Abstract:
The objectives of this Burapha University Graduate School institution research were to study the employment status of the 2003 graduates: their opinion towards curriculum, teaching and learning management and supporting facilities as well as equipment's; and the opinion on work performance as perceived by their superiors and fellow employees.
Research instruments included 3 sets of questionnaires Set 1 was the survey of job status of the graduates, Set 2 was the survey of the graduates' opinion towards curriculum, instruction and supporting facilities and equipment Set 3, to be answered by the graduates' superior and fellow employees, was a survey on the graduate characters and work performance. Questionnaires were distributed and collected on the same day during 2003 commencement practice at the university. Data from the graduates' supervisor and fellow employees were mail collected Frequency and percentage were used for the analyses of data. 68.2% of graduates return the questionnaires of which 68.2% was completed and thus used for analyses. Further analyses revealed the following: 97.1% of the graduates was already on the job before entering the graduate studies; out of 24 graduates without job coming into graduates programs, 14 got jobs after graduation, however, 10 were still unemployed; the graduates income was mostly in the bracket of 15,001-20,000 bath/month; 63.7% was government employees while 19.6% was employees in private sectors; 73.5% of the graduates got a job related to their field of study and were able to apply their knowledge on their job at high (63.6%) and moderate (32.4%) levels; 13.4% of graduates reported that their job was the same but with higher position after graduations while 9.2% reported of working in different job with higher job position; this is to say that 22.6% of the graduates had higher job position after graduation and 91.3% of them was satisfy with the job situation.
With respect to their opinion towards curriculum, teaching and learning management and supporting facilities and equipment, data revealed that the two best things of the curriculum were job related and up-to-date. The two least appreciation were laboratory/field experience and study visit/ practical experience. Most graduates reported their opinion towards teaching and learning management were coordination among lectures and course management while the course sequence and the number of lecturers were the least appreciations of the teaching learning management. On the issue of the practice of advisory of thesis, the graduates felt that coordination among advisory committee members and the close supervision of the thesis advisor were most satisfied. However, the two drawbacks with this respect were insufficient number of advising committee and the inappropriate assignment of advisory committee.
The graduates opinion on supporting facilities and equipment's was most satisfied on several condition of services at Main Library, lecture room, and Registrar Office respectively. Computer lab service, laboratory room, security services were reported to be unsatisfactory. The graduates also offered suggestions to improve various aspects for various academic units. Graduate School, and the university in general.
On the supervisor and fellow employees of the graduate side, data revealed that the graduates ability were well recognized by the groups as reflected by the figures that 80.8% of them were very satisfy with the graduates' ability (90.8% felt that the graduates' ability had improved; 8.0% felt that the ability was the same and 0.5% was worst after graduation). However, the three most recognized characters by fellow employees were honesty and job responsibility. On the contrary, the 3 drawbacks among the graduate were abilities on English, governance, the use of computer.
The research team had suggested that a comparative study on the pre and post graduation should be carried out to find out if any change has occurred to graduates. Suggestions were also delivered to departments, facilities/ colleges, various service units of the university with low score on the graduate opinion to realize and improve their works.