Challenge

Design and execute internal research projects to provide actionable, data-driven recommendations for campus leadership and departmental planning — including evaluating the viability of the university yearbook and updating exit surveys for graduating seniors.

Overview

In 2018, to evaluate the future of The Cumberland yearbook at Shippensburg University amid declining student interest and staffing, I designed a campus-wide survey, benchmarked state and national trends, and produced a 25-page report along with strategic recommendations for university and student government leaders.

In 2023-24, as co-chair of the Communication, Journalism, and Media Department’s assessment committee, I redesigned and updated annual exit surveys for graduating seniors in the major, ensuring alignment with recent curriculum changes and revised national accreditation standards.

My Role

Lead researcher, analyst: For both projects, I led the end-to-end research process: questionnaire design, data analysis, and reporting. The yearbook survey was deployed by student government, while the exit surveys were administered by the department in senior-level courses.

Methodology

Yearbook survey: Developed an 11-question SurveyMonkey questionnaire measuring students’ yearbook awareness, interest, and content and format preferences, supplemented by phone and email interviews with yearbook advisers at other universities and secondary research on national trends.

Exit surveys: Created undergraduate and graduate exit surveys in Qualtrics (35-45 questions each) covering such topics as the quality of instruction and advising, career readiness, and post-graduation plans.

Tools

Qualtrics SurveyMonkey SPSS Nuventive

Insights and Impact

These projects showcase my ability to transform data into clear narratives and actionable insights for internal stakeholders.

Yearbook: I successfully argued that advising The Cumberland no longer fit with our department’s educational mission due to doubts about the yearbook’s long-term viability. Key insights that emerged from the student survey and secondary research included:

• Smaller staff, fewer pages: The Cumberland student staff dwindled from 39 members in 2002-03 to only 3 members and 8 practicum students by 2017-18, while page counts fell by more than 60% in 10 years.

• National trends: More than 1,000 U.S. colleges have discontinued yearbooks since the 1990s; only 2 other universities in the Pennsylvania State System still publish one.

• Mixed student opinions: Most students who answered the survey wanted The Cumberland to continue, but few expressed an interest in joining the staff and only 28% had ever seen a copy of the yearbook. Senior portraits were the most valued yearbook feature.

• Little support for other formats: Students had little interest in a digital yearbook or in replacing The Cumberland with a student-produced magazine or website. Secondary research confirmed that experiments with other formats have failed elsewhere.

Exit surveys: The updated surveys provide valuable insights for departmental and university-wide assessment, curriculum development, and accreditation compliance.

Deliverables

Results of yearbook student interest survey

“A College Tradition in Peril? The State of The Cumberland and National Yearbook Trends,” a strategic report presented to university officials and student government leaders