Abstract:
Current literature proposes several strategies for improving response rates to
student evaluation surveys. Graduate destination surveys pose the difficulty of
tracing graduates years later when their contact details may have changed. This
article discusses the methodology of one such a survey to maximise response
rates. Compiling a sample frame with reliable contact details was foremost
important, but may require using additional sources of information other than
university records. In hindsight, graduates should have been contacted prior to
introduce the survey and mention its importance, while email and postal
reminders appeared to have a limited effect on non-respondents. Due to varying response rates between participating universities, online responses were
augmented with a call centre administering the survey telephonically to nonrespondents.
Although overall differences between online and telephonic
responses appeared to be small, certain question items may need to be treated
with caution when conducting telephonic surveys. The article concludes by
highlighting some of the benefits of the Western Cape graduate destination
survey.
