Alumni satisfaction surveys are conducted to gather feedback about service for students, but Mike Ruiz plans to use that feedback to increase the number of students the University serves.

SIUC Institutional Research and Studies surveys alumni to evaluate their experience and provide feedback concerning advisement and academics, said Director of Institutional Research and Studies Larry Schilling. He said the surveys are mandated by the Illinois Board of Higher Education but isn’t sure what they do with the information.

According to the data, nearly 80 percent of alumni who completed the survey have positive attitudes toward their experience at SIUC.

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Ruiz, director of University Communications, said this information could be used for marketing too.

He said a lot of advertising makes claims, but not many people think to ask how the claim is justified. He said just because the receivers don’t question the claims doesn’t mean they aren’t making opinions.

“They don’t have a lack of opinion,” Ruiz said. “They just make up their own opinion.”

This information, he said, will justify the University’s advertising and help people develop informed opinions.

“This helps fill the void that people have now,” Ruiz said.

Schilling said the survey tracks alumni for one year, five years and nine years after graduation. He said all people who received degrees in the year being examined receive a survey.

It is designed to answer questions concerning alumni success after graduation and satisfaction with their undergraduate experience at SIUC.

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Schilling said the survey has a 40 percent response rate.

The survey of 2000 graduates found that the median salary of alumni is $50,000 – 69 percent of which is earned in a field related to their degree.

SIU President Glenn Poshard and incoming SIUC Chancellor Fernando Trevi�o have stressed the importance of treating students as University customers.

“What I really want to focus in on is trying to make sure that we’re treating our students as our customers, which is exactly what they are,” Trevi�o said.

Ruiz said the surveys show alumni are happy with their experience with teachers and advisers, which reflects the University’s customer service.

“I think that there are people who didn’t realize how good a job we were doing, or how good a job they were doing,” Ruiz said. “And part of that is that we haven’t done a good enough job or telling the staff and faculty how good a job they are doing.”

Daily Egyptian writer Sarah Lohman can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 254 or [email protected].