Highlights of the 2003 Continuing Student Satisfaction and Priorities Survey
General Satisfaction - Programs and Services: This year’s results continue to remain little different from past years. Students continue to be most satisfied with their academic experiences, followed by the quality of academic programs and the quality of faculty, and relatively least satisfied with their social
experiences here.
Satisfaction with Specific Aspects of IUPUI Experiences: Students this year expressed their greatest level of satisfaction with registering for classes through the web, followed by the overall process of registering for classes. Student satisfaction with how safe they feel on campus made the top five list for
the first time this year, and ranked third highest overall. In the previous administration of this survey, how safe you feel on campus ranked 12th. In addition to these items, quality of teaching in the major, information faculty give about course requirements, and the overall quality of instruction were the highest rated satisfaction items. Students were least satisfied with the availability
of parking on campus. Opportunities to participate in organized social fraternities and sororities and the availability of on-campus recreational facilities, two new items in this year’s survey, ranked near the bottom in terms of student satisfaction.
Priorities: Students’ most important concerns this year are virtually unchanged from the past. They are the quality of teaching by faculty in their major, the overall quality of instruction, courses in the major, how safe they feel on campus, and the availability of parking.
Campus Climate for Diversity: This section, new to the Continuing Student Survey in 2003, is divided into two parts. Part A looks at students’ attitudes and perceptions about the campus climate for diversity and Part B examines students’ behaviors and activities related to campus diversity. In terms of attitudes
and perceptions (Part A), students were most likely to believe that learning about diversity is important and that faculty and staff are committed to an environment that respects and celebrates diversity. They were least likely to say the reason they came to IUPUI was the diversity of the student body.
In terms of behaviors, students were most likely to have participated in classroom discussions and activities that included contributions from students with diverse backgrounds and perspectives and least likely to have seen or read racist, antigay/lesbian, or sexist material (including graffiti) on campus .
Growth in Learning: As was the case in 2001, IUPUI students this year rated themselves highest in their ability to work effectively with people of different races, ethnicities and religions; in making choices about their conduct based on thoughtful reasoning about what is appropriate; and in recognizing the
consequences of their actions when facing a conflict. “Reading and understanding books, articles, and instruction manuals” and “learning independently” followed in that order. Students reported the least ability, as was the case in 2001, in “understanding a statistical report and solving mathematical problems.”
Notable Changes – 2001 to 2003:
Students were less dissatisfied with the availability of parking on campus in the spring of 2003 than they were in 2001. Apparently the construction projects that made parking difficult in the spring of 2001 brought forth more parking spaces and somewhat happier faces in the spring of 2003. Satisfaction with the availability of parking had the
greatest positive change of all the survey items over the previous administration of the survey. How safe students feel on campus also showed a substantial gain—
increasing .21 since the last time this survey was administered. Other positive gains occurred in “getting through to staff on the phone” and “satisfaction with recommended courses based on placement test results.” Undergraduates are more satisfied with the campus physical environment, as well as with the overall process of registering for classes
– an area where changes in technology, i.e., phone and online registering, have been well received by students.
The only significant decline in student satisfaction in 2003 came in the area of “opportunities to meet other students”. Opportunities to meet other students showed a substantial -.30 drop, falling from .41 to .11 on a -2 to +2 scale. This change is at least partially the result of the changing demographics of the undergraduate student body which is
becoming younger, more full-time, and in a word more “traditional”.
In addition to these changes in satisfaction, other changes occurred in students’ perception of the importance of various aspects of the campus experience. Students’ rating of the importance of opportunities for overseas study experienced the largest decline. This was likely a reaction to 911 which occurred between the administrations of
the two surveys. The only other item to decline between the 2001 and 2003 surveys was in the importance of the “amount of financial aid available.” The largest gains in students’ ratings of importance occurred for “space for relaxing and socializing between classes”, “tutoring services”, “opportunities to participate in faculty members’ research” and “the classroom environment
(lighting, heating/cooling, cleanliness, comfort of seats, etc.).”
Notable Changes 2001 to 2003 |
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Satisfaction
|
2001 |
2003 |
Change1 |
The availability of parking on campus |
-0.92 |
-0.49 |
.43 |
How safe you feel on campus |
0.82 |
1.03 |
.21 |
Getting through to staff on the telephone |
0.07 |
0.22 |
.15 |
Recommended courses based on placement test results |
0.15 |
0.28 |
.13 |
How satisfied are you with the physical environment at IUPUI? |
0.65 |
0.75 |
.10 |
The overall process of registering for classes |
1.00 |
1.10 |
.10 |
Opportunities to
meet other students |
0.41 |
0.11 |
-.30 |
scale: very dissatisfied = -2, dissatisfied = -1, neutral = 0, satisfied = +1, very satisfied = +2 |
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|
Importance |
2001 |
2003 |
Change1 |
Space for relaxing or socializing between classes |
0.83 |
1.03 |
.20 |
Tutoring services |
0.77 |
0.93 |
.16 |
Opportunities to participate in faculty members' research |
0.24 |
0.37 |
.13 |
The classroom environment (lighting, heating/cooling, cleanliness, comfort of seats, etc.) |
1.10 |
1.22 |
.12 |
Use of technology in the classroom |
1.10 |
1.19 |
.09 |
Being able to get the books you need from the campus bookstores |
1.49 |
1.58 |
.09 |
Availability of computers in public learning centers |
1.34 |
1.42 |
.08 |
The overall process of registering for classes |
1.46 |
1.54 |
.08 |
The general helpfulness of IUPUI staff |
1.24 |
1.32 |
.08 |
The amount of financial aid available |
1.41 |
1.30 |
-.11 |
Opportunities for overseas study |
0.35 |
0.16 |
-.19 |
scale: very unimportant = -2, unimportant = -1, neutral = 0, important = +1, very important = +2 |
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1 Difference of means t-test significant <.01 |
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