World-first survey launches at Waikato University

About 1300 final-year Waikato students will be approached to take part in a world-first survey of graduates this Sunday.

The Graduate Longitudinal Study New Zealand (GLSNZ) is a large-scale, long-term survey designed to determine the ongoing impact of a university education on New Zealand graduates’ lives.

Commissioned by Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara, which represents the eight New Zealand Universities, and with funding from the Government, the study will survey 14,000 final-year students across New Zealand about their lifestyles, employment, projected career development, and their health and well-being.

Those students who participate in the initial survey will be approached for follow-up surveys in two, five and 10 years’ time.

The results will be invaluable for all universities, including Waikato, as they will reveal more about how graduates’ lives develop once they leave university, and how their university experiences impact not only on their careers, but also on their health, relationships, families and finances.

The insights will allow the University to work towards improving the quality and value of its courses.

Results of the initial baseline survey will be released in February next year.