Goal

Increase the job placement rate of WSU undergraduate students after graduation

Key challenges, phase one

• No central unit or system at WSU is responsible for the collection of data related to the placement rate of undergraduates after graduation
• Individual departments, schools and colleges use various methods to gather this data
• There appears to be wide variation in the types of data collected, process used to collect that data, and data reported

Key questions action plan members will answer, phase one

• What processes and applications are in place at WSU to determine the placement rate of graduates?
• Which WSU units are effectively gathering graduate placement rate data?
• Which WSU academic units have an elevated rate of success in the placement of their graduates?
• What criteria should be used to measure the placement rate of graduates for WSU?
• What processes are most effective in gathering graduate placement information?
• What are other universities doing to gather graduate placement data?
• What criteria should be used to measure the placement rate of graduates for WSU?
• Which universities have an elevated rate of success in the placement of their graduates?

Action plan, phase 1

• Survey WSU units that currently collect graduate placement data.
• Identify and review the published graduate placement rate on university websites within WSU’s identified peer-grouping.
• Review National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
• Interview stakeholders to understand what are the outcomes the University seeks to understand.
• Contact institutional research units at WSU’s IEC peer institutions.

Action plan, phase 2

Compile findings and develop recommendations and strategies to gather graduate placement data.

• Definition of WSU Placement Rate data
• Tools for data collection
• Tactics including timeline for data collection

Action plan, phase 3

• Implement university-wide graduate placement rate data gathering strategy
• Identify a central unit to coordinate data gathering activity
• Gather data
• Compare WSU’s graduate placement data to Phase 1, Action Step 2, 3

Action plan, phase 4

If determined from data collected that improvement is required:

• Implement strategies identified in Phase 1, Action Step 2, 3

Working group members

Chair

Dave Cillay
Academic Outreach and Innovation

Committee members

Daniel J. Bernardo
Office of the Provost

Asif Chaudhry
International Programs

Theresa Elliot-Cheslek
Human Resource Services

Phyllis Erdman
College of Education

Fran Hermanson
Institutional Research

Terese King
Academic Success and Career Center

Chris Meiers
Enrollment Management & Student Services, WSU Tri-Cities

James Mohr
Division of Student Affairs, WSU Spokane

Christie Motley
Academic Success and Career Center

Jeff Peterson
Murrow College of Communication

Ana Maria Rodriguez-Vivaldi
Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures

Molly Schotzko
University Marketing and Communications

John Schneider
Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture

Tom Tripp
Carson College of Business, WSU Vancouver

Nancy Youlden
Student Affairs and Enrollment, WSU Vancouver