagazine and contact details of other members which are interested in, too.
As an alumni who no longer lives in Bradford there should be some opportunities to remain in contact with the department and university. Also to receive updates from the dept to be able to follow achievements & developments of staff and students
Business opportunities. Any Business opportunities that can provide to us and assit us venturing international, and locally.
By post
can the Alumni office facilitate at least an annual reunion of Bradford Alumni in Singapore, around a graduation event?
can't think of any, except time travel back to the 60s......
Cant think of any right now.
Change of headship in the former dept of training e.g. as for me Biomedical Sciences.
Contact up-dates of class mates from the same region? (Singapore and Hong Kong)
Creating a network for Bradford graduates to interact and share their experiences. This would allow the graduates an opportunity to have a wider networking and have chances of getting employ or increase their business contacts.
Department-specific update e.g. as an archaeology graduate what are other archaeologists doing
Departmental developments
departmental news & opportunities, say for past graduates to work on projects with their old Dept
emails
Establish oversea alumni office [a laision group attached to British Council], if possible.
General news on changes: effects of gov policy, new courses defunt courses, challenges
General updates on overall campus events
Having someone who can take care of the Malaysian Alumni - hope to hear more about get togethers, etc.
How to access a lot of the above - I'm generaly of the opinion that all of the facilities may be specific to those still living in the Bradford area
Human interest stories
I am an alumni of Leeds University and Harvard Business School. Bradford is silent compared to both of these. What I get from Harvard is unbelievable, maybe too much.
I didn't know we already had access to the sports centre - please can you lwet me know how to do this?
I graduated in 1986 (Manufacturing Systems Engineering), but I think this department no longer existed. World like to be able to know where are my classmates and list of their names.
I have provided details several times with the promise that you will compile an alumni directory but this has never appeared. There should be no data protection issues if each entry agrees. This would be more useful than all the other services you provide. Also, more proactive help with arranging reunions; we have had 3 reunions at 25 yrs, 35 years and 40 years with very little help from Alumni office despite requests for help.
I remember in the careers department they had a record of jobs and salaries for each course which would be very useful to have online. even now for me to give advice to others as i am a teacher now.
I would like to be able to contact say "Optics students graduating 1992", or "University Halls 1985". The university could act as an intermediary to contact the students on their records. At the moment it seems that no current web service records easily the course that people were on. I cannot remember peoples names, it would be nice to prompt some communication via an intermediary that holds the necessary email/addresses.
I would like to find/contact my classmates who graduated from Pharmacy Scholl in 1982.
i would like to get some information about the courses, especially the MA courses.
I would like to get the alumni list of all graduates since 20 years at least to see my name and to show it to our dean for record.
I would like to get updated with the current status of my former professors (where they are now, etc).
I'd like to find out where several friends are but they dont seem to appear on any social net pages.Do you have any "public" lists?
I'd like to know more about the alumni in my area.
Info about other students from my year/course - where are they now etc
Information about other alumni in Kenya.
Information directly from my former department (Archaeological Sciences)
Information on alumni members in my Faculty and department from 1981-1986.
Information on how the Modern Languages Department is progressing
Information on Theatre productions
Is there a picture course and year listing of Alumni?
It is possible to contribute in terms of teaching MBA students under distance learning programme
It would be nice to have a bradford email address forever. Although not important.
Job Services
Know where my colleagues from my year are hanging out.
Library Aquisitions in area of study
Links with current and/or former international students
Membership List, Regional Split, Short Bio and Contact Details
mobile updates through sms
More email or internet communications, less paper.
More targeted communication/magazine from the business school only
n/a
need to know about technology, patents or programs from Bradford that we can use in our business life, its all about connections!
new case studies and research done in my field with in bradford university (or elsewhere)
news about the university
News about what the university is upto generally. How it is doing in the world and what good news is coming out of Bradford.
News for classmates, teachers etc.
NEWS OF CURRENT AND FORMER SENIOR LECTURERS
news of ex students. Deaths emigration etc
News updates on other graduates in my course year.
Not really, but it will be good to know how our faculty is doing.
Not that I can think of right now.
Online Forum
Online short courses especially for the overseas graduates: language courses, self-improvement courses etc.
Opportunities for networking and knowing how graduates are doing in the careerworld
Outline of campus development
Particularly interested in hearing about people i know/knew and how they are doing. I understand that it is dificult to get people to tell you about themselves and i have found a few via social networking sites - but if you could collect together everything from all social networking sites and pool under a Bradford thing - i wouldn't have to search individuals in each of them! Especially as Facebook seem to have changed my password and keep failing to sen me a new one so i canot get in! Also - i have little time to look at FR and Facebook and have no interest in joining any others!
Perhaps access to a directory of consenting graduates and their contact details online password protected.
Perhaps an occasional copy of current student literature - just for a trip down memory lane... I seem to remember a daily sheet of paper detailing campus goings on.
Perhaps business matching opportunitites where graduates can help each other in business and other areas. With such a reputation, business graduates can rely not only on their knowledge gained from studying but also have a solid network to fall back on.
Personal telephone calls to active alumni
possible re union events that concern the societies i joined e.g the catholic society
postdoctoral opportunities for former students.
posters by airmail
Progression and access to professional institutions such as I mech E, mentoring etc
Recent Job Postings in University of Bradford which international alumni I can apply for. There should be information available on how University can help get work permits etc.
Reunion e-summaries
school's special news and publications.
short courses linked to the graduates current employment services.
SMS Updates
Some way of knowing if fellow students are in a particular organisation that we might ne applying for a position to get some insoder info onthe issues redaing that organisation.
Staff movements
The Alumni org comes and goes like the seasons - provides little/no funcitonal use as far as I can tell (and I sat on the Board back in the late 80's and it was the case then which was why I left it). From my perspective the University does NOT use it's global alumni base to its best advantage. There are a number of us who occupy senior positions in industry and are not used. This later statement is aimed at the Uni itself - not the alumni office - as it should be a function of the Uni to utilize its graduate base effectively.
the most important is to have some way to know who is leaving around my place. How about showing places on a Goggle map ?
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE UNIVERSITY ON YEARLY AND ON ANY RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH.
the specific alumni contacts list of the graduates.
To be invited to give a talk on the Area of your field.
To give chance to those who got their Ph.D. from Bradford university and worked a certain period of time as university staff members in their own countries or somewhere else to participate in doing research snd giving lectures, i.e. to work in the University of Bradford. I agree that there should be a limited number for those who can get such a portunity each year.
University graduation dates and timetable of important University events.
Updates about the university academic progress and achievements
Updates on my old course, information about alumni from my course
visits by university staff to alumni associations
Way to contact other members of my course. who were in my year BSC Hons Psychology, 1st cohort
What about the Henley form of instant poll among alumni on the issues of the day which then gets them more media attention?
what's happening in departments appointments/retirements, projects, new cources, lectures from: archaeology, computer science, media
where abouts of other students that where in the same year and what they have got up to.
Within limits of maintaining privacy re:personal information, it would be nice to know what is currently happening in departmant of studies that i graduated from and also any info re:fellow students from that department.
Would like to contact friends maiden names would be helpful

Appendix 2

Are there any other financial gifts you would consider making to the university which are not mentioned above?
A fund for exchange visits to our supervisors and our self to visit the university frequently.
A legacy.
A Will donation but only if I thought the University was really interested in a long term relationship with its alumni
accommodation
Accommodation for Bradford graduate finding their feet
Actually, I am looking for financial assistance for postgraduate studies myself, therefore, I would not be able to contribute.
Art from the overseas alumni
BY WILL.
Can't afford to!
Dependant on the subject - yes. But as i am not yet earning - would have to wait a while. WOuld rather help specific projects for activities and/or facilities at the University
donations of books for the library
establishing alumni clubs in local areas in order to make distance learning programs
establishing new courses
I already provide aid to PLAN
I am a retiree.
I am on a very low income and cant afford to donate.
I am sports journalist can send copy of magazine which i write for.
I can help the department by guiding/helping present students by e-mail in their studies/research.
I do not live in the Uk and so would not benefit from the tax programme.
i have not been working since my graduation. Only did temp non-degree level jobs.
I have paid full tuition for my Masters course. In addition, I had to buy all small equipment for the droms room (duvet, pans, pots, dishes...) which I donated to a chairty upon departure. That has costed me enough and I don't see why I would donate.
i m starting up new business so i have it in mind in he future to help financialy.
I might donate to specific activies or events, on an adhoc basis.
I went to university before fees, I do not approve of fees and would not support the system which i disagree with and which is now failing. Less and better quality candidates at university is better than university for all then low final grades and graduate unemployment.
I would be glad to do that by the time I have statrted work
I would favour company sponsored gifts rather than individual ones. So I can promote my company.
I'd take it on a case by case basis
If I had answered the same question a few years ago I would have said yes. Now, divorced, I am going through harder financial times. Fingers crossed to keep my job.
If I had any money I would love to give some for students in hardship!
if i had money then yes to above
If I were better off I might consider a donation, probably to a specific project rather than an ongoing gift
in kind, such as equipment etc..
in order to give a gift to a university one should be a very wealthy person. Thta is not too likely looking at current European tax rates
In principle a contribution to an Alumni backed Scholarship, depending on financial Circumstances.
legacy
legacy
Living overseas, not really sure what options are available.
Maybe
Maybe in the future but this is not a viable economic option for me at the moment