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Career Services at Virginia Tech
Post-Graduation Report: 2002-2003 bachelor's degree graduates
Methodology
 
  What:
  Career Services sponsors an annual survey of students who have applied (through the Registrar's Office) for their bachelor's degrees. The survey is to elicit solid data about the post-graduation employment plans and graduate school attendance plans of these bachelor's degree applicants.  The Center for Survey Research (CSR) was contracted to administer the survey and collect the data for 2002-2003 and prior. The survey results comprise this Post-Graduation Report.
   
  Who:
  Graduates who complete degrees within an academic year are grouped together. The 2002-2003 report includes students who applied to complete the bachelor's degree in December 2002, May 2003, June 2003 or August 2003. This grouping (versus by calendar year) enables consistent grouping of graduates by major and college; changes in organization of the university, colleges, departments, and majors tend to happen between academic years, rather than during academic years.
  The full population of graduates was surveyed (although not all were reached). This is not a sample survey. Post-graduation status is reported for 55.96% of the total number of graduates.
   
  How and When and Response Rates:
  The survey was administered in two stages as follows:
  Stage I: one month prior to degree completion.
  Stage II is a follow-up contact for those graduates who had no firm plan at Stage I, or who did not respond at Stage I; Stage II is administered six (6) months after Stage I.
  For December graduates, Stage I was adminstered approximately 1 month prior to December graduation.
  For May, June and August graduates, Stage I administration began approximately one month prior to May graduation.
  In past years, both Stage I and Stage II were telephone surveys. Beginning with the 2001-2002 graduates, Stage I was administered as a web-based survey; e-mail was used to ask graduates to respond. In Stage I at least five (5) e-mail messages were sent to non-respondents. Stage II was a telephone survey.
  Stage I response was: 44% for December graduates and 48% for May and summer graduates.
  Stage II response was: 57% for December graduates and for May and summer graduates.
  The final numbers show that post-graduation status is reported for 55.96% of the total number of graduates.
     

Questions about the 2002-2003 Post-Graduation Report should be directed to Ms. Pam Herrmann: herrmann@vt.edu

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