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James Madison University 2026 Alumni Survey

Dear JMU Alum,

As a JMU alum I know you care deeply about our university. Your feedback plays a vital role in shaping the future of alumni engagement, programs, events, communications, and more. Simply put, your voice matters. The more we hear from our alumni, the better we can serve you and ensure JMU remains a place we're all proud to call home.

As a thank you for participating, you'll have the opportunity to enter a separate drawing for one of ten alumni swag boxes, six $50 gift cards, or four $100 gift cards.

Thank you for taking this time to share your thoughts. We're listening, and we're committed to turning your feedback into meaningful action.

Go Dukes!

Paula Polglase ('92, '96M)
Director, Office of Alumni Relations
Executive Director, JMU Alumni Association
We recommend taking your survey on a desktop computer, laptop computer or tablet. If you take the survey using a mobile device, we recommend turning your mobile device to the landscape position. Remember, if you cannot complete the entire questionnaire, please hit the “submit” button at the end, so that we can still capture your results. None of the questions are required. 

Section I

To start, please tell us a bit about yourself and your experience with James Madison University.
1. Which of the following describes your overall current opinion of JMU?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
2. How often do you promote JMU to others?
NeverOccasionallyRegularlyAll the timeNo opinion
3. Which of the following best describes your experience as a student?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
4. Which of the following best describes your experiences as a JMU Alum?
PoorFairGoodExcellentNo opinion
5. How would you rate your decision to attend JMU?
Bad decisionFair decisionGood decisionGreat decisionNo opinion
6. On a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest, how connected do you feel to JMU?
012345678910
7. On a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest, how likely are you to recommend JMU to a prospective student?
012345678910
8. How well did your JMU education prepare you for each of the following?
Space Cell Poor preparationFair preparationGood preparationExcellent preparationNo opinion
a. Current work status
b. Further graduate education
c. Commitment to continuous education
d. Responding to new career opportunities
e. Contributing to my community
f. Deepening my commitment to personal development
g. Getting a job I wanted soon after I graduated
9. Please indicate the extent of your loyalty to each of the following:
Space Cell Not loyalSomewhat loyalLoyalVery loyalNo opinion
a. My college/school within JMU
b. My major or degree program
c. A faculty member or instructor
d. A student organization or activity I was associated with
e. JMU athletics
f. JMU in general
g. My class year
10. Please indicate how much each of the following impacts your overall opinion of JMU:
Space Cell No impact on my opinionSome impact on my opinionSignificantly impacts my opinionCritically impacts my opinionNo opinion
a. Value/respect for degree
b. Campus aesthetics (e.g. buildings, grounds, etc.)
c. Media visibility (e.g. newspaper, magazine articles, viral videos, etc.)
d. History/tradition
e. Accomplishments of alumni
f. School rankings (e.g. U.S. News & World Report)
g. Accomplishments of faculty
h. Outreach to community
i. Accomplishments of students
j. Success of athletic teams
k. Availability of scholarships
l. A diverse and inclusive environment
Section II

The following questions are about your experience as a student.
11. In which of the following organizations/activities did you participate as a student? (Check all that apply.)
12. How important was each of the following to your experience as a student?
Space Cell Not important Somewhat importantVery importantCritically importantNo opinion
a. Relationship with other students
b. Academics/classes
c. Relationship with the faculty
d. Attending athletic events
e. Participating in fraternity/sorority
f. Relationship with administration and staff
g. Student leadership opportunities
h. Skills/training for career (e.g., internships, practicums, clinicals, etc.)
i. Traditions or values learned on campus
j. Interacting with alumni
k. Engaging in community service activities
l. Student employment opportunities
Name one person who had a special impact on your experience as a student. Please also provide a brief description of the relationship.
13. Name one person, program or activity that had a special impact on your experience as a student. Please also provide a brief description.
Section III
 
The balance of the questions pertain to your experience as a JMU Alum.
14. In your relationship with JMU, please describe how often you do or have done each of the following:
Space Cell NeverOccasionallyRegularlyAll the timeNo opinion
a. Attend local alumni chapter events
b. Socialize with other alumni
c. Read alumni email
d. Read Madison magazine
e. Attend JMU sporting events
f. Attend Reunions (class year, organizations, etc.)
g. Visit campus
h. Visit JMU or Alumni website
i. Volunteer for JMU or Alumni Association
j. Engage with JMU on social media
15. For each of the communication methods listed below, please tell us how important that method is to you and also rate JMU's effectiveness in utilizing that method:

Importance

1 = Not important
2 = Somewhat important
3 = Very important
4 = Critically important

Effectiveness

1 = Poor
2 = Fair
3 = Good
4 = Excellent                  

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
a. Alumni website (alumni.jmu.edu)
b. JMU website (jmu.edu)
c. Electronic alumni newsletter (Madison Update)
d. Email from JMU
e. Communication regarding alumni services and benefits
f. Invitations to on-campus JMU activities
g. Invitations to local or regional JMU events and programs
h. Madison magazine, print version
i. Madison magazine, digital version
j. Invitations to alumni activities
k. Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
l. Text Messaging
16. Please indicate your feeling regarding the frequency of the following:
Space Cell Way too muchA little too muchAbout rightWould welcome moreNot nearly enoughNo opinion
a. Email correspondence from JMU (newsletters, news flashes, etc.)
b. Madison magazine (print)
c. Information regarding alumni discounts (banking, diploma frames, etc.)
d. Requests for donations
e. Invitations to alumni activities
f. Presence on social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
19. How important is it for alumni in general to do the following and how well does JMU do at supporting alumni in doing them?

Importance

1 = Not important
2 = Somewhat important
3 = Very important
4 = Critically important

Performance

1 = Poor
2 = Fair
3 = Good
4 = Excellent                 

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
a. Supporting students (e.g. mentoring, identifying jobs)
b. Supporting other alumni (e.g. mentoring, identifying jobs)
c. Recruiting prospective students to attend JMU
d. Serving as ambassadors promoting JMU to others
e. Providing financial support for JMU (e.g. donations)
f. Networking with other alumni
g. Volunteering for JMU (e.g., serving as chapter leaders or on councils and boards)
h. Attending general alumni and JMU events
i. Attending JMU athletic events
j. Engaging with alumni virtual activities (webinars, book club, etc.)
k. Attending reunions based on the activities/groups you were involved with
l. Attending reunions based on the year you graduated
m. Attending an alumni event in your area featuring a JMU official (President, Coach, etc.)
n. Have access to career support programs
20. Which of the following alumni activities would you be the most likely to participate in? (Check up to 5.)
21. What are barriers to your participation in alumni activities? (Check all that apply.)
22. Which of the following best describes your philanthropic support of JMU?
23. What does (or would) motivate you to give to JMU?
Space Cell Not importantSomewhat importantVery importantCritically importantNo opinion
a. It's the right thing to do
b. Improve the quality of academics
c. Attract high-quality faculty
d. Improve quality of facilities
e. Provide financial support to JMU students
f. Enhance university ranking(s)
g. Keep tuition affordable
h. Know how gifts are used
i. Regional programming in my area
Please provide the following demographic information:
Please select the ethnicity/race with which you identify: (Check all that apply.)
Your current location:
Thank you for your input. Your time is greatly appreciated.
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