CLARKE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ALUMNI TRACER STUDY REPORT: 2021- 2022

CLARKE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY ALUMNI TRACER STUDY REPORT: 2021 - 2022.?

This tracer study is a means by which CIU seeks feedback from its alumni for the purpose of improving its quality of work. The goal of this study was to determine the employability and status of alumni of Clarke International University who studied and graduated from the University between 2019 and 2022. A Google form was shared with CIU alumni who filled it and responded online. A total of 258 alumni were contacted to participate in the survey. 217 respondents participated in the study. Data were captured and generally analyzed using MS Excel.

Qualifications attained from CIU included a Bachelor of Nursing Science, Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science, Diploma of Public Health, Diploma in Clinical Medicine, Master of Science in Public Health, Master of Health Services Management, and the Foundation Course. Of those responding to the survey, 93.3% indicated that the work they are doing is related to their field of study. The majority indicated that the CIU education experience prepared them with critical industry skills including collaboration and teamwork skills, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, ethics and accountability, leadership, and communication skills. 9 in 10 of the respondents who got a job less than a year after graduation indicated that they acquired strong problem-solving, collaboration, and teamwork skills.

The majority 88 % of the respondents are employed (full-time and part-time). Of those reporting unemployment, 6.5% reported that jobs are not available and 3.2% were pursuing additional education at the time of the survey. It should be noted, however, that most of the respondents who indicated that they are unemployed also mentioned that they are engaged in some form of private business which increases the number of alumni employed.

In this survey, we assessed alumni involvement in the Covid-19 pandemic response. Among the 127 alumni responding to this item, 63% indicated they were frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. Importantly, 76.6% reported that the skills gained from CIU helped them cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. Key activities reported include but are not limited to Covid-19 testing,

Direct provision of care, Advocacy, Mentoring, and Designing programs for health systems strengthening, Community sensitization and education, Disease surveillance and screening, and Covid-19 sample collection.

Responses show that most of the graduates are willing to recommend another person to join CIU, however, they strongly recommend that the University acquire a Charter to both strengthen the brand of the university as well as the portfolio of the Alumni. Other recommendations for strategic direction included: strengthening research and publication, reduction in tuition and fees where possible, introducing new courses, expanding the University’s physical infrastructure, and increasing alumni engagement.

This report forms a basis for further research into individual, institutional, and community factors affecting the employability of CIU’s graduates and can be used to strengthen strategic approaches for improving academic operations at CIU.