THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AT UC SANTA CRUZ

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ABSTRACT

This report was prepared by the Institutional Research group in the Office of Planning and Budget. Major contributors to this report included Harley Baker, Randy Nelson, Virgil Adams, Jane Delgado and Kay Wilder. Additional copies may be requested from the Office of Planning and Budget, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064 [408 459-2446]. This report was released in August 1992.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• INTRODUCTION
• METHOD
  • Survey Development
  • Survey Respondents
  • Weighting
  • Analysis
  • Development of Item Groups
• CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
  • Demographic Information
  • Questionnaire Topics
  • Student Opinions and Values
  • Social Attitudes
  • Social Activities
  • Life on Campus
  • Academic Activities
  • Academic Attitudes
  • Degree Progress
  • Barriers to Progress
  • Personal Experiences
• CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
  • Demographic Information
  • Student Opinions and Values
  • Social Attitudes
  • Social Activities
  • Life on Campus
  • Academic Activities
  • Academic Attitudes
  • Barriers to Progress
  • Personal Experiences
• CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR FRESHPERSONS
  • Demographic Information
  • Student Opinions and Values
  • Social Attitudes
  • Social Activities
  • Life on Campus
  • Academic Activities
  • Academic Attitudes
  • Barriers to Progress
  • Personal Experiences
• CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS
  • Demographic Information
  • Student Opinions and Values
  • Social Attitudes
  • Social Activities
  • Life on Campus
  • Academic Activities
  • Barriers to Progress
• DIVERSITY AND CAMPUS CLIMATE
  • Climate Differences Related to Ethnicity
  • Student Opinions and Values
  • Social Attitudes
  • Social Activities
  • Life on Campus
  • Academic Activities
  • Academic Attitudes
  • Barriers to Progress
  • Personal Experiences
  • Summary Description of Ethnic Group Differences
  • Climate Differences Related to Socioeconomic Status
  • Climate Differences Related to Gender
  • Diversity and the Atmosphere at UCSC
• IMPLICATIONS
  • Diversity, Multiculturalism and Backlash
  • Alcohol and Drug Use
  • Opportunities for Informal Socializing
  • Undergraduate Advising
  • Academic Involvement and Collaborative Learning
  • Financial Support for Graduate Students
• APPENDIX A: Annotated Copy of the University Environment Survey
• APPENDIX B: Weights Used to Equate the Sample and the Student Body Population
• APPENDIX C: Item Groupings and Scale Items

The Academic and Social Environment at UC Santa Cruz

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A questionnaire designed to provide information about students' perceptions and evaluations of the UCSC campus environment were sent to all students of color and graduate students and a random sample of all other students. Of the 3,992 surveys sent to students, 1,237 (31%) were returned. The survey was administered during the winter of 1990.

Findings are reported in five sections. The first three sections provide a general description of climate as reported by (1) undergraduate students, (2) graduate students, and (3) freshpersons. The fourth section compares junior transfer students with juniors who started as freshpersons at UCSC. The findings presented in the fifth section explore how students from diverse ethnic, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds describe and evaluate the campus environment. The problems that appeared to be most salient in students' evaluations and comments were: diversity, multiculturalism and backlash; alcohol and drug use; opportunities for informal socializing; advising, especially for freshpersons and junior transfer students; collaborative learning and academic involvement; campus growth; and financial support for graduate students. Implications in each of these areas are discussed in the final section of the report.

The percentages reported in this summary are based on those students who did not express neutral opinions. Consequently, the percentages will not sum to 100% because many students were neutral on the questions in the survey.

Campus Climate for Undergraduate Students

Over 900 undergraduate students completed the survey. Findings about the social environment indicated that:

• undergraduates more frequently engaged in social activities off-campus than on-campus (49% vs. 13%); this discrepancy was not a result of dissatisfaction with on-campus social activities, as close to half (42%) expressed satisfaction and only 16% expressed dissatisfaction;
• drugs and alcohol were considered to be a problem at UCSC by almost half the undergraduates (41%), even though a much smaller percentage reported using drugs or alcohol on a regular basis (13%); in their comments, students elaborated about the seriousness of the problem and their concerns about students' consumption of drugs and alcohol, some students also made suggestions how to deal with this problem;
• close to half (41%) of the undergraduates believed people received equal treatment regardless of sexual orientation, gender or ethnicity; a quarter of the students (23%), however, did not believe there was equal treatment on campus;
• about half (45%) expressed feelings of belonging at UCSC, indicating that they felt socially integrated on campus, while 19% did not express these feelings;
• a third (36%) were satisfied and 15% were dissatisfied with their opportunities to meet and interact with people from similar backgrounds;
• 19% were satisfied and 36% were dissatisfied with the food on campus; and,
• 1% frequently felt pressure to engage in unwanted activities (e.g., change political beliefs, engage in unwanted sexual relationships, take drugs or drink alcohol) while 92% said they rarely or never experienced such pressure.

Undergraduates also described the academic environment at UCSC. The study found that

• 74% rarely or never saw their advisors; 23% were satisfied and at least 31% were dissatisfied with the availability of their college and faculty advisors;
• 68% believed UCSC develops students' academic, analytical, creative and aesthetic abilities; with only 5% who disagreed;
• 66% were satisfied with narrative evaluations (NES) and only 10% were dissatisfied;
• 61% were satisfied with the quality of instruction, while only 4% expressed dissatisfaction
• 30% were satisfied with course access and 26% expressed dissatisfaction with course access;
• 26% frequently had contact with faculty members and 34% rarely made contact with faculty;
• 22% worked collaboratively with other students on projects while 47% rarely did so; and,
• 13% frequently engaged in unassigned class-related activities;

Potential barriers to progress were also explored. Six common barriers to progress were studied and students were asked to check those which applied. Their responses indicated that

• up to a quarter of the students might not graduate on-time because of a change of major, taking extra courses, repeating courses, taking a reduced course load, or transferring to or from UCSC.

Students were also asked about other commonly reported difficulties, and whether they believed these would increase their time-to-degree. Their answers showed that

• fewer than 10% expected personal, academic, logistical, motivational or diversity problems to increase their time-to-degree.

Students' comments throughout the survey revealed that many felt that campus growth was eroding the quality of education at UCSC. These comments addressed academic issues such as course access and the quality of both narrative evaluations and instruction.

Campus Climate for Graduate Students

Descriptions of the social environment were based on the 302 graduate students who returned the survey and included:

• 50% were satisfied and 23% were dissatisfied with their housing situations;
• 49% were satisfied with their opportunities to interact with people from different ethnic backgrounds;
• 49% frequently interacted with people from different ethnic backgrounds;
• 39% believed that equal treatment is afforded all people at UCSC while 28% did not believe that equal treatment is afforded all students;
• 33% were satisfied with the availability of on-campus social programs and events, yet only 2% frequently attended such events;
• 32% were satisfied and 40% were dissatisfied with the noise level on-campus;
• 30% felt socially integrated and a feeling of belonging at UCSC and 20% did not feel socially integrated;
• 26% were satisfied and 33% were dissatisfied with the food on-campus;
• 18% believed that drugs and alcohol are a problem at UCSC, and 8% reported regular use of drugs or alcohol;

Graduate students' views of the academic environment were generally positive. According to their answers on the questionnaire,

• 69% were satisfied while 10% were dissatisfied with their interactions with their boards of study;
• 65% were satisfied and 5% were dissatisfied with the quality of the instruction they received;
• 60% had a high degree of respect for UCSC as an academic institution, whereas 6% expressed low levels of respect;
• 58% had high levels of involvement in their courses and 8% seemed relatively uninvolved in their courses;
• 57% were satisfied with the availability of faculty advisors, even though only 17% frequently received advising;
• 54% were satisfied and 20% were dissatisfied with the quality of the narrative evaluations; and
• 43% were satisfied and 22% were dissatisfied with course access.

Few graduate students expected personal problems (10%), logistical, academic, motivational or diversity problems (all fewer than 3%) to slow their academic progress. Graduate students were concerned about financial issues. Specifically, a number of graduate students indicated that they were quite concerned about not having enough money to complete their education. It was suggested that teaching assistants and research assistants require more money to live on while they attend school. Several graduate students suggested that the University may be unconcerned about their financial welfare.

Campus Climate for Freshpersons

Based on the responses of the 238 freshpersons who completed the survey, the study found that:

• 55% were satisfied and 9% were dissatisfied with the availability of on-campus supplies;
• 53% felt like they belong and 14% did not feel like they belong at UCSC;
• 52% believed that all groups received equal treatment on campus and 11% felt some groups receive unequal treatment;
• 50% were satisfied and 16% were dissatisfied with on-campus social events and programs;
• 49% frequently interacted with people from different backgrounds, and 45% were satisfied with these opportunities;
• 48% felt there is a drug problem on campus, although only 8% reported frequent drug or alcohol consumption;
• 43% were satisfied and 21% were dissatisfied with their housing;
• 21% were satisfied and 30% were dissatisfied with the food on campus; and,
• 13% frequently attended and 54% rarely attended on-campus social events; 15% frequently attended and 55% rarely attended off-campus social events.

On the academic environment:

• 92% rarely or never received academic advising, and many were dissatisfied with the availability of their college advisor (31%) and faculty advisor (48%);
• 69% respected UCSC as a university that develops students' abilities, while only 2% disagreed;
• 57% were satisfied and 15% were dissatisfied with the narrative evaluations;
• 18% reported frequent contact with faculty members, and 50% reported rare contact;
• 15% engaged in collaborative learning activities with other students and 63% reported rarely working collaboratively with other students; and
• 5% engaged in additional course work beyond that which was required in the course.

Like advanced standing students, freshpersons tended to doubt that problems or difficulties would slow their degree progress. Specifically,

• six percent or fewer of the freshpersons believed that personal, academic, logistical, motivational, and diversity problems would slow their academic progress; and
• up to 20% might not graduate on-time because of a change of major, taking extra courses, repeating courses, taking a reduced course load, or transferring from UCSC.

Campus Climate for Junior Transfer Students

Compared with continuing juniors, junior transfer students

• more often believed that equal treatment of all students occurs at UCSC, and had more frequent contact with people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds; and,
• felt less socially integrated at UCSC, collaborated less frequently with other students, and less frequently attended on-campus social events and activities.

The Campus Environment and Diversity

Ethnic group differences in students' evaluation of the University's climate were found on 25 of the 37 scales (70%). Differences related to socioeconomic status (SES) were each found on 10 scales (27%), and gender-related differences were found on 12 scales (32%). Ethnicity differences were found in all of the survey sections. Comparisons among students of color suggested that

• African American students reported having more problems with diversity issues, were not very satisfied with the opportunities to interact with other students from their ethnic group, and were the least likely to agree that all students were treated equally. They reported higher levels of anxiety and had the lowest self-esteem. African American students felt alcohol and drug use was a greater problem on campus than did other students. They were also more often dissatisfied with some elements of the academic climate, rating the quality of interaction within their boards of study, course access, and availability of college advisors lower than other students. In contrast, they attended more on-campus social events (and fewer off-campus events), were more politically active, and felt more socially integrated than students in other groups. They also had more contact with faculty and teaching assistants than other students.
• Asian American students reported more academic problems than other students. They tended to be less satisfied with the quality of narrative evaluations, the availability of their faculty advisors, and the quality of their interactions within their boards of study. They reported the least involvement in off-campus activities, were infrequently involved in on-campus activities, and were dissatisfied with the opportunities for informal socializing. They were more likely to feel that all students were treated fairly, but were dissatisfied with their opportunities to interact with students of the same ethnicity.
• Caucasian students reported the fewest academic or personal problems. Fewer Caucasian students felt that drug and alcohol use was a problem on campus and they reported the highest level of use. They were the most likely to agree that all students were treated equally and reported the least contact with students of different ethnicities. Caucasian students reported the highest level of satisfaction with informal opportunities to socialize, and had the least involvement with on-campus activities (they reported the highest level of off-campus activities); They had the highest satisfaction with the quality of instruction, interaction with their board, and had the highest level of self-esteem.
• Chicano students reported more academic, motivational, and personal problems than students in other groups. They were less satisfied with the availability of their faculty advisors, the quality of board interactions, and the overall quality of instruction. They were also more likely to repeat courses. They were dissatisfied with the opportunities for informal socializing and were less likely to agree that all students were treated equally. Unlike the other ethnic/cultural groups, their dissatisfactions were not counterbalanced by other areas of satisfaction.
• Over one-fourth of Latino students reported that personal problems were affecting their academic progress (one-third said that a change of major will cause them to take longer to graduate). They reported higher satisfaction with the social opportunities than students in other groups (e.g., contact with people in the same and different ethnic groups; informal socializing; and on-campus events). They were more satisfied with the availability of their college and faculty advisors, and rated the academic programs at UCSC higher than students in any other group. Latino students also reported higher levels of anxiety and lower self esteem.
• Native American students reported fewer academic, diversity, motivational, or personal problems than other groups. They were generally more satisfied with the social atmosphere (e.g., contact with people from the same and different ethnic groups; social integration; students treated fairly). They were also more satisfied with the academic atmosphere (e.g., quality of academic programs, availability of college and faculty advisors; course availability; quality of interaction in their board; quality of instruction; the narrative evaluation system). Native American students were more likely to have transferred to UCSC. They were less likely to repeat a course, and more planned to take extra courses before graduating. Native American students also reported higher self-esteem than students in other groups.
• Students who identified their ethnic/cultural group as 'Other' reported more motivational and diversity problems. Compared with other groups, they were dissatisfied with opportunities for interaction with people with similar and different ethnic backgrounds, reported the lowest level of social integration, and were less likely to agree that all students received equal treatment. They were less satisfied with the availability of their college and faculty advisors, and were more likely to take a reduced course load. Other Minority students attended more off-campus events than students in other groups, and were more likely to agree that drugs and alcohol were a problem on campus.

Except for Native American students, students of color reported more difficulties and problems than Caucasian students. There were important differences between the levels of academic involvement and social engagement in each group.

There were some differences in students' campus experiences that were related to their socioeconomic background and gender, although they were far fewer than those related to ethnicity.

Implications and Discussion

The problems that were most salient in students' evaluations and comments were: diversity, multiculturalism, and backlash; alcohol and drug use; opportunities for informal socializing; advising, especially for freshpersons and junior transfer students; collaborative learning and academic involvement; and financial support for graduate students. Each of these topics and the implications for campus action are discussed in the final section.