New Alumni Survey Illustrates Value of Jepson Experience

July 10, 2004

The study of leadership strongly contributes to skill sets considered desirable by employers. So say Jepson alumni whose impressions were released in a spring, 2004 study of alumni attitudes toward the Jepson experience.

An overwhelming number of respondents (98 percent) said that the study of leadership built team work and the capacity to work well with others. Understanding of communications and the ability to communicate well verbally and in writing also were seen as as critical to employers and honed by Jepson (91 percent). And, 89 percent cited analytical and critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking (94 percent) and ethics (90 percent) were remembered as most memorable classes, along with conflict resolution (52 percent) and leading change (44 percent).

Reflecting upon their Jepson experiences, alumni remember interaction with faculty (72 percent) and interaction with peers (64 percent) as most significant to them.

Sixty-five percent of alumni agreed or agreed strongly that the Jepson experience has greatly influenced their career paths. Response rate for the survey was high, 42.5% of those delivered. Some 411 surveys were mailed, 30 were returned for bad addresses and there were 162 responses.

Senior Angela Rittel ('04) conducted the research as an independent study. Associate Dean Teresa Williams served as her faculty adviser.

The dean's office is reviewing the study, in the hope that it may be useful in developing plans for communications and outreach to better serve Jepson's some 700 alumni.

A nexus for the study of leadership, The Jepson School of Leadership Studies is the nation's first undergraduate school of leadership studies with the mission to educate people for and about leadership. Its first class of 38 majors graduated in 1994.

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