Survey Descriptions

Alumni Survey

The Alumni Survey is administered every two years to a 50% sample of USC alumni who were graduated two to three years before the survey is administered. The Alumni Survey is administered in part to fulfill the requirements of Act 255 of 1992, which mandates that public institutions of higher learning report placement data and educational satisfaction attitudes of graduates.

Respondent Profiles

Alumni Survey, 1991-1992 Graduates
Alumni Survey, 1993-1994 Graduates
Alumni Survey, 1995-1996 Graduates
Alumni Survey, 1997-1998 Graduates
Alumni Survey, 1999-2000 Graduates
Alumni Survey, 2001-2002 Graduates
Alumni Survey, 2003-2004 Graduates

CIRP

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) is an annual survey administered at colleges and universities nationwide. It allows the Division of Student and Alumni Services to develop a profile of the first-time, full-time students entering the University of South Carolina each year. The survey collects information on each incoming student's background, opinions on current issues, and activities during the last year of high school. The CIRP is administered to incoming students the summer before they actually enroll at USC, during placement testing weekends and new student orientation. Since the survey is administered to incoming students at schools across the country, national norm data are available for all survey items. For more information, please visit the National CIRP Home Page.

Respondent Profiles

CIRP 1994
CIRP 1995
CIRP 1996
CIRP 1997
CIRP 1998
CIRP 1999
CIRP 2000
CIRP 2001
CIRP 2002
CIRP 2003
CIRP 2005
CIRP 2006
CIRP 2007

CSEQ

In the spring of every third year, the College Student Experience Questionnaire (CSEQ) is administered to a cross-section of USC students. The CSEQ is a national survey from Indiana University which gathers background information on students and provides the Division of Student and Alumni Services with a summary of the academic and extracurricular activities in which students engage while at USC. The CSEQ is distributed and collected by instructors in selected classes. For more information, please visit the National CSEQ Home Page.

Respondent Profiles

CSEQ 1995
CSEQ 1998
CSEQ 2003

Senior Survey

Every other year or in the spring of every third year, the Senior Survey is administered to a sample of juniors and seniors. The survey allows the Division of Student Affairs to develop a profile of its senior class and gauge students' perceptions of and satisfaction with various aspects of their college experience at the University of South Carolina. Instructors in selected senior level classes distribute the survey to students and collect the completed questionnaires during a subsequent class period. The Senior Survey is a locally developed survey, so no national norms are available.

Respondent Profiles

Senior Survey 1994
Senior Survey 1997
Senior Survey 2000
Senior Survey 2002

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

NSSE has been collecting data from students at four-year colleges and universities around the country since 2000 to assess the extent to which students engage in educationally effective activities. The guiding premise is that student participation in these activities at reasonable levels is a meaningful proxy for collegiate quality.For more information, please visit the NSSE Home Page.

The University of South Carolina Columbia participates in this survey on a bi-annual basis. The survey is administered to a random sample of approximately 500 first year students and 500 seniors. Students can complete the survey either on the web or in a more traditional paper and pencil format.

Respondent Profiles

NSSE 2001
NSSE 2003
NSSE 2005
NSSE 2007

 

Profile of the American College Student (PACS)

The Profile of the American College Student (PACS), administered by NASPA and powered by Student Voice, is a comprehensive survey program designed to provide institutions with a descriptive portrait of their students at all levels, from first year to senior year-plus. Data collected from this survey aids in describing key characteristics of students, including how they behave and what they believe. The longitudinal data collected will allow the University of South Carolina to track changes and trends in our students' demographics and make comparisons among different groups of students on our campus.

Respondent Profiles

PACS 2006