** 2024 Commencement Updates **

** 2024 Commencement Updates **

Graduates and Alumni Give Highlands High Marks In Surveys

Las Vegas, New Mexico  – New Mexico Highlands’ 2018 graduates gave the university high marks for quality of instruction and value of their education relative to cost in a recent survey, meeting and exceeding 95 percent satisfaction on these and other measures.

The Student Satisfaction Survey is a state-mandated survey distributed to graduating students. The Highlands Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research administered the state survey to Highlands students graduating in May 2018.

“At the end of the day, the thing that matters most at any university, including Highlands, is the student experience,” said Sam Minner, Highlands University president. “Are students learning? Are they challenged? Do they believe their education is a good value? Are they treated well? These survey results affirm that the answers to those questions are a resounding yes.”

Overall, Highlands students graduating in May 2018 reported a 93 percent satisfaction rate with their college experience at the university. Some other highlights from the survey include:

-98 percent were very satisfied or satisfied with the quality of instruction in their major.

-95 percent were very satisfied or satisfied with the value of their education relative to cost.

-93 percent were very satisfied or satisfied with the quality of intellectual challenge in their program.

-92 percent were very satisfied or satisfied with contact with faculty outside of class.

-93 percent were very satisfied or satisfied with their preparation for work and graduate school.

Both undergraduate and graduate students were included in the sample of 250 completed surveys. The sample included students from the university’s main campus as well as each of its statewide centers.

“The outcomes of our most recent student satisfaction survey are truly gratifying, and I thank my faculty and staff colleagues for their efforts on behalf of our students,” Minner said. “We work hard at Highlands to be focused on our students and these results prove that we’re doing a good job with that. Like any complex organization, we sometimes fall short, but when we do, we try to improve even if our overall outcomes are good.”

In a separate survey, Highlands University alumni graduating between fall 2014 and spring 2015 also gave the university high marks. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research administered this survey in June 2018.

Lee Allard is the director for the Institutional Effectiveness and Research Office at Highlands.

“The results of these graduating student and alumni surveys affirm the positive impact that a Highlands education has on our students and the communities in which they live and work,” Allard said. “The results also demonstrate the high quality and real-life relevance of the educational experiences provided by our faculty and staff. We are confident that Highlands University will continue to provide outstanding educational opportunities to every new generation of students whom we are privileged to serve.”

Ivy Romero is an institutional effectiveness and research associate at Highlands.

“A major finding of the alumni survey is that after graduating from Highlands, 94 percent were either very satisfied or satisfied with the intellectual and personal challenges at Highlands that prepared them for the workforce,” Romero said.

Some other highlights of the Highlands alumni survey include:

­-95 percent were very satisfied or satisfied with the value of their education relative to cost.

-92 percent were very satisfied or satisfied with the quality of instruction in their major.

-72 percent of alumni reported being employed in New Mexico and 18 percent reported being employed in another U.S. state.