April 9, 2008

Student, employer, graduate satisfaction rates up over 2007

OSHAWA, Ont. – Durham College welcomed the release today of the annual provincial Key Performance Indicator (KPI) results as another affirmation that its commitment to an outstanding post-secondary experience is resonating with students and employers.

In particular, the results show that Durham College graduates continue to have a distinct edge in the job market, as 90.7 per cent reported finding employment within six months of graduation.

The college’s results show an overall trend upwards, with growth in a majority of the benchmark areas examined as part of the surveys, which have been mandated annually by the provincial government since 1998. Colleges are required to collect and report performance data in the areas of graduate satisfaction, student satisfaction, employer satisfaction, graduate employment and graduation rate.

“The student experience comes first at Durham College and part of our commitment to living that mission every day is receiving feedback and then using it to help us improve all the programs and services that we provide,” said Leah Myers, president of Durham College. “We are extremely pleased to see that our results are continuing to improve overall. I’m especially pleased by our graduate employment rate as it is another reminder that colleges are providing the knowledge, skills and training that ensures students find jobs in today’s rapidly changing workplace.”

Durham’s graduate employment rate of 90.7 per cent is up from 90.2 per cent in 2007 and is ahead of the provincial average of 90.5. Not only are Durham College graduates finding work, but they’re making an impression with employers. In fact, 95.6 per cent of employers surveyed reported they were very satisfied or satisfied with hiring a Durham College graduate, up from 94.8 per cent in 2007 and above the provincial average of 93.1 per cent.

Student satisfaction results also grew over 2007, with 70.8 per cent of Durham College students responding that they were very satisfied or satisfied with the quality of services, up three percentage points from 67.8 per cent and almost in line with the provincial average of 70.9 per cent.

When it came to the quality of facilities and resources, 71.9 per cent were very satisfied or satisfied, up from 69.5 per cent and ahead of the province at 71.3 per cent. In particular, students appear to be extremely pleased with the college’s 90,000-square-foot expansion to the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, which opened in June 2007. When asked about the quality of the recreation/athletics facilities, 81 per cent reported they were very satisfied or satisfied, a staggering 70-per cent increase from the 48 per cent in 2007.

Other Durham College results from this year’s report include:

Category	2008	2007	Province
Graduate satisfaction	81.5	81.4	82.8
Student satisfaction	77.4	75.7	77.9
– Knowledge and skills	86.9	86.0	87.5
– Quality of learning experiences	80.0	79.5	81.8
Graduation rate	67.4	68.1	64.9

Based on KPI results over the past few years, Durham College has continued to introduce a number of new initiatives designed to enhance the student experience. For instance, in 2007 the college increased space for group study, with an additional 10,000 square feet added for student use; expanded its Health Centre to offer wellness services such as a full-service pharmacy, sexual health centre, and chiropractic and massage therapy; and a Student Food Services Committee was established to provide feedback.

“Over the coming weeks we will look at this year’s results and celebrate our successes and determine where we can get even stronger,” said Myers. “The KPI report is an important part of our overall focus on continuous improvement and meeting the needs of all our students so that they can graduate with the skills necessary to meet the demands of today’s employers.”

To view the full results, please visit the Colleges Ontario website.