Intellectual College Development Related to Alumni Perceptions of Personal Growth

T. Dary Erwin   |    Volume Seven  |   

Alumni self-ratings of their personal growth were linked to their intellectual development during college four to seven years earlier. Graduates that were satisfied with their personal growth in the arts, creative thinking, making logical inferences, learning independently, exercising initiative, and tolerating other points of view had higher intellectual scores in Commitment and Empathy as undergraduates years earlier. These findings support a relationship between college student intellectual development and alumni perceptions of their personal growth. The implications of this study support continuing the custom of querying graduates about their earlier education, a practice in wide use already; and add to the validity of the Scale of Intellectual Development as a measure of college impact upon personal dispositions.

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