Applying Graduate Tracer Surveys as an Integrated Education Quality Management Tool: A Case Study of St. Augustine University of Tanzania

Abstract

Based on the heavy increase of tertiary enrolment in sub-sahara Africa and the massive proliferation of Higher Education Institutions in the East African region, quality assurance has become more important for institutions of tertiary education. Especially, graduate tracer studies can support Higher Education Institutions to orient their study programmes towards the needs of the labour market and thus to decrease unemployment or inadequate employment of their graduates. The article on hand describes the process and summarizes selected results of a recently conducted tracer study at St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT). The study was carried out in the framework of a partnership project between SAUT and the University of Duisburg-Essen, which focusses on the establishment of an integrated quality assurance system at SAUT. The paper gives some practical information for those involved in higher education quality assurance on how to conduct a graduate tracer study. A critical reflection in the end summarizes challenges and sketches a potential way forward for graduate tracer studies in East Africa of comparable contexts.

Keywords: Graduate Tracer Study, Quality Assurance, Higher Education, Survey, Social Sciences