A survey of Treaty Oak Community College students enrolled in a program of study from 1986-1989 and of businesses located in the Treaty Oak Community College service area

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess Treaty Oak Community College's (Treaty Oak) accomplishment of its mission in terms of responding to the educational and training needs of the community. A questionnaire was sent to students who were enrolled in a program of study from 1986-1989. This survey was to evaluate the assistance Treaty Oak gives students in reaching their goals, to determine employment or student status and to assess the effectiveness of the academic and student services at Treaty Oak. A second questionnaire was sent to local businesses to evaluate the contribution that Treaty Oak makes in meeting the business community's needs.Evaluation of the treatment is in percentage form. students responding to the survey indicated that they primarily chose to attend Treaty Oak because it was close to their home. Other reasons noted were that it is inexpensive and the quality of the courses and programs offered. The primary goals of students attending Treaty Oak are to obtain an Associate degree, to obtain skills needed for entry into a new or different job and to complete courses for transfer to a four-year institution.Most students indicated that their primary goals were reached by the time they left Treaty Oak and that they were satisfied with the assistance provided to them by Treaty Oak in reaching their goals. The overall rating for quality of instruction at Treaty Oak was high. Most student services and facilities also received a high rating. The exceptions were:Parking, Student Activities and Student Lounge.The majority of students who reported that they were working hold full-time jobs. A high degree of overall job satisfaction was reported. However, salary and opportunity for advancement received low ratings. Those students who continued their education at a four-year institution reported no problems with transferring credits and showed a high degree of success at the university level. Stenographic skills were not required by most employers but were considered an advantage. Weaknesses in typewriting skills reported were spelling and accuracy.In terms of filing systems, manual systems and alphabetic classification were used the most.Programming was not expected of entry-level computer employees. However, employers did expect that entry-level computer employees be knowledgeable about word processing, database, and operating systems software. Accounting software received the highest rating in terms of importance to the respondents' businesses.Office equipment reported used included calculators, typewriters and computers. IBM compatibles were the most popular brand of computers reported.