Satisfaction Survey of NEU’s 2018 College Commencement Exercises

Satisfaction rating of a University’s Commencement Exercises was determined using an 8-item, 7-point Likert scale survey instrument. The eight items rated were Accessibility (ACCESS), Performance of volunteers and aides (AIDES), Orderliness (ORDER), Solemnity (FORMAL), Discipline (CONDUCT), Like Most (MOST), Like Least (LEAST), and Overall Experience/Satisfaction (OVERALL). These first five items were used as the basis in defining the dependent variable. The independent variables were the nine (9) colleges (groups), namely: College of Engineering (CEA), Criminology (CC), Education (CED), Computer Studies (CCS), Arts (CAS), Communication (COC), Business Administration (CBA), Accountancy (COA), and the combined schools of graduate studies and ETEAP. The survey instrument was administered to 279 randomly selected respondents who were the graduates of New Era University class 2018. Sample size was based on power analysis as recommended by G*Power 3.9.1.2 software (2017 version). The survey instrument underwent contest validity evaluation from scale developers, and showed an estimated internal consistency reliability of .91 (Cronbach’s Alpha). The survey yielded 99.6% response rate. One-Sample Wilcoxon Signed Rank test showed that the median satisfaction rating of graduates was above 5.0 (or above the Slightly Satisfied category on a 7-point Likert scale). Kruskal- Wallis (K-W) test revealed statistically significant group differences (p = .001), effect size (η) = .42 (large according to Cohen, 1988). Multiple comparisons using Mann-Whitney U (M-W) test with Bonferroni correction showed that the combined schools of graduate studies (GSB, GSE, and ETEAP) gave a rating (beyond satisfactory level) significantly higher than that given by the CAS, the COC, and the CBA, with medium effect size (r) in each pairwise comparison according to Cohen (1988). Similarly, College of Criminology (CC) expressed a degree of satisfaction (beyond satisfactory level) significantly greater than that expressed by the CAS, the COC, and the CBA, with medium to large effect size in each case. The College of Accountancy (COC) also gave a rating (beyond satisfactory level) significantly higher than that given by CBA, with medium effect size. Other pairwise comparisons were found not statistically significantly different. Receiving of the diploma by the graduates was the most liked part of the ceremony; length of the ceremony, the least.