Alumni Survey 2003 (1994 graduates)1 Academics

What follows are direct comments students’ made in answer to the following questions: What had the most positive impact on you during your time at Eastern? And, What had the most negative impact on you during your time at Eastern?

Education/Degree/Coursework

Positive Impact

Education . EIU inspired my desire to manage/ teach staff. (39) . Education was superb! (76) . Education (101) . Honors Programs (124) . The work I completed in graduate school was highly positive. (138) . Being in the departmental honors program- more intensive, personalized instruction. (162) . I had great classes. (161) . I truly enjoyed every class I took. The college was so helpful to me while working full time and being a wife/mother. (171) . Core courses taken Jr/Sr years, being a panther….I still am!! Oswego High School (IL)… Go Panthers! (181) . The writing requirement. (194) . Opportunity to present information at a national education conference in Phoenix, Arizona. (209) . The fact that I could get my degree and live at home was great! (238) . The ability I had to experiment, sample, diversity my education. I dipped my toes in all over campus and even when I settled, those departments allowed and encouraged and sometimes required I have knowledge of all aspects of the chosen fields (theater & communications). As a result, I believe I am on a path where, eventually, all my experience & education will come together in a unique way. (248) . I love EIU and have three degrees to prove that I value, not only the university but higher education. (252) . I have always loved to learn. This was such fun to dab in new subjects not directly related to nursing--history, economics, politics, religions, art! And it was great not to have to worry about grades, yet I still ended up with a high grade point average. (347) . Completing my thesis. (370) . Being submerged in a situation that helped me appreciate, accommodate, and develop a broader understanding of the world we live in and the technical skills needed to survive in it. (390) . The computer training and knowledge allowed me to go into the workforce and excel with my basic skills. (393)

1 The numbers in parentheses following the comments are reference numbers to alumni identification information. More information about the alumni who made the comments is available.

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 1 . Challenging coursework. (437) . Variety of classes applicable to professional and personal life skills. (456) . Wide range of courses offered in my course of study. (480) . Being able to obtain a fine education at a reasonable cost. (487) . My non-education classes. (514) . Being introduced to a field of study that I knew nothing about but was found to be the groundwork for my future career path. (519) . Being in a small department on campus. I loved my years at Eastern and would recommend it to everyone. (521) . Finding my major—didn’t know until I got there! Being responsible for picking my classes and attending them. I hated high school for feeling ‘forced’ to be there, but then again I was a teenager so what did I know?! Loved college! (532) . Honors Program (536) . Attending a great variety of classes that exposed me to many different cultures and broadened my ideas about the world. (548) . I loved my majors and everything I learned while developing my education. (565) . I felt EIU offered enough diverse activities and curriculum for me to develop into who I wanted to become. (575) . Gave me a strong basic background. (594) . Variety of class, having requirements expanded the range of classes that I would have taken (679.) . Most of the coursework was high quality and informative up through the Bachelors level. (619) . Completion of 4 year degree. (184) . Completing my Master’s thesis. (395) . I enjoyed getting my degree very much and continued my education beyond my B.A. (431) . I can not single out one thing. I think that all aspects of my experience at Eastern for my Bachelor’s and master’s came together for a positive impact. (435) . Graduation Day—receiving my diploma! (462.)

Class Size . Teacher interaction with students—small student/faculty ratio. (625) . Small class sizes that were conducive with a more personal relationship with instructors. (14) . The campus was not to big but not so small, that it didn’t feel like a college campus. (15) . The chance to attend a university of a good size without being treated like a number. (21) . Small class sizes (62, 70, 208, 213, 219, 230, 240, 288, 324, 326, 335, 458, 469, 480, 495, 497, 517, 539, 545, 546, 581, 594, 597, 604, 661, 664, 682) . the town of Charleston—small town to explore. (63) . University yet still somewhat small setting. (64) . Small class size. Small campus. (86) . Small interactive classes, allowing one-on-one contact with teachers. (110) . The small classes, they allowed you to be involved in classroom discussions. I only had one lecture style class at EIU. It was great to be in a small setting. (142) . I enjoyed the benefits of attending a state school, while at the same time feeling the closeness of a small college. Thank you EIU!! (143) . Small classes, safe campus. (152) . Small university was valuable for me learning. (160) . The very high concern for the students education by having small classes (173) . The small class size gave students the opportunity to have increased feedback from professors. (189) . I enjoyed the small class sizes. (204)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 2 . I enjoyed Eastern’s small campus. I now take graduate courses at NIU and it’s hard to compare the tow schools. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for some of NIU’s undergraduates. Eastern’s smaller classes and intimate settings were a valuable resource. (242) . The small class environment had the most impact. It gave me confidence to interact with peers and instructors to gain professional experiences. (247) . The class sizes were the most positive aspect. (251) . The small size of most of my classes (258) . The size of the campus allowed me access to classes promptly (266) . Overall, my entire experience at Eastern was positive. I would say the best part was the feel of a Big 10 school with all the opportunities but on a small campus where you don’t feel lost among the herd. (332) . The closeness of those in the College of education. I liked knowing other students and professors from previous classes. This allowed us to interact more effective and without intimidation. Dr. Noelle Greathouse was an exceptional instructor. (333) . The size of the school allowed for intimacy in the classroom as well in the social aspects. (338) . Small class size made access to professors easier (341) . Smaller state university – smaller class sizes which enabled me to learn more, ask questions, and get the attention I needed. (364) . Small class sizes- open discussion (419) . Small University which gave me one-on-one attention! (492) . Eastern was a small campus that was close to home. That was important because I was the oldest child in a family who had never had experiences with college before. (518) . The size of the campus. It wasn’t too big, wasn’t too small. (520) . Size of the campus itself, not too big, not too small. (521) . Campus size, and classroom size. I transferred form SIU, classroom size too large. I felt there was more contact, individual attention at EIU. It felt more like a part of a community than just a college campus. (526) . The most positive impact on me resulted from the small class sizes and constructive, close interactions between students. (616) . EIU’s class size was small enough so the instructors would know the students names. That is a very strong asset. (626) . Keeping the campus small helped me feel like I wasn’t just a number. (683) . The population and the size of the campus were perfect. (687) . I feel the class sizes were one of the most positive aspects of my time at Eastern. The student to teacher ratio was very conducive to learning as professors actually had tome to answer questions and help the students. This has been very beneficial in my secondary career of English teacher. (696) . Among the best are small class sizes with individual instruction. (697)

Pedagogy/Coursework . The group projects and presentations were good. Taught me to work with others as a team, and not to be afraid to talk in front of a group. (578) . Classes taught offered me opportunities to think deeply and express my opinions regarding computers affect on all ages, our environmental dangers and prevention interest. I enjoyed entering into and offering input in discussions. Being an older adult student was much more interesting than being an 18- year old student with little experience and minimal discussion input. (35) . Learning to write more effectively and professionally. (82) . Teamwork, presentation preparation, and computer skills. (95)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 3 . Critical thinking, oral presentations, written presentations (100) . Developing written communication skills. (368) . From a professional standpoint, without a doubt the value of the education, strong writing skills and critical thinking skills. (371) . Hands-on clinical experience. (380) . Opportunity for public speaking (in class & out). (697)

Negative Impact

. At the time not enough computers. Could have used some more direct sales skills. (95) . The lack of research opportunities. (152) . Eastern was not sufficiently challenging to prepare me for grad school. I should have had to write more papers. (153) . There needs to be a motivational type class because college is fun, but though and I was in charge of self-motivating myself, which isn’t enough. (159) . I was a bit discouraged at the lack of communication skills exhibited by most of the younger students. I feel more emphasis needs to be placed on the written and spoken assignments. Also, many education courses are not helpful in a real classroom situation. (168) . Large lecture type classes. (485) . Large non-personal freshman core pre-requisite classes. (644) . The reality of working in a group dynamic. (360) . Lack of technology education. (23) . Taking mandatory classes of no interest/use to me. (27) . Taking classes that did not pertain to my major. (128) . None of my classes ever helped me to develop critical thinking skills. It didn’t teach me very much about life outside of campus. (85) . Large non-personal freshman core pre-requisite classes. (664) . Need more business skills in gen. ed requirements!!! (223) . As far as education goes I feel I could have benefited more if Eastern had more programs that give actual on the job experience. (184.) . Zero career emphasis. (197) . Academics were too easy. (222) . As I think back, I wish I had had more research training and was more familiar with library systems and functions. (But then I graduated just before email and internet exploded). I lament (and often succumb to) the rise of Barnes & Noble/ Starbucks and the fall of our public libraries. I feel a longing to help libraries remain vibrant and active- What do we have without free public access to information? I also wish my writing skills had been more of a focus. I also wish I had been required to take more Math. Maybe a personal finance class would have enticed me about math while giving me real world skills. (248) . Dealing with all the non-business related courses that were requirements. ( 336) . I feel as though all the general ed requirements were not necessary. I feel as though I wasted my time in some of these classes. I have not used what was learned in them in my career. (605) . Beyond the Bachelors level, I found a large part of the coursework to be disappointing. A couple of classes and the intensive internship were very good and also challenging. (619) . Taking some of my “gen-ed” classes. I was more interested in my field and not just filling my schedule with “stuff.” (655) . A lot of classes I took for my major were not necessary. (326) . Taking classes that were unnecessary for my degree, but had to complete them for credits. (433)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 4 . Picking a major that I did not have to study very hard for. (497) . The required courses not pertaining to my major. (565) . Lack of challenge/ difficulty. (536) . I struggled my first semester after transferring from Junior College. Classes were more complex than I was use to. I did prevail and get my degree. (657) . Going through off campus courses to get my Master’s Degree. The experience has been one that turned me “off” of EIU completely. I hardly ever think about my positive undergrad anymore. I don’t know if I would recommend. (285) . Poor students in my classes, it sort of makes you feel that Eastern is an “easy” school. I didn’t get a sense that a degree from Eastern meant as much as from more demanding schools. (374) . Eastern’s (lack of) reputation affected my ability to get into graduate school, even though I graduated with honors. (162) . Changing minors & graduating with no minor. (420) . Limited degrees offered when Chanute was open. (421) . Don’t have strong programs to go to higher degrees (masters, PhD’s). Library resources are very limited. (594)

Scheduling

Positive Impact

. Flexible schedule for adult learner. (31) . The ease of registering for classes. (234.) . The flexibility of scheduling classes. (501) . The convenience of classes in Champaign and Rantoul (502) . I very much appreciated being treated respectfully as an adult learner. Class schedules and times were very flexible. Class content. (559) . Making my own schedule. (561) . Course selection. (581) . The variety of classes (643.) . Flexibility to attend nights and weekends. (650) . Wide variety of class choices. (659)

Negative Impact

. Registering for classes. (54) . The only thing negative was problems getting the classes I needed each semester. (523) . Certain classes not being offered at night--in certain degree for working students. (557) . The availability of classes. At times you couldn’t take classes you needed because they filled too quickly. (634)

Professors

Positive Impact

. Professors’ support (311) . My professors were always understanding and helpful. (343)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 5 . My professors. (33, 65, 177, 181, 192, 194, 270, 324, 335, 344, 383, 424, 482, 495, 551, 557, 586, 669, 688) . The instructors were helpful and encouraging (2) . The personal relationships developed with my instructors (14) . The teachers I had were the best part of EIU. (16) . Faculty role models (23) . Wonderful profs (25) . My teachers and mentors willingness to assist at any given time. (27) . Helpful faculty (31) . The well-balanced mix of professional and personal relationships established with my professors. (37) . As an adult student, interaction with educators enriched my learning. (39) . I felt the teaching was/is outstanding. (55) . The professors motivated me to do better and think more critical about issues when an undergraduate student. (60) . Access to professors (62) . Professors who knew my name (64) . Willingness, helpfulness, and caring of faculty and advisors (74) . Our profs have been and continue to be very supportive. (96) . The professors who worked with me outside of the classroom when I needed deeper understanding of the topics. (107) . Engaged faculty (119) . I really enjoyed several of the professors. (137) . The personal interest shown to me by professors. (152) . Also, my instructors were very warm and helpful. (168) . My professors had a strong impact on me (169) . The wonderful professors (171) . Classes taught by qualified teachers. (173) . My instructors and their confidence in me. (182) . Very impressive that professors do their own teaching unlike U of I. (188) . Many instructors & professors who worked to develop their students. (198) . Some excellent professors that did a very good job of communication with the students. (203) . All of the caring faculty whom dedicated countless hours toward their students education. (212) . Approachable and wonderful faculty members (213) . Having professors as instructors (219) . The thing that had the most positive impact on me was the support and encouragement of my professors, followed close by the opportunity to interact (226) . Personal attention I received from professors. (258) . Good instructors (264) . My teachers were willing to assist most of the time (266) . The teachers and faculty that I interacted with affected me most. There was such a variety of personalities and views that made the time at school interesting. (273) . You were able to talk to teachers directly if needed. (326) . The closeness of some instructors to students. (340) . My professors were always understanding and helpful. (343) . Professors were very educated. (352) . Concern of professors for students (375) . Instructors and personal interaction with them. Nearly all of my instructors were very actively involved with all the students at the 3rd and 4th year level. (384)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 6 . My professors were invaluable to me. I really enjoyed how closely I was able to work with them. (386) . I had a few really effective instructors that changed the way I looked at things. (403) . Personal relationships with my instructors (409) . Several of the professors out of 4 years at EIU only four teachers made an impact on my life through their teaching ability. (414) . I had a couple of wonderful professors who had confidence in me and helped me have confidence in myself. (417) . The teachers and classes I took, were very beneficial in my path to success (428) . Most instructors were accepting of the older adult student and very helpful. The instructors were always will to meet and/ or help with any issues regarding their classes (431) . Encouraging professors (437) . Professor accessibility (458) . Good professors (464) . The personal relationship with my instructors. (465) . Getting to know my instructors on a personal level. (469) . The guidance and support of the faculty. (472) . The instructors—very knowledgeable and professional really responded well to all students they taught. (478) . The professors I had during my block classes were extremely helpful, and intelligent. (479) . Openness of instructors to help you learn willingness of instructors to do your best meeting new people and trying new things. (483) . Professors that were there for the right reasons. They were helpful, caring, and treated students with respect (493) . Teachers who went out of their way to help one grow professionally and as a student. (496) . The instructors knew you by name (497) . I also enjoyed the overall attitude of the professors (523) . The teaching staff was the most positive. They were well educated in their areas of teaching. They were friendly and very helpful. (524) . The professors’ help. (525) . Fair grading even if your (“politics”) didn’t match those of your instructor. (528) . Access to faculty in all classes. (537) . Friendly professors (545) . The caring instructors and the individual attention they’re able to give. (546) . The instructors were great! (559) . Meeting and learning from a couple of fantastic professors. (560) . Professors willing to help. (561) . I feel that the most positive impact on me was the sense that the professors were very proactive in assisting me to be a competent student and future teacher. (567) . The instructors at EIU were the best part of my experience (570) . Instructors (professors) have very close relationship with students. (594) . Individual attention form professors, especially in your major. (597) . Professors very supportive and office hours coincided with my schedule (604) . Some of the professors (611) . Professors that showed an interest in me personally, not just as a member in their class. (615) . Individual interaction with the professors. (623) . The caring and attention of the professors remain in my mind as the most positive aspect of EIU. (643) . Instructors that had “real world” experience had the most impact. (645) . Attention from the professors. (646) . The individual attention was very beneficial to my educational experience (649)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 7 . Support from faculty. (650) . Teaching faculty—open door policy (661) . Very involved professors (664) . Some excellent professors. (674) . Teacher involvement (682) . The majority of my professors had great energy and took pride in what they were teaching (683) . Most teachers were very good. (684) . Teachers who made learning fun or who inspired me to do my best – didn’t treat me as inferior. (686) . Prof. were helpful as professors and in class. (343)

Negative Impact

. (A mild impact) Attempting to understand one faculty member who discussed her personal family matters and asked me a personal question which had nothing to do with our class work. (35) . Having Professors that did not require attendance for classes. I was able to get the notes, memorize the material for testing purposes, but not retain the knowledge long term. (105) . Instructors in the core classes who were not prepared to teach at the college level. (122) . Professors who expect you to make appointment with them to discuss out of class assignments and were never available. (125) . Professors who did not think I could get a doctorate because I was at Eastern. If I wanted a doctorate, I should have started at a more competitive school. (152) . I feel I would have gained more knowledge from professors who were not so removed from the classroom or who had more personal classroom experience. At times, they seem very disgruntled. (158) . Despite having some great classes, I had some terrible classes as well that were a waste of time and money. (161) . Instructors/ Professors who don’t teach. Instructors who don’t inspire the students and absolutely can be rude and or cruel. The students have very little power or recourse in dealing with these situations- other than to drop the course. (198) . At times, the reaction of the faculty during my undergraduate study. Several of my instructors did not believe in my abilities. I have since proved them wrong. I have taught elementary school students since 1993 and continue to be very successful at it. (229) . Professors who would deduct points when students were at funerals for family members. Losing valuable paperwork in the campus mail system. (231) . Understanding professor’s teaching techniques and abilities (Book, notes, or opinions- was not consistent with tests) (249) . Specific professors. (270) . Just a handful of professors seemed inflexible, uncaring and haughty. (280) . Instructors/ professors favoring/sucking up to sorority/fraternity students. (297) . Some professors seemed to not care about how I was doing-so it caused me to not care how I was doing also. Felt as though I could not go to them for help. (323) . A confrontational instructor- will not honor him with the title of professor. He probably was trying to get us to be solid with our opinions but I did not like his style. It was not necessary. (347) . Two specific teachers in classes I was required to take: A “Children’s Lit” professor and a “Third World Music” professor. Both of these people spoke of their own anti-Christian

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 8 beliefs on a daily basis and spoke against Christianity in a way that offended me. The remarks had little or nothing to do with the curriculum. (365) . Lecture classes-didn’t like to go because I was just taking up space. (412) . Accessibility of/to some staff and instructional methods used (i.e.) statistics- instructors were mostly, here is the assignment, do it. I dropped course mid-term. Only course dropped in 5 years. GPA aprox. 3.5/4. (441) . Professors or instructors who had never taught before, but were put in the classroom to “teach” anyway. These instructors may have known their “stuff”, but not know how to teach it. (444) . Teachers didn’t seem to care about you as a person. They didn’t care if you were in class or if you understood what they were teaching. (459) . There was a lack of morality among a couple of the professors that I came in contact with. I don’t believe that they are there now. (518) . Being in a “lecture class” was not beneficial for me at all. It was very difficult to form a relationship with the teacher and my peers. I believe that “learning” is more than just knowing the content. It is hard to ask questions or ask for extra help when the instructor doesn’t even know who you are. (540) . The most negative impact I experienced was when group projects were assigned and other members of the group did not do their share of the work which resulted in each member of the group receiving a low grade. This was unfair for those of us who did our part. (550) . At times I felt intimidated by some of the professors which kept me from seeking extra help and asking questions. (556) . Teachers with a bad attitude. (686) . Teachers who taught strictly from the textbooks (terminology, basic concepts, etc.) drilling “book” knowledge or their specific knowledge on topics without relating the information in a format to build on students existing knowledge level. This wasted time. (591)

Advising

Positive Impact

. Advisors who helped one to prepare. (268) . Advisors (419) . My counselor was wonderful! (484) . Advisors--Dr. Bolinger (313)

Negative Impact

. Wish I had more help with picking classes. A bit of a guide. (36) . Counseling services were not very good. (Academic Counseling) (86) . Getting my BA—the guidance Counselors give conflicting info and aren’t helpful—myself and others totally feel like you are on your own in that regard. (96) . I was not introduced to all the different majors and career paths that EIU had to offer. (103) . Being stuck with an advisor that wasn’t in design (only fine art). She didn’t know exactly what classes I needed and it ended up making me have to take summer school to graduate in 4 years. I graduated in August instead of May. (131) . Lack of guidance in the way of academic and career advisory. As a student, I felt that you had to pursue it yourself vs. the university proactively providing it. (147)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 9 . My advisor had me in all major & minor classes my 1st semester and when I changed from Elem. Ed. to El. Ed & Early Childhood I lost an entire semester of classes. (154) . Having a professor help me register and after not listening to me when I told her I was a transfer student with an associate’s degree. I wound up taking a class I did not need which forced me to graduate a semester late. (169) . I was never convinced that the academic advisors were sending me to the classes that would allow me to graduate on time (4 years). (186) . My counselors. When I was undecided for 2 years, she was not helpful. Then the one in my major never seemed to know what she was doing. (191) . Poor counseling. (197) . I felt that the counseling I received was inadequate from 2 different advisors. A course was omitted which I was not aware that I needed and it delayed my graduation and caused me to miss out on several job opportunities. (200) . Academic Advising. (288) . Would like to see students get better help by the advisors. Need to get students in right class at the right time. (343) . Advisors were not helpful. (356) . My advisor told me I need to get work experience before pursuing my MBA. (370) . A negative, inconsiderate advisor. (380) . Some of my first guidance counselors. (414) . I had a very bad experience with my student teacher advisor. He was very rude to me during the meetings I had with him. (484) . On an academic level, the advisor I had at the time of freshmen registration misguided me into taking Physics and an 18 hour class load that 1st semester. I completely bombed! (519) . Advisor (545) . Preparations for my future in regards to academic and career planning. I felt this was not a service my advisor offered. (575) . Psychology counselors who misguided myself into taking unneeded classes. (588) . The guidance I received at EIU was very poor. I had to work full-time and put myself through college like many others. I was having some difficult times in my last year and no one seemed concerned or offered any options. All they cared about was themselves. (611) . I had a positive experience at Eastern. The only incident was a mistake by an advisor who had told me I could take a class for Humanity requirement. It wasn’t a class that counted towards Humanities, but it was resolved by the Education Department. My student teacher advisor was not positive! My placement was! (612) . I also listened to my advisor, and he said that I would be ready to graduate with a degree in History. But, I graduated from EIU, and that is one degree no one can take away from me. (626) . Thought the guidance counselor was not very helpful. Received advice that turned out to be wrong, etc. (679) . Poor counseling led to an additional semester of classes. (691) . In hindsight, the lack of academic and professional advisement. Not that it wasn’t there, I just didn’t know, wasn’t told. (695)

Prepared by the Center for Academic Support and Achievement, p. 10