HART RESEARCH P e t e r D A S O T E C I How Should Colleges Prepare Students To Succeed In Today’s Global Economy? Key findings from survey among 305 business leaders and 510 recent college graduates conducted November 2 – December 5, 2006 for

Methodology Employers: 305 executives at companies that have at least 25 employees, who report that 25% or more of their new hires hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college, conducted November 2 – December 5, 2006, margin of error = ±5.7 percentage points Recent College Graduates: 510 people who graduated from a four-year college between 1997 and 2001, conducted November 13 – 19, 2006, margin of error = ±4.4 percentage points

% of employers who say colleges play a very important role Employers On Importance Of College Education To Business And The Country % of employers who say colleges play a very important role Ensuring U.S. ability to compete in the global economy Ensuring my company’s ability to compete successfully Ensuring U.S. companies’ ability to develop innovative new products and services * 76% believe innovation is a very important factor in the growth and strength of the U.S. economy.

Employers Express Concern About Skill Level Of College Graduates 63% of employers agree that “too many recent college graduates do not have the skills to be successful in today’s global economy.”

Room For Improvement In College Graduates’ Preparedness How well has college education prepared recent graduates in each area? Recent Graduates Employers Extremely/very well Somewhat/less well Getting good entry level job Long-term career success Broad skills/knowledge to change career Success in changing global economy Success in entry level job Advancement in my company Contribute to company’s innovations

Balance of Broad Knowledge And Specific Skills Preferred Which of the following should be the main objective for our nation’s colleges and universities? Focusing primarily on providing well-rounded education Focusing primarily on providing knowledge and skills in a specific field Focusing on providing a balance of both Depends/not sure

Half Of Employed Recent Grads Expect To Always Work In Current Field Employed Recent Graduates (80% of all recent grads) Expect my job/career will always be in the field in which I currently work Expect I will change to another field at some point in my career Not sure Three in four graduates who expect to remain in their current field (75%), as well as their colleagues who expect to change fields (73%), think a college education should provide a balance of a well-rounded education with knowledge/skills in a specific field.

Employers: Top Priorities For Increased Emphasis By Colleges % saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome Science and technology developments Teamwork skills in diverse settings Applied knowledge in real-world settings Written/oral communication Critical/analytical thinking Global issues Information literacy Creativity/innovation

Employers: Other Areas In Need Of More Emphasis By Colleges % saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome Complex problem solving U.S. role in the world Quantitative literacy Ethics and integrity Cultural values/traditions Civic engagement Foreign language skill Democracy/government

Recent Graduates: Top Priorities For Increased Emphasis By Colleges % saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome Applied knowledge in real-world settings Science and technology developments Global issues Critical/analytical thinking Written/oral communication Creativity/innovation Ethics and integrity Foreign language skill

Recent Graduates: Other Areas In Need Of More Emphasis By Colleges % saying colleges should put more emphasis on each learning outcome Complex problem solving Information literacy Teamwork skills in diverse settings Cultural values/traditions Civic engagement Democracy/government U.S. role in the world Quantitative literacy

Most Important Skills Employers Look For In New Hires Which TWO skills/abilities are most important to you? Recent graduates* Employers Teamwork skills Critical thinking/ reasoning Oral/written communication Ability to assemble/ organize information Innovative/thinking creatively Able to work with numbers/statistics Foreign language proficiency 38% 37% 10% 21% 4% 6% * Which two skills/abilities are most important to employers?

Real-World Application Of Knowledge And Skills Is Seen As Critical Employers: “They [students] learn the book knowledge: it’s all theory; it’s not actual practice, and I do believe we need more practice.” Atlanta business executive “I think internships do an amazing job in terms of educating people versus your day-to-day everyday sitting in a class learning from a book.” Fairfax business executive Recent graduates: 60% of graduates engaged in an internship. 88% rate it as very (56%) or fairly (32%) important in preparing them for their professional and career goals. 51% of graduates engaged in leadership of an on-campus student organization. 79% rate it as very (42%) or fairly (37%) important in preparing them for their professional and career goals.

Educational Approach Assessment How important is it for today’s colleges and universities to provide the type of education described below? This particular approach to a four- year college education provides both broad knowledge in a variety of areas of study and more in-depth knowledge in a specific major or field of interest. It also helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as intellectual and practical skills that span all areas of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings. Employers Not sure Less/not important Very important Fairly important * 76% of employers would recommend this type of education to a young person they know.

Educational Approach Assessment How important is it for today’s colleges and universities to provide the type of education described below? This particular approach to a four- year college education provides both broad knowledge in a variety of areas of study and more in-depth knowledge in a specific major or field of interest. It also helps students develop a sense of social responsibility, as well as intellectual and practical skills that span all areas of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings. Recent Graduates Not sure Less/not important Very important Fairly important