Appendix D: Institution Mailing Materials

Appendix D

Institution Mailing Materials

[Introduction Letter to the President of New School in Sample]

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

4 201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

OFFICE OF THE

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

«CHFNM»

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to request your institution’s participation in the National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG). The NSF has been conducting the NSRCG since 1974, making the 2010 survey the 19th in the series. The purpose of the survey is to provide critical national data on the relationship between education and employment for new graduates in the science, engineering, and health-related fields. The survey results will be used by the NSF to inform the public and key decision-makers about the employment and educational characteristics of the nation’s recent scientific and engineering graduates. These data are also used by educators, career-development professionals, and federal, state, and local government officials for planning and policymaking purposes.

A nationally representative sample of 300 postsecondary institutions has been selected. These institutions are asked to provide a list of all graduates who received a bachelor’s or master’s degree from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009. A nationally representative sample of 18,000 graduates will be selected from the lists, and later contacted to complete the NSRCG questionnaire. The lists will be collected by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., a nationally recognized survey research firm, under contract to the NSF. Each graduate’s participation in the survey will be entirely voluntary, and both Mathematica and the NSF will ensure that all information will be kept strictly confidential and used only for research or statistical purposes.

The U.S. Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office has reviewed the study's goals and procedures and concluded that postsecondary institutions may provide the requested information without violating the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1976 (FERPA). Additional information on confidentiality is included in the enclosed list of Frequently Asked Questions. More information about this study and findings from previous cycles are available on the National Science Foundation website at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/recentgrads.

Mathematica’s list collection director, Dr. Gail Baxter, will contact you shortly to discuss your institution’s participation in the 2010 NSRCG and to answer any questions you may have. She can be reached at Mathematica’s toll-free number, 1-866-504-9640, or you may email her at [email protected]. If you wish to discuss the study further, please contact the NSF Project Officer, Kelly Kang, at [email protected].

We look forward to working with your institution on this important study.

Sincerely,

Myron P. Gutmann

Assistant Director

Enclosures

[Introduction Letter to President of Institution That Previously Participated]

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

4 201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

OFFICE OF THE

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

«CHFNM»

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to thank you for your institution’s past participation in the National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG) and to once again request your assistance as we prepare for the 2010 survey cycle. The NSF has been conducting the NSRCG since 1974, making the 2010 survey the 19th in the series. The purpose of the survey is to provide critical national data on the relationship between education and employment for new graduates. The survey results will be used by the NSF to inform the public and key decision-makers about the employment and educational characteristics of the nation’s recent scientific and engineering graduates.

Because your institution is part of a nationally representative sample of 300 postsecondary institutions, <Institution Name>’s cooperation is vital to the success of the study. We will be contacting the person at your institution who assisted us during the past survey cycle. A copy of the letter is enclosed for your information. The letter requests minimal information on recent bachelor’s and master’s graduates from your institution that is needed to draw a nationally representative sample of 18,000 graduates for this year’s survey. More information about this survey is available on the NSF’s website at http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/recentgrads.

The lists of graduates will be collected by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., a nationally recognized survey research firm, under contract to the NSF. To address growing concerns about data security and protecting the identity of graduates, only minimal information will be requested about all graduates from your institution, and after the sample is drawn, we will request personal contact information for only a small group of graduates selected in the sample. In addition, each institution will be provided a secured website specific for uploading files and accessing information on the 2010 NSRCG.

As in previous years, Mathematica and the NSF will ensure that all information collected will be kept strictly confidential, and used only for research or statistical purposes. If you have any questions about this request, please contact our list collection director, Dr. Gail Baxter, at Mathematica’s toll-free number, 1-866-504-9640, or you may email her at [email protected]. If you wish to discuss the study further, please contact the NSF Project Officer, Kelly Kang at [email protected].

Thank you for your assistance with this important study.

Sincerely,

Myron P. Gutmann

Assistant Director

Enclosures

[Introduction Letter to New President of Institution That Previously Participated]

N ATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

OFFICE OF THE

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

«CHFNM»

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to request your institution’s participation in the 2010 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG). The NSF has been conducting the NSRCG since 1974, making the 2010 survey the 19th in the series. The purpose of the survey is to provide critical national data on the relationship between education and employment for new graduates in the science, engineering, and health-related fields. The survey results will be used by the NSF to inform the public and key decision-makers about the employment and educational characteristics of the recent nation’s scientific and engineering graduates.

< Institution Name > participated in the previous NSRCG and we are requesting your institution’s assistance again. Because your institution is part of a nationally representative sample of 300 postsecondary institutions, < Institution Name > is vital to the success of the study. Each of the sampled institutions is asked to provide the list of all bachelor’s or master’s degree recipients from July 2007 to June 2009. We will be contacting the person at your institution who assisted us in the past to request information on your graduates. This information is needed to select a nationally representative sample of 18,000 graduates for the 2010 survey. A copy of the letter is enclosed for your information.

The lists of graduates will be collected by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., a nationally recognized survey research firm, under contract to the NSF. To address concerns about data security and protecting the identity of graduates, only minimal sampling information will be requested for the graduates from your institution. After the sample is drawn, we will request personal contact information for only a small group of graduates selected in the sample. In addition, each institution will be provided a secured website specific for uploading files and accessing information on the 2010 NSRCG.

The U.S. Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office has reviewed the study's goals and procedures and concluded that postsecondary institutions may provide the requested information without violating the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1976 (FERPA). More information about this study is available on the National Science Foundation website at http://www.nsf.gov/ statistics/recentgrads.

Mathematica’s list collection director, Dr. Gail Baxter, will contact you shortly to discuss the study and to answer any questions you may have. She can also be reached at Mathematica’s toll-free number, 1-866-504-9640, or at [email protected]. If you wish to contact NSF, please email Kelly Kang at [email protected].

We look forward to working with < Institution Name> on this important study.

Sincerely,

Myron P. Gutmann

Assistant Director

Enclosures

[Letter to the Institution Coordinator]

N ATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

«CHFNM»

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to request your assistance in conducting the 2010 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG). The NSF has conducted this survey every two years since 1974, making the 2010 survey the 19th in the series. The purpose of the study is to gather and report national data on the education and employment of recent bachelor’s and master’s graduates in a variety of academic fields. More information about this study and findings from previous cycles are available on the NSF website at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsrcg.

Your institution was scientifically selected to be part of the nationally representative sample of higher education institutions from which survey respondents (i.e., recent graduates) will be drawn. Your cooperation is therefore critical to the success of the study. While your institution’s participation is voluntary, your help is essential in making the results of this national study comprehensive, accurate, and timely.

We are asking each institution to provide a list of all students who received a bachelor’s or master’s degree from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009. The lists will be collected by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., a nationally recognized survey research firm, under contract to the NSF. Each institution will have its own password protected website for uploading their graduate lists during the two-stage list collection process. In the first stage, we are requesting minimal information that is needed to select the sample of graduates who will later be asked to complete the survey. In the second stage, we will request contact information for a small sample of selected graduates.

A Mathematica representative will contact your office shortly to discuss the study and to work with your institution. Please be assured that we will work with your institution to address and accommodate staffing, scheduling, confidentiality, or any other concerns you may have. Instructions for preparing the lists and answers to frequently asked questions are available at https://www.gradsurvey.org. You can access this website using the following information:

Login: <username>

Password: <password>

Our goal is to collect as many lists as possible for the academic classes of 2008 and 2009 by <date>. If this deadline is not feasible for you, we ask that you discuss alternatives with the Mathematica representative when they contact you. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please contact our list collection director, Dr. Gail Baxter, at Mathematica’s toll-free number, 1-866-504-9640 or at [email protected].

Thank you very much for your assistance with this important request.

Sincerely,

Lynda T. Carlson, PhD

Director

Division of Science Resources Statistics

cc: University President/Chancellor

[Follow-up Letter to Late Responding Institutions]

N ATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

OFFICE OF THE

DIRECTOR

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing to request your support in obtaining <Institution Name>’s participation in the 2010 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG). As you may know, this survey gathers information from recent graduates who have obtained a degree in science, engineering or health fields.

<Institution Name> was selected in the national sample of 300 institutions because of the number of science, engineering, or health degrees awarded each year. In June, a representative from Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (Mathematica) contacted your institution on behalf of the National Science Foundation to collect a list of graduates for the 2008 and 2009 academic years. As of <Date>, we have not received the information from your institution.

I realize that the request to provide a list of all graduates from the two recent academic years can present a burden for some schools and we are willing to work with your registrar, or whomever you designate, to minimize that burden. Mathematica can work with your institution to address and accommodate staffing, scheduling, confidentiality, or any other concerns you may have.

I know that you are aware of the current interest in the Administration, Congress and the National Science Board concerning the number of students graduating with degrees in science, engineering, and health fields. There is also considerable interest in the reasons why students are pursuing these fields of study and concern about how to attract more students to science, engineering and health fields.

I am sure you can appreciate how important the science and engineering workforce is in sustaining and nurturing the U.S. science and technology enterprise. A representative from Mathematica will contact you in the next week to discuss how we can facilitate <Institution Name>’s participation in the study. In the meantime, if you wish to contact NSF with any questions or concerns about the study, please contact Kelly Kang, at (703) 292-7796 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Cora Marrett

Acting Director

[Conversion Letter to Institutions Refusing to Participate]

N ATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

OFFICE OF THE

DIRECTOR

«CHFNM»

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing to request your support in obtaining <Institution Name>’s participation in the 2010 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG). As you may know, this survey gathers information from recent graduates who have obtained a degree in science, engineering or health fields.

<Institution Name> was selected in the national sample of 300 institutions because of the number of science, engineering, or health degrees awarded each year. In <Month>, a representative from Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (Mathematica) contacted your institution on behalf of the National Science Foundation to collect a list of graduates for the 2008 and 2009 academic years. According to <Coordinator’s Name>, <Institution Name> has declined to participate.

I urge you to help us with this important national study. The success of the NSRCG depends on the participation of <Institution Name>. We very much appreciate the past participation of <Institution Name> in this study and hope that your institution and your graduates will continue to be represented in this data collection effort.

I realize that the request to provide a list of all graduates from the two recent academic years can present a burden for some schools and we are willing to work with your registrar, or whomever you designate, to minimize that burden. Mathematica can work with your institution to address and accommodate staffing, scheduling, confidentiality, or any other concerns you may have.

I know that you are aware of the current interest in the Administration, Congress and the National Science Board concerning the number of students graduating with degrees in science and engineering. There is also considerable interest in the reasons why students are pursuing these fields of study and concern about how to attract more students to science and engineering fields. I am sure you can appreciate how important the science and engineering workforce is in sustaining and nurturing the U.S. science and technology enterprise.

Mathematica will contact you in the next week to discuss <Institution Name>’s participation. In the meantime, if you wish to contact NSF with any questions or concerns about the study, please contact Kelly Kang, at (703) 292-7796 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Cora Marrett

Acting Director

[Thank You Letter to Participating Institutions]

N ATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

OFFICE OF THE

DIRECTOR

«CHFNM»

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to thank you for your institution’s participation in the 2010 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG). Since the inception of the NSRCG in 1974, the survey findings have been valuable resources for the National Science Board, educators, career-development professionals, and government officials for planning and policymaking purposes.

As you may recall, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (Mathematica) was contracted by NSF to collect lists of recent graduates from a nationally representative sample of the academic institutions to develop the sampling frame for NSRCG. <Coordinator Name> worked with us on <Institution>’s graduates, and the NSF truly appreciates your institutions’ assistance and efforts in conducting the 2010 study.

From the list of graduates your institution provided, Mathematica has selected a scientific sample of graduates that represent your institution. Because the success of this important national study depends on our ability to interview the recent graduates, Mathematica is contacting the alumni office to help us update the address information on a small number of sampled graduates from your institution.

Thank you again for your institution’s participation in this important study. If you have any questions about the NSRCG, please call the NSF Project Officer, Kelly Kang, at 703-292-7796 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Cora Marrett

Acting Director

[Letter to Alumni Office Director]

N ATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
4201 WILSON BOULEVARD
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA 22230

<Date>

«CHFNM»

«CHFTITLE»

«INSTNM»

«ADDR»

«CITY», «STABBR» «ZIP»

Dear «CHFSalutation»:

I am writing on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to request your assistance in the 2010 National Survey of Recent College Graduates (NSRCG). The NSRCG provides information on the education and employment of graduates in a variety of academic fields. Several months ago, your institution provided us a list of recent graduates who received a bachelor’s or master’s degree from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.

From this list, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., a survey research organization under contract with NSF, has selected a nationally representative sample of recent graduates for the NSRCG study. As in the past round of the NSRCG, we need the alumni offices’ help because the quality and value of the survey results are undermined when graduates cannot be contacted due to outdated address or telephone information.

For each of the <sample size> graduates selected from your institution for the 2010 NSRCG, we are requesting the most recently updated contact information such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses. To help differentiate between individuals with the same or similar names, we are also asking institutions to provide the last four digits of the graduate’s social security number. For data security, please obtain the list of your sampled graduates from our secure website on https://www.gradsurvey.org using the following information:

Login: <xxxxx>

Password: <xxxxx>

We would appreciate receiving your Excel file with the requested contact information by <date>. If you have any questions or need assistance with this request, please contact Dr. Gail Baxter, the list collection director, at Mathematica’s toll free number, 866-504-9640, or you can contact her at [email protected].

If you would like to contact NSF with additional questions about the study or <Institution Name>’s participation, please call Kelly Kang, the NSF Project Officer, at 703-292-7796 or email to [email protected].

Thank you very much for your assistance in this important national study.

Sincerely,

Lynda T. Carlson, PhD

Director

Division of Science Resources Statistics

cc: <<Institution Coordinator’s name>>