View the 2014 WGU Gallup-Purdue Alumni Report here

GREAT JOBSGREAT LIVESThe 2014 Western Governors University Alumni Report

Copyright and Trademark StandardsThis document contains proprietary research, copyrighted materials, and literary property of Gallup, Inc. It is for your guidance only and is not to be copied, quoted, published, or divulged to others. All of Gallup, Inc.’s content, unless otherwise noted, is protected by copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. This document is of great value to Gallup, Inc. Accordingly, international and domestic laws and penalties guaranteeing patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret protection safeguard the ideas, concepts, and recommendations related within this document.

No changes may be made to this document without the express written permission of Gallup, Inc.

Gallup®, Q12®, Gallup Panel™, Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index®, and Gallup-Healthways Well-Being 5 View™ are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

The Q12 items are protected by copyright of Gallup, Inc., 1993-1998. All rights reserved.

Introduction

For years, the value of a college degree has been determined

not by the most important outcomes of a college education,

but by the easiest outcomes to measure, namely, job and

graduate school placement rates and alumni salaries (usually

only from their first job out of college). While these metrics

have some merit, they do not provide a holistic view of college

graduates’ lives. These outcomes do not reflect the missions of

higher education institutions, and they do not reflect the myriad

reasons why students go to college.

Together, Gallup and Purdue created an index that examines

the long-term success of graduates as they pursue a good

job and a better life. This index — the Gallup-Purdue Index

— provides insight into the relationship between the college

experience and whether college graduates have great jobs and

great lives.

1

Engagement is more than job satisfaction. It involves employees being

intellectually and emotionally connected with their organizations and

work teams because they are able to do what they’re best at, they like

what they do at work, and they have someone who cares about their

development at work.

Gallup’s expertise on engagement in the workplace is rooted in

more than 30 years of research on the 12 elements that best predict

employee and workgroup performance. Gallup’s employee engagement

index, based on responses to the 12 elements, categorizes workers as

engaged, not engaged, or actively disengaged. People who are engaged

at work are involved in and enthusiastic about their work. They are

loyal and productive. Those who are not engaged may be productive

and satisfied with their workplaces, but they are not intellectually and

emotionally connected to them. Workers who are actively disengaged

are physically present but intellectually and emotionally disconnected.

They are unhappy with their work, share their unhappiness with their

colleagues, and are likely to jeopardize the performance of their teams.

Recent Gallup research shows that only 30% of Americans are engaged

in their jobs, meaning that the U.S. workplace is missing out on

staggering amounts of economic benefit that comes from workforces

that are more engaged. If higher education does not lead graduates to

an engaging job, then it has fallen down on a central expectation of

students and their families who support them through college.

Great Jobs: Workplace Engagement

Great Jobs. Great Lives. Great Experiences.

30%OF AMERICANS ARE ENGAGED IN THEIR JOBS

ONLY

2

Great Lives: Well-BeingWell-being is not only about being happy or wealthy, nor is it

only synonymous with physical health. Rather, it is about the

interaction and interdependency between many aspects of life such

as finding fulfillment in daily work and interactions, having strong

social relationships and access to the resources people need, feeling

financially secure, being physically healthy, and taking part in a

true community.

Gallup and Healthways developed the Gallup-Healthways Well-

Being 5 View to measure these important aspects. This survey, based

on findings from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and

years of joint research, asks 10 questions that gauge well-being in

five elements:

Purpose Well-Being: Liking what you do each day and

being motivated to achieve your goals

Social Well-Being: Having strong and supportive

relationships and love in your life

Financial Well-Being: Effectively managing your

economic life to reduce stress and increase security

Community Well-Being: The sense of engagement you

have with the areas where you live, liking where you live,

and feeling safe and having pride in your community

Physical Well-Being: Having good health and enough

energy to get things done on a daily basis

Gallup categorizes people’s

well-being in each of the

elements as “thriving,”

“struggling,” and “suffering,”

based on their responses.

Those who are thriving

are strong, consistent, and

progressing, while those who

are struggling are moderate or

inconsistent. Those who are

suffering are at high risk.

Understanding how people

think about and experience

their lives is one of the first

steps in determining the

appropriate interventions that

organizations, communities,

and higher education need

to take to solve their biggest

challenges. This research has

the ability to provide colleges

and universities with insight

on how to improve the lives

of current undergraduates

in these key areas, which

are within their control.

While there is no one way

to achieve high well-being,

except through work and

accountability — institutions

can help provide their

students with goals that are

ultimately more fulfilling

than income alone.

3

National Comparisons

For the purposes of this report, data from the Western Governors University alumni cohort (those who graduated

between 2009 and 2014) are compared with data collected from respondents who graduated in those same

years in the national Gallup-Purdue Index. Some differences may exist between the national comparison points

included in this report, and national estimates that Gallup has previously released, because this report focuses

only on recent graduates.

Gallup’s research across hundreds of organizations in many industries

shows that fully engaged customers buy more, stay with you longer,

and are more profitable than average customers — in good economic

times and in bad.

The Gallup-Purdue Index measures graduates’ current emotional

attachment to their alma mater by adapting Gallup’s research on

customer engagement to assess graduates’ perceptions of their colleges

both in retrospect to their undergraduate experiences and their views

as current alumni.

Because students spend a significant amount of resources preparing for

life outside of college, it is crucial to gauge whether the experiences

they had in college have promoted a well-lived life. This includes

if they perceive that the college was a great fit for them, having

professors who cared and made learning exciting, and, most

importantly, feeling that their school prepared them well for life

outside of college.

The Gallup-Purdue Index uncovers which college experiences

and perceptions are related to greater gains in the workplace and

in well-being.

Great Experiences: Alumni Attachment

The Gallup-Purdue Index

uncovers which college

experiences and perceptions are

related to greater gains in the

workplace and in well-being.

4

Executive Summary The Western Governors University study interviewed nearly 4,000 adults who received degrees from the

university. The results illustrate how many WGU graduates have great jobs and great lives after college and

whether their great experiences as students translate into emotional attachment to their alma mater.

The study yields important insights for educators, employers, alumni, and prospective students about the

factors that contribute to great jobs, lives, and experiences for WGU graduates. It also identifies the areas

where WGU alumni are outperforming graduates of other universities, and areas of opportunity where

WGU can improve.

Foremost among these insights is that recent WGU graduates lead other graduates in having great jobs.

Seventy-nine percent of WGU alumni work full time for an employer, far outpacing the employment rate of

66% among college graduates nationally. They are also more likely than alumni from other institutions to

find themselves working at “ideal jobs” that keep them deeply interested and give them the opportunity to

do work that interests them.

But simply having a job is not enough; engaged workers are the lifeblood of the organizations they work

for. They are more loyal, more productive, and more profitable than those who are not engaged or are

actively disengaged. WGU graduates are more likely to be engaged in their jobs than the national average.

Nearly half of WGU graduates (46%) who are employed full time for an employer are engaged at work,

compared with 40% of graduates nationally.

WGU graduates are also leading other college graduates in having great lives. The majority are thriving —

strong, consistent, and progressing — in one or more of the five interrelated elements of well-being. And

higher percentages of WGU alumni are thriving in every element than is the case for those who graduated

from other types of institutions nationally. Of all five elements, WGU graduates are most likely to report

thriving in purpose well-being; the majority of WGU alumni like what they do each and every day and are

motivated to achieve their goals.

The great experiences and the lasting ties that WGU alumni feel to their alma mater are evident in that

more WGU alumni are emotionally attached to their university than other graduates to their universities.

More than one in three WGU alumni (35%) are emotionally attached to WGU, which is nearly double the

national average (19%) and easily outdistances other institutions.

Given these findings, it is not surprising that WGU alumni are more likely to report being unable to

imagine a world without their alma mater than graduates of other types of institutions.

Workplace Engagement: Great Jobs• The employment rate for Western Governors

University alumni who have graduated

from WGU within the past five years easily

outdistances the national average. Seventy-

nine percent of WGU graduates surveyed are

employed full time for an employer, compared

with 66% of graduates nationally.

• WGU graduates are more likely than graduates

of other universities to be working full time for

an employer, and more likely to be engaged in

their jobs. Nearly half of WGU graduates (46%)

who are employed full time for an employer

are engaged at work, compared with 40% of

graduates nationally.

5

• WGU graduates are more likely than alumni

from other institutions to find themselves

working at “ideal jobs” that keep them deeply

interested and give them the opportunity to do

work that interests them. The majority of WGU

alumni (52%) are deeply interested in the work

they do and nearly half (49%) say their work

gives them the opportunity to do interesting

work.

• If graduates recalled having instructors who

cared about them as a person, one instructor

who made them excited about learning, and a

mentor who encouraged them to pursue their

dreams, their odds of being engaged at work

increase. WGU graduates are more likely to

strongly agree that they received support in all

three areas than graduates who attended most

types of institutions.

• WGU’s ability to foster mentor-mentee

relationships between instructors and students

sets it apart from other institutions. Sixty-nine

percent of WGU alumni said they had a mentor

at WGU who encouraged them to pursue their

goals and dreams. This is more than double the

national average (32%).

• Graduates’ odds of being engaged at work

increase if they strongly agree that their schools

prepared them well for life outside of college

or that their school was passionate about their

long-term success. WGU graduates have an edge

over most other graduates on both: Nearly half

(48%) strongly agree that WGU was passionate

about their long-term success and about one in

three (31%) strongly agreed that WGU prepared

them well for post-college life.

Well-Being: Great Lives• WGU alumni are at least

twice as likely as graduates

from other types of

universities to be thriving in

all five elements — purpose,

social, financial, community,

and physical. Nine percent of

WGU alumni are thriving in

all five areas, compared with

4% of graduates nationally.

• Higher percentages of WGU

alumni are thriving in every

element than is the case for

those who graduated from

other types of institutions

nationally.

• Of all five elements, WGU

graduates are most likely to

report thriving in purpose

well-being; the majority of

WGU alumni like what they

do each and every day and

are motivated to achieve

their goals.

Alumni Attachment: Great Experiences• WGU alumni are more

likely to be emotionally

attached to their university

than alumni of other types

of universities — proof that

personal connections are

possible in distance learning.

More than one in three WGU

alumni (35%) are emotionally

attached to WGU, nearly

double the national average

(19%) and easily outpacing

other types of institutions.

• The odds of graduates being

emotionally attached to

their alma maters increase

exponentially if graduates felt

their school prepared them

for life outside of college and

if they felt their college was

passionate about the long-

term success of its students.

WGU alumni outperform

graduates of most other

institution types on each of

these measures.

• The odds of graduates being

emotionally attached to

their alma maters also soar if

graduates felt their instructors

cared about them as a person.

And, although WGU alumni

spend most of their four years

“on-campus,” the third who

feel their alma mater had

an emotional attachment to

them is only slightly lower

than the national average

(36%).

• More than one in three WGU

alumni strongly agree that

they can’t imagine a world

without WGU, significantly

higher than the national

average (24%).

6

Great Jobs: Workplace EngagementThe employment rate for Western Governors University alumni who have graduated from WGU within

the past five years easily outdistances the national average. This may partly reflect that most WGU students

are already working full time while pursuing their degrees. It also may partly reflect their average age: The

typical age of WGU graduates who have completed their degree in the past five years is 42, compared with

29 among those in the national Gallup-Purdue Index study who graduated within the same period.

But age does not explain everything: WGU alumni are only somewhat more likely than these other

graduates to say they held a paid job or an internship while going to school (83% vs. 77%), although it’s

impossible to tell which of these they held or whether they were full or part time.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY

PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT UNIVERSITY

PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT UNIVERSITY

Employed Full Time (Employer) 79% 66% 67% 66% 62%Employed Full Time (Self) 2% 2% 2% 2% 1%Employed Part Time, Do Not Want Full Time 4% 7% 7% 7% 7%Unemployed 5% 5% 5% 4% 14%Employed Part Time, Want Full Time 5% 11% 11% 12% 4%Not in Work Force 5% 9% 8% 9% 12%

WGU graduates are not only more likely than graduates of other universities to be working full time for an

employer, but they are also more likely to be engaged in their jobs.

7

This higher level of engagement among working WGU graduates is

important for employers because engaged workers are the lifeblood of

their organizations. Gallup workplace engagement studies show that

business or work units that score in the top half of their organization

in employee engagement have nearly double the odds of success

(based on a composite of financial, customer, retention, safety, quality,

shrinkage, and absenteeism metrics) compared with those in the

bottom half).

Compared with bottom-quartile units, top-quartile units have:

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

0 10 20 30 40 50

Private For-ProfitUniversity

Private Not-For-ProfitUniversity

Public University

National GPI

Western Governors 46%40%

39%44%

27%

• 10% higher customer

loyalty/engagement

• 22% higher profitability

• 21% higher productivity

• 25% lower turnover for

high-turnover companies

(those with 60% or higher

annualized turnover)

• 65% lower turnover for

low-turnover companies

(those with 40% or lower

annualized turnover)

• 48% fewer safety

incidents

• 28% less shrinkage

• 37% lower absenteeism

• 41% fewer patient safety

incidents

• 41% fewer quality

incidents (defects)

8

In the national study, if graduates recalled having instructors who cared about them as a person, one

instructor who made them excited about learning, and a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their

dreams, their odds of being engaged at work more than doubled.

21%27%

16%

17%29%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Privatefor-profit

Privatenot-for-profit

Public

National GPI

WGU

Although WGU graduates

typically did not physically spend

any time in the classroom with

faculty as students, they are more

likely to strongly agree that they

received support in all three areas

than graduates who attended

most types of institutions.

EXPERIENCED SUPPORT

69%Strongly agreed they had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams while attending Western Governors University.

9

Although WGU is an online university, its ability to foster mentor-mentee relationships between instructors

and students sets it apart from other institutions. WGU’s remarkable scores may be attributable to WGU’s

practice of pairing each student with a mentor, who serves as an academic adviser and coach for the

duration of a student’s degree program.

WHILE ATTENDING WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY, I HAD A MENTOR WHO ENCOURAGED ME TO PURSUE MY GOALS AND DREAMS.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY



Strongly agree 69% 32% 30% 36% 24%Strongly disagree 2% 15% 16% 11% 23%

In the national study, if graduates strongly agree that their schools prepared them well for life outside of

college, their odds of being engaged at work nearly tripled, and if they strongly agree that their school was

passionate about the long-term success of their students, their odds more than doubled. WGU’s focus on

providing education for life, basing its online degrees on real-world competencies, likely gives it an edge

over most other types of institutions in these areas.

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY PREPARED ME WELL FOR LIFE OUTSIDE OF COLLEGE.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY




WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF ITS STUDENTS.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY




10

WGU graduates may be reflecting on their own success when they answer questions about WGU’s passion

for long-term student success. Working WGU graduates are more likely than alumni from other institutions

to find themselves working at “ideal jobs” that keep them deeply interested and give them the opportunity

to do work that interests them.

I AM DEEPLY INTERESTED IN THE WORK THAT I DO.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY



Strongly agree 52% 35% 33% 38% 42%Strongly disagree 3% 9% 10% 8% 5%Among employed graduates.

MY JOB GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WORK THAT INTERESTS ME.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY




I HAVE THE IDEAL JOB FOR ME.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY




11

WGU graduates’ relatively high level of agreement with each of these statements is important because each

of these factors into their engagement in the workplace.

In the national study, if graduates had internships or jobs where they were able to apply what they were

learning in the classroom, were actively involved in extracurricular activities and organizations, and

worked on a project that took a semester or more to complete, their odds of being engaged at work more

than doubled.

Of the three experiences, WGU graduates are most likely to strongly agree that they had an internship or

job, and they are significantly more likely than other graduates to say so. This is at least partly attributable

to the fact that most WGU students are working adults and may have had more opportunities than

traditional students have to apply what they are learning in a job setting.

WHILE ATTENDING WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY, I HAD AN INTERNSHIP OR JOB THAT ALLOWED ME TO APPLY WHAT I WAS LEARNING IN MY COURSES.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITYPRIVATE NOT-FOR-

PROFIT UNIVERSITYPRIVATE FOR-PROFIT

UNIVERSITY


I AMDEEPLY INTERESTED

IN THE WORKTHAT I DO.

(STRONGLY AGREE)

69% 27%

3%

MY JOB GIVES METHE OPPORTUNITYTO DO WORK THAT

INTERESTS ME.(STRONGLY AGREE)

72% 26%

1%

I HAVE THEIDEAL JOB

FOR ME.(STRONGLY AGREE)

82% 17%

1%

ENGAGED NOT ENGAGED ACTIVELY DISENGAGED

GRADUATE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT BY ITEM RESPONSE

12

Great Lives: Well-BeingWGU alumni are more likely than graduates from other types of universities to have achieved the hard-

to-reach pinnacle of well-being by thriving in all five elements — purpose, social, financial, community,

and physical. Some of this achievement may be related to WGU graduates’ age, as thriving percentages in

some elements, such as financial well-being, tend to be higher among older populations. However, higher

percentages of WGU alumni are thriving in every element than is the case for those who graduated from

other types of institutions nationally. Of all five elements, WGU graduates are most likely to report thriving

in purpose well-being, meaning the majority of WGU alumni like what they do each and every day and are

motivated to achieve their goals.

WESTERN GOVERNORS

NATIONAL GPI

PUBLIC UNIVERSITY



PURPOSE WELL-BEING

Thriving 57% 40% 38% 43% 37%Struggling 36% 46% 47% 44% 43%Suffering 6% 14% 15% 13% 20%

SOCIAL WELL-BEING


FINANCIAL WELL-BEING


COMMUNITY WELL-BEING

Thriving 42% 34% 33% 37% 30% Struggling 42% 43% 42% 43% 41% Suffering 15% 23% 24% 20% 29%

13

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING


WELL-BEING ELEMENTS

THRIVING INWESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITYPRIVATE NOT-FOR-

PROFIT UNIVERSITYPRIVATE FOR-PROFIT

UNIVERSITY

Five Elements 9% 4% 4% 4% 1%Four Elements 14% 8% 6% 11% 6%Three Elements 18% 17% 18% 15% 17%Two Elements 19% 20% 20% 20% 17%One Element 20% 26% 26% 27% 31%Zero Elements 20% 25% 26% 22% 28%

14

Great Experiences: Alumni AttachmentAs an online university, WGU faces special challenges in ensuring its students feel supported and

connected to the university and to each other. Despite these challenges, WGU alumni are more likely to

be emotionally attached to their university than alumni of other types of universities are — proof that

personal connections are possible in distance learning.

ALUMNI ATTACHMENT

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY



Emotionally Attached 35% 19% 18% 22% 14%Emotionally Unattached 2% 13% 13% 13% 7%Others 63% 69% 69% 65% 79%

In the national study, the odds of graduates being emotionally attached to their alma maters are nearly

nine times higher if graduates felt their school prepared them for life outside of college, and are more than

eight times higher if they felt their college was passionate about the long-term success of its students. WGU

alumni outperform graduates of most other institution types on each of these measures.

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY PREPARED ME WELL FOR LIFE OUTSIDE OF COLLEGE.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY




WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF ITS STUDENTS.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY




What’s more, WGU is able to make this impression on their graduates’ lives in a short amount of time.

WGU alumni are far more likely to graduate within four years than alumni from other types of universities.

15

YEARS TO GRADUATE

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY



up to 4 years 92% 68% 59% 79% 86%4.5 to 5 years 5% 22% 28% 12% 10%5.5 or more years 3% 11% 13% 8% 4%

In the national study, the odds of graduates being emotionally attached to their alma maters are six times

higher if graduates felt their instructors cared about them as a person. And, although WGU alumni spend

most of their four years “on-campus,” they feel their alma mater had an emotional attachment to them.

MY INSTRUCTORS AT WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY CARED ABOUT ME AS A PERSON.

WESTERN

GOVERNORSNATIONAL

GPIPUBLIC

UNIVERSITY




Final ThoughtsDespite being an all-online university, WGU has excelled in making their students feel the support that

they need to be successful in life. Through their mentorship program, WGU ensures from Day 1 that

students have the human element that many students in traditional universities also crave. Gallup’s initial

findings from the 2014 Gallup-Purdue Index demonstrate the importance of these elements, and WGU

alumni rate the university highly across these metrics.

Given these findings, it is not surprising that so many WGU alumni are more likely to report being unable

to imagine a world without their alma mater.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Private For-Profit University

Private Not-For-Profit University

PublicUniversity

NationalGPI

WesternGovernors

Percentage of Graduates Who Strongly Agree They Cannot Imagine a World Without Their College

16

About

About Western Governors UniversityEstablished in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors, WGU is the only accredited, not-for-profit university in the

country offering online, competency-based degree programs at scale.

WGU is unique in higher education in two important ways, resulting in increased productivity, a higher

level of student support, and shorter times to graduation. First, WGU uses competency-based learning,

which allows students to earn their degrees by demonstrating what they know and can do rather than

spending time in class to accumulate credit hours.

Required competencies for each degree program are defined in collaboration with external program

councils, ensuring that students graduate with the knowledge and skills employers need. Designed for adult

learners, competency-based education lets students move quickly through material they already know so

they can focus on what they still need to learn. Competency-based learning dramatically shortens the time

to graduations — the average time to complete a bachelor’s degree is 29 months.

The second unique attribute of WGU is the use of technology-based learning. While most online

universities simply use technology to distribute classroom education — classes led by a professor with a

fixed schedule and syllabus — WGU actually uses technology to content and facilitate instruction. This

changes the role of the faculty from that of a “sage on the stage” to a “guide on the side.” WGU faculty

members, all full-time, serve as mentors, providing individualized support and guidance to students.

The university offers more than 50 bachelor’s, master’s, and post-baccalaureate degree programs in the

key workforce areas of business, information technology, K-12 teacher education (including initial teacher

licensure) and health professions, including nursing. WGU’s 47,000 students and 36,000 graduates reside in

all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and at military installations worldwide.

About GallupGallup delivers forward-thinking research, analytics, and advice to help leaders solve their most pressing

problems. Combining more than 75 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more

about the attitudes and behaviors of the world’s constituents, employees, and customers than any other

organization. Gallup consultants help private and public sector organizations boost organic growth through

measurement tools, strategic advice, and education. Gallup’s 2,000 professionals deliver services at client

organizations, through the Web, and in nearly 40 offices around the world.

About HealthwaysHealthways is an independent, global well-being company that provides comprehensive improvement

solutions to increase performance and lower healthcare costs in its client populations. Dedicated to creating

a healthier world one person at a time, Healthways uses the science of well-being and behavior change to

produce and measure well-being improvement for its customers. Healthways provides personalized support

to individuals to optimize each participant’s health and productivity and to reduce health related costs, and

also advises leaders on how to maximize well-being across an organization.

17

MethodologyResults for the Western Governors University study are based on Web surveys conducted June 24-July

15 with a sample of 3,727 Western Governors University undergraduate alumni. The sample of alumni

email addresses was provided by Western Governors University. Alumni were included in the study if the

institution had an email address on file. For the purpose of this analysis, only alumni who graduated since

2009 are included (3,525).

Results for the Gallup-Purdue Index, the study used for comparison purposes, are based on Web surveys

conducted Feb. 4-March 7, 2014, with a random sample of 29,560 respondents with a bachelor’s degree

or higher, aged 18 and older, with Internet access, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia,

and 5,137 fraternity and sorority members. To create a direct comparison, only the 3,895 respondents who

graduated since 2009 are included in this analysis.

The Gallup-Purdue Index sample was compiled from two sources; the Gallup Panel and the Gallup Daily

Tracking survey. The Gallup Panel is a proprietary, probability-based longitudinal panel of U.S. adults that

are selected using random-digit-dial (RDD) and address-based sampling methods. The Gallup Panel is not

an opt-in panel. The Gallup Panel includes 60,000 individuals, Panel members can be surveyed by phone,

mail, or Web. Gallup Panel members with a college degree, with access to the Internet were invited to take

the Gallup-Purdue Index survey online. The Gallup Daily tracking survey sample includes national adults

with a minimum quota of 50 percent cellphone respondents and 50 percent landline respondents, with

additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are

selected using RDD methods. Landline respondents are chosen at random within each household on the

basis of which member had the most recent birthday. Gallup Daily tracking respondents with a college

degree, who agreed to future contact, were invited to take the Gallup-Purdue Index survey online.

Gallup-Purdue Index interviews are conducted via the Web, in English only. Samples are weighted to correct

for unequal selection probability and nonresponse. The data are weighted to match national demographics

of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education, and region. Demographic weighting targets are based

on the most recent Current Population Survey figures for the aged 18 and older U.S. bachelor’s degree or

higher population.

All reported margins of sampling error for the Gallup-Purdue Index of all college graduates include the

computed design effects for weighting.

For results based on the total sample of bachelor’s degree or higher respondents, the margin of

sampling error is ±0.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

For results based on employee engagement of bachelor’s degree or higher respondents, the margin

of sampling error is ±1.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can

introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

For complete Gallup-Purdue index results,

visit http://products.gallup.com/168857/gallup-purdue-index-inaugural-national-report.aspx.

18

View the 2014 WGU Gallup-Purdue Alumni Report here

Documents