Senior Exit Interview Survey- May 2002 Graduates
Post Graduate Information
There were seven May 2002 graduates who filled out senior surveys. Five of these students were from Kentucky and two were from out of state. Four of the graduating students were raised on a farm while the remaining three were not. The size of the cities in which the students were raised was not precise, but ranged from 2,500 to one 100,000.
At the time of graduation, two of the students had accepted employment. The other five were seeking employment or planning to attend graduate or professional school. Farm Credit Services and Tractor Supply Company will employ the two students who accepted employment. Both of these students learned of these job opportunities through career planning and placement services.
Evaluation of AEC Faculty, Staff, and Curriculum
The students had many reasons for majoring in Agricultural Economics. One student transferred from the Department of Animal Science. Three had an interest in agriculture and the economy and believed that Agricultural Economics would best fit their interests. One student had an interest in the horse industry, hoping to become the manager at a horse farm, and another could not earn enough credits in Finance and transferred in order to be able play football. They all believed the decision to come to the Department of Agricultural Economics was the right one.
The students named best classes as: AEC 302, AEC 305, AEC 316, AEC 422, and AEC 490. They indicated that the best instructors were: Dr. John Anderson, Dr. Loys Mather, Dr. Steven Vickner, Dr. Lionel Williamson, and Dr. Tim Woods. The second best classes were: AEC 101, AEC 302, AEC 303, AEC 305, AEC 321, AEC 490, and FAM 251. They indicated that out of these classes, the best professors were: Dr. Steve Issacs, Dr. Loys Mather, and Dr. Leigh Maynard. The least valuable AEC classes were: AEC 303, AEC 304, AEC 309, AEC 314, and AEC 316. The least beneficial classes outside of AEC were: DIS 320, ECO 391, 'English', HIS 104, 'History courses', STA 291, and University Studies.
Advising
The students were asked to rank their advisors with the number one as the lowest ranking and five as the highest. Five students gave their advisor a ranking of 'five' while two students gave their advisor a ranking of 'four'. The students were then asked to give the name of the people in the department who had been most helpful besides their advisor. Students identified these as Dr. John Anderson, Dr. Carl Dillon, Heath Hoagland, Dr. Steve Isaacs, Dr. Loys Mather, Dr. Leigh Maynard, Dr. Steve Riggins, Susan Skees, and Dr. Lionel Williamson. Students said they could have been better advisees by following a better study plan and by having a better grasp on their intended career.
Curriculum
When asked to evaluate the curriculum, most said that it was challenging. Some felt that it prepared them for the future, while others did not. The students were then asked if any new courses or changes in courses were needed. One student said that AEC 320 was a good class, but that making the class more entertaining would not hurt. Another stated that AEC 304 could be improved.
Agribusiness Club
All seven students were active in the Agribusiness Club. One student classified himself as 'very active,' two students classified themselves as 'active', while the remaining five classified themselves as 'not very active.' Leadership and management skills, contacts, and improvement of resume skills were listed as qualities gained from the club.
Internships
Six of the seven students who filled out the surveys had an internship during their enrollment at the University of Kentucky. The companies included Lane's End Farm, Farm Credit Services, the Kentucky Center for Cooperative Development, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and one student listed 'agribusiness and sales'. All of the students said they would recommend internships to others. Several advantages of internships were: real world experiences, information on job positions, customer service, found contacts in the respected industry, revealed management strengths and weaknesses, reaffirms that college education was important, and found something they enjoyed which could be turned into a career opportunity.
Additional Comments
- Great experience, look forward to graduate school
- Improved speaking skills
- Great faculty, but disappointed that Dr. John Anderson left
- Faculty were great teachers and their impact will not be forgotten
- The College of Agriculture was a great college to attend.