University graduates scored above the national average for workplace engagement and well-being, according to a new poll of Indiana college graduates conducted by USA Funds, Gallup, and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
The results, which indicate nearly 90 percent of MU alumni are satisfied with the quality of their educations, include:
- Alumni Satisfaction: 88 percent of alumni surveyed strongly agree that they are satisfied with the education they received from Marian University.
- Greater Well-Being: : A higher share of Marian University graduates report higher levels of well-being than those graduates surveyed in Indiana and nationally on all five elements measured: sense of purpose, social well-being, financial well-being, community well-being and physical well-being.
- More Fulfilling Work: Marian University graduates report higher work fulfillment than the state and national average for college graduates. More than half (51 percent) of Marian alumni surveyed indicated they are deeply interested in the work they do.
The survey reached out to more than 22,000 college graduates from Indiana colleges who volunteered to participate in the pilot year of this statewide look at alumni satisfaction. Of the 1,237 participants who were Marian University alumni, graduation years ranged from 1950 to 2016.
Gallup examined college experiences that were associated with the greatest likelihood of alumni thriving in both well-being and workplace engagement, looking specifically at the perceived level of support from professors along with provided opportunities for experiential learning.
In all three support experiences examined, Marian University students scored significantly higher than the national and Indiana universities averages, strongly agreeing that their professors cared about them as people and made them excited to learn.
“These survey results reinforce what we have anecdotally believed to be true: Marian faculty and staff care about our students as individuals, make learning exciting, and encourage students to pursue their dreams at levels significantly above the state and national averages from this survey,” Dr. Thomas J. Enneking, executive vice president and provost of Marian University, said. “The data also show that our focus on experiential learning, career development, and extracurricular activities outside the classroom lead to a greater likelihood of graduate success and career satisfaction.”
The following 13 colleges participated for this pilot survey: Ball State University, Butler University, Calumet College of St. Joseph, Grace College, Indiana University East, Indiana University Kokomo, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Ivy Tech Community College, Manchester University, Marian University, Taylor University, Vincennes University and WGU Indiana.
The Gallup-Indiana Survey was inspired by the Gallup-Purdue Index, aimed to measure the relationship between a college degree and long-term graduate well-being and workplace engagement for students in Indiana.
See results for all participating colleges online here.
The first Gallup-Indiana survey was conducted in partnership with USA Funds, which supplied a $500,000 grant to offer 50 percent discounts for all participating public institutions. Additionally, the Commission for Higher Education offered a 10 percent discount for participating public colleges, and Gallup offered a 10 percent discount for all participating colleges.
“This kind of information about the college experiences and outcomes of Indiana graduates is invaluable for prospective students and their families who are planning for college, as well as for policymakers and educators who are determining higher education policy and programming,” said Carol D’Amico, USA Funds executive vice president, National Engagement and Philanthropy. “USA Funds is delighted to support these more robust measures of college value to promote student success in college and career.”
These Gallup-Indiana Survey results will be an important part of the Indiana’s College Value Index released this fall. The index is a first-in-the-nation, comprehensive measure of higher education value that brings together the Commission’s existing data on college readiness, college completion, student debt, employment, average earnings and this qualitative data on graduate satisfaction.
The Indiana College Value Index was introduced in the Commission’s new strategic plan—Reaching Higher, Delivering Value—as the tool for measuring Indiana’s progress toward meeting it’s higher education goals. The index will measure Indiana colleges’ progress in three areas: Completion, Competency and Career.
The Gallup-Indiana Survey will provide critical information to support all three areas of the Indiana College Value Index. For that reason, the Commission will continue to encourage Indiana colleges to participate in this biannual survey.
Read all of the Commission’s reports as well as its Reaching Higher, Delivering Value strategic plan at www.che.in.gov.
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About Marian University Indianapolis
Marian University (www.marian.edu), founded in Indianapolis in 1937, is the only Catholic liberal arts university in central Indiana. It serves a student body of nearly 3,000 through dedication to excellent teaching and learning in the Franciscan and liberal arts traditions. Marian University is one of Indiana’s 31 independent colleges and one of 244 Catholic colleges and universities nationwide.
Since 2001, Marian University has been led by President Daniel J. Elsener, whose vision and leadership are transforming the university. In 2013, Marian University opened the Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences, home to its College of Osteopathic Medicine. Marian University has amassed 33 national championships in cycling, captured the NAIA Football National Championship in 2012 and 2015, and won the NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2016.