This report summarizes the results of a survey of new freshpersons at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) administered during fall 1993. One-thousand forty-three surveys were analyzed (a response rate of 61%). Response rates differed significantly by residential college, however the composition of the respondents by sex, age, and ethnicity was very similar to the entire freshperson class. Highlights of this report include:
In the summer and fall of 1993, the Institutional Research and Policy Studies group in the Office of Planning and Budget administered a questionnaire to new freshpersons during college orientation sessions. Developed at UCSC, results from the newly-designed questionnaire are intended to help campus administrators to understand the expectations and difficulties of new, first-year students. A similar questionnaire, intended for transfer students, is summarized in a companion report. This questionnaire will be administered every other year, complementing the biannual use of the nationally distributed ACE Freshman Survey.
This report contains sections on the following topics: demographics of the survey respondents; factors important in selecting a college; admission and orientation to UCSC; finances; educational plans; and opinions and expectations. A copy of the original survey is appended to the report.
The survey was handed out to all new freshpersons who attended college orientation sessions (approximately 1714 students). One-thousand forty-three surveys were returned giving a response rate of 61%. The response rate was uneven by college, with Cowell College, College Eight and Crown College disproportionately represented in the sample, and Porter, Kresge and Oakes colleges under-represented. Never-the-less, students responding to the survey were generally similar in ethnic composition, gender and age to the entire population of new freshpersons.
This year's survey respondents reported a median family income of $60,000, greater than the sum of $57,400 reported on the 1992 ACE survey. About a third (32%) of parents were separated or divorced, and another 5% of students had lost one or both parents. The educational attainment of parents was impressive, 68% of student's fathers had a bachelors or higher degree, while 60% of mothers had attained a college or graduate degree. About one-quarter (24%) of mothers had earned a graduate or professional degree, compared with 39% of fathers. However, about 16% of students were the first in their family to attend college, and 12% of students came from families whose primary language was other than English.
Politically, most students were liberal (53%) or moderate (33%). About equal proportions said they held far-left values (7%) as conservative or far-right beliefs (8%). The majority of students reported their sexual orientation as heterosexual (96%), with about 3% gay, lesbian or bisexual students and 1% unsure of their sexual orientation. Less than 1% reported they were single parents, and about 1% said they had permanent disabilities. Only two students said they intended to enroll part-time. About 90% planned to live in residence halls, 6% expected to live in UCSC apartments, while only 4% planned to live off-campus. Nearly one-fifth (18%) planned to have a car on campus.
To find out how students form an opinion about UCSC, students were asked to rate the importance of nine possible sources of information about college (see Figure 1). An informal visit to the campus was rated important or very important by 59% of new freshpersons. Brochures and the General Catalog were the second most highly rated source with 45% of respondents rating them important or very important. A formal campus tour was rated highly by 38% of respondents. Other information sources were rated highly by less than one-third of respondents (siblings, cited least frequently as important or very important, were cited by only 16% of the respondents).
Figure 1
Source of Information Rated Important or Very Important
There were significant differences between ethnic groups in their ratings of sources of information. For instance, brochures and the General Catalog were more often rated highly by Chicano students (53%), Latinos (63%), and Filipino students (67%) than by Euro-americans (43%) or other ethnic groups. Information obtained from UCSC students, faculty or staff were important to 50% of American Indians, 39% of Chicano students, 34% of Filipinos, and 33% of African Americans, while fewer Latinos (29%), Euro-americans (27%) and Asian students (26%) rated these contacts as important or very important. The ratings of teachers or counselors as a source of advice varied even more widely--57% of African American students rated this source as important as did 40% of Chicanos, 38% of Latinos, 34% of Filipinos, 28% of American Indians and 27% of Asian students; but only 20% of Euro-americans cited teachers or counselors as important sources of information.
Men and women differed significantly in their ratings of several information sources. Sixty-two percent of the women believed an informal campus visit was important or very important compared to 54% of the men. Women also relied more heavily on brochures and the General Catalog (50% of women compared to 38% of men rated these highly), while fewer women regarded siblings as important or very important sources of information (14% of women compared to 20% of men).
Students were asked to rate the importance of fourteen factors that may have influenced their decision to come to UCSC. The physical beauty or 'setting' of the campus was most highly rated--85% of freshpersons rated it important or very important in selecting UCSC. Men, women, and all ethnic groups except Chicano students rated physical setting most frequently as an important reason for selecting UCSC. Chicano students rated the quality of instruction most highly (78%). For freshpersons overall, the second most highly rated factor was the quality of instruction (71%), followed by programs or majors offered (64%). Between 50% and 60% of students rated small classes, academic reputation, residential colleges, distance from home, and UCSC's liberal social/political environment as important or very important (see Figure 2). Other factors were rated highly by less than half of students.
Figure 2
Percentage of Students Rating Factors Important or Very Important to Attending UCSC
In general, men and women, and all ethnic groups ranked these factors similarly. However there were some differences of opinion about the importance of several factors (see Figure 3). For instance, 'small classes' was the fourth most important factor affecting students decision to attend UCSC. However, fewer Euro-americans (53%) and Asian students (52%) rated this factor as important compared with other ethnic groups (e.g., 81% of American Indian students rated this factor highly). A liberal environment was of considerable importance to Latino, American Indian and Euro-american students, but less important to other ethnic groups (61% of Latinos and 58% of Euro-americans rated this factor highly compared with 33% of Filipino students). UCSC's liberal arts emphasis was most important to Euro-americans (51%) and least important to Asian (33%), African american (33%) and Filipino students (24%). Finally, financial aid was less important to Euro-americans, Asians and American Indian students than to Latino, Chicano, African American and Filipino Students (53% of African American students and 52% of Chicano students rated financial aid highly compared with only 20% of Euro-americans). Chicano students also rated the opportunity for undergraduate research more highly than other students, 66% compared with 41% of Euro-americans (not shown in figure 3).
Figure 3
Percentage of Students Rating Factors Important or Very Important by Ethnic Group
Women and men also differed significantly in their ratings of several factors. These were the quality of instruction (rated important by 73% of women compared to 68% of men), the importance of small residential colleges (important to 59% of women compared to 50% of men), a liberal social/political environment (58% vs. 45%), liberal arts emphasis (51% vs. 37%), and the opportunity to stay close to home (important to 27% of women compared to 18% of men).
Overall, UCSC was the first choice of a four-year college for 61% of new freshpersons, down from 68% of freshpersons answering a similar question on the 1992 ACE survey. The percentage of students who preferred UCSC over other colleges varied considerably between ethnic groups (Table 1) as well as by students' political orientation (Table 2). About two-thirds (67%) of Euro-americans ranked UCSC first among colleges, compared with only 35% of Asian students and 48% of Filipino students . Students political orientation also affected their preference for UCSC--students whose political leanings were to the left were more likely to rank UCSC their first choice than students whose orientation was moderate or conservative (see Table 2).
Table 1
Preference for UC Santa Cruz by Percentage of Ethnic Group
African Amer. Other Other Euro- Overall Amer Indian Chicano Latino Filipino Asian Minority Amer
1st Choice 61 63 64 66 64 48 35 50 67 2nd Choice 26 31 36 23 24 30 36 23 25 3rd + Choice 12 6 0 11 12 22 28 28 9
Table 2
Preference for UC Santa Cruz by Political Orientation
Far Far
Overall Left Liberal Moderate Conserv. Right
1st Choice 61 76 69 54 39 36 2nd Choice 26 20 22 33 28 27 3rd + Choice 12 4 10 13 33 36
To get an idea of students' overall experience with the process of applying to UCSC, students were asked to rate their satisfaction with admissions, financial aid and housing application processing. Figure 4 shows the percentage of students who were either satisfied or very satisfied, and those who were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with each process. In general, most students were satisfied or very satisfied with admissions and housing processing, but less than half were satisfied with financial aid processing. Students were most dissatisfied with the timeliness of their financial aid offer (31%), the helpfulness of financial aid information (27%), and the promptness of financial aid information and application (23%). More than half of students who made written comments about their admissions experiences had no complaints with the process, and some commented on the friendliness of staff in helping them with problems. However, some areas of difficulty were apparent from student's comments. One problem was that some students' admissions acceptance letters were received after letters from other colleges and UC campuses. Several students complained that the admissions application was difficult and confusing, and that instructions could be clearer about what tests are needed. One student commented that the section on high school courses taken was confusing. Several students said they had problems with UCSC's receipt of their test scores or transcripts, either because items were lost or because notification came very late that items had not been received. Students also commented that descriptions of colleges and housing were vague. One student noted that the self-guided tour map had a better description of the colleges than the housing booklet. Several students said they had roommate assignments switched without notification. Several also wanted to know their roommate assignment and address sooner. Several students were unhappy with their college assignment, and said they wanted to know why they were denied their first or second choice. Other problems dealt with financial aid processing. Some students reported difficulties with receiving the financial aid application late, with understanding the application process, with getting through to staff in the financial aid office who could answer questions personally, with getting corrections processed, and with other problems that arose because offers were made very late--often after other universities had made offers.
Figure 4
Percentage of Students Satisfied and Dissatisfied with Admissions,
Housing and Financial Aid Processes
Most comments about college orientations experiences were positive, indicating that students felt more comfortable and prepared for UCSC because of the sessions. However, students from all colleges had suggestions for improvement and many of the same suggestions were made by students from several colleges. Most students would have liked large orientation lectures to be shorter and more to the point (less repetitive). On the other hand, many students would have appreciated longer question and answer periods, but at the end of the sessions when students with no questions could leave. Students from all colleges wanted smaller group sessions that were more interactive whenever possible. Some suggested that graduate students or juniors and seniors could lead these. Students also wanted more emphasis on how to plan a schedule, shop for classes, and register. Students also said they needed more help understanding general education requirements. A large number of students wanted more one-on-one advising, and personal help. Many students wanted more social activities where they could get to know other students, however others wanted to be treated as adults and not be subjected to 'silly' mandatory games. Some students said they wanted to meet others in the same major, other foreign students, etc. Many wanted more free time and less mandatory sessions. Some felt that colleges held sessions too late at night. A frequent suggestion was to include a campus tour and campus maps in orientation activities, and help students learn to get around. Several students gave high praise to a wilderness orientation that was given. The SAA/EOP orientation was also praised by students although they felt it made college orientation material redundant. Library tours were also appreciated by students. Topics on which students wanted more information on are shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5
Percentage of Students Wanting Information about Topics
The majority of new freshpersons (61%) expected over $3,000 of their yearly college expenses to be funded by their parents (see Figure 6). Half the freshpersons intended to contribute funds from personal savings, but only about 19% had $1,500 or more from savings for their first years expenses. Less than half (43%) expected to contribute money from working while attending school, and only 15% thought they would make over $1,500 from work. Nearly half (47%) expected to obtain grants or scholarships, and about the same percentage expected funding from loans. Unsurprisingly, students who expected need-based aid were less likely to have health insurance coverage than other students (75% vs. 91%, 84% overall). Those who expected need-based aid were more likely to anticipate working during their first year of college than those who did not expect aid (65% vs. 20%). African American, Chicano and Latino students were more likely to expect to work (56%, 58% and 56% respectively) than Euro-american students (34%) or other ethnic groups.
Overall about 43% of students said they were 'very concerned' about their ability to pay for college. Students who expected need-based financial aid were much more likely to be very concerned about their ability to pay for college expenses than those who did not expect to receive need-based financial aid, (70% vs. 24%). Not surprisingly, students who were very concerned and expected need-based aid had median family incomes below that of students who expected need-based aid and were not concerned about expenses ($30,000 vs. $40,000). However, almost one-fourth of students (24%) said they were 'very concerned' about expenses but expected no need-based aid. This group of students had a median family income of $65,000. Students who were unconcerned and expected no aid came from wealthier families, those with a median income of $100,000. This suggests a financial aid 'gap' for those with incomes too high to qualify for need-based aid, but for who paying for college may be a financial burden.
Figure 6
Percent of Students Receiving Funds by Source
EDUCATIONAL PLANS
Academic Expectations
This year's fall freshpersons entered UCSC with high aspirations; 85% planned to earn a graduate or professional degree after completion of their baccalaureate. However, almost one-third (30%) believed they would need more than four years to finish their bachelors degree, much higher than the 12% of UCSC freshpersons who responded similarly on the 1992 ACE survey. Students-of-color were most likely to believe they would need extra time to complete a degree, particularly African American, Chicano, and Filipino freshpersons (see Table 3).
Table 3
Academic Expectations by Percentage of Ethnic Group
4+ Years Tutoring Tutoring Repeat Time off Transfer
to Degree Math Writing Courses Personal Out
African American 56 63 56 13 31 19 American Indian 39 35 27 12 8 12 Asian 31 35 48 9 7 29 Chicano 42 56 68 0 10 17 Latino 27 58 58 3 12 27 Filipino 44 67 62 7 4 24 Other 30 38 43 8 18 23 Euro-American 27 28 24 3 20 14 All Freshpersons 30 35 34 4 16 17
About one-third (34%) of freshpersons thought they would want tutoring with math and writing assignments. Among most students-of-color, this percentage was much greater (e.g., 67% of Filipino students wanted help with math and 62% wanted help with writing). One important difference was also found between women and men: more women than men thought they would need help with math (39% compared to 27%). Relatively few students thought they would need to repeat courses (4% overall).
Persistence and graduation rates are affected by the amount of time students take off from their academic schedule. As shown in Table 3, the percentage of students who believed they would take time off varied widely between ethnic groups (e.g., 31% of African American students expected to take time off compared with 4% of Filipino students). In contrast, no major differences were found between students in the expectation of taking time off to work. Finally, 17% of freshpersons thought they would transfer to another school (11% of those who said UCSC was their first choice for a college, 24% of those for which UCSC was second choice and 35% of students for whom UCSC was third choice). More Asian freshpersons (27%), Filipinos (24%) and Latino freshpersons (27%) wanted to transfer elsewhere than freshpersons of other ethnic groups. The only reasons mentioned for wanting to transfer were that UCSC did not have the major some students wanted, and students were only here to take general education classes.
Interest in studying a foreign language varied both by sex and area of study. Half of the women respondents intended to study a foreign language while less than a third of men (32%) planned to do so. Students who expressed interest in humanities were most likely to plan to study a foreign language--68% of intended humanities majors overall. Within humanities majors, 75% of women planned to study foreign language compared with 51% of men. In general, women in all areas were more interested in foreign language study than men. However, even when examining men separately from women, significantly more men in the humanities and interdisciplinary areas cared to study languages than men in natural sciences, social sciences or arts (Table 4).
Table 4
Interest in Foreign Languages by Sex and Proposed Academic Division
Division Overall Women Men
Humanities 68 75 51 Interdisciplinary 59 60 57 Social Sciences 45 50 33 Arts 38 41 32 Natural Sciences 32 41 22 Overall 43 50 32
Most freshpersons reported interest in studying within the natural and social sciences; 39% of those who had chosen a probable major selected one in the natural sciences, and 36% listed a social science major as their first choice. Humanities was listed by 15% of students, 7% expressed an interest in the Arts, and 2% chose an interdisciplinary major such as Latin American Studies or Legal Studies. Women were most likely to select a major within the social sciences (39% of women compared to 33% of men), and only 35% of women chose natural science majors compared to 47% of men. Women were also more likely to study humanities; 17% of women indicated an interest in this area compared to 12% of men. Differences between ethnic groups were not statistically significant. Overall, about one-third (32%) of freshpersons were considering several majors or had no idea which major to choose; 40% thought they were 'moderately sure' about which major they preferred to study, and 28% were 'very sure'. Students expressing an interest in natural sciences were more often 'very sure' about their intended major than students interested in other disciplines (38% 'very sure' in natural sciences, 27% social sciences, 26% arts, 24% humanities, and 18% interdisciplinary). There was no significant difference in certainty of major by sex or ethnic group.
Students were asked to explain what led them to choose their major or area of study. A student proposing to study psychology expressed the importance of long held values: "The human mind has always been a great interest to me. Helping people had always been an important part of my life and I want to obtain a career that will focus on this." Many students related the importance of life experiences in choosing a major, such a student interested in studying Marine Biology who explained: "I lived on a boat when I was growing up. The ocean and it's inhabitants intrigue me...". Another planning to study politics said "I am interested in international politics after spending a year abroad...". Some students were motivated by a desire to help a group they identified with, such as a prospective Women's studies and Legal studies student who stated: "As a women I am interested in women's history, issues and rights. I would like to pursue a legal studies major because I want to become a lawyer and defend women's rights." An intended Latin American Studies student noted "I want to help educate the Latinos of their cultural background and maybe even teach an English course in Mexico". A prospective Computer Engineering major commented: "Personally, I feel that there is a great lack of African American males in the corporate world and we need to represent ourselves." The desire to help society as a whole was shown by a student interested in Environmental Studies as "...the growing need to educate the community about the environment." In general students' career plans ranged from very vague to very specific, but many were tentative, reflecting the exploratory nature of most students' first year in college. Some of the frequently mentioned careers possibilities were marine biologist, environmental field worker, researcher, doctor or work in medical field, lawyer, work in politics, teacher, work in film production, theater production or actor, therapist, counselor or social worker, and computer engineer or programmer.
Table 5 shows the results of the questions students were asked on a variety of topics about course requirements. Over half of respondents felt at least basic computer literacy should be required, and in a related question, well over half (63%) of new freshpersons said they owned or intended to purchase a computer. Most students did not believe that health education should be mandatory, and some commented that this subject should be covered in high school. Students also did not believe physical education classes should be required for graduation, yet nearly half thought P.E. classes should be awarded academic credit.
Students were also asked to comment on President Clinton's proposal to offer summer community service internships in exchange for reimbursement of college loans. A subsample of 200 written comments showed that 45% said that they would participate in community service internships if offered, another 24% said they supported the idea and might participate, while 21% said they would not participate and 10% were unsure. Many students who said they would participate commented that they felt good about doing community service and the reimbursement was an added bonus. Another group of students said they definitely would participate because they really needed help to pay back loans. Students who said they would not participate often commentedthat they thought the plan was a good idea, but they had not taken out loans, or felt the opportunity should go to students who really needed it. In general, students were in favor of the idea of community service in exchange for loans, but many freshpersons said they would not participate because they did not expect to have to repay loans. In a separate question, students were asked if they would participate in community service after graduation to forgive college loans. Again students expressed interest in the idea, and about 37% responded that they would participate, 26% said they might participate depending on the type of work offered, amount of reimbursement, and their other postgraduate plans. Over a quarter of students (26%) said they would not participate, while 11% were unsure.
Table 5
Students' Opinions on Academic Issues
Should computer literacy be Yes 55%
required?
No or Not Sure 45%
Should health education be Yes 44%
required?
No or Not Sure 56%
Should physical education be Yes 14%
required?
No or Not Sure 86%
Should credit be given for P.E. Yes 47%
courses?
No or Not Sure 53%
Finally, students were asked how they felt about attending UCSC in the fall and what their concerns were. Not surprisingly, students said they felt excited and nervous. Students expressed many concerns, especially about getting into classes. Other frequently mentioned academic concerns were about passing Subject A, keeping up with classes and passing them, keeping up with reading, and the pace of the quarter system and the workload in general. Students were also worried about academic planning, choosing appropriate courses and majors and graduating within four years. Some students were concerned about getting into good graduate schools because of UCSC's narrative evaluations and reputation as a 'party school'. Students wanted better information on how to enroll in courses and academic planning, and they wanted to know where to get help with coursework. Logistically, a number of students were worried about getting lost on campus and the terrain, they wanted more detailed maps. They were also concerned that the buses and shuttles were so crowded. Some students wondered if they would be able to get to classes on time if they were across campus. Several students were frustrated with parking. Many students were concerned about finances; financial aid, budgeting, and finding a job. One student commented that no one had mentioned disabled student services. On a personal level, many students said that they were homesick for family and friends, felt isolated and out of place, and were concerned about making friends. Many said they were concerned with fitting in, and getting along with their roommate. Some frankly admitted they were afraid to be on their own for the first time, and were concerned with feeling lost, their emotional stability, coping with living alone, or coed bathrooms, loud music in the dorms, and drugs and alcohol on campus. Several students were worried about getting enough sleep. Several mentioned personal safety on campus as an issue, especially about the lighting at night. Many students-of-color were concerned about racial isolation, tension, or harassment. They felt UCSC was not ethnically or culturally diverse and wondered about the scarcity of others like them. Several students felt political correctness was oppressive, and worried about whether they would feel stifled. Overall, the most frequent complaints from freshpersons were that registering and shopping for classes was frustrating and discouraging, getting into classes difficult, and that classes were overcrowded.
In general, although freshpersons were somewhat overwhelmed with their new environment, they enjoyed being on campus and especially appreciated the wooded setting and physical beauty of the campus. Most were pleased with the friendliness of students and the helpfulness of staff, and had high hopes for their personal and academic life at UCSC.
If you would like to discuss the implications of the results of this study, would like to see additional analyses, or have suggestions about adding other topics to the questionnaire, please contact the Kay Wilder (459-4316 or kay@cats.ucsc.edu).