Graduate surveys

We conduct this graduate survey in order to ensure a consistent quality of university education in the future. The graduate survey is to give us an insight into the graduates' professional background after their university degree.

This survey is a major source for cechking whether the study program is consistent with the requirements of a professional life. The information obtained from the survey is an important element for quality assurance at the University of Hildesheim.

These data represent an important indicator of quality and quantity and can help identify deficits. The study programs can be adapted to new requirements and the practical relevance and problems of the university can be checked through the collected data. The results obtained are a significant contribution to modifying the design of the curriculum and the student guidance. Where appropriate, the results of the key- and additional qualifications can be expanded on the basis of the results.

The survey is conducted within the framework of the cooperation project "AbsolventInnenstudien" (graduate surveys), KOAB), which is coordinated by the International Center for Higher Education (INCHER) of the University of Kassel. In Germany, about 70 universities took part in this cooperation project (see KOAB participating universities). There are currently ten  universities and colleges participating from Lower Saxony in the survey. The University of Hildesheim participated for the first time in the winter semester 2016/2017 in this graduate survey (graduation year: 2015).

Normally, all graduates (all types of degrees) of a graduation year are interviewed in the winter semester about 1-2 years after their graduation. The graduation year 2015 will therefore be interviewed in the winter semester 2016/2017.

The surveys covers the following topics:

·         study and study development

·         retroperspective evaluation of the study program

·         employment situation of the graduates

·          the transition-to-work period

·         qualification and occupation

·         professional success

·         connection between the study program and occupation

·         occupational satisfaction

The University of Hildesheim uses standardised questionnaires under the coordination of the International Center for Higher Education Research. These allow a national comparison of study conditions and professional success. The standard core questionnaire was coordinated with the study subjects and supplemented with specific competence questions.

The addresses of the graduates at the time of the completion of their studies were collected and stored electronically due to the conditions for the collection and processing of personal data at the University of Hildesheim. These address data are compiled solely for the purpose of carrying out the graduate survey and are handed over to the responsible coordinators of the project on removable disks.

Since the addresses of the graduates who are registered at the University of Hildesheim are not always up to date one year after the completion of the studies, the addresses are updated, if necessary, in the context of a research, especially with the help of registration office, the postal service and the Internet.

Address data may only be transmitted and used within the university if they fulfill scientific or academic purposes. Both conditions are comlied within the scope of this graduate study:

1.) The results of the study are to be used for the purpose of research and quality assurance of teaching and studies within the University of Hildesheim.

2.) The graduate survey at the University of Hildesheim is part of a German research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Germany) of 50 universities under the coordination of INCHER-Kassel. Within the context of the nationwide cooperation project "Study Conditions and Professional Success", INCHER is generating a cross-university dataset that compiles the answers from all graduates surveyed at participating universities. INCHER analises the anonymised data exclusively for the scientific purposes intended by the university and the graduate research project.

The stored address data are used for no other purposes than for the invitation and reminder in order to encourage former students participate in the graduate survey.

The address data are only processed by employees of the University of Hildesheim.

All employees who have access to the personal data as part of the project are subject to the applicable Data Protection Act. In this context, the transfer of address data to third parties is strictly prohibited and this also applies if the employees no longer work at the University of Hildesheim.

Each graduate is assigned an automatically generated access code. With the help of this code, the interviewees can participate in the online survey (the protection against so-called external fillers is thus adequately ensured). On the other hand, it is possible to find out who has already replied by checking the access codes used. The graduates, who have not yet replied, receive reminder e-mails at intervals of three weeks. The rest of the graduates are texted via e-mail (in total, a graduate participating in the survey has up to four times contact with the employees).

When participating in the online survey you can register with your access code in order to take part in the anonymous online survey.

During the survey phase, your answers are first stored on a server of the University of Kassel, which carries out the survey technically on behalf of the University of Hildesheim. The survey data are transmitted via an unencrypted connection.

In a separate survey you will be asked  a) if you are willing to take part in the follow-up-study in 3-4 years and b) if you are interested in a brief summary of the research report and/or special offers of the University of Hildesheim. If you wish to take part in the follow-up-study and/or to receive the brief summary, you will be asked to enter your address data.

These address data are not stored in the same place as the survey data, but in a separate password-protected area on a server of the University of Kassel. Your address data will never be stored together with your survey data in a file. In this respect, the survey data are completely anonymous at any time during the survey.

After completion of the survey phase, the anonymous survey data are adjusted by INCHER of the University of Kassel and evaluated according to standard procedures for the University of Hildesheim. The University of Hildesheim receives parallel data for specific analyzes. The INCHER Kassel works with the data of all participating universities in an anonymous version in the context of university and graduate research. In this data set no persons or universities are identifiable at any time.

At the end of the survey the address data will be saved in a separate password-protected area according to data protection regulations by the evaluation officer of the University of Hildesheim.

The University of Hildesheim uses the address data for the intended purposes. stated by the graduates, only (e.g. taking part in the follow-up-survey, receiving the brief summary, etc.).

The University of Hildesheim publishes the results of the graduate survey which are divided into subject group, so it does not allow any conclusions to be drawn to individual persons. The results will help individual faculties to improve the quality of their studies by taking the feedback of the graduates into account when planning or reforming their studies.

INCHER Kassel generates a  cross-university dataset that compiles the answers from all graduates surveyed at participating universities.The address data are not included in this data set. INCHER analyses the anonymized data exclusively for the scientific purposes intended by the university and the graduate research project. Inferences on individual universities or persons are not possible in any publications of INCHER.

The results of the graduate survey are summarised and published at the University of Hildesheim at the level of subject groups. The individual faculties use these results as part of the evaluation of their study programs to identify strengths and weaknesses, to develop and implement quality improvement measures and to improve the counselling for the students. INCHER Kassel receives the results of the University of Hildesheim in an anonymous form and makes use of this in the framework of academic university and graduate research at national and international level. For more information about the research project, please visit: INCHER Graduate Studies.