Liberal Education and America's Promise

Public Opinion Research

AAC&U commissions and analyzes research studies that explore public attitudes toward liberal education and key outcomes of college in the 21st century.

Employers Demand Higher Levels of Learning, More Liberal Education Outcomes, new survey finds

"Raising the Bar: Employers' Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn" (January, 2010)

• Full 2010 report (pdf)
• powerpoint presentation of the 2010 results
• chart of what business leaders want colleges to "place more emphasis" on (pdf)

National Polls & Focus Groups With Employers

"How Should Colleges Assess And Improve Student Learning? Employers' Views on the Accountability Challenge" (January 2008)

• Full 2008 report
• powerpoint presentation on 2008 results.

“How Should Colleges Prepare Students To Succeed in Today’s Global Economy?" (January 2007)

• Chart of what business leaders want colleges to "place more emphasis" on (from 2007 survey results)
• Full 2007 report (pdf)
• powerpoint presentation on 2007 findings

Survey of AAC&U Member CAO's

New survey of chief academic officers finds that four out of five AAC&U member institutions have defined learning outcomes for their students; with campus learning outcomes mirroring the LEAP recommended "essential learning outcomes."

Findings from Focus Groups with Private Employers

• Milwaukee/Alexandria/Atlanta—January, 2006 (pdf)

Findings from Focus Groups with Students

• Findings from Focus Groups with Current College Students and Rising High School Seniors (Indianapolis/Portland/Alexandria—Summer 2004) (pdf)
• Findings from Focus Groups with Current College Students and High School Seniors (Milwaukee, Wisconsin—March, 2005) (pdf)
• AAC&U's Focus Group Discussion Guide and Handouts prepared for use on campuses (pdf)

Other Public Opinion Research

• Focus Group Findings on Civic Learning (Policy Influencers) (pdf)
• Squeeze Play 2010: Continued Public Anxiety On Cost, Harsher Judgments On How Colleges Are Run
• National Survey of AAC&U Members (2009)
• Squeeze Play 2009: The Public's Views on College Costs Today
• Survey of High-School Students Finds They Are Spending More Time on Homework (Chronicle of Higher Education, subscription needed)
• Article about a report exploring Generation Y's views on work-life balance and other job attributes, from the National Association of Colleges and Employers
• Summary of Prior Research on Liberal Education Outcomes (pdf)
• Study on Americans’ Views of Political Bias in the Academy and Academic Freedom
• Poll done by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills about preparing young people with the skills they need to compete in the global economy