UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI SURVEY
Results Summary as of December 21, 2001
We estimate that it will take you about 15 minutes to complete this survey.
Please return it to us in the enclosed self-addressed, stamped envelope.
A. Background Information:
Name _____________________________________________
email address _____________________________________________
Education.
Date of HSU Undergraduate Degree 1990-1999
Undergraduate Option: Freshwater (39) Marine (14) Aquaculture (13)
Degrees granted from other institutions after HSU:
Institution_______________________________ Degree #
__________________________________________ MS 7
__________________________________________ PhD 2
Employment.
Present Employer: CDFG (10); Private (8); Self (5); City (3); Other (34)
Current Job Title: Biologist (26); Other (38)
Is your job fisheries-related (circle)?
Very much (1) somewhat (2) not at all (3)
mean = 1.597; median = 1.00
Approx. Salary: $0-30k (0) $30k-40k (1) $40k-50k (2) $50k-60k (3)
$60k-80k (4) $80-100k (5) >$100k (6)
mean = 1.864; median = 2.00
Other Employment Since HSU (at least one year per job):
| Employer | Job Title | Kind of Work | Years |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. HSU Fisheries BS Degree Requirements.
1. Please rank (mark with an X) the extent to which you have found course
work in the following broad areas to have been useful in your current job
(very useful (1), of some use (2), not very useful (3))
|
|
RATINGS |
|
|---|---|---|---|
COURSE AREA |
EXAMPLE COURSES |
Mean |
Median |
FISHERIES |
Ichthyology, Fisheries Management, Mariculture, Fisheries Techniques |
1.554 |
1.00 |
WATER SCIENCES |
Limnology, Oceanography, Water Pollution Biology, Hydrology |
1.677 |
2.00 |
UPPER DIVISION BIOLOGY |
Genetics, Physiology, Invertebrate Zoology |
1.953 |
2.00 |
CHEMISTRY |
Inorganic and Organic Chemistry |
2.234 |
2.00 |
PHYSICS or GEOLOGY |
Basic Physics, Introductory Geology, Geomorphology |
1.984 |
2.00 |
MATH & STATISTICS |
BioCalculus, Introductory Statistics, Intermediate Statistics |
1.554 |
1.00 |
COMMUNICATIONS |
Speech, Technical Writing, English Composition |
1.246 |
1.00 |
COMPUTER SKILLS |
Statistics, other courses |
1.446 |
1.00 |
2. Please rank (mark with an X) the extent to which you feel your undergraduate Fisheries education provided you with strong (1), somewhat deficient (2), or extremely deficient (3) training in each of the above broad areas.
|
RATINGS |
|
|---|---|---|
COURSE AREA |
Mean |
Median |
FISHERIES |
1.031 |
1.00 |
WATER SCIENCES |
1.609 |
2.00 |
UPPER DIVISION BIOLOGY |
1.714 |
2.00 |
CHEMISTRY |
1.938 |
2.00 |
PHYSICS or GEOLOGY |
2.079 |
2.00 |
MATH & STATISTICS |
2.046 |
2.00 |
COMMUNICATIONS |
1.750 |
2.00 |
COMPUTER SKILLS |
2.062 |
2.00 |
C. Evaluation of specific HSU Fisheries Program Requirements.
Of the courses that you were required to take for your undergraduate degree
in Fisheries at HSU (excluding GE courses):
1. What course(s) have proven to be most valuable to you
in carrying out your various employment duties? (Numbers of times
listed. (4 or more only))
Fishery Techniques (FISH 380) - 29; Communications (FISH 314) - 20; Limnology
(FISH 320) - 16; Fish Ecology (FISH 430, 435) - 15; Ichthyology (FISH 310)
- 15; Coastal Stream Management (FISH 560) - 5; Statistics - 4
2. What course(s) have proven to be least valuable to you in carrying out your various employment duties. (Numbers of times listed. (4 or more only))
Chemistry - 14; Techniques (FISH 380)- 6; Reservoir Biology - 9; Physiology
(FISH 311) - 5; Genetics - 5;
3. Given your current knowledge of the fisheries biology field, are there new courses that you think should be added to the HSU Fisheries Biology Curriculum or given additional emphasis? (Numbers of times listed. (4 or more only))
Law - 16; Statistics/Sampling - 14; Computer classes - 10; Communications
- 9; Geomorphology/Watershed Management/Habitat Restoration - 9
4. Given your current knowledge of the fisheries biology field, are there courses that you think should be deleted from the HSU Fisheries Biology Curriculum or given much reduced emphasis? (Numbers of times listed. (4 or more only))
Fishery Techniques - 5; Chemistry - 3
D. Overall Evaluation of Your HSU Fisheries Experience
1. Strengths & Weaknesses. Given the list provided below of HSU Fisheries
Biology program "attributes", please rate each as a strength
(1),
an "OK" (2), or a weakness (3).
AREA |
Specifics |
Mean |
Median |
|---|---|---|---|
Faculty |
classroom teaching | 1.167 |
1.00 |
| field labs | 1.076 |
1.00 |
|
| mentorship | 1.758 |
2.00 |
|
Facilities |
Wildlife Building | 1.609 |
2.00 |
| Fish Hatchery | 1.288 |
1.00 |
|
| Fish Museum | 1.328 |
1.00 |
|
| Marine Lab | 1.200 |
1.00 |
|
| Wastewater Ponds | 1.300 |
1.00 |
|
Location |
varied aquatic habitats | 1.123 |
1.00 |
| distance from major urban center | 1.444 |
1.00 |
|
| commercial fisheries | 1.262 |
1.00 |
|
| mariculture (e.g. Humboldt Bay oysters) | 1.333 |
1.00 |
|
| fishing opportunities | 1.156 |
1.00 |
|
| Arcata Scene | 1.531 |
1.00 |
2. Overall, how would you rate your experience as an undergraduate in the
HSU Fisheries Biology Program (please circle)?
outstanding (1) good (2) OK (3) poor (4) awful (5)
mean = 1.439; median = 1
3. Overall, how would you characterize the degree to which your undergraduate
education at HSU has prepared you for your current employment (please circle)?
outstanding (1) good (2) OK (3) poor (4) awful (5)
mean = 1.969; median = 2
4. If a high school student, a junior college student, or a current employee
asked you about the undergraduate program in Fisheries Biology at HSU, what
kind of recommendation would you give for our program? (please circle)
exceptionally strong (1) strong (2) noncommittal (3) weak (4) extremely
negative (5)
mean = 1.439; median = 1
E. Evaluation of HSU Fisheries graduates as Employees.
1. Based on your conversations and interactions with other Fisheries professionals,
how do you think HSU Fisheries graduates are viewed when compared to undergraduate
fisheries majors produced by other academic institutions?
Superior (1) Better (2) Same (3) Below Average (4) Inferior (5)
mean = 1.869; median = 2
2. In your current or previous employment, have you ever directly supervised
an HSU Fisheries graduate (circle)? Yes (22) No (40)
If your answer to 2. is YES, then please proceed to 3. Otherwise – YO
ARE FINISHED WITH OUR SURVEY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Many, many thanks for helping us
out.
3. How would you rate the performance of HSU Fisheries graduates who have worked with you (circle one or more entries as appropriate)?
Outstanding (1) Good (2) Adequate (3) Poor (4) Awful (5)
mean = 1.520; median = 1
THANKS SO MUCH FOR HELPING US WITH OUR PROGRAM REVIEW!
When we have completed our Program Review, we will post results from this survey at our Internet Web site. (www.humboldt.edu/~fish)
RESPONSE SUMMARY
First Mailing (List provided by HSU Alumni Affairs):
153 sent out on 26 October 2001;
11 returned - unknown address;
40 surveys returned by 24 November 2001
40/(153-11)= 28.2% return rate.
101 "second mailings" sent out on 29 November 2001;
3 returned - unknown address;
26 additional surveys returned by 21 December 2001
26/98 = 26.5% return rate.
Overall return rate = (40+26)/(153-11-3) = 66/139 = 47.5%