Alumni Survey 2011 (2006 graduates)[1]

Academics

What follows are direct comments former students made in answer to the following questions: What had the most positive impact on you during your time at Eastern? What had the most negative impact on you during your time at Eastern? Comments relating to specific faculty members have been sent to the colleges and departments.

Class/Campus Size

Positive Impact

  • Not huge classes that were taught by TA’s. (SOC 61)
  • Small class sizes. (CTEB 63)
  • Small class sizes were a huge plus because you could actually have rapport with your teacher. (XHEF 104)
  • Class sizes (XSCM 107)
  • Class size. (XSPR 113)
  • Small classes. (ELEM 136)
  • Small classrooms. (GST 147)
  • The small class sizes helped me learn the courses. (MGT 200)
  • Small class size. (XHEB 264)
  • The fact that it was a smaller university and you could get the attention you needed. (XHEF 285)
  • The small classes. (BIO 287)
  • The sense of community in my smaller classes and throughout campus. (MGT 290)
  • The opportunity to participate in self-study courses. Smaller class sizes allowed more one on one learning with teachers. (PSY 299)
  • I enjoyed the smaller size of the university. (PSY 302)
  • The opportunity to have smaller classroom settings. (MAR 305)
  • Small class sizes. (ELEG 309)
  • Small class size. (CIS 245)
  • The small class sizes. (XSCM 339)
  • The fact that 90% of my classes were small in size. (ELEG 340)
  • Small class size and hands on experiences. (CIS 421)
  • The small feeling whereas you are a person with a name, not a number. (BIO 381)
  • The small classrooms and having the ability to work very closely with my professors. That kept me focused and on track. (PSY 407)
  • The fact that it was a smaller campus made me feel more connected to other students and my professors. (XSCC360)
  • Small class size and great discussions and debates during class. (XHEB 367)
  • Small class size. (MAR 432)
  • Small class sizes. (ENG 507)
  • The small classrooms were a plus. (HIS 451)
  • Also the small class sizes. (XSPSR 525)
  • The environment of a smaller school and community. (ELEG 448)
  • I loved that the classes were small and the campus was but there were a lot of students. (CTEF 528)
  • Small class sizes. (FIN 572)
  • The smaller classroom sizes with a one-on-one interaction capability with a professor. (FIN 570)
  • The small classes really encouraged participation. (FLS 573)
  • Small university. (ELEG 577)
  • Small class size. (PSY 582)
  • Being able to choose from a wide range of classes and opportunities and still have a small town feel with good class sizes of students. (MAR 610)
  • The small class sizes were helpful because they allowed me to practice my public speaking skills in a non-threatening environment. (XHEF 616)
  • I liked small class sizes. (ELEG 619)
  • Class sizes. (XSPC 622)
  • Eastern was a small school with small classes allowing people to really get to know each other. (MATT 640)
  • Mostly reasonably sized classes. (ACC 651)
  • Small class sizes. (XSPC 682)
  • Small class sizes allowed great interaction with excellent professors and fellow students. I especially liked being able to attend some of my classes at Parkland campus. (GST 683)
  • Class scheduling was easy to work with. Summer and weekend classes were wonderful (XHEF 684)
  • Small classes. (BIO 695)
  • Small classes. (XHEF 721)
  • The small class size. (CDS 750)
  • The small-sized classes. (SCIB 787)

Overall Education/Obtaining Degree

Positive Impact

  • I think the overall experience of education. (PSY 3)
  • The opportunity to try new things and explore different subjects to find what major I would enjoy most. (MAR 89)
  • Good program overall. (ACC 114)
  • Academia experience. (JOU 115)
  • The quality of the courses to choose from. (GST 159)
  • Being able to take online, night and weekend courses. (COS 145)
  • Times and place of classes. (GST 199)
  • Practical experiences. (XHDT 262)
  • Very few of my courses were just lectures. (PED 205)
  • I took all of my Eastern classes at Parkland College. The convenience was fantastic. (BAD 247)
  • Graduating. (GEG 308)
  • Critical analysis and longer perspective of issues. (GST 318)
  • Hands on course work. (CIS 324)
  • I had just returned from five months of working post-Katrina emergency operations and was asked to tell about this experience. My audience listened where I had not gotten that at home (GST 322)
  • Class (CIS 344)
  • The classes were informative and well taught. (GST 349)
  • Networking (MUST 350)
  • Conversation based (critical thinking) based classes engaged me as a student. Additionally, courses and activities which had a community engagement based curriculum/goal where students worked with teachers as peers were important to my personal development. (BIOE 397)
  • I feel that I was prepared for the real world through the classes I took. It was helpful when I entered the job market. (XHEF 292)
  • Many different factors impacted many different portions of my life. I had an overall positive experience with the social and academic aspects of EIU that impacted my independence and foundation of beginning my professional life. (XHEF 388)
  • The challenge that some courses made me endure, it made me more appreciative of my accomplishments and gave me a better perspective on my self-esteem. (PSY 407)
  • Graduation ceremony: it was the most emotional moment of my life. (CHM 368)
  • Writing intensive courses when assignments were returned in a timely manner. (GST 389)
  • Ability to obtain position of desire and post secondary degree. (GST 415)
  • Working with small children. EIU assisted me with being able to finish B.A. with weekend classes. (GST 489)
  • The flexibility of your online degree program. (GST 516)
  • The work experience I gained while in school. (GST 496)
  • Working with groups. (MAR 545)
  • Getting a degree. (PED 558)
  • Ability to take weekend and internet courses. (GST 608)
  • Able to achieve education. (BIO 674)
  • Earned a great education. (HIST 685)
  • I learned to think critically and write effectively. (HIS 689)
  • Academics. (XHEB 729)
  • Being able to so smoothly switch majors. (REC 752)
  • Convenience of classes at night and on the weekends. (BAD 755)
  • Graduating. (MGGT 760)
  • The education. (PSY 794)
  • Taking classes on campus helped a real sense of “belonging” to EIU. (SOC 732)
  • Choice of classes (XSCM 233)
  • Flexibility of class schedule allowed me to work full-time and complete my degree. (GST 234)
  • Affordable education. (XSCM 107)

Negative Impact

  • I had to enroll in extra semesters to earn 40 hours of course work at EIU before I could get my bachelors. I got my associates at Lakeland and took extra courses, so I would not have to at EIU, but I had to take them anyway. (CDS 2)
  • Don’t know that this is a negative impact, but since I was trying to work and be a mother of 2 kids, the times of some of my classes were not convenient. Having more online would have been helpful. (PSY 40)
  • Having long hours of time between my classes sucked. (ECE 55)
  • Not being able to specify in a major. (GST 84)
  • The degree earned and guidance received. (XHEB 93)
  • I felt I had limited course time selection for major. (CTEB 101)
  • 8 a.m. starts without alternative options. (XSCM 107)
  • It was very difficult to get all of the classes done in order to graduate in four years because some were not offered each semester. (HSTT 208)
  • Gen. ed. classes with no meaning (i.e. electives). They were stressful and didn’t help me with my degree. (SPES 225)
  • Not being able to take certain classes due to the university making last minute schedule changes that conflict with one another or conflicted with my athletic obligations. (XHDT 262)
  • I was a transfer student and I had a lot of trouble getting transfer credits toward my degree—big hassel. (PSY 302)
  • Taking too long to declare a major had a negative impact on me. (GST 349)
  • Having to take elective/mandatory courses that I was not interested in was pointless. (XHEB 370)
  • The amount of general education requirements bothered me. (HIS 379)
  • My transfer GPA did not get applied to my GPA earned while at EIU, and that upset me. (MATT 453)
  • Having to fill out request forms for transcripts! (BAD 454)
  • Being shoved into a related major when I did not like the one I was in, should have taken a completely different route. (PED 481)
  • Not enough choices in available courses at night or at Parkland. (GST 526)
  • Not picking a degree I was interested in. I should have researched that decision a little more wisely. (XHEB 584)
  • Changing my major as a junior had the most negative impact on me, I was not aware of all the majors available to me. (XHDT 586)
  • Choosing a major my freshman year was my biggest mistake. (GEG 648)
  • The lack of degree options available from EIU at Parkland there should be more considering how many students go there. (BAD 654)
  • Not being able to transfer Math credits from a community college course—whichturned out to be more of a challenge course than the one at EIU. (REC 752)
  • Not all classes were offered off campus. (BAD 755)

Study Abroad

Positive Impact

  • Study abroad experience at South Africa. (XHEF 4)
  • Study abroad. (ENG 44)
  • Study abroad at MCTS in Maastricht, Netherlands. (SOC 64)
  • Studying abroad. (GST 322)
  • Study abroad program to England. Trip out west for our climatology class. (ELEG 365)
  • The option to study abroad (XHEB 370)
  • Studying abroad in Salamanca, Spain. (ACC 116)
  • Studying abroad and graduating. (PSY 401)
  • My study abroad experience in Spain. (FLS 413)
  • Studying abroad. (XHEB 438)
  • Study abroad program to Holland. (PSY 440)
  • My study abroad semesters. (FLS 484)
  • Studying abroad two times. (FLS 540)
  • Study abroad class through Psychology program. (SOC 730)

Internships/Practicum Experiences/Real World Experiences

Positive Impact

  • Getting experience in classroom during ISEP program. (SOSG 0)
  • The Communication Disorders and Sciences department—the staff, coursework, and clinic prepared me for my future internships and career more than they could have imagined. (CDS 2)
  • Eastern gave me the opportunities to get into an actual classroom and practice my teaching skills before getting my job. (XPET 5)
  • Classroom observations—can’t just learn by some telling you about the job. (SPES 37)
  • Student teaching. (MATT 45)
  • SCIP program being in the classroom more than other undergrads. (ELEG 53)
  • The practicum or “in-the-classroom” experiences really helped me to prepare for my career. (ELEG 58)
  • My senior year classes, working in the ATP lab and being an aerobics instructor had the greatest impact of where I am at today. Very well prepared (PED 62)
  • Real world class experience (convention and trade show class) offered by FCS. (XHEB 86)
  • Actual “school” experiences (i.e. practicum, student teaching). (ELEG 87)
  • Work experience I received. (MAR 92)
  • Student teaching. (ECE 94)
  • Student teaching experiences. (ELEG 189)
  • The on-the-job training, i.e. student teaching. (ARTT 207)
  • Internships. (INT 269)
  • The required internship after my junior year positively influenced my future career path. (HSTC 387)
  • I also got great value from my finance internship through EIU and A.G. Edwards. (FIN 390
  • The internship requirement of my major. (BIOE 427)
  • Student teaching program. (ELEG 418)
  • The personal connection with professors and educators in the community allowing for extensive experience “in the field” not just a classroom. (ELEG 450)
  • PE Program/student teaching. (XPET 467)
  • My practicums/student teaching because I was really experiencing/learning about teaching first hand and being a part of project WOW. (ELEG 473)
  • My student teaching experience. (ELEG 480)
  • Observation hours at Charleston High School because it opened my eyes to life outside my bubble. (HIST 492)
  • My internship experience. (PSY 508)
  • The ability to be in the classroom to observe, do practicum and student teach. (ELEG 512)
  • Education department. Working hands-on in the classroom. Blocks and student teaching. (ELEG 513)
  • My internships. (GST 532)
  • Hands on learning. (INT 589)
  • The core classes directed toward my major. The internship as well. (PED 521)
  • Career related internship. (GEG 541)
  • Practicum/student teaching experience. (ELEG 618)
  • Hands on work in classrooms. (ELEG 621)
  • Student teaching and practicums. (ELEG 630)
  • My internship (XHEB 644)
  • Learning real life skills to guide my career/job/life choices. (COS 671)
  • My student teaching placement. I’m currently teaching in the same room that I student taught in. (ELEG 697)
  • Actual field experience. (ELEG 698)
  • The actual classroom time spent with the elementary students. (ELEG 761)
  • Practicum experiences. (ELEG 770)
  • Hands on experience in classrooms. (ELEG 756)
  • My practicums associated within my major/degree. (SPES 224)
  • Focused practicum classes with various settings. (SPES 225)
  • The teaching experience earned during the practicums. (SPES 230)

Negative Impact

  • I wish my practicum could have been closer. I did not have a car and had to borrow a friend’s car every day or get a ride to Mattoon. (XPET 5)
  • Superfluous paperwork, red tape for practicum and student teaching placements and not enough prep for differentiating instruction. (ELEM 12)
  • The lack of available internships for English and Philosophy majors was difficult. (ENG 44)
  • I wish I could have student taught closer or in my permanent residence. (ARTT 70)
  • I would have liked more field experience in my ecology class, but that is hardly worthy of the “most negative”. (SCIB 95)
  • I wish there had been more experience in classrooms in the education program. I made it to student teaching before I realized I didn’t want to teach. (MAT 109)
  • I did not enjoy practicum at Charleston High School. You are still taking so many classes and are attempting to “teach” in between them. (ENG 126)
  • Needs to be more experiences—hands-on, in schools, more straight talk about what it takes to get employed and stay employed as a teacher. (ELEG 161)
  • The assignments we had to do that were not realistic to the classroom setting. (ECE 191)
  • Not being allowed to complete my mandatory internship in the summer prior to my final year at EIU. Concluding with my internship following my final semester was inconvenient. (PED 244)
  • I believe that help in finding an internship or co-op would have been beneficial. (ACC 255)
  • I do not feel that EIU prepared me for the real world! (XHEB 264)
  • I would recommend implementing a program where each student must complete an internship to graduate. That experience would have been extremely beneficial upon entering the professional world. (MGT 346)
  • There needs to be more “real life” practices to show students what to expect after graduation. (SPEL 375)
  • Little opportunity for outside the classroom experience which would have been helpful after graduation. (XHDT 503)
  • Didn’t teach life examples of how I would use my major, I had to figure that out on my own. (FIN 543)
  • I had an absolutely horrible time trying to get into student teaching. I live in Mattoon, and kept getting placed over an hour away. At this point I decided to switch to nursing, so I never did complete my teaching. (BIO 553)
  • Did not pursue an internship and I regret that. (SOC 676)
  • I did not have real life experience with my major. (SOC 722)
  • Too much time spent sitting in classrooms having unnecessary material drummed into your head when you need to be out in actual classrooms with students getting more practical experience. (ELEM 795)

Specific Programs/Courses

Positive Impact

  • Senior seminar. (PSY 9)
  • The special education department at Eastern helped foster a positive attitude to individuals with disabilities. (SPES 36)
  • Once I began taking classes geared to my profession, my grades increased because I was more engaged and interested. (ELEG 48)
  • Classes within the school of business (MAR 69)
  • The flexibility of the BGS degree allowed me to provide for my family and complete the courses in a timely fashion without undue hardship. (GST 73)
  • Education classes. (ELEG 75)
  • Taking classes to relate to my career. (ELEG 91)
  • Participating in the ISEP education program was very positive. (SCIB 95)
  • Knowing there was a higher education program accessible for adults. (GST 106)
  • It was great to take classes as an adult. I felt so much more confident and would get into debates and discussions that I would never have when I was 19, 20 years old. Very liberating and fun. (GST 110)
  • Research department (BIO 121)
  • English courses my last two years. (ENG 126)
  • Programming. (XHEF 146)
  • Senior year business classes (MGT 155)
  • The college of education. (ELEG 156)
  • My time in the special education program. (SPEC 160)
  • Having classes at Parkland. (GST 163)
  • The variety of art classes offered. (ARTS 170)
  • The flexibility of the program and the partnership with Parkland. (BAD 180)
  • Being in the honors program (PSY 188)
  • All of the courses I took geared toward my major of health studies. (HSTC 195)
  • Involved in math department. (MATT 197)
  • My classes (JOU 211)
  • The SCIP program I was a part of and all of the extra time spent in the classroom preparing. (ELEG 241)
  • FL classes (FLS 220)
  • Great program (CDS) prepared me well for grad school and current job ability to be involved in many programs.
  • Honors college. (CDS 254)
  • I was positively impacted by my minor in women’s studies. I was involved with women’s studies clubs which helped develop my leadership skills and community involvement. (PSY 256)
  • The education program. (ELEG 237)
  • The school of journalism, curriculum (JOU 242)
  • Being in the special education program. (SPES 243)
  • Teaching classes. (CTEB 250)
  • The recreation administration department and the classes. (REC 252)
  • The creative writing classes (ENG 301)
  • I thoroughly enjoyed the sociology program—in addition to psychology—I have benefited from the knowledge of my professors. (SOC 351)
  • Working in teams to perform business presentations. (MGT 355)
  • Honors college (MAR 356)
  • Classroom experience (XHEB 377)
  • I loved the accounting program at EIU. The professors and other students made the experience great. (ACC 391)
  • The program I was involved with was a cohort program held in Springfield, IL. This worked great for me since I have a family of small children. I was able to work, take care of my family and get my degree. (SPES 404)
  • Being a GA in the school of technology and working on my Master’s Degree. (MCS 443)
  • Great classes. (ACC 464)
  • Really enjoyed the experience and felt I gained valuable information in the education field. (ELEG 470)
  • Honors classes. (PSY 472)
  • Honors program and classes. (INT 483)
  • Eastern in known as a teaching college (ELEG 517)
  • The many ideas that I obtained from my education teachers. They have been useful tools in my classroom. (ELEG 520)
  • The awesome education classes provided. (ELEG 559)
  • My foundation of classes I took here. (PPEG 564)
  • The personal assistance I received from the Department of Special Education when I was struggling to graduate. (SPEC 568)
  • The things I learned in the classroom. (JOU 569)
  • Open door policy in the CDS Department. (CDS 578)
  • I loved my poly sci, sociology, and psychology courses. (SOSP 613)
  • The functions on campus to better your knowledge of your area of concentration. (ELEG 638)
  • Taking challenging classes. (ENG 642)
  • Group work during marketing and other business classes and leadership lessons during ROTC. (MAR 649)
  • My literature classes (JOU 656)
  • My degree program (XHEB 668)
  • Team work projects and networking. (MGT 677)
  • Spaceship Earth. (ELEG 687)
  • Programs. (HSTC 709)
  • Special education classes. (SPES 712)
  • Time spent on major coursework. (FLS 716)
  • My reading classes and my MLE classes. (ELEM 720)
  • The wide variety of electives. Felt I took several different classes in my major and the group work that came with those classes. I have always been a more hands-on learner v. test taking. (XHEB 724)
  • The professional sales class. (MGT 727)
  • Educational experiments. (BIO 737)
  • The programs. (HIST 738)
  • My education classes and student teaching. (ELEG 747)
  • School and learning the real world. (ECN 757)
  • The education program was fantastic. (ELEG 759)
  • A lot of my communication studies courses had projects, presentations and curriculum that prepared me for my job today and I still use a lot of that experience. (XSCM 771)
  • Core classes were very beneficial. Trips to Chicago and Springfield provided great exposure. Classes were fun which made learning easy. (XHEB 798)

Negative Impact