Graduating seniors give CU Boulder high marks
May 8th
About four in five respondents reported satisfaction with their CU-Boulder education. A similar proportion would recommend CU-Boulder to a friend and nearly 98 percent of the seniors reported that their program of study met their educational goals.
The 2012 study is the latest edition of the senior survey, conducted 11 times since 1985 by CU-Boulder’s Office of Planning, Budget and Analysis, or PBA.
“The survey data clearly demonstrate that these students, from their perspective as seniors, judge the university in overwhelmingly positive terms,” said Michael Grant, CU-Boulder associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education. “CU-Boulder routinely invests a lot of time and energy in polling our senior students about their experiences, academic and otherwise, in order to continuously work toward improving those experiences.”
The online questionnaire was sent to 7,646 degree-seeking seniors and was completed by 2,890, or 38 percent, of the recipients. Comprising about 200 scaled items, plus four open-ended questions, the survey collected a massive amount of information including nearly 7,900 written comments.
The 2012 seniors’ ratings of CU-Boulder advising services were higher than those from any previous senior survey. The seniors’ satisfaction with numerous other CU-Boulder services, from libraries to information technology, was high and generally comparable to that of earlier cohorts.
“We use the survey results extensively to look at what’s popular and working well, to set goals to improve services, and even to pass along advice,” said Jim Davis Rosenthal, CU-Boulder director of orientation and director of the Office of Student Affairs Assessment. “Based on one of the survey questions, we are able to let incoming freshmen know what outgoing seniors wished they had gotten involved in. Other departments also use the results to encourage students to try opportunities they might not otherwise have considered. In a way, it’s like older siblings giving advice to their younger siblings.”
Large proportions of seniors said that if they were to start over at CU-Boulder, they would put more effort toward or spend more time on interacting with faculty (60 percent), career exploration (51 percent), and campus-related research projects, internships and applied experiences (45 percent).
Nearly two-thirds of seniors who expected to graduate by summer 2012 reported that their principal activity in fall 2012 was most likely to be paid employment, either full time (48 percent) or part time (15 percent). A combined 15 percent said they were most likely to be enrolled in graduate studies, professional school or other coursework. A combined 13 percent expected to go into military service, or pursue volunteer service, an internship, student teaching or travel.
The thousands of student comments included praise for various aspects of their major programs, suggestions for ways to enhance and improve major programs, and descriptions of ways in which their major program did or did not meet their educational goals.
One student wrote, “I feel that I am prepared to be an exceptional teacher after I graduate. The school had a lot to do with my preparedness.” Another wrote, “Excellent material, mostly great professors, and fantastic facilities all add up to a well-rounded education.”
The survey collects information on seniors’ satisfaction with their educational experiences at CU-Boulder and about their post-graduation plans. The survey’s findings are used primarily to provide systematic information for academic and service units to use in planning and improvement, and for use by prospective and current students, their advisers, and their families.
Preliminary results for the Seniors’ Future Plans Survey, which is separate from the comprehensive senior survey and which has been conducted each year since 2009, show a jump in full-time employment expectations. The initial data show that 54 percent of CU-Boulder seniors in 2013 expect full-time employment to be their principal activity after graduation, an increase from 48 percent in 2012. Expectations for part-time employment were reported by 15 percent of the 2013 seniors.
The 2012 questionnaire and comprehensive data from the senior survey, including summary reports from students in each of CU-Boulder’s schools and colleges and nearly 50 departments, are available athttp://www.colorado.edu/pba/surveys/senior/12/index.htm.
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CU v-baller Taylor Simpson chosen for national team
May 7th
Simpson Named To USA A2 National Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Taylor Simpson, a junior-to-be on the University of Colorado volleyball team, has been selected to the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Senior A2 Program that will train and compete this summer.
“We are very excited that Taylor was selected for this wonderful opportunity,” coach Liz Kritza said. “Taylor is a very gifted athlete and a welcomed addition to our program here at CU. The experience she will gain from being on the USA team will no doubt benefit her development and I am sure she will represent us well.”
The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Senior A2 program is available to athletes with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2013 season. This program is scheduled to take place in Dallas from June 25 to July 4 in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships. The roster contains 48 athletes from 29 different universities. Simpson is the first CU athlete to be chosen for the team since Ashley Nu’u in 2005.
“I am really excited and honored to have been chosen for this, and look forward to a competitive and productive training and playing session with the A2 team,” Simpson said.
The A2 program coaching staff will include Andy Banachowski, Mike Hebert, Ruth Nelson and Bill Neville who will serve as team head coaches. Assistant coaches with the A2 program are Ashley Allen, Terry Condon, Linda Hampton and Marci Sanders. Technical coordinators/assistant coaches for the A2 program are Kevin Hitt, Nicki Holmes, Eugene Tichenor and Jay Van Vark.
During the six-day training period from June 25-30, the 48 athletes will be divided into four equal teams that will compete in pool play against the other A2 program teams and the top four Premier Volleyball League (PVL) teams. After pool play, the four A2 program teams and PVL teams will split into their own divisions to determine the medalist teams in the competition.
The athletes were selected via the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 22-24 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The tryout attracted a record 240 participants, 33 more than the previous best mark set in 2012. Athletes selected to both the A2 program and the U.S. Women’s Junior National Volleyball Team (WJNT) could only participate in the WJNT program with the 2013 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship as the priority event.
Simpson, who joined the CU volleyball program in January, is not a stranger to USA Volleyball as she was a member of the 2010 U.S. Youth Olympic Team that finished second in Singapore. She led the team at the tournament and recorded 11 kills, six blocks and an ace in the final match of the tournament.
Simpson, an outside hitter, joined this Buffs this past January after stints at Nebraska and Missouri. In 2011, Simpson was a freshman for the Huskers and played in 12 matches before she was sidelined with a season-ending injury. As a sophomore in 2012, she played in 14 matches for the Tigers and started in eight of those contests. Simpson recorded 118 kills and hit .167 during the year and also added 50 digs and 30 blocks. She had 12 kills and 13 digs against Virginia Tech (August 26) and led the Tigers with 11 kills against Appalachian State (Sept. 1).
Simpson had a much decorated career at Doherty High School. As a senior, she garnered numerous awards, which included being named the Colorado 5A Player of the Year and earning the Sportswomen of Colorado high school volleyball award. Simpson was named the No. 9 player in the country by Prepvolleyball.com and was named to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab-50. Simpson played in the Under Armour All-American game for the red team and was also named to the AVCA High School All-American first team, as well as an ESPN RISE All-American honorable mention selection. Simpson was also tabbed as a Preseason All-American by MaxPreps. She also recorded 471 kills, 60 blocks, 312 digs and 21 aces as a senior.
During Simpson’s senior and junior years, she was named to the All-Colorado Team, PrepVolleyball.com’s High School All-American Team, First Team All-Colorado 5A and helped her team finish third at the state championships both seasons.
As a junior, Simpson was named to the MaxPreps All-American Team and PrepVolleyball’s Top-50 Juniors list. She was also honored as the Colorado 5A Player of the Year. That season she notched 446 kills, 46 blocks, 30 aces and 289 digs.
During her three seasons at DHS, Simpson was named first team All-Colorado Springs Metro League and first team All-4A/5A Area. As a sophomore, she helped DHS to a fifth-place finish at the state championship and was named to the All-Colorado 5A second team.
– Colorado Volleyball –
Linda Sprouse
Assistant Sports Information Director
Volleyball/Cross Country/Track & Field
University of Colorado
CU golfers head to the regional tournament
May 7th
Colorado Earns First Regional Bid Since 2009
Colorado, ranked No. 60 in the nation (GolfStat; No. 67 Golfweek) is the No. 10 seed in the field.
“We’re obviously really pleased about the selection, and it’s representative of a strong year by the team and all the hard work has paid off,” said head coach Roy Edwards. “Everyone is excited to advance to the regional, and we’re really excited that we get the chance to advance to the Finals from there.”
“We’re obviously really pleased about the selection, and it’s representative of a strong year by the team and all the hard work has paid off,” said head coach Roy Edwards. “Everyone is excited to advance to the regional, and we’re really excited that we get the chance to advance to the Finals from there.”
Edwards indicated that he would select which five players will make the trip to Fayetteville in the coming days. Four Buffs, seniors Jason Burstyn and Derek Fribbs, sophomore David Oraee and freshman Philip Juel-Berghave played in all 12 tournaments (38 rounds) this season, and most likely will be among that quintet. If so, the fifth player will come from a pool of four others who have competed at various times throughout the season.
Juel-Berg led CU with a 24th place finish at the recently completed Pac-12 Championships, as Colorado placed 10th as a team. A disappointing final round cost the Buffs as high as a sixth place finish.
“We were really close to having a top six finish, and in a six-count-five format, and even though we finished 10th, the performance wasn’t that poor,” Edwards said. “We were only a few shots short of finishing much higher, but the important thing that happened is that the golf course (Los Angeles Country Club North) taught our guys a lot of how we have to play the game. So no matter where we finished, that was a very valuable experience that I believe we can carry over into regionals.”
How good is the Pac-12 Conference? The league received three No. 1 seeds (California, UCLA and Washington), and is sending 10 teams into regional play. Thus, all nine schools that bested CU in the league meet are also in the postseason, though none are joining the Buffaloes in Arkansas.
Old Big 12 Conference foes Texas (No. 1 seed) and Oklahoma State (No. 3) are in the Fayetteville draw, with the two ranked Nos. 5 and 16 in the nation, respectively; in-between is host and 13th-ranked Arkansas. The remainder of the field in seed order includes No. 21 SMU, No. 28 Kent State, No. 32 Illinois, No. 40 Liberty, No. 45 Tulsa, No. 53 Kentucky, No. 60 Colorado, No. 67 Indiana, No. 72 UNC-Wilmington, UM-Kansas City and Alabama State.
The Buffaloes will attempt to advance to the NCAA Championship Finals for the first time since the 2001-02 season; five times since that year CU has qualified to the regional but would go no further.
“It’s really everybody’s first time except for Derek, who played last year as an individual, so it will be a new experience for everyone,” Edwards said. “We’re going to embrace it and are looking forward to playing well.”
The top five teams and top two individuals who are not members of those squads will advance to the NCAA Championship Finals, which are scheduled for May 28-June 2 in Atlanta, Ga.
David Plati
Associate AD/Sports Information
University of Colorado Buffaloes
357 UCB / Fieldhouse Annex #50
Boulder, CO 80309-0357
303/492-5626 (office)
david.plati@colorado.edu
