acknowledgements

Transcription

1 AUSTRALIAN GRADUATE SURVEY 2014 A report of the conduct of the 2014 Australian Graduate Survey

2 acknowledgements Bruce Guthrie (Policy, Strategy and Stakeholder Relations Adviser to GCA) was the principal author of this report. Dr Noel Edge (Executive Director, Graduate Careers Australia) is the Project Director of the Australian Graduate Survey. The author and project director wish to sincerely thank the graduates who took part in the research and to acknowledge the role of the participating higher education institutions and, in particular, the institutional Survey Managers who provided valuable support to the project. This project has been supported by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of that Department. Graduate Careers Australia cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties Graduate Careers Australia Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers. Published by: Graduate Careers Australia Ltd. (trading as Graduate Careers Australia) PO Box 13222, Law Courts, Melbourne, Vic 8010 Level 9, 255 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC 3000 t: f: ISSN ii australian graduate survey 2014

3 contents 1.0 Introduction iv 2.0 Why we do the AGS 1 Graduate Destination Survey 1 Course Experience Questionnaire 2 Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire Why is the AGS a census? 3 Reporting Response rates response 5 Non-response Survey methodology 12 CEQ scales used 12 Participation in survey rounds 13 Modes of response Recent analysis and new insights 20 Unavailable or destination unknown responses 20 Working full-time and seeking alternative employment Code of practice Treatment of variables Survey Reference Group 25 Appendix A: 26 Field of education aggregations 26 Appendix B 28 April 2014 Australian Graduate Survey questionnaire 28 References 33 tables Table 1: AGS responses, 2014, Australian and overseas respondents combined (n, %) 4 Table 2: AGS responses, 2014, Australian respondents only (n, %) 4 Table 3: Comparison of 2014 AGS responses with 2013 course completion figures, by broad field of education (domestic, %) 5 Table 4: Response rates for all levels of qualification for all graduates, including number Table 5: of survey respondents in current year, by participating institution, (%, n) 8-9 Response rates for all levels of qualification for graduates who are Australian citizens and permanent residents only, including number of survey respondents in current year, by participating institution, (%, n) Table 6: Core and optional CEQ scales and OSI by institution, Table 7: Participation in survey rounds, 2014 AGS (n, %) 15 Table 7a: Survey rounds conducted by participating institutions, 2014 AGS (n, %) 15 Table 8: Source of response, 2014 AGS (n, %) 16 Table 8a: Source of response by institution, 2014 AGS (n, %) 16 Table 9: GDS response collection mode, AGS 2014 (n, %) 17 Table 9a: GDS response collection mode by institution, AGS 2014 (n, %) 17 Table 10: CEQ response collection mode, AGS 2014 (n, %) 18 Table 10a: CEQ response collection mode, by institution, AGS 2014 (n, %) 18 Table 11: PREQ response collection mode, AGS 2014 (n, %) 19 Table 12: AGS responses categorised as unavailable in the DEST variable, AGS (n, %) 19 Table 13: AGS responses categorised as being in full-time employment but seeking alternative employment, 2008 and 2014, AGS (n, %) 19

4 1.0 introduction [This document] will ensure that readers of the AGS reports published by GCA are aware of the methods employed to gather the data. This report from Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) is an overview of the conduct of the 2014 Australian Graduate Survey (AGS). Included is an examination of the survey methods employed nationally and institutionally, response, and methods of data cleaning and analysis. If problems and concerns arose within the conduct of the 2014 AGS, these will be discussed as will issues pertaining to the survey work and data. The Australian Graduate Survey report is updated at the conclusion of each AGS and distributed to stakeholders and data users such as Vice-Chancellors and senior institutional managers, AGS Senior Survey Contacts, AGS Survey Managers, researchers and AGS data users, the Department of Education and Training, Universities Australia (UA), and as a companion to GCA s annual reports and with the data files themselves. It will ensure that readers of the AGS reports published by GCA are aware of the methods employed to gather the data. Researchers using the relevant datasets can make use of this report to inform their judgements about how the data were gathered and how they might decide to employ the data both at an institutional and national level. One of the aims of this report is to assure the sector that institutions have employed AGS methods as set out in the annual AGS Manual (GCA 2014) and this is an aspect that is central to these annual AGS Reports. The AGS Manual and related documents can be downloaded from here. The AGS was piloted in 1972 and has been conducted annually by GCA and higher education institutions since 1974, with Federal and institutional funding and support. Prior to 2006, it was known simply as the Graduate Destination Survey (GDS). The name Australian Graduate Survey was adopted in 2006 to act as an umbrella project title for GCA s combined GDS, Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ). GCA manages the AGS nationally, while institutions generally conduct the surveys of their own graduates and return completed survey forms and/or data files to GCA for processing. This method of management can be characterised as being partially independent in that while a great deal of the work is managed by GCA, some key tasks such as the deployment of survey instruments and collection of responses are managed by the institutions. This issue is discussed in greater detail in Appendix A. iv australian graduate survey 2014

5 2.0 why we do the ags The AGS includes: the Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) the Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ). The overall purpose of these surveys is to collect information on the main destinations and the higher education experiences of graduates shortly after they qualify, and to provide institutions taking part in the survey with a range of information about their graduates. Within these three areas, the surveys have notably different users of the data. When considering the survey methods and value and meaning of the AGS data, these different uses need to be considered. graduate destination survey The Graduate Destination Survey essentially collects data regarding the immediate (four months) post-study activities of new graduates (including full- and part-time employment and other labour market activity, further study, job search methods, and the relationship between employment and higher education qualifications). As an outcome of GDS participation, institutions receive: A list of the names of the organisations that employed their graduates invaluable in offering advice to current and intending students as to the potential outcomes of their studies, and in assisting schools, faculties and institutions in developing and maintaining relationships with the employers of their graduates. This information also goes to the institution s careers service. (The decision to enter the name of the employer in their data file is optional and rests with the institution.) Breakdowns of post-study activities by field of education, including full-time employment figures again, invaluable in offering advice to current and intending students as to the potential outcomes of their studies, and in informing faculties and institutions about the success of their graduates in the labour market. This information also goes to the institution s careers service. Cleaned institutional data for internal analysis with the potential to have added filtering variables specific to the institution. A cut-down version of this file also goes to the institution s careers service. Cleaned national data for internal analysis and benchmarking (for a small charge). A range of standardised tables (known as Tables A J) showing comparative national, state and institutional employment and salaries results. Importantly, the GDS is now complemented by the Beyond Graduation Survey (BGS) which is a three- and five-years after followup of the GDS. The result is a longitudinal study of the early developing years of new graduates careers and offers context and a more complete picture of labour market outcomes for an institution s graduates as they make the transition to the work force. This is particularly of value in those fields of education where graduates take longer to find relevant graduate positions than the four month period employed by the GDS allows. A copy of the latest BGS report can be downloaded from here. Because the public release of GDS data requires a minimum 50.0 per cent institutional response rate, data quality is high and institutions have access to a rich data set concerning their graduates transition to the labour market and the organisations employing them. The Graduate Destination Survey essentially collects data regarding the immediate (four months) post study activities of new graduates australian graduate survey

6 course experience questionnaire The Course Experience Questionnaire collects data regarding the views and comments of new graduates concerning their experience of study at the institution. The CEQ consists of two core scales, the Good Teaching Scale (GTS) and the Generic Skills Scale (GSS), and a single item called the Overall Satisfaction Item (OSI). These can be complemented by a range of optional scales, based on the preferences of the institution. Being gathered four months after course completion, the views of graduates will be based on their reflections of their complete higher education experience, and will be mediated by the short intervening period, often in employment or further study, during which their views will have had the opportunity to mature and, in many cases, reflect their experiences in the workplace. As an outcome of CEQ participation, institutions receive: Cleaned institutional data for internal analysis with the potential to have additional filtering variables specific to the institution. Cleaned national data for internal analysis and benchmarking (for a small charge). A range of standardised CEQ tables showing comparative national and institutional CEQ results broken down by field of education and level of award. The optional scales in the CEQ consist of: Clear Goals and Standards Scale (CGS) Appropriate Workload Scale (AWS) Appropriate Assessment Scale (AAS) Intellectual Motivation Scale (IMS) Student Support Scale (SSS) Graduate Qualities Scale (GQS) Learning Resources Scale (LRS) Learning Community Scale (LCS) All CEQ scales are described and discussed in detail in GCA s annual Graduate Course Experience reports. Because the public release of CEQ data requires a minimum 50.0 per cent institutional response rate, data quality is high and institutions have access to a rich data set allowing deep drill-down concerning their graduates experience of higher education and institutional performance in the area of teaching quality. A 50.0 per cent response rate also ensures that at least half an institution s graduates have been able to give voice to their views. postgraduate research experience questionnaire The Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire collects data regarding the views and comments of new research higher degree postgraduates concerning their experience of research at the institution. The PREQ consists of six scales and one overall satisfaction item including: Supervision Intellectual climate Skill development Infrastructure Thesis examination Goals and expectations Overall satisfaction All PREQ scales are described and discussed in detail in GCA s annual Postgraduate Research Experience reports. Being gathered within months of research degree completion, the views of postgraduates will be based on their reflections on their complete research experience, and will be mediated by the short intervening period, often in employment or further study, during which their views will have had the opportunity to mature and, in many cases, reflect their experiences in the workplace. As an outcome of PREQ participation, institutions receive: Cleaned institutional data for internal analysis with the potential to have filtering variables specific to the institution. Cleaned national data for internal analysis 1. As with the CEQ, because the public release of PREQ data requires a minimum 50.0 per cent institutional response rate, data quality is high and institutions have access to a rich data set concerning their postgraduates experience of research and institutional performance in related areas. A 50.0 per cent response rate also ensures that at least half an institutions postgraduates have been able to give voice to their views. 1 In line with a long standing agreement with Universities Australia, distributed PREQ data files and analyses do not identify institutions except where institutional groupings such as Go8, ATN, IRUA and RUN request it. 2 australian graduate survey 2014

7 3.0 why is the ags a census? While adequate population estimates could be gained from an AGS based on a sample, the AGS has always been conducted as a census in which all new graduates receive a survey form or an invitation to complete it online or via a telephone interview. One issue weighing against a sample survey is the decentralised nature of the conduct of the AGS. As each institution conducts its own part of the AGS in terms of data collection (although this changed slightly in 2011 with the offer of a centralised survey service to smaller private higher education providers) and GCA s access to the details of the survey population is potentially restricted by privacy laws, the definition and selection of an appropriate sample would be extremely difficult. The key problems would include: lack of access to a complete survey population sampling frame due to privacy legislation, and uncertainty that all institutions, equally, could accurately draw a sample pre-defined by GCA from their own sampling frames More importantly, the richer data set available from the combination of a census with a high response target (50.0 per cent) allows deeper analysis of the GDS and CEQ. reporting Two summary AGS 2014 documents, titled GradStats and Where Grads Go were produced. GradStats was released in December 2014, making public the main preliminary survey results within a few weeks of the completion of data collection. These documents are available to the public for download, along with supporting documents and can be downloaded from here. In addition, more detailed national results of the AGS are presented in published reports which are available from the same site. Some AGS results are made available for institutional use only, and such GDS and CEQ tables are made available directly to institutions. These tables assist internal institutional analysis, including benchmarking. Additional special analyses are also available by arrangement with GCA. The current suite of AGS reports produced by GCA includes: Graduate Destinations (GDS results for bachelor degree graduates) Graduate Salaries (an overview of graduates earnings) Postgraduate Destinations (GDS results for postgraduates) Graduate Course Experience (CEQ results) Postgraduate Research Experience (PREQ results) These reports complement the GDS and CEQ tables discussed previously. the richer data set available from the combination of a census with a high response target (50.0 per cent) allows deeper analysis of the GDS and CEQ. australian graduate survey

8 4.0 response rates This minimum 50.0 per cent response rate applies separately to GDS and CEQ data. The GCA Code of Practice (GCA 2010) notes that institutions should not publish any AGS data outside of the institution where the relevant response rate calculated by GCA is less than 50.0 per cent. In this situation, publication within the institution is acceptable. This minimum 50.0 per cent response rate applies separately to GDS and CEQ data. This could mean that an institution has a GDS response rate above 50.0 per cent and a CEQ response rate below 50.0 per cent which would mean that they cannot publicise their CEQ results. If an institution has a 49.9 per cent response rate calculated by GCA for all graduates (domestic plus international) and a 50.1 per cent response rate for Australian citizens and permanent residents (i.e., domestic only), figures from the former data set cannot be used external to the institution whereas figures from the domestic 50.1 per cent dataset can be released publicly. Response rates are calculated based on the final reported survey population and survey returns. Pre-survey population numbers are also collected by GCA. Survey subjects for whom there is no, or out-dated, contact information available, or where envelopes are returned marked not at this address are not subtracted from the survey population. In 2010, the Survey Reference Group (SRG) agreed on a definition of what constituted a valid CEQ response. Starting with the 2011 AGS, and relating only to the calculation of CEQ response rates, to be valid, graduates must have provided at least four item scores for either the Good Teaching Scale (GTS), or the Generic Skills Scale (GSS) or a response to the Overall Satisfaction Item (OSI). A CEQ response must also have a valid CEQ major field of education. Table 1: AGS responses, 2014, Australian and overseas respondents combined (n, %) * Number % Total reported survey population 260, Total survey responses received 142, Total survey responses used 142, Total male respondents used 57, Total female respondents used 85, Total sex undisclosed used Bachelor degree respondents used 87, Postgraduate respondents used 53, Other respondents used 1, Figures might not add exactly to due to rounding. * Australian responses include Australian citizens and permanent residents. Residential status determined by HECS and fee paying status. Table 2: AGS responses, 2014, Australian respondents only (n, %) * Number % Total reported survey population 190, Total survey responses received 113, Total survey responses used 113, Total male respondents used 43, Total female respondents used 69, Total sex undisclosed used Bachelor degree respondents used 72, Postgraduate respondents used 39, Other respondents used Figures might not add exactly to due to rounding. * Australian responses include Australian citizens and permanent residents. Residential status determined by HECS and fee paying status. 4 australian graduate survey 2014

9 2014 response Strong AGS response rates are important for the collection of useful data and are the constant subject of attention from the SRG. Table 1 shows breakdowns of response for the 2014 AGS for all respondents (including Australian citizens, permanent residents, and overseas graduates 2 ). The total reported survey population for 2014 was 260,150, from which 142,647 responses were received, representing a national response rate of 54.8 per cent (54.6 per cent in 2013, 55.5 per cent in 2012 and 56.3 per cent in 2011 see Tables 1 and 4). Of these responses, 142,582 were used in detailed analysis 3. Of this group, 59.9 per cent (85,404) were from females, 40.1 per cent (57,113) were from males and just 0.05 per cent, or 65 cases, were from respondents who did not identify their sex. More than six-in-ten of the 142,582 responses (61.2 per cent, or 87,302 cases) were from graduates with bachelor degree level qualifications (including pass and honours bachelor degrees, graduate entry bachelor degrees and three-year diplomas). Well over one-third (37.8 per cent) had postgraduate level qualifications and 0.9 per cent had qualifications at other levels (such as associate degrees and certificates). Table 2 shows response figures for domestic graduates only (Australian citizens and permanent residents). The reported domestic population for the 2014 AGS was 190,527, of whom 113,223 responded giving a domestic response rate of 59.4 per cent (60.0 per cent in 2013, 60.7 in 2012, 61.9 per cent in 2011 and 61.8 per cent in 2010 see Table 5). Of the 113,223 responses received, 113,162 were used in analysis 3. Response rates for domestic graduates are always higher than those for all graduates (domestic and international) which are pulled down by response rates for international graduates which are lower due to difficulties in delivering survey instruments to overseas locations and the sometimes out-of-date contact information available to institutions. Table 3: Comparison of 2014 AGS responses with 2013 course completion figures, by broad field of education (domestic, %) AGS 2014 % Completions 2013 % * Natural & Physical Sciences Information Technology Engineering & Related Technologies Architecture & Building Agriculture, Environmental & Related Studies Medicine & Related Education Management & Commerce Society & Culture Creative Arts TOTAL 113, ,079 * The Department of Education notes that their course completions data for these broad fields of education take into account the coding of combined courses to two fields of education. This means that while Departmental data records 207,079 course completers, they also record 215,888 course completions which include the additional fields of education. Taken from Table 3: Award Course Completions for All Students by Citizenship and Broad Field of Education, 1999 to 2013 downloaded from the Department s website 29 January Overseas graduates are defined as those who are not Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, New Zealanders or holders of permanent humanitarian visas for the purposes of enrolment in Australian higher education institutions. For the purposes of analysis, they are self-identified as respondents who had been international fee-paying students and will be referred to in this report as overseas graduates. 3 Some incomplete responses are not used in detailed analysis. australian graduate survey

10 It is to be expected that female respondents will outnumber males in the AGS. Department of Education and Training statistics (SHEDS 2015a) show that 59.8 per cent of year 2013 domestic course completers (a group broadly similar to the domestic 2014 AGS population) were females. The figure for female AGS respondents reflected this, at 61.7 per cent in 2014 (see Table 2). GDS responses have historically been representative of the survey population in terms of sex. Table 3 compares domestic graduate responses to the 2014 AGS with course completion figures for 2013 (SHEDS 2015b). It can be seen, as is the case with responses from females, that AGS responses by broad field of education closely mirror the course completion breakdowns, most with differences markedly less than one percentage point. The most notable difference was in the Society and Culture field which represented 22.4 per cent of 2014 AGS responses and 24.8 per cent of 2013 course completions. The Medicine and Related field represented 19.4 per cent of 2014 AGS responses and 17.9 per cent of 2013 course completions. Table 4 shows response rates for each of the participating institutions, based on all graduates. Table 5 shows response rates for each of the participating institutions, based on domestic graduates only. 6 australian graduate survey 2014

11 non response Strong response rates are of vital concern in any survey such as the AGS. Additional funding under the (then) Department of Education, Training and Youth Affair s Evaluations and Investigations Program became available in 1996 and made possible an examination of non-responders to the 1996 GDS (Guthrie & Johnson 1997). Until that report, little was known nationally about the profile of GDS non-respondents in terms of who they were, what they were doing at the time of the survey, and why they did not respond. Broadly, the study found that aggregated GDS responses are a reasonably accurate reflection of the total population in terms of their fields of education and their broad GDS results, giving users of the data confidence that the data were representative. While the data are collected as a component of a national graduate census, the extent of survey non-response means that it is reasonable to consider the secured data to be a sample of the overall graduate population. There were minor discrepancies between the non-response group examined and the survey population and/or the GDS respondents in terms of some demographic measures such as age group and sex. However, this may have been due to the researchers having to use a smaller than intended sample of non-respondents. The researchers also made a number of suggestions aimed at improving GDS response rates (many of which were adopted in the years following). Additional funding from the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) in 2005 allowed a review of the GDS which included a follow-up to the 1996 non-response study. Findings presented in the project report (Coates, Tilbrook, Guthrie & Bryant 2006) support the 1996 study s results. australian graduate survey

12 Table 4: Response rates for all levels of qualification for all graduates, including number of survey respondents in current year, by participating institution, (%, n) NSW ACT VIC Qld SA WA TAS NT M-S Institution Australian College of Applied Psychology (15) Australian College of Physical Education (13) Australian College of Theology (14) Australian Lutheran College (17) Avondale College (1) Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (5) Charles Sturt University College of Law (22) Endeavour College of Natural Health (26) International College of Management, Sydney (27) Macquarie University Raffles College (30) Southern Cross University Sydney College of Divinity THINK: College (11) University of New England University of Newcastle University of NSW University of Sydney University of Technology, Sydney University of Western Sydney University of Wollongong Australian National University University of Canberra (6) Academy of Design Australia (28) Box Hill College of TAFE (19) Deakin University Federated University (8) Holmesglen Institute of TAFE (23) La Trobe University Marcus Oldham College (2) Melbourne Institute of Technology (20) Monash University North Melbourne Institute of TAFE (21) Navitas College of Public Safety (25) RMIT Swinburne University of Technology Tabor College Vic (24) University of Divinity (10) University of Melbourne Victoria University Bond University Central Queensland University Christian Heritage College (7) Griffith University James Cook University Queensland University of Technology University of Queensland University of Southern Queensland University of the Sunshine Coast (3) Australian Institute of Business (29) Flinders University of South Australia Tabor College SA (12) University of Adelaide University of South Australia Curtin University of Technology Edith Cowan University Murdoch University University of Western Australia Australian Maritime College (18) University of Tasmania Batchelor Institute (16) Charles Darwin University (9) Australian Catholic University Notre Dame University (4) TOTAL

13 cases , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,647 * Blank cells indicate that the institution did not participate in the AGS that year. 1. Avondale College joined the AGS in Marcus Oldham College joined the AGS in The University of the Sunshine Coast first participated in the AGS as a separate entity in Notre Dame University joined the AGS in 2000 and was moved from being listed under WA to multi-state in the 2013 report. 5. The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School joined the AGS in Due to an administrative error, the University of Canberra did not submit AGS data in The Christian Heritage College joined the AGS in Was the University of Ballarat. 9. Was Northern Territory University. 10. Melbourne College of Divinity joined the AGS in In the 2013 report its title was changed to the University of Divinity. 11. THINK: College (was Billy Blue College) joined the AGS in Tabor College, South Australia, joined the AGS in The Australian College of Physical Education joined the AGS in The Australian College of Theology joined the AGS in The Australian College of Applied Psychology joined the AGS in Batchelor Institute joined the AGS in The Australian Lutheran College joined the AGS in For the AGS, the Australian Maritime College merged with University of Tasmania in Box Hill College of TAFE joined the AGS in Melbourne Institute of Technology joined the AGS in North Melbourne Institute of TAFE joined the AGS in The College of Law joined the AGS in Holmesglen Institute of TAFE joined the AGS in Tabor College, Victoria, joined the AGS in Navitas College of Public Safety joined the AGS in Endeavour College of Natural Health joined the AGS in International College of Management, Sydney joined the AGS in Academy of Design Australia joined the AGS in Australian Institute of Business joined the AGS in Raffles College joined the AGS in 2014

14 Table 5: Response rates for all levels of qualification for graduates who are Australian citizens and permanent residents only, including number of survey respondents in current year, by participating institution, (%, n) NSW ACT VIC Qld SA WA TAS NT M-S Institution Australian College of Applied Psychology (15) Australian College of Physical Education (13) Australian College of Theology (14) Australian Lutheran College (17) Avondale College (1) Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (5) Charles Sturt University College of Law Endeavour College of Natural Health (26) International College of Management. Sydney (27) Macquarie University Raffles College (30) Southern Cross University Sydney College of Divinity THINK: College (11) 4.5 University of New England University of Newcastle University of NSW University of Sydney University of Technology. Sydney University of Western Sydney University of Wollongong Australian National University University of Canberra (6) Academy of Design Australia (28) Box Hill College of TAFE (19) Deakin University Federated University (8) Holmesglen Institute of TAFE (23) La Trobe University Marcus Oldham College (2) Melbourne Institute of Technology (20) Monash University North Melbourne Institute of TAFE (21) Navitas College of Public Safety (25) RMIT Swinburne University of Technology Tabor College Vic (24) University of Divinity (10) 64.2 University of Melbourne Victoria University Bond University (8) Central Queensland University Christian Heritage College (7) Griffith University James Cook University Queensland University of Technology University of Queensland University of Southern Queensland University of the Sunshine Coast (3) Australian Institute of Business (29) Flinders University of South Australia Tabor College SA (12) University of Adelaide University of South Australia Curtin University of Technology Edith Cowan University Murdoch University University of Western Australia Australian Maritime College (18) University of Tasmania Batchelor Institute (16) Charles Darwin University (9) Australian Catholic University Notre Dame University (4) TOTAL

15 cases , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,986 * Blank cells indicate that the institution did not participate in the AGS that year. 1. Avondale College joined the AGS in Marcus Oldham College joined the AGS in The University of the Sunshine Coast first participated in the AGS as a separate entity in Notre Dame University joined the AGS in 2000 and was moved from being listed under WA to multi-state in the 2013 report. 5. The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School joined the AGS in Due to an administrative error, the University of Canberra did not submit AGS data in The Christian Heritage College joined the AGS in Was the University of Ballarat. 9. Was Northern Territory University. 10. Melbourne College of Divinity joined the AGS in In the 2013 report its title was changed to the University of Divinity. 11. THINK: College (was Billy Blue College) joined the AGS in Tabor College, South Australia, joined the AGS in The Australian College of Physical Education joined the AGS in The Australian College of Theology joined the AGS in The Australian College of Applied Psychology joined the AGS in Batchelor Institute joined the AGS in The Australian Lutheran College joined the AGS in For the AGS, the Australian Maritime College merged with University of Tasmania in Box Hill College of TAFE joined the AGS in Melbourne Institute of Technology joined the AGS in North Melbourne Institute of TAFE joined the AGS in The College of Law joined the AGS in Holmesglen Institute of TAFE joined the AGS in Tabor College, Victoria, joined the AGS in Navitas College of Public Safety joined the AGS in Endeavour College of Natural Health joined the AGS in International College of Management, Sydney joined the AGS in Academy of Design Australia joined the AGS in Australian Institute of Business joined the AGS in Raffles College joined the AGS in , ,223 australian graduate survey

16 5.0 survey methodology Graduates can respond to the AGS in a number of ways including via the completion and return of a hard copy form, the completion of the survey online or via telephone interview. Students who qualified for the award of a degree or diploma (including higher degrees) in the calendar year 2013 were invited by their institution to complete the AGS either via a hard-copy form, an online form or via telephone interview. Those who completed the requirements of their award in the first half of 2013 received their questionnaire on or about 31 October 2013, while those who completed in the second half of 2013 (the majority) received their questionnaire on or about 30 April Most responses were coded by the surveying institution according to standard coding instructions issued by GCA (GCA 2014), and were then forwarded to the GCA office in Melbourne for data processing. Alternatively, some institutions used the central coding service offered by GCA, or both coded and entered their own data. A detailed description of the AGS 2014 methodology can be found in the 2014 AGS Manual (GCA 2014). ceq scales used Table 6 summarises the CEQ scales selected by each institution for the 2014 AGS. The key to the scale abbreviations is as follows: Good Teaching Scale (GTS) Generic Skills Scale (GSS) Overall Satisfaction Item (OSI) Clear Goals and Standards Scale (CGS) Appropriate Workload Scale (AWS) Appropriate Assessment Scale (AAS) Intellectual Motivation Scale (IMS) Student Support Scale (SSS) Graduate Qualities Scale (GQS) Learning Resources Scale (LRS) Learning Community Scale (LCS) 12 australian graduate survey 2014

17 participation in survey rounds Each AGS is conducted over two rounds. For the 2014 AGS, the first had a 31 October 2013 referent date and involved graduates who had completed requirements for a degree in the first six months of The second round had a 30 April 2014 referent date and involved graduates who had completed requirements for a degree in the second half of Responses for the two rounds are combined for processing and results are discussed as being as at four months after course completion. Table 7 shows 29.9 per cent of responses came from the first (October) round with the majority (69.1 per cent) coming from the April round and a small percentage coming from other rounds. The AGS allows for additional survey rounds and referent dates to accommodate institutions that operate on other than a two semester model. Table 7a (which can be downloaded from here) shows institutional breakdowns for Table 7. modes of response Graduates can respond to the AGS in a number of ways including via the completion and return of a hard-copy form, the completion of the survey online or via telephone interview. The survey can also be administered at graduation ceremonies, usually via hard-copy but sometimes via an online instrument. Table 8 shows that all but a handful of 2014 AGS responses came from the graduate, with small numbers coming from the graduates parents (usually indicating that the graduate is overseas on holidays and a response is coded accordingly). Table 8a (which can be downloaded from here) shows the institutional breakdown for these figures. More than half of all responses (56.5 per cent) to the Graduate Destination Survey component of the AGS came via an online instrument (see Table 9), while responses coming from telephone interviews amounted to 17.2 per cent and those from hard-copy forms represented 8.2 per cent (down notably from 15.0 per cent in ). However, the 18.2 per cent of cases collected at graduation ceremonies (up from 13.4 per cent 5 ) are most likely to have come via hard-copy, which would boost the 8.2 per cent hard-copy figure notably. Table 9a (which can be downloaded from here) shows the institutional breakdown for these figures. These variables indicating the mode of collection are supposed to be coded by the participating institution and when this is incomplete, GCA codes them where possible using available information in the data file. This means there can sometimes be some minor inconsistencies arising from comparisons with related variables. For example, the five cases noted as not being a response from the graduate in Table 9 are likely to have been uncoded prior to processing (although some of these would represent the 62 responses received from a relative or other source as shown in Table 8). Tables 10 and 10a examines the nature of CEQ response and excludes cases that represented PREQ responses (hence the lower total number). It can be seen that 2.0 per cent of subjects who completed the GDS component of the AGS did not complete the CEQ component. It is often the case that towards the end of the fieldwork period when Survey Managers are trying to maximise their response rates they gather GDS data via telephone and ask respondents to go to an online instrument to complete the CEQ component (under the current AGS methods, institutions cannot collect their own CEQ data via telephone). As a result, some respondents do not go on to complete the CEQ component. In line with the GDS response figures shown in Table 9, over half of responses came via online form, with notable response numbers via hard-copy (particularly given the addition of a high proportion of those that came from graduation ceremonies) and telephone interviews conducted by approved data collection agencies. Table 11 examines the nature of PREQ response and excludes cases that represented CEQ responses. While having a similar profile to the CEQ collection mode, it can be seen that telephone interviews were proportionately much fewer for PREQ data collection. 5 See 2013 AGS report available from here. australian graduate survey