In today’s environment we have to demonstrate a strong return on investment to validate our success as educators.  Florida’s colleges and universities receive funding – or have it withheld – based on a number of measures intended to indicate how well a school graduates its students and fills employment needs. But what if we’re not measuring the right things to determine our ROI?      

That was the thesis for one of the most compelling presentations at the Governor’s Degrees to Jobs Summit in Orlando in late May. The Great Jobs, Great Lives study produced by Gallup and Purdue University surveyed more than 30,000 graduates across the United States to create a more holistic view of their lives beyond the metrics to determine their level of engagement in the workplace and well-being in their lives.

The study “examines the long-term success of graduates as they pursue a good job and better life.” In other words, did going to college prepare you for the career you hoped for, and did that career create the quality of life you expected? There’s a lot in this study, but I’d like to focus on four of its findings in particular. At the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, we are committed to providing fulfilling educational opportunities that prepare students for the careers they chose.

“If employed graduates feel their college prepared them well for life outside it, the odds that they are engaged at work rise three times. Internships, long-term projects, and extracurricular activities contribute to feeling prepared.”

A major portion of SCF’s 2015-2020 Boldly Engaging strategic plan is committed to the student experience. I couldn’t agree more about the value of internships. At SCF, we have increased internships by 60 percent since summer 2015 and we continue to seek opportunities for our students. I encourage our local business and industry partners to contact me if you need interns or are interested in creating internships for our students. SCF also offers many extracurricular opportunities for our students in any number of clubs or teams – like our national runner-up Brain Bowl team – that enhance the college experience and bond students to the institution.

“The longer it takes graduates to get their degree, the lower their engagement. Finishing school in four years actually doubles the odds of engagement for working graduates.”

Today everyone is looking for ways to accelerate their way through college to reduce debt. At SCF, we’ve got multiple terms and clearly defined degree paths to facilitate getting your associate’s degree in two years or even get a head start while still in high school with dual enrollment. Our transfer students are prepared to pursue their bachelor’s degrees and regularly post higher grade point averages than the native students at Florida universities.

“The higher the amount of school loans that graduates took out for their undergraduate education, the worse off their well-being is.”

SCF provides a low-cost alternative to a public university or private institution. The average debt for a full-time SCF student is about a third to half of that incurred for the same time at a Florida university. Plus, students can reduce expenses by living at home, keeping their jobs and remaining in the community.

“Where graduates went to college hardly matters to their current well-being and work lives in comparison to their experiences in college.”

The study found that a student’s success is determined by the quality of the time they spend in college, not the school’s size or pedigree. Gallup and Purdue determined that “it’s not where you go, it’s how you do it” that matters in higher education. Supporting and engaging faculty are key to a student’s positive experience in college. At SCF, I’m constantly told by students how much our outstanding faculty has motivated and inspired them to get the most from their college experience.

If you would like to see more of this study, please go to http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/gallup/reports.html and download the full report. 

Dr. Carol Probstfeld is president of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.