Las Vegas, New Mexico – New Mexico Highlands University’s alumni who graduated in 2015 and 2016 gave the university high marks for the value of their education relative to cost, with a total of 93 percent reporting being satisfied or very satisfied.
The Highlands Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research administered the alumni survey in March 2019.
“There is probably no more valuable feedback an institution of higher education can receive than from their alums, and our alumni are very pleased with their HU experience,” said Sam Minner, Highlands University president. “Their feedback to us provides even more opportunities for improvement. They have experienced the university like no other group – the good, the not so good, and recommendations for improvement.
“It is gratifying that so many alums think about HU in such a favorable manner. And yet, they also have suggestions to make HU even better and stronger. We will carefully examine that feedback and make some changes to improve Highlands. That approach of continuous improvement is critical if any organization is to move forward in a positive way,” Minner said.
Minner said alumni are technically not customers in the same sense that shoppers at retail outlets are customers.
“And yet, like customers, our alums have opinions and perceptions of the experiences they had at the institution and we need to pay attention to them,” Minner said.
Some other highlights for the 2019 Highlands alumni survey reveal that:
– 86 percent of alumni surveyed stated they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their overall experience at Highlands.
– 95 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of instruction in their major or certificate.
– 93 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the extent that their experience at Highlands enhanced their ability to communicate and explain ideas.
– 92 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the extent that their experience with Highlands prepared them to work in a group.
– Close to 60 percent of alumni have continued their education, with 67 percent of those continuing their education at Highlands.
– Close to 90 percent of all survey respondents are employed in New Mexico.
– 87 percent of alumni surveyed stated they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their current jobs.
The sample included students from the university’s main campus as well as each of its statewide locations.
Lee Allard is the director for the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research at Highlands.
“The results of the annual alumni survey affirm the positive impact that a Highlands education has on our students and on the communities in which they live and work,” Allard said. “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.”
Shawn Flood and Ivy Romero, both analysts in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, played key roles in the alumni survey.
“A new question on the survey this year involved suggestions for programs that alumni might be interested in pursuing,” Flood said. “Our Highlands administrators can use this information when considering new programs to develop.”