Comparing alumni survey data over time to close the assessment loop

A valid outcomes assessment program exhibits consistency as well as accuracy and fairness in its use of tools. The authors developed an alumni survey several years ago to gauge program success in meeting EC 2000 guidelines. The current paper examines how administering a nearly identical survey to graduates of the intervening years since the last cohort provides some closure to the assessment loop. The more recent survey should give evidence whether departmental actions meant to address shortcomings highlighted in the earlier survey were indeed effective in increasing perceived preparation levels in the areas of concern. If no betterment is recorded, that may be evidence of a more systemic curricular problem requiring yet further attention. In any case, adhering to a regular and timely schedule of administering alumni surveys utilizing an essentially common format fortifies the consistency of an assessment program while also giving the program an all-important temporal scale to validate its efficacy.