Lower Response Rates on Alumni Surveys Might Not Mean Lower Response Representativeness

• In Event: Methodological Issues in Survey Research

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore some possible issues with response representativeness in alumni surveys. Alumni surveys often have lower response rates due to bad contact information and other reasons. In this study we investigate potential differences between responses on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) from the cohorts of graduating seniors from 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 and those same cohorts of alumni responding to the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) in 2010 at six diverse institutions. A series of Chi-squared analyses were done for each of the six cohort years. Findings suggest that the demographic characteristics and institutional satisfaction of alumni respondent closely mirror those of the graduating seniors.

Authors

• Amber Desiree Lambert, Indiana University

• Angie L. Miller, Indiana University