Rationale

The overriding goal of the I/UCRC's evaluation effort is to aid continuous improvement (Gray, 1997). While a significant body of I/UCRC-related research addresses the benefits and motives for joining Centers (Gray, Gidley, & Koester, 1988; Russo, 1987; Levine, Walters, & Gray, 1998) far less research has focused on sponsor retention (Gray, Lindblad & Rudolph 2001) and no research has made use of evaluator exit interviews.  

The three primary tasks required of local I/UCR Center Evaluators, the Historical Profile, the Process/Outcome Questionnaire, and the Exit Interview, are designed to address both center-level and program-level concerns (Gray, 1997). While each of these evaluation tasks have acted as an "early warning system" to Center Directors, there has never been a program-wide collection, analysis, and report based on exit interview data. Without these mechanisms to collect, interpret, and act on the results of these exit interviews, some Center Evaluators have questioned the value of maintaining this evaluation component in its present form.

While these interviews may be useful, exit interviews currently provide an unknown quality of information. This project delivers the protocols and mechanisms necessary to collect exit interview data across all centers and, once this data is compiled, the analysis will focus on the value of the exit interview process to key stakeholders and identify potential improvements to this evaluation component.

Broader Impacts

The full implementation of the exit interview process, including the systematic collection and analysis of one year of industry sponsor exit interviews data, will provide Center Directors with timely feedback information from their local evaluators that can help craft sponsor-oriented research or administrative improvements. The data collection mechanism, face to face or telephone interviews by the local center evaluator, provides the opportunity to probe deeply into sponsors' motives for leaving (Kvale, 1996) and create developmental-oriented evaluations (Patton, 1996) that help uncover some of the unique issues or problems faced by a given sponsor in justifying renewal decisions.

In addition, this study would benefit Center Evaluators by utilizing one year of exit interview data to understand if this evaluation component should be maintained and, if so, how it could provide maximum benefit in the future.