Data News

Tracking Student Success Beyond Graduation 

CSUF Alumni Outcomes Dashboard

February 11, 2022


campus buildings

College student success has traditionally been measured through graduation rates and time to completion. However, a present-day cultural shift has called for expanding student success measures to consider what happens to alumni after graduation. Questions such as, “Who employs alumni?”, “Are alumni working in their field of study?” or “How much are alumni earning?” are becoming critical points in measuring student success, as well as in a student’s decision to enroll at a specific institution or program. 

Utilizing the data available through Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI) and Burning Glass, Cal State Fullerton’s Office of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness (OAIE) built a CSUF alumni dashboard containing data from 1963, CSUF’s first graduating class. The user-friendly dashboard allows CSUF internal users to find specific details about alumni such as their current employer, job titles, and skills alumni are using in their careers. Additionally, the data can be filtered by specific colleges, degree level, race, gender, and more. This data can further support the university’s efforts to foster student success long after graduation, such as curriculum planning, marketing, and establishing employer partnerships. Below are a few campus-wide alumni data points you can find in the dashboard.

Alumni Overview: Matched Graduates (i.e., verified alumni who have a professional online profile) between 2018-2020 from all Colleges.

Total Matched Alumni: 15,921                              
Employed in Field of Study: 57.27% (9,119)
Employed out of Field of Study: 27.29% (4,346)
Other: 15,52% (2,456)

Top Occupations:
Postsecondary Teachers
Marketing Managers
Accountants and Auditors
Software Developers and Analysts

Top Employers Beyond CSUF: 
Kaiser Permanente
The Walt Disney Company
Amazon.com, Inc.
LAUSD

Common Skills for the colleges (based on alumni self-reported internet profile):
Strategic Planning
Data Analysis
Leadership
Research

The OAIE, the Division of Information Technology, and all nine colleges recently partnered to develop college-specific and campus-wide digital signage to share the alumni data across campus. The digital signs are intended to inform students and campus visitors of college-specific alumni outcomes and promote the dashboard to faculty and staff. Digital signs will be displayed on digital display screens near each college’s campus location. Below is the university-wide sign for reference. 

Alumni Overview digital sign example. Data previously shared in this article is presented in a visual format.

For more information on CSUF’s Alumni Outcomes and to view the dashboard, please visit the OAIE EMSI website. For questions, contact OAIE by emailing data@fullerton.edu or calling x2593.

<h3>Cal State Fullerton Celebrates Growth - 9/29/2020</h3>
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<p>As the Fall semester kicks off here at Cal State Fullerton, the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research is proud to share some positivity during these uncertain times.</p>
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<p>It was a record-breaking year for degrees awarded in 2019/2020. The overall number of degrees awarded to Hispanic students (X,XXX) reached a new high. This high included new records for Bachelor&rsquo;s and Master&rsquo;s degrees awarded for both Hispanic women and men (see Table 1). The records set are part of a steady incline of Hispanic graduates that have taken place over the last few years.&nbsp; This is a welcomed trend as the University continues to serve as an HSI institution.</p>
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<p>The achievement is also part of larger success for Cal State Fullerton in setting a new record for degrees awarded to underrepresented students (see Figure 1 or Table 2), including any student who has identified their race/ethnicity as African American, American Indian or Native American, Hispanic, or Pacific Islander.</p>
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<p>Cal State Fullerton also ranked as a top 20 Regional West University by US News &amp; World Report. Our accolades in the report include ranking number nine in the social mobility category and number five in the most innovative category. The success in the rise of degrees awarded attributes to social mobility rankings as degrees tend to allow for upward mobility for generations to come.</p>
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<p>Degree data is collected and updated every year. It can be viewed and downloaded via the dashboards on the Office of Assessment and Institutional Research&rsquo;s website at http://www.fullerton.edu/data/institutionalresearch/ . Viewers can study the trends described in this article and more by exploring the dashboards and adjusting dashboard filters to get specific information. Data from the last eleven years is available and can be used for grant applications, Program Performance Reviews, and more.</p>