Academic and workplace perceptions of nontraditional female graduates

Journal of the Academy of Business and Economics, March, 2004 by Frederick J. DeCasperis

ABSTRACT

Female students over the age of 25 who received a bachelor's degree at my institution between 19901997 were the focus two research studies. The studies assessed graduates' attitudes and perceptions of the quality of their educational experiences and their subsequent workplace experiences. The first study found that the majority of these graduates thought highly of their academic experience and felt it left them well prepared for employment. However, survey results clearly indicated that respondents perceived their ability to secure job advancement and increased financial compensation at a pace equal to men with whom they worked as an area of concern. In 2002 a longitudinal study was undertaken of all students who had responded to the initial study. While there is current literature to support that women in the corporate world are now faring better when compared to their male counterparts than women were a decade ago, survey respondents, all of whom became part of the corporate culture prior to 1998, once again indicated that their ability to secure job advancement and increased financial compensation at a pace equal to male co-workers was perceived as a problem area.

1. INTRODUCTION

Nontraditional female students, defined as individuals at least 25 years of age upon receipt of their baccalaureate degree, were one of the fastest growing constituencies at colleges and universities over the last three decades. These returning women were interested in self-development and a better quality of life and their motivation to learn was strong, often because of job and money pressures (Hawkins & Sides, 1994). My institution, a private, coeducational, four-year undergraduate college saw a large increase in nontraditional women students over these years. While the school was originally established as a male commuter school in 1937, women had always been allowed to matriculate and earn degrees through evening study. However, few took advantage of the opportunity until the 1970s. Since that time the part-time student population has more than doubled to over 600 students, and nontraditional females represent a significant portion of this growth. While females represented 23% of part-time students in 1971, they now account for more than 60% of that population.

In 1998 a research study queried all female students who were over the age of 25 when they received their degree from the College between the years 1990-1997. The study was part of an effort to determine how nontraditional female graduates viewed the overall impact of their educational experience, and to determine how successfully they were able to compete in a job market where the vast majority of corporate leaders are men. It was designed to assess the attitudes and perceptions of these graduates as they related to the quality of their educational experiences and their subsequent workplace experiences. The survey questionnaire focused on the quality of courses, instruction, and support services, as well as the extent to which graduates increased their general knowledge and skills applicable to a career. The study also sought to determine how successful the graduates felt they were in their field of employment.

The following research questions were addressed:

1. What did the nontraditional female graduates perceive to be the strengths and weaknesses of the program and what are their suggestions for improvement?

2. Did the graduates indicate an increase in their general knowledge base and skill levels?

3. Did the graduates acquire specific knowledge and skills applicable to a career?

4. Did the graduates gain access to professional career opportunities and did they experience job satisfaction within those careers?

2. RESEARCH PROCEDURE FOR STUDY #1

A Likert-style questionnaire, allowing subjects to respond with varying degrees of intensity using the fivecategory range of very dissatisfied, dissatisfied, no opinion, satisfied and very satisfied, was used as the survey instrument. Sufficient opportunity was provided within the questionnaire for respondent comments.

Questionnaire surveys were delivered to all 334 females who were at least 25 years of age when they graduated from the College between 1990-1997. One hundred and ninety-five surveys were returned, representing a 58.4% return rate. All data were coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (S.P.S.S.).

Seventy-seven percent of the respondents were from Siena's School of Business, 19% were from the School of Arts and Social Sciences, and 4% were from the School of Science. The high percentage of respondents from the School of Business is not surprising since many of these nontraditional female students came from the corporate world and attended classes in the evening to strengthen existing career paths or to create new career options.

2.1 Findings for Study #1

The findings of the study showed that the majority of these graduates thought highly of their experience and felt the experience left them well prepared for additional study or employment in their respective fields.