|
Introduction
The Senior Survey was administered differently in
the Spring of 1997 than it was in 1996. Last year, the questionnaire
was sent out with student diplomas, resulting in a response rate
of 35.8% (387 responses of 1,080 surveys sent). Since diplomas are
sent as schools/colleges approve the student’s graduating
status, the last batch of surveys was sent as late as October of
1996. This led to students filling out the questionnaire at very
different points in their post-graduate experience, which may have
skewed the results. This year, in an attempt to address this problem,
questionnaires were sent to all students who had applied for graduation
by the end of the Spring 1997 term. In an attempt to motivate students
to return the survey, they were asked to verify the address to which
their diplomas would be sent. The result was an increased response
rate of 54% (455 responses out of 840 surveys sent). A brief synopsis
of the results of that survey is presented here; a more in-depth
report accompanies this brief.
Overall, Senior Satisfaction is Up
In general, graduating seniors remain satisfied with
most aspects of the University (see Table 1). As in 1996, students
indicated very high satisfaction (89%) with the entire ISU experience,
and with the educational experience in particular. An overwhelming
percentage of students (93%) appreciate the intellectual and personal
growth they experienced while at ISU, while 90% say they are satisfied
with the value of their education and classroom instruction. Roughly
3 out of 4 students said they were satisfied with career preparation
and preparation for future education. Overall, these results show
that among 1997 graduates, satisfaction with the educational experience
is slightly higher (1%-5%) than that of 1996 graduates.
Students also appear to appreciate the campus and
various resources available to them. Large percentages of students
indicated satisfaction with the appearance of campus grounds and
buildings, the student union, and the library. These findings were
the same or slightly higher (1%-2%) than results for 1996. One instance
for which 1997 results are down from 1996 is satisfaction with the
computer labs; in 1997, 71% of graduates indicated satisfaction,
compared to 75% in 1996.
The 1997 seniors also appeared to be slightly more
satisfied with services such as registration and senior checkout,
safety and security, student activities, and recreation than their
predecessors. The 1997 seniors also appeared more satisfied with
resources such as the Career Center, Counseling Center and Student
Life Office. In most areas, 1997 graduates rated services 1%-6%
higher than 1996 graduates did; however, there were two exceptions.
One decrease occurred in recreational sports, for which satisfaction
dropped from 60% in 1996 to 53% in 1997. The other decrease occurred
in satisfaction with the Student Health Center; only 47% of 1997
seniors indicated satisfaction compared to 58% of 1996 seniors.
As in past years, students appear to be least satisfied
with four areas: parking, Financial Aid, fee payments, and General
Education requirements. As with 1996 graduates, parking is the leading
source of student dissatisfaction among 1997 graduates, with over
half of respondents (56%) indicating dissatisfaction. On a positive
note, these results have improved since 1996, when 67% of respondents
indicated dissatisfaction. Financial Aid and fee payments are also
areas in which students register dissatisfaction. Only 23% of respondents
registered satisfaction with Financial Aid, and 35% registered dissatisfaction.
Although there is less satisfaction among 1997 graduates as compared
to 1996 (33%), there are also fewer students indicating dissatisfaction
(42% in 1996). This suggests that 1997 seniors have more neutral
feelings towards Financial Aid services than 1996 seniors did. As
for the fee payment situation, 35% indicated satisfaction while
26% indicated dissatisfaction, a result that is almost identical
to 1996. Results further reveal that graduates still have negative
feelings towards General Education requirements. In 1996, 54% indicated
satisfaction and 19% indicated dissatisfaction; this year, results
are slightly worse: only 48% indicated satisfaction, while 25% indicated
dissatisfaction. The root of these negative feelings is unclear.
One possibility is that students are reacting to having to take
General Education courses that they do not wish to take.
Seniors Are Satisfied With Faculty
Like their predecessors, the 1997 seniors hold their
most favorable views toward the academic aspects of ISU. Several
questions were posed on the survey to probe what aspects of their
education were most satisfactory to seniors. Faculty in their major
registered the most satisfaction among graduating seniors (see Table
2), with 84% of respondents indicating satisfaction with the teaching
ability of faculty in their major, and 83% indicating satisfaction
with the professional expertise of faculty in their major. These
results are essentially identical to 1996.
Other areas in which 1997 graduates appeared satisfied
include opportunities for interaction with faculty, instruction
evaluation, ability of other students in the major, and feedback
from instructors. Also appreciated was how well the academic experience
prepared the students for employment and graduate or professional
school. These results indicated slightly higher satisfaction (4%-7%)
than in 1996.
Areas in which students felt least satisfied were
career counseling, academic advising in General Education, information
on internships, academic advising in their major, and scheduling
in their major. Dissatisfaction with scheduling in major and academic
advising in General Education decreased slightly (3-4%) from 1996
to 1997; in 1996, 21% of seniors indicated dissatisfaction with
scheduling in their major and 32% were unhappy with the academic
advising in General Education. An almost identical percentage of
1996 and 1997 seniors (24%) indicated dissatisfaction with academic
advising in their majors. Areas that showed slight increases (1-3%)
in dissatisfaction from 1996 to 1997 were information on internships
and career counseling, which in 1996 registered 23% and 27% dissatisfaction,
respectively.
Seniors Are Satisfied With Residence Hall Life
Overall, seniors are still satisfied with residence
hall life (see Table 3). Of those students who lived in the residence
halls, the majority are satisfied with all aspects probed except
privacy. These results are very similar to, and perhaps slightly
higher than, those found in 1996. Then, satisfaction with the social
climate, the academic climate, and the quality of food was 2%-6%
less than figures for 1997. The 1997 seniors, although slightly
less satisfied (5%) with the privacy in the residence halls, were
also less dissatisfied (5%) than 1996 seniors, suggesting more neutral
feelings. The only aspect with which 1997 seniors appeared to be
less satisfied was physical facilities; however, the margin was
slight - only 3% fewer 1997 seniors indicated satisfaction.
Seniors Feel Prepared
Survey results suggest that 1997 graduates, like
their 1996 counterparts, generally agree that ISU has prepared them
well in various skills associated with higher education (see Table
4). In most areas, the 1997 results are almost identical to those
for 1996; however, in two areas, speaking and using mathematics,
1997 seniors felt slightly better prepared. In 1996, only 80% of
seniors felt well prepared in speaking and 57% felt well prepared
in using mathematics.
Seniors Work and Study
As found with previous graduating classes, the majority
of 1997 graduates work while attending school. Almost three-fourths
of 1997 graduates worked at least one part-time job during their
last semester at ISU, and 28% worked at least one full-time job,
or two or more part-time jobs (see Table 5). These findings are
down slightly from 1996 when 77% of respondents indicated that they
worked at least one part-time job and 31% indicated that they worked
at least one full-time job or two or more part-time jobs. Students
were also asked about their plans for the coming year. Over a third
indicated that they had not yet found a job and would continue looking.
This number is substantially larger than in 1996, when 19% indicated
that they were unemployed.
The differences in results between 1996 and 1997
are likely due in large part to slight differences in the survey
instrument and method of distribution. In 1996, students were asked
about their working situation during the last two years as opposed
to their last semester, and since surveys were sent as part of the
graduation packet, some graduates received the survey as late as
October. In 1997, surveys were distributed to seniors who had applied
for graduation; thus, surveys were all sent at the same time in
the spring. The delay in 1996 meant that students were given much
more time to find employment before filling out the survey, which
likely resulted in a lower percentage of unemployed graduates than
in 1997. Also, because the 1996 survey asked about the employment
situation during the last two years, many of the 1996 respondents
may have referred to their work experience after graduation while
filling out the survey, thus making it appear as though they worked
more than 1997 graduates.
Other findings about employment are almost identical
to those found in the 1996 senior survey: 17% of students intend
to remain in their current job, but look for work in their major,
and 12% indicated that they intended to attend school in the year
directly following graduation.
Other survey questions tried to ascertain the number
of hours students spent working, studying and socializing during
a typical week. As Table 6 indicates, 53% of students studied at
least 11 hours per week, and 22% spend 11 or more hours socializing
on campus. Around one-third of students are employed on campus,
and 57% are employed off campus. Twenty-four percent of seniors
spent at least 11 hours per week employed off campus, compared to
51% who spent at least 11 hours per week employed on campus. When
the responses to these questions are compared to those of the 1996
graduates, findings suggest that 1997 seniors tend to study less;
in 1996, only 41% of students said they studied less than 10 hours
per week, whereas in 1997, 47% did. All other responses were essentially
the same.
Graduating Seniors Are Connected to Campus
Many studies suggest that success at college is related
to the degree to which students are integrated into the campus community.
In order to assess the connection of our students to the campus,
students were asked several questions about how often they attended
social functions and sporting events on and around ISU. As Table
7 indicates, 45% of seniors attended at least one sporting event
per month and 46% typically attended at least one social event per
month. About one third of students typically attended at least one
artistic event, and roughly the same percentage attended at least
one sorority/fraternity event per month. Of those seniors who did
participate in fraternity/sorority events, a large percentage of
them (20%) attended six or more functions in a typical month. These
results are essentially identical to those for 1996.
As another means of gauging the attachment of students
to campus, seniors were asked what percentage of their friends were
ISU students and what percentage of their free time was spent on
campus (no table shown). Fifty-two percent of respondents indicated
that over half of their friends were ISU students, while 70% indicated
that at least 25% of their friends were ISU students. As for free
time, 39% indicated that they spent over half of their time outside
of class on campus, while 87% said they spent at least 25% of their
free time on campus. These findings are very similar to those for
1996.
Conclusions
As was found with 1996 graduates, 1997 graduates
appear to be generally satisfied with the overall ISU experience.
They are most satisfied with the academic experience, particularly
the faculty in their major. The majority are satisfied with the
residence halls, and most agree that ISU has prepared them well
in most skills usually associated with higher education. For most
factors, satisfaction among 1997 graduates was the same or slightly
higher than that of 1996 graduates, although a few indicators are
down slightly.
As with previous graduating classes, the majority
of 1997 seniors worked at least one part-time job while attending
school. Results suggest that 1997 graduates worked less during school
and have a greater instance of unemployment than 1996 graduates;
however, the differences between results for the two years are most
likely due to minor differences in the survey instrument and method
of distribution. As with 1996 graduates, 1997 graduates appear to
be well connected to campus, with a substantial percentage of students
regularly attending campus events.
This brief focuses on presenting a synopsis
of the results of the 1997 Senior Survey; a more in-depth analysis
is done in a separate brief. The focus of that brief is to attempt
to identify background factors that affect student success by exploring
differences between students who have graduated and other students.
The brief also investigates how background factors affect student
satisfaction among 1997 graduates.
|
