Compiled Responses for Exit Questionnaires for 2003-2004

1. Strengths and weaknesses of the University General Education requirements.

A) I didn't do most Gen Ed at USU
B) Strengths-Chemistry, Weakness-Biology
C)Strengths are English, economics, and math, Weaknesses are USU requirements such as civ.humanities and creative arts. Many breath and depth courses are particularly weak such as geography and anthropology. more choices that relate to my major would be good.
D) N.A. - I completed General Education requirements-(completed Associates) at S.U.U
E) Strengths include: the broadening of knowledge about the world we live in. Weaknesses include: the boring, mundane busy work assigned in these courses, although I see some of this as neccessary.
F) Diversity of the subject matter covered- well rounded. University studies are a joke I don=t think that they should be required. It seems that more General Education is been required than major requirements.
G) Smaller classed is a strength. Big suck because it was so big and hard to work with the professor.
H) pretty good, more computer based courses would have been helpful

2. Strengths and weaknesses of departmental courses required for your degree.

A) It seems easy to get help from instructors or TA=s. However, I think the courses are too focused on memorization and test performance rather that understanding the material.
B) Strengths - NR 3000, Weaknesses - ENVS 3000, FRWS 3300
C) Strengths are small watershed hydrology and geomorphology, Weaknesses were remote sensing and fluvial geomorphology. Those are great classes but most students were not prepared for their quantitative intensity. Either keep them and make them more basic or just prepare us better.
D) Strengths- They have helped integrate math into subject matter, through assignments. Classes were small enough so that the class got individual attention. Weakness- Good texts were lacking in some courses, if there was a text required for the course.
E) Strengths include: the specific courses that integrate class work with field work so that a practical understanding of the Natural Resources sciences may be attained. Weaknesses are the same as above.
F) Gives a good overall study for given field of study.
G) Small classes, personable teachers every hands on experience.
H) Instructors were usually very helpful outside of class, student/teacher ratio was great.

3. Strengths and weaknesses of courses offered by other departments.

A) Same as above.
B) None
C) I didn=t take very many of these courses at the upper level but the lower level ones were good.
D) Strengths-Good text books were available. Extra help was made available to the students outside of class. Weakness- Some of the material was not focused on Areal life@ applicable situations.
E) Strengths include: the exposer to new ideas and disciplines, as well as the oppurtunity to meet new professors and students. Weaknesses include: the lack of applicability to my chosen major.
F) Blank
G) Strengths were organzed and good presentator. Weaknessess could only teach to one learning style.
H) classes where the instructor didn=t speak english well was my biggest frustration in college.

4. Which FW, GEOG, or AWER course(s) most stimulated your interest in higher education? How?

A) The Seminar (4980), but only at limited times when I was truly interested in the material presented. It brought my attention to real-world projects.
B) AWER 3100, AWER 3110, AWER 4500, AWER 4510. Learned a lot of lab skills in those classes.
C) Water law and small watershed hydrology. SWH was very informative on research opportunities that exist. Water law showed how complex water issues are.
D) AWER 4900(?)- Small watershed hydrology. It helped me think of different hydrology related questions and how they could be answered through the scientific process
E) AWER In my fluvial geomorphology course (J. Schmidt), there were 8 or 9 masters or Ph.D. students and 3 undergrads. While in this course I was exposed to experiment/observation methodology from both Jack and other students. this sparked my interest in furthering my education.
F) AWER 4490 Small watershed hydro, AWER 4950 wetland MIT/ Restoration, AWER 5150 Fluvial Geomorphology, GEOL 5510 Ground water geology, AWER 3600 geomorphology, AWER 3820 Climate change.
G) AWER Hydrology and Fluvial gemorph, Soils
H) AWER 5150 (Fluv. Geom.) - We really got involved and were exposed to a lot of different research

5. Which FW, GEOG, or AWER course(s) most informed you about natural resources and environmental management?

A) Seminar (4980), NR 2340, NR 3000, ENVS 4000, so, I guess no FW, GEOG, or AWER class particularly.
B) FRWS 5100
C) Water laws and ecology applications in Rangeland management (4900,4950)
D) ENVS 5320-water law policy. I can not think of any FW. GEOG, or AWER class that really informed me about natural resources and environmental management. AWER 3700 did touch on the aforementioned a little
E) AWER
F) AWER 3820, AWER 4950, AWER 5150
G) NR History of NR
H) Water Quality and Pollution

6. Were your major courses:

A. Available in a logical, progressive sequence?

A) I suppose
B)Yes
C) Somewhat, there were some adjustments
D)Yes
E) Yes, for the most part. The changing of the college exposed me to some repititive concepts.
F) Sometimes, I took a few classed out of sequence due to availability and pre-requistes needed.
G) Well I was stuck inbetween the major change for AWER. That complicated things.
H) Yes, except I should have taken climate change before remote sensing.

B. Non-redundant in content and subject matter?

A) Yes for the most part, although there was some redundancy in NR 2340, NR 3000, ENVS 4000
B) NO
C) Yes
D) Yes
E) As mentioned above, the was some redundancy, but that is not all bad (repitition is the master of learning!)
F) Some classes overlapped each other but this helped in seeing the importance of understanding the effects aren=t limited to a narrow field.
G) Some could be very redendet with the basics.
H) Yes

C. Rigorous and challenging relative to your other USU science courses?

A) Yes, not a great deal though.
B) Yes
C)Yes
D) Yes
E) Yes, I felt my major courses were very challanging, but not exceptionally difficult.
F) I found many of the courses were challenging.
G) Way more challenging with remote sencing and fluvial geomorph
H) Yes

D. Effective in providing a range of learning experiences (e.g. hands-on, role playing, group learning, field work, laboratory science, project design)?

A) Somewhat, although I would have liked the classes to be more project centered.
B) Field work and lab science.
C) Yes
D) Yes
E) I believe that my major courses provided me with more hands-on experience that almost any other major @ USU.
F) There was a variety of learning experiences provided to assist in learning and visualizing material studied.
G) yes good basics to know what you would want to master in.
H) Yes

7. What should the department change in its course offerings? Why?

A)The department should require the classes to be totally project driven rather that focused on memorization and test performance because I think most people learn by doing rather than taking tests. I think there should be a class that focuses on obtaining an actual carreer after graduation.
B) Can=t think any of them.
C)The department made some good changes to my major when it reorganized because it provided the opportunity to take more upper level courses.
D)It should offer some ground water hydrology course(s). This would be an important class relation to NR management.
E)I wish I would have taken more AIS classes (which are now required for a WS science major, but were not @ the time I started). The reason for this wish is obvious.
F) Blank
G) Change the remote sencing class. It=s not practically taught for the major.
H) I don’t know. It was really good.

8. Strengths and weaknesses of advising procedures. Did you meet regularly with your advisor? Were you aware of curriculum changes and scheduling conflicts? If not, why not?

A) It was good that the advisor seemed to be available to meet with most times, but I never really got much out of the meetings other than fair suggestions or what classes to sign up for. -I met with my advisor 2 or 3 times per semester. -Yes
B) No strengths and weaknesses of advising procedures. -Yes -Yes
C) I did not meet regularly. Advisors are proficient in their fields but ignorant of the struggles of the common undergrad.
D) I met regularly with my advisor. My advisor did the best he could to inform me of curriculum changes when I would ask him about classes. However, there seemed to be a lack of the department in knowing what was happening with some classes.
E) I did not meet regularly with my advisor, except for the times I was taking a course of him. I was not really aware of scheduling conflicts or curriculum changes, which was mostly my fault because I did not try to contact Jack for advising.
F) Advising was good. I met with my advisor now and again, to set schedule that to rearrange when curriculum changed or scheduling conflicts arouse.
G) Having the advicing center was very good to help with organizing classes.
H) It was good.

9. Were the departmental & college staff helpful? Please explain.

A) Yes (other than carreer advising) they were very helpful and friendly.
B)Yes, Always like to help me when I have problems in the school.
C)Yes the staff were always available more individual help is available than in other colleges.
D)Yes. A couple of times I had to rearrange my schedule and the AWER secerataries were very helpful in accomadating me. I was also well informed of deadlines for requirements and other events in a timely manner.
E)Yes, I believe they were very helpful, because for almost every course I took, the staff were more than willing to help with whatever we needed.
F)Yes. Helped in assisting with learning outside of class, and good at helping focus course of study.
G) Yes. They alway interested in what would work best for you.
H) Yes. The AWER secretaries were always very helpful.

10. Were you active in student groups such as the AFS student chapters? Was this a valuable experience?

A) No
B) No
C) No, I would have liked to have been more involved in clubs and student societies.
D) No. N/A
E) No
F) Not active with student groups.
G) No I wasn=t.
H) No

11. Did you find employment within the College? If so, was it helpful in your educational program?

A) No
B) No.
C) Not within the CNR, but my employment was useful for my discipline.
D) No N/A
E) Yes, I currently work for the Ecology center and it has improved my knowledge of how the earth sciences operate. Although I am involved in studies involving plant ecology, I still find the learning experience valuable to my watershed science degree.
F) No
G) No I didn=t.
H) yes and yes

13. Any other observations or comments on your experience in the Department of Aquatic, Watershed, & Earth Resources, and as a major in Fisheries and Wildlife, Watershed and Earth Systems or Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences? Please be specific in comments about courses/advisors/professors/students/policies etc.

A) I had a good experience overall, but I think that in general (sorry to be so repetitive) there should be more emphasis placed on projects and presentations rather than on memorization and test performance. Also it would be better if the advisors were more active in helping students and recent graduates with job placement and carreer advising.
B) I like the Lab courses in my major that is Fisheries and Wildlife. Those courses are not easy, but I learned lots of lab skills from them and have good experiences.
C) Blank
D) No
E) No
F) Blank
G) Blank
H) I was impressed with the professor’s ability to remember all the student’s names. The professors were also very nice and friendly, especially Joanne Endterwada, Jeff Kershner, and Nancy Mesner.

14. Expected Cumulative GPA at graduation? ________

A) 3.885
B) 2.5
C) 3.5
D) 3.85
E) 3.3
F) 2.6
G) 2.6
H) 2.9

15. Will you be employed after graduation? G Yes G No

A) No
B) No
C) Yes
D)Yes
E) Yes
F) Yes
G) Yes
H) Yes

16. Employer? ___________________________ G In State G Out of State

A) Blank
B)Blank
C) BLM, In State
D)USDA Forest Service, In State
E) Ecology Center, In State
F) Dixie National Forest, In State
G) DWR, In State
H) U of I, Boise, Out of State

17. Relationship of employment to education? G Related G Unrelated

A) Blank
B) Blank
C) Related
D) Related
E) Related
F) Related
G) Related
H) Related

18. Type of employment? G Full-time career G Part-time G Seasonal

Nature of position:

A) Blank
B) Blank
C) Seasonal, Hydrologic Tech
D) Seasonal, Hyrdology Technician
E)Seasonal, Research Assistant
F) Seasonal, Hydrologic Technician
G) Seasonal, Blank
H) Seasonal, debris flow research in streams in burn areas

19. Are you continuing your education? G Yes G No Where

A) No
B) No
C) Yes, No, We=ll See
D) Yes, USU
E) No
F) No
G) No
H) No

Degree program: MS MA PhD Other
Field of study?

A) Blank
B) Blank
C) Blank
D) Other, Natural Resources-Watershed Science Emphasis
E) Blank
F) Blank
G) Blank
H) Blank

20. Unemployed (actively seeking employment) G Yes

Unemployed (not seeking employment) G Yes

A) Yes, Actively seeking employment
B) Yes, Actively seeking employment
C) Yes, Actively seeking empoyment
D) Yes, Actively seeking employment
E) Blank
F) Blank
G) Blank
H) Blank

21. Any other comments about your experience in the Department, the College, or University.

A) Just frustrated with having no good full-time job prospects after graduating from college.
B) Blank
C) Blank
D) No
E) No
F) Blank
G) Blank
H) Overall it was a great experience!