The needs assessment survey was designed in 2012 to understand what alumnae interests and practices when it comes to the Palmer Society. 111 Palmer alumnae, representing classes from 1940 – 2011 participated in a needs assessment survey. These results reflect the Networking and Mentoring portion of the Survey.

1. Palmer Alumnae Leadership
Council
Needs Assessment Survey 2012
Networking and Mentoring
1

2. What are you most interested in seeing the Palmer Society
Alumnae Leadership Council do?
Professional Networking
Decade
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
Grand Total
High Interest
Interest
1
Neutral
Low Interest Less Interest
Blank
1
2
1
1
6
1
2
4
2
3
7
8
36
2
2
1
3
1
2
1
2
3
2
3
1
1
1
3
4
3
3
2
5
3
3
4
3
4
1
25
30
3
2
1
1
2
2
1
7
10
2

3. What are you most interested in seeing the Palmer Society
Alumnae Leadership Council do?
Mentoring: Professional Development and Leadership
Decade
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
Grand Total
High Interest
1
Interest
Neutral
1
2
2
1
1
2
5
2
1
3
3
3
4
6
2
1
2
4
2
4
4
5
7
5
31
41
2
1
Low Interest Less Interest
Blank
2
1
3
2
1
3
4
3
1
3
2
2
22
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4
3
10
3

4. Mentoring and Networking Interest
Are you interested in networking or mentoring within the
Palmer Society communities?
Are you interested in being
MENTORED BY another Palmer
alumnae?
Decade
(blank),
0
No, 39
Yes, 50
No Yes
1940-1944 1
1945-1949 1
1950-1954 2
1
1955-1959 1
2
1960-1964 1
1965-1969 2
1970-1974 1
3
1975-1979 3
5
1980-1984 6
3
1985-1989 4
3
1990-1994 2
4
1995-1999 6
4
2000-2004 5
5
2005-2009 1 13
2010-2014 3
7
Grand Total 39 50
Are you interested in being a
mentor for an active or alumnae?
No, 10
Yes, 17
No, 34
Yes, 42
4

5. Rate your relative interest in the following networking and mentoring
focuses:
Decade
1940-1944
1945-1949
1950-1954
1955-1959
1960-1964
1965-1969
1970-1974
1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2004
2005-2009
2010-2014
Average
Providing
undergraduate/
young alumnae
MENTORING
(personalprofessional)
Are you
Providing
Provide or
interested in
undergraduate/
participate in
providing
young alumnae Participate in career focused
MENTORING I am interested
NETWORKING
alumnae
events in areas
Are you
based on your in professional I am interested
(personalMENTORING
of strong
interested in
major to an
development in Leadership
professional) (professional)
expertise
NETWORKING
active
programming
as a topic
1 Low Interest
1.0
3.0
3.0
1.0
3.0
4.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
3.0
1.0
3.0
2
3 Neutral
4
2.3
4.0
4.0
3.5
3.5
3.8
3.6
3.8
4.3
2.7
3.4
3.8
3.3
2.5
2.0
3.2
3.5
4.3
2.0
4.4
4.0
2.5
3.3
4.5
3.4
3.7
4.1
3.3
4.2
4.0
3.0
4.0
2.8
4.0
3.9
4.1
2.7
3.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.3
4.0
3.8
4.7
2.0
4.0
4.0
2.8
3.0
2.3
3.2
3.9
4.3
2.0
3.4
3.8
3.5
3.3
2.5
4.0
3.2
4.4
2.3
4.2
3.8
3.0
3.0
3.5
3.6
3.5
3.3
3.7
3.3
3.6
3.8
3.4
3.4
3.4
5 High Interest
3.4
5

6. Is there a special skill that you would like to help mentor the actives with at their
request? Example: career expertise, sewing, time management, event planning,
mediation, etc.
•
Advice/mentoring for actives interested in the
health professions (albeit via e-mail for the time
being)
•
Building power/power-mapping running for office •
being engaged in politics community organizing to •
change public policy empowering women to take
leadership roles in their professional development
I love to edit papers!
•
I teach English as a second language at an OC
community college. I'd be happy to talk to future
community college educators.
I'd have to really think about it before giving an
answer.
•
Medicine
•
Non-profit management
•
Business, financial planning, accounting
•
•
Career Expertise - High School Teacher 38 years
Volunteer Dog Trainer, Teacher's Union Leadership
Skills
•
Career expertise (Human Resources and Federal
Government employment) Health and nutrition
management/ time management.
I teach leadership and have developed several
corporate mentoring programs -- perhaps I can
help?
Sewing, teaching, interview skills, moving forward
after a history/incident of abuse, vegan cooking
•
Social work/career planning/internships/graduate
school applications
•
Special Education working with children
•
The issue for me is distance. I'm out of state. I
would be interested in mentoring an active on
something like application resumes for scholarships
- or something that can be done from a distance/via
email etc.
•
•
Career expertise-elementary education, special
education
•
Career planning
•
Class room teaching Elementary level
•
Crochet, Rolling Spaghetti with a Fork (Table
Manners)
•
High School Education
•
•
•
I can talk to poli sci grads about community
•
organizing if they are trying to figure out what to do
with a poli sci degree.
I volunteer a great deal through my church. My
husband is somewhat of an invalid. Time,
therefore, is limited. I am a retired teacher and
would be glad to talk with a person interested in
pursuing education as a career.
I would like a way to publicize the fact that my
organization needs college interns. Palmers would
be perfect, but I currently know of no way to get the
•
word out about this. I am happy to use my
•
connections to help an active secure an internship
with my org (nationwide opportunities).
•
I would LOVE to mentor actives, but I'm out of the
country for work most of the time. In a few years, if
I transfer back to the US, I would get more involved.
Time management and about my major/career.
Time management, event planning, English, French,
study skills
Writing
6

7. Palmer Alumnae Leadership Council
Survey Results Summary
• There is high interest in networking and job mentoring within Palmers
• The interest is especially high among recent alumnae. More
respondents would be willing to serve as a mentor than receive
mentoring
7