SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

In May 2015 the Alumni Association commissioned a survey to assess the attitudes, behaviors, and interest​s​ of our alumni population. Below is an infographic highlighting the results.

Overall Opinions & Attitudes

Student Experience

• 92% of alumni are very or somewhat satisfied with the overall experience they had a student at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Alumni Want to Be MORE Connected

• 39% want more connection
• 59% want to stay the same
• 2% want less connection

Aspects of SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Alumni Most Identify With

• SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ as a whole: 42% undergraduate, 27% graduate
• Other: 24% undergraduate, 8% graduate *Examples include sports team, student group, residents hall/dorm, center/institute
• Department: 29% undergraduate, 13% graduate
• School or college: 8% undergraduate, 22% graduate

 SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Has Alumni “Mindshare”

• 82% say their current opinion of the University is excellent or good
• 46% of alumni say they mentioned SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ within the past week
• 71% of alumni feel a lifelong relationship with SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ is worth maintain

Quote from the Class of 2004: “My time spent at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ was the best time of my life. The relationships that were built will never be broken and always cherished.”

Quote from the Class of 2010: “I have become very successful in my career due to my academic background and good morals and a sense of community that I established at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½.”

Quote from the Class of 1975: “SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ is an excellent source of enrichment both for young people starting out in life and alumni who benefit from an enduring positive influence.”

The Value of Alumni Programming & Events

Alumni who feel they are still part of the SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ community are 2-3 times more likely to:

• Take great pride in their SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ degree
• Recommend SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ to a prospective student
• Have an excellent overall opinion of the University today
• Be donors
• Say SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ is one of the most important affiliations in life today
• Feel that a lifelong relationship with SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ is worth maintaining
• Feel SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ values its alumni
• Feel an emotional connection to SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½
• Feel SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ is part of who they are

Only a third (35%) of alumni feel they are still part of the SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ community.

Alumni Engagement & Interests

Done in the Past Year or So

• 63% read SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Magazine
• 36% visited campus
• 31% wore SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ apparel
• 30% visited SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ website
• 26% recommended SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ to a prospective student
• 14% engaged with SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ social media
• 14% attended a local event
• 5% honked or waived at someone wearing SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ gear
• 5% volunteered
• 3% hired/got hired by a Bronco
• 2% submitted a class note

Big Opportunity: Class Notes

• Only 2% of alumni self report submitting a class note in the past year.

Interests in Ways to Stay Involved:

• Informed about campus news: 88% somewhat interested, 28% very interested
• Socializing or networking: 75% somewhat interested, 22% very interested
• Intellectually focused events: 75% somewhat interested, 24% very interested
• Podcasts: 64% somewhat interested, 20% very interested
• Community Service projects: 59% somewhat interested, 16% very interested
• Volunteering: 53% somewhat interested, 13% very interested
• Career/professional development: 55% somewhat interested, 19% very interested
• Athletic events: 49% somewhat interested, 11% very interested
• Spiritual events: 42% somewhat interested, 10% very interested

Quote from a member of the Class of 2013: “I always like reading about weddings that are happening in the Mission. I met my boyfriend at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, and I love reading about other peoples’ love stories from SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ as well!”

Attitudes about Programs & Activities

• Program Diversity is Key
• “One Size Doesn’t Fit All”
• No single form of involvement has universal appeal, but half of all alumni express great interest in staying involved in some way
• Alumni feel more engaged if they live in an area with an active regional alumni chapter

Marketing & Communications

Communication Channels Are Very Generational

• Older alumni (60 and older) say that SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Magazine is their main source of news and information, whereas younger alumni (under 40) get their news primarily from friends and social media
• 49% choose email newsletter as their preferred communication channel for events and time-sensitive info

Social Media

Social Media is a positive driver to increase alumni engagement, including:

• Getting together in person with other alumni
• Attending Grand Reunion Weekend
• Attending SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ events in their local area
• Visiting Campus

Quote from a member of the Class of 2009: “I would like to see stronger use of social media platforms or other virtual communication so that alumni like me might be able to participate, even from afar.” 

There Is a Big Opportunity to Grow Our Social Channels

• 48% of alumni say they use social media to interact with other SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ alumni
• 63% of alumni are unaware of the Alumni Association’s Facebook page

Career Programs

Alumni who are interested in Career and Professional Development services are:

• 62% are most interested in career networking opportunities
• 38% Dealing with a career transition or building their personal brand
• 31% are interested in having a positive online presence for their career
• 30% Seeking guidance during their job search
• 28% Updating their resume
• 22% Looking for job interviewing tips

55% of alumni want career and professional development services and events from SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

• Not surprisingly, young alumni (under 40) are the most interested in career and professional development offerings

Desired Affinity Groups

Possible interest-based affinity groups include:

• LGBTQ
• Older singles
• Widowers

Possible professional affinity groups include:

• Teachers
• Real Estate
• Technology
• Finance 

Quote from member of the Class of 2005: “LGBT focused alumni groups would be great!”

Quote from member of the Class of 2009: “The most important resource for me is building professional connections with alumni.”

Quote from member of the Class of 2010: “I would like SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ to offer in-person networking opportunities for alumni in similar career fields.”

Quote from member of the Class of 1972: “Opportunities for older singles to meet other singles!”

64% of alumni are interested in podcasts to stay involved with SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Visiting Campus

• 36% of alumni visited campus in the past year or so
• Quote from member of the Class of 2009: “Taking this survey makes me want to visit the campus!”
• 6/10 alumni who come back to campus in the past year or so say they just walked around and enjoyed campus
• Quote from member of the Class of 1990: “I still visit campus, and it is simply beautiful and welcoming.”

IMAGE: Mission Church

How Well Are We Doing: Benchmarking Against Other Schools

*Since not all schools have a graduate program, we’ve only compared undergraduate data. 

Given the 100 schools we had comparable survey data, we identified 21 schools to benchmark against that were:

• Mix of peer and aspirational
• Mix of large and small
• Mix of private and public
• A few Jesuit Schools
• A few schools we compete with for admissions

Schools included in the benchmarking assessment include:

• Binghamton University
• Creighton University
• Hawai’i Pacific University
• McGill University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• New York University
• Penn State University
• Regis University
• Stanford University
• Trent University
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• University of California Berkeley
• University of California Davis
• University of Colorado
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina
• University of South Florida
• University of Virginia
• Wake Forest University
• Willamette University 

When it comes to alumni feelings the following is how we compare to our peers:

• Feels the university values its alumni
  • Peer school range: 57-90%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 85%
• Feels a lifelong relationship with the University is worth maintaining
  • Peer school range: 48-82%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 76%
• Feels the University is part of who you are
  • Peer school range: 46-85%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 73%
• Feels an emotional connection to the University
  • Peer school range: 45-87%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 71%
• Very satisfied with their student experience
  • Peer school range: 40-86%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 69%
• Takes great pride in their degree
  • Peer school range: 45-87%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 65%
• Still feel part of the community
  • Peer school range: 20-715, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 42%

When it comes to alumni programs, the following is how we compare to our peers:

• Overall
  • Peer school range: 27-73%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 68%
• Campus News
  • Peer school range: 51-91%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 83%
• Athletics
  • Peer school range: 33-79%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 73%
• Intellectual
  • Peer school range: 40-72%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 68%
• Socialize
  • Peer school range: 43-73%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 68%
• Volunteer
  • Peer school range: 30-64%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 62%
• Career
  • Peer school range: 23-71%, SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½: 55%

How We Can Do Better

When asked How SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Fits in Your Life Today, alumni said:

• One of the most important affiliations: 11%
• Other affiliations are more important: 57%
• Not important: 32%

Communications

Alumni Want MORE Communications

• 25% of alumni say they don’t receive enough information about SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ events in their local area, while 3% say they receive too much

Biggest Challenge: Awareness

• 55% of alumni who live in an area with an active chapter are unaware of the chapter

Feedback on Amount of Information Received from SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½:

• Admissions
• 8% too much, 15% not enough
• Fundraising
• 23% too much, 3% not enough
• School news
• 2% too much, 23% not enough
• Alumni
• 3% too much, 21% not enough
• Involvement
• 5% too much, 21% not enough
• Students
• 5% too much, 11% not enough
• Athletics
• 8% too much, 11% not enough
• Local events
• 3% too much, 25% not enough
• Student clubs
• 3% too much, 16% not enough
• Campus events
• 4% too much, 14% not enough
• Research
  • 4% too much, 23% not enough

Quotes from alumni on communication:

• “I feel like we need to do a better job of promoting alumni events in local areas.”
• “Please reach out to alumni more about ways to stay engaged with the University – events, activities, volunteering, etc.”
• “I would love to be contacted more often about the events, etc., listed in the survey.”

What We Like to Hear:

Quote from member of the Class of 1986: “SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ is a special place. Strong academics, amazing people, amazing community. Most important – you become a Bronco for life. The connection alumni have with the university is unmatched. SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ is family.”

Quote from member of the Class of 1992: “SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ was the perfect undergraduate home for me – it broadened me academically, culturally, athletically, and socially. The campus is so rich in history and Jesuit tradition, while sitting in the heart of Silicon Valley. I chose SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ over an Ivy League option, and as I look back at the education I received, the relationship formed, and the path to happiness in life that SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ gave me, I know SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ was the school for me.”

Quote from member of the Class of 2004: “SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ provided me with a solid education and numerous opportunities to learn, grow and challenge myself outside of the classroom, which has shaped me both personally and professionally. I left SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ with much more than a degree. The relationships I made at SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, in through my subsequent involvement via alumni activities, are invaluable and I still maintain a close connection with some students, faculty and staff.”

Survey Respondent Demographics

Age

• Under 30: 10%
• 30-39: 17%
• 40-49: 17%
• 50-59: 20%
• 60-69: 15%
• 70 and older: 7%
• No answer: 15%

Religious Preference

• Catholic: 46%
• Protestant: 13%
• Other Christian: 8%
• Jewish: 3%
• Hindu: 3%
• Buddhist: 2%
• Muslin: 0%
• Other (specify): 3%
• None: 17%
• Prefer not to say: 6%

Racial or Ethnic Group Respondent Identifies with the Most:

• White/Caucasian: 69%
• Asian/Asian-American/Pacific Islander: 13%
• Latino/Chicano/Hispanic: 6%
• Mixed ethnicity: 3%
• Black/African-American: 2%
• Middle Eastern: 1%
• Native American/American Indian: 0%
• Other: 0%
• Prefer not to say: 6%

Degree

• Undergraduate/dual: 54%
• Graduate-only: 46%

School or College

• Arts and Sciences: 34%
• Business: 33%
• Law: 14%
• Engineering: 12%
• Education and Counseling Psychology: 4%
• Jesuit Theology: 2%
• Pastoral Ministries: 0%

Year of Earliest Degree

• 2005-2014: 26%
• 1995-2004: 23%
• 1985-1994: 22%
• 1975-1984: 19%
• 1960-1974: 11%

Gender

• Male: 57%
• Female: 43%

Region

• Local (driving distance): 57%
• Non-local active chapter: 33%
• Elsewhere: 10%

Made a gift to any SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ designation in the past five years?

• Yes: 25%
• No: 75%

About the Survey:

The SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Alumni Association conducted a survey online from April 19-May 23, 2015, with a random sample of SA¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ undergraduate degree holders from 1960-2014 and graduate degree holders from 1965-2014.

1,817 alumni participated in the survey, which was an approximately 23 percent response rate.

For additional information about the survey, please contact Melissa Brotherton at mbrotherton@scu.edu.