Data Driven Decision Making: Utilizing Alumni Perspectives In Strategic Management School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) Student Researcher: Robert Welton SPAA Faculty Advisor: Daniela Schroeter Tentative Findings RQ_1: What are the perceptions of SPAA alumni regarding their MPA degree from WMU? RQ_2: In aggregate, what do the program’s alumni indicate are programmatic strengths and improvement areas? Conclusions This study is still in progress, with the survey scheduled to close Sunday, April 16th at midnight. Aggregate alumni responses (to date) indicate the following: The MPA core curriculum and elective courses are proving to be beneficial for career trajectories Alumni consistently responded in both quantitative and qualitative sections of the survey that the program can be strengthened through: Increased involvement with academic advising, career counseling, and mentoring Increased interactions between faculty and students Increased participation in workshops, conferences, seminars, and networking opportunities Next Steps Upon survey closure the data will be cleaned and re-analyzed as a means to complete the Master’s Project Paper. Following the project paper’s completion, a meeting is anticipated with SPAA leadership and faculty to discuss what features of the survey meet programmatic needs and where changes may be required. Adjustments will be made, as required, to allow for this instrument’s utilization on an annual basis with a rolling class schedule. References* National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. (2017). [Graph illustration Percentage of Family Income Needed to Pay for College]. NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/index.php? submeasure=75&year=2009&level=nation&mode=graph&state=0 National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. (2017). [Graph illustration Net Tuition and Fees per Full-Time Student]. NCHEMS Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/index.php?submeasure =388&year=2011&level=nation&mode=graph&state=0 * A complete list of references will be provided upon request. Contacts Robert Welton, robert.r.welton@wmich.edu Acknowledgements Faculty mentors: Dr. Jan Fields, Faculty Advisor Dr. Stephen Kleinschmit, Faculty Advisor Dr. Matthew Mingus, Project Paper Professor Dr. Daniela C. Schroeter, Primary Faculty Advisor Dr. Udaya Wagle, SPAA Program Director Other Contributors: Christine Hummel, Administrative Assistant; Julia Mays, HSIRB; Jeffrey Hillman, Graduate Assistant; Kyrone Maye, Graduate Assistant Special thank you to survey participants from SPAA graduating classes 2007 - 2106 Purpose Statement The most basic premise of macro-economic states that as prices for a good or service increase, demand decreases. As shown below, the cost of higher education in Michigan compares unfavorable to the rest of the nation. In order to remain viable in an age of worldwide competition for students, WMU (and more specifically SPAA) will need to identify marketable areas of competitive advantage as well as opportunities for programmatic improvement. Background MI Net Tuition and Fees: MI % of Family Income to 21.6% Pay for College: $9,455 A logical resource for needed information is SPAA alumni. They are in the unique position to communicate what aspects of their education have been most beneficial and what additional elements could have provided them a competitive advantage. Research Questions What are the perceptions of SPAA alumni regarding their MPA degree from WMU? In aggregate, what do the program’s alumni indicate are programmatic strengths and improvement areas? Research Design Online Alumni Survey – Qualtrics Statistical Analysis and Charts – Microsoft Excel Population = All MPA graduates of from WMU’s SPAA from years 2007-2016 (422) Sample = All members of population with correct email addresses on file with WMU (349) Response rate (in progress) = 27.2%