We are listening: Law Alumni Survey Results
The first comprehensive alumni survey was conducted this past spring by Santa Clara Law, through the Law Alumni and Development Office. "Our goal was to establish how well Santa Clara Law serves its alumni and to determine methods to increase alumni involvement in future programs and services," says Larry Donatoni, Assistant Dean, Law Alumni and Development. "We are extremely grateful to the alumni who participated in the survey."
To provide for the most diverse sample, approximately half of Santa Clara Law's 10,000 alumni were invited to participate. An online survey, conducted by a higher education survey company, resulted in a response from more than 23 percent of those surveyed.
"It was so informative for us to review the results," says Stacey Rishel, Director, Alumni Relations & Annual Giving. Overall, alumni expressed a desire to feel connected with the law school, to network with their classmates and fellow alumni, to have the law school's help in developing more career skills, and to keep up-to-date with the scholarship of Santa Clara Law and the contributions its graduates are making to the legal profession and to society.
The survey showed that most alumni have a good to excellent opinion of the Law School and the quality of the education they received. The survey also showed that alumni help promote the law school to friends, family, and potential students. Many alumni regularly keep in touch with Santa Clara Law, and its faculty, staff, and their classmates via email, by reading Santa Clara Law magazine, by visiting campus, and by attending alumni events.
The survey included many questions asking for feedback—such as naming influential law school professors, staff, and programs, and questions about what is important about being a graduate of Santa Clara Law. One question asked "What can the alumni association do for you?"As one graduate said, "Keep in touch and keep the emails coming. I may not respond today, but I do not want to be forgotten." Another responded, "Encourage participation of alumni and tap into the vast areas of practice that alumni are working in." Continued and increased communication was clearly a strong theme from the respondents.
Another strong theme was that once alumni become more secure in their careers, they want to increase their involvement with Santa Clara Law, our Law Alumni Association, and particularly with prospective and current students.
The Law Alumni Office, key school administration members, and the alumni association leadership are carefully reviewing and analyzing the 60-page report, graphs, and individual comments. "In the coming months, we will continue to share the results and ways we can strengthen existing services to alumni, add new programs that respond to the identified gaps, and determine appropriate opportunities to further engage current and future alumni," says Donatoni.
If you didn't get a chance to participate in the survey and would like to share your comments, we invite you to do so via our Web site: law.scu.edu/alumni/contact-us.cfm .
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ALUMNI SURVEY RESULTS
The survey underscored five key areas of importance to alumni:
See law.scu.edu/alumni/coupon.cfm for details. For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Stacey Rishel, Director of Law Alumni Relations, at 408-554-5496 or email srishel@scu.edu.
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