Indirect Assessment: Alumni Survey Data

SLIS surveys its alumni on an annual basis, contacting students who graduated SLIS two and seven years prior to the survey date as a form of indirect assessment of the MS (LIS) degree program achievement of its mission. The annual alumni survey measures alumni perception of the degree to which SLIS achieved its mission to "prepare students for inspired service, advocacy, and leadership in library and information science, archives, computer science, and children's and young adult literature."

The alumni survey results demonstrate that, on average:

  • a majority of SLIS alumni surveyed between 2016 and 2022 strongly agree or agree (86%) that SLIS courses prepared me to apply professional standards, tools, and best practices in the information field and across specialized areas.
  • a majority of SLIS alumni surveyed between 2016 and 2022 (81%) strongly agree or agree that SLIS prepared [them] for work in a library, archive or other information setting;
  • a majority of SLIS alumni surveyed between 2016 and 2022 (79%) strongly agree or agree that SLIS "effectively prepared [them] for professional practice in an information setting;"
  • of students surveyed in 2022, 72% were very satisfied or satisfied with their SLIS experience;

Preparation for Professional Practice:

2016 - 2022 Survey Question:

Overall, SLIS effectively prepared me for professional practice in an information setting.

Responses Survey Year              
  2016 (n=79)
[graduates surveyed:
2009 and 2014]
2017 (n=96)
[graduates surveyed:
2010 and 2015]
2018 (n=179)
[graduates surveyed:
2011 and 2016]
2019 (n=64)
[graduates surveyed:
2017]
2020 (n=51)
[graduates surveyed:
2018]
2021 (n=159)
[graduates surveyed:
2013, 2014, 2018, 2019]
2022 (n=39)
[graduates surveyed:
2020]
Strongly Agree 28% 34% 20% 39% 20% 32% 33%
Agree 47% 47% 47% 40% 71% 48% 44%
Neutral 16% 13% 18% 13% 6% 4% 8%
Disagree 4% 3% 10% 5% 2% 8% 5%