Your First College Year Survey
Office of Institutional
Research
Prepared by Mary Ann Weaver
January 2006
In March of 2005, all
first-year students were asked to complete the Your First College Year (YFCY)
Survey. This survey is part of
a national study conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute to provide
valuable information on the academic, social, and personal development of
first-year college students. It
is designed as a follow-up survey to the annual Cooperative Institutional
Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey that is administered at the beginning
of their first year of college.
We received responses
from 133 of the first-year students, which comprised 42%
of the class. The gender
ratio of the respondents (42% male and 58% female) was similar to the gender
ratio of the class.
This report includes
comparative data to the Earlham first-year students in 2003, data from the
HEDS peer group (Hamilton, Haverford, Oberlin, Occidental, Scripps, Beloit,
Carleton, Grinnell, Guilford, Knox and Macalester colleges), as well as data
from other private four-year colleges.
Results
A summary of the results
of this survey is contained in this report. Responses are categorized under
Effects, Self-Ratings, Satisfaction,
Race/Ethnic Relations, Future Concerns
and Plans, and Supplemental Questions.
The Supplemental Questions are unique to Earlham and therefore do not
contain comparisons to other colleges.
The CIRP survey reported
activities engaged in by students in the year prior to coming to college. The YFCY survey then asked the students
how often they had engaged in these same activities during their first-year of
college.
Table 1 shows the
percentage of students who participated in various activities or felt a certain
way and the percentage change from the prior year. This data is compared to responses from
students from other four-year colleges as well as Earlham students who entered
in Fall 2002.
Activity |
Earlham Students |
Students from other private4-year colleges | |||||
|
Student who entered Fall 2004 |
Students who entered Fall
2002 |
Students who entered Fall
2004 | |||||
|
%
The
year before college |
%
During first year of college |
%
Change from prior year |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year | |
|
Attended a
religious service |
68.2 |
47.3 |
-21 |
59 |
-19 |
54.6 |
-26 |
|
Participated in
organized demonstrations |
59.8 |
41.3 |
-19 |
63 |
18 |
45.4 |
-6 |
|
Smoked
cigarettes* |
5.5 |
8.3 |
2 |
12 |
5 |
9.4 |
3 |
|
Drank
beer |
37.7 |
45.8 |
8 |
56 |
5 |
55 |
10 |
|
Drank wine or
liquor |
51.9 |
55.6 |
4 |
71 |
15 |
63.6 |
11 |
|
Felt overwhelmed by
all you had to do* |
34.8 |
43.6 |
9 |
38 |
6 |
39.2 |
10 |
|
Felt
depressed |
12.4 |
12 |
0 |
14 |
6 |
13.5 |
5 |
|
Discussed
politics* |
57.5 |
49.6 |
-8 |
45 |
2 |
19.6 |
-7 |
|
Socialized with
someone of another racial/ethnic group* |
71.2 |
72.9 |
-2 |
72 |
-2 |
56.3 |
-12 |
*Percentage responding “frequently”
only. All other results
represent the percentage responding “frequently” or
“occasionally”
As in the prior year,
there was a smaller percentage of students who attended a religious service
during their first year at college compared to the year before they came to
college. This was true for both
Earlham students and students from other four-year colleges. Also, fewer students discussed
politics during their first year at college compared to the year prior to
college.
Another significant change
that occurred during the first year of college was an increase in the percentage
of students drinking beer. Students
from other four-year colleges also reported a greater change in percentage
who drank beer. However, the Earlham first-year students
who were surveyed in 2003 also reported a greater increase in drinking wine
or liquor.
How did the first-year
students spend their time?
| Time spent during a typical week… |
0-5
hours |
6-15
hours |
16-30
hours |
Over
30 hours |
Earlham
mean |
Peer
Group Mean |
| Attending
classes/labs |
3.8 |
54.9 |
40.6 |
0.8 |
6.3 |
6.1 |
| Socializing
with friends |
17.3 |
47.4 |
25.6 |
9.8 |
6.0 |
6.0 |
| Studying/homework |
17.3 |
57.1 |
25.6 |
0 |
5.6 |
5.7 |
| Exercising
or sports |
64.6 |
32.4 |
2.3 |
0.8 |
3.8 |
4.0 |
| Communicating
via e-mail |
78.9 |
19.5 |
1.6 |
0 |
3.7 |
4.0 |
| Surfing
the Internet |
84.2 |
11.4 |
4.5 |
0 |
3.5 |
3.7 |
| Partying |
78.9 |
16.6 |
3.8 |
0.8 |
3.3 |
3.5 |
| Working
on campus |
62.4 |
36.8 |
0.8 |
0 |
2.9 |
2.5 |
| Participating
in student clubs/groups |
92.5 |
6 |
|
0 |
|
2.8 |
| Reading
for pleasure |
94 |
5.3 |
0.8 |
0 |
2.5 |
2.2 |
| Playing
video/computer games |
93.3 |
5.3 |
1.5 |
0 |
2.0 |
1.9 |
| Watching
TV |
97 |
3.0 |
0 |
0 |
1.9 |
2.2 |
| Praying/meditating |
100 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
| Working
off campus |
89.5 |
8.3 |
2.3 |
0 |
1.6 |
1.3 |
The way first-year students
spend their time has not changed significantly from what they reported in
2003. As can be expected,
the majority of students spend much of their time attending classes or studying.
The survey also revealed that there are few students who spend much
time watching TV. In fact, 48.1% of Earlham students reported
watching no TV. There are also
few students interested in spending leisure time on the computer. While 9.8% of the students indicated that
they spend over 30 hours a week socializing with friends, this was similar
to the first-year students in 2003 when 9.9% reported the same.
How do these statistics
compare with students from peer schools?
41.7% of the first-year students at peer schools reported watching
no TV. Their time spent attending classes and studying was very similar to
the Earlham data. The mean
scores indicated that Earlham students spend more time than students from
the peer group reading for pleasure and less time communicating via e-mail.
The greatest difference between Earlham students and the first year students from our peer school appear to be in the time spent working on campus, where Earlham students reported working more hours.
Data in Table 3 indicates that Earlham students are more likely than students from the peer group to speak up in class and to work with a professor on a research project. Earlham students are also more likely to turn in course assignments late. There is a significant difference in the percentage of Earlham students who turn in course assignments that did not reflect their best work compared to students from the peer group.
Percentage of students who frequently… |
Earlham |
Peer
Group |
|
|
% |
% |
|
Turned in course
assignments late |
6.8 |
3.2 |
|
Spoke up in
class |
48.5 |
42 |
|
Discussed course
content with students outside of class |
54.1 |
54.6 |
|
Skipped
class |
0.8 |
2.2 |
|
Received
tutoring |
2.3 |
3.5 |
|
Worked with a
professor on a research project |
3.0 |
1.6 |
|
Turned in course
assignments that did not reflect your best
work |
12 |
7.8 |
|
Participated in
intramural sports |
13.5 |
12.2 |
|
Had difficulty
getting along with your roommate |
9.8 |
9 |
|
Sought personal
counseling |
3.0 |
3.2 |
Students were asked how often they interacted with various groups of people. A higher percentage of Earlham students (53.7%) reported having at least weekly contact with faculty outside of class or office hours compared to 29.2% of students from our peer group. Another 57.8% of Earlham students reported having at least one meeting a week with faculty during office hours compared to 30.0% of students from the peer group. Twenty-four percent of Earlham students reported interacting daily with “other college personnel” compared to only 9.8% of students from the peer group. Earlham students were less likely to be in contact with their families daily; 20% of students from the peer group colleges had daily contact with their family compared to 13.5% of Earlham students.
| Since
entering college, have you… |
||
| % Earlham students |
% Students from peer group |
|
| Taken a college course/seminar specifically
designed to help first-year students adjust to college |
88.7 |
52.3 |
| Decided to pursue a different major |
41.4 |
37.4 |
| Changed your career choice |
36.8 |
31.2 |
| Participated in varsity/intercollegiate athletics |
28.6 |
29.1 |
| Declared your major |
11.3 |
14.7 |
| Enrolled in a formal program where a group
of students takes two or more courses together |
2.3 |
9.9 |
| Enrolled in an honors course |
2.3 |
3.9 |
| Enrolled in a remedial/developmental course |
1.5 |
2.5 |
| Joined a social fraternity or sorority |
0.8 |
7.9 |
| Transferred from another institution |
0.8 |
0.7 |
Since entering college, 41.4% of
Earlham first-year students have decided to pursue a different major compared
to 37.4% of students from the peer group. 36.8% of students have changed their career
choice. Since Earlham students
are not required to declare their major until the end of their sophomore year,
it is not surprising that only 11.3% of the first-year students declared their
major. This compares to 14.7%
of students from other colleges. Earlham
College had a much greater percentage of students who took a college course
or seminar specifically designed to help first-year students adjust to college.
88.7% of those students took such a course compared to 52.3% of peer
group students.
Self Ratings |
Earlham Students |
Students from other private4-year colleges | |||||
|
Students who entered Fall 2004 |
Students who entered Fall
2002 |
Students who
entered Fall 2004 | |||||
|
% The
year before college |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year | |
|
Academic ability |
79.1 |
75.9 |
-3 |
71 |
-6 |
64.8 |
-1 |
|
Artistic ability |
43.6 |
41.4 |
-3 |
37 |
-2 |
32.9 |
2 |
|
Computer skills |
30.8 |
33.8 |
4 |
32 |
7 |
41.0 |
8 |
|
Emotional health |
43.6 |
55.6 |
12 |
49 |
-2 |
53.5 |
4 |
|
Leadership ability |
51.6 |
60.2 |
8 |
58 |
2 |
62.3 |
-2 |
|
Mathematical ability |
30.7 |
35.3 |
4 |
35 |
5 |
40.6 |
-1 |
|
Physical health |
47.4 |
45.8 |
2 |
54 |
0 |
51.2 |
-1 |
|
Public speaking ability |
38.8 |
48.8 |
10 |
40 |
-2 |
39.5 |
4 |
|
Self-confidence (intellectual) |
53.5 |
51.1 |
-2 |
67 |
1 |
58.6 |
3 |
|
Self-confidence (social) |
37.7 |
46.6 |
9 |
48 |
2 |
51.2 |
2 |
|
Self-understanding |
58.9 |
66.1 |
7 |
74 |
6 |
57.4 |
6 |
|
Writing ability |
63.3 |
62.4 |
-1 |
56 |
-2 |
52.3 |
5 |
It appears that many Earlham students felt they had improved their computer skills, public speaking ability and leadership ability during their first year in college, which was also true of students from other four-year colleges. Most surprisingly is the percentage of students who rated their emotional health higher after 1 year of college. These changes differ significantly from the students who entered Earlham College in 2002 and from students from other private 4 year colleges.
Students were asked to indicate if their skills had improved compared with college entry. Table 6 shows their responses.
| Percentage of students who noted
“much stronger” skills compared with college entry |
Earlham |
Peer Group |
| % |
% |
|
| Knowledge of a particular field or discipline |
37.6 |
35.7 |
| Knowledge of people from different races/cultures |
24.1 |
15.5 |
| Understanding of global issues |
22.6 |
15.5 |
| Research skills |
21.1 |
10.0 |
| General knowledge |
18.8 |
19.1 |
| Understanding of the problems facing your community |
18.8 |
10.1 |
| Ability to get along with others |
17.3 |
10.1 |
| Understanding of national issues |
17.3 |
11.9 |
| Religious beliefs and convictions |
6.8 |
6.1 |
The greatest increase in skills was noted in their knowledge
of a particular field or discipline and knowledge of people from different
races/cultures.
In an effort to determine feelings of success at various aspects of their transition to college, students were asked to rate their success. It appears that most Earlham first-year students are adjusting successfully to college life. As would be expected, most students (67.7%) felt completely successful at developing close friendships with other students. They also understand what their professors expect of them academically and are adjusting to the academic demands of college. They are somewhat less successful at utilizing campus services available to them and developing effective study skills. Based on the data in Table 7, 10.5% of the first-year students are struggling with managing their time effectively. When compared to students from our peer group, Earlham first year students are remarkably similar in their feelings of success.
|
Since entering
Earlham, how successful have you felt at… |
% Who feel
unsuccessful |
% Who feel somewhat
successful |
% Who feel completely
successful |
Mean Score |
Peer Group
Mean Score |
|
Developing close friendships with other
students |
4.5 |
27.8 |
67.7 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
|
Understanding what your professors expect of
you academically |
3.0 |
54.9 |
42.1 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
|
Adjusting to the academic demands of
college |
2.3 |
52.6 |
45.1 |
2.4 |
2.4 |
|
Getting to know
faculty |
6.8 |
54.1 |
39.1 |
2.3 |
2.1 |
|
Utilizing campus services available to
students |
3.8 |
67.7 |
28.6 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
|
Developing effective study
skills |
6.0 |
63.2 |
30.8 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
|
Managing your time
effectively |
10.5 |
57.9 |
31.6 |
2.2 |
2.1 |
Rating scale: 1=Unsuccessful; 2=Somewhat successful; 3=Completely successful
Comparisons can also be made as to objectives that the students considered to be essential or very important upon entering college and after one year of college. The following table shows the percentage of students who considered these objectives to be “essential” or “very important”.
Objective considered to be “essential” or “very important” |
Earlham Students |
Students from other private4-year colleges | |||||
|
Entering in Fall
2004 |
Entering in Fall 2002 |
Entering in Fall 2004 | |||||
|
% The
year before college |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year |
% During
first year of college |
%
Change from prior year | |
|
Becoming an authority in my field |
43.7 |
55.6 |
12 |
48 |
10 |
66.9 |
9 |
|
Influencing social values |
53.7 |
56.4 |
2 |
54 |
3 |
51.2 |
9 |
|
Helping others who are in difficulty |
73.4 |
86.4 |
13 |
77 |
10 |
76.0 |
11 |
|
Making a theoretical contribution to science |
18.7 |
14.3 |
-4 |
14 |
-2 |
18.7 |
3 |
|
Creating artistic work |
28.9 |
33 |
4 |
33 |
7 |
24.9 |
8 |
|
Developing a meaningful philosophy of life |
66.3 |
74.4 |
8 |
71 |
9 |
53.4 |
9 |
|
Helping to promote racial understanding |
55.8 |
71.4 |
16 |
66 |
13 |
45.5 |
15 |
|
Becoming a community leader |
34.1 |
42.1 |
8 |
33 |
-1 |
37.3 |
5 |
|
Integrating spirituality into my life |
37.9 |
46.6 |
7 |
49 |
2 |
50.6 |
7 |
Helping to promote racial understanding, helping others who are in difficulty and becoming an authority in their field are objectives that Earlham first-year students feel are more important now than when they first entered Earlham. And these objectives are more important to Earlham College students than to students from other private 4 year colleges. Objectives that Earlham students consider less important than students from other private 4-year colleges include integrating spirituality into their life, making a theoretical contribution to science and becoming an authority in their field.
The greatest difference among Earlham students entering in fall 2004 and those entering in fall 2002 can be seen in the importance of becoming a community leader, helping others in difficulty, becoming an authority in their field and helping to promote racial understanding. All of these objectives were more important for the more recent students.
The survey asked students to rate their satisfaction with various parts of their college experience. Table 9 indicates that 82.7% of the Earlham first-year students rated being "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their overall college experience. It appears that Earlham first-year students are more satisfied than students from other colleges with many aspects of college life.
| Percentage of students who noted
they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with… |
Earlham |
Peer Group % |
Earlham |
Peer Group Mean Score |
| Overall quality of instruction |
85.0 |
87.2 |
4.1 |
4.2 |
| Overall college experience. |
82.7 |
81.5 |
4.2 |
4.1 |
| Amount of contact with faculty |
77.5 |
76.8 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
| Overall sense of community among students |
76.7 |
69.9 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
| Opportunities for community service |
74.4 |
58.8 |
4.0 |
3.7 |
| Relevance of coursework to future |
71.4 |
68.8 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
| Relevance of coursework to everyday life |
56.1 |
52.2 |
3.7 |
3.7 |
1 = Very Dissatisfied , 2 = Dissatisfied , 3 = Neutral , 4 = Satisfied , 5 = Very satisfied
Students were asked to rate their satisfaction with other
aspects of the campus. The percentage
of students who indicated they were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ is shown
in Table 10.
“Satisfied” or “Very Satisfied” with… |
Earlham % |
Peer Group % |
Earlham Mean Score |
Peer Group Mean Score |
| Library facilities/services |
89.4 |
85.8 |
4.3 |
4.2 |
| Classroom facilities |
87.2 |
82.8 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
| Computer facilities |
83.4 |
78.1 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
| Orientation for new students |
82.3 |
65.9 |
4.1 |
3.8 |
| Recreational facilities |
80.8 |
53.9 |
4.1 |
3.4 |
| Student health center/services |
65.4 |
57.1 |
3.7 |
3.5 |
| Tutoring or other academic assistance |
64.9 |
68.4 |
3.7 |
3.9 |
| Academic advising |
62.1 |
58.7 |
3.8 |
3.6 |
| Financial aid services |
57.5 |
56.9 |
3.6 |
3.6 |
| Student housing facilities |
51.1 |
57.9 |
3.3 |
3.5 |
| Psychological counseling services |
50.0 |
45.5 |
3.6 |
3.5 |
Earlham students rated their greatest satisfaction with library facilities and classroom facilities. They were least satisfied with psychological counseling and student housing facilities. In most aspects Earlham students rated their satisfaction very similar to students from our peer group, however, Earlham students rated recreational facilities and orientation for new students somewhat higher.
The YFCY Survey attempts to determine students’ social and emotional adjustment to college. The responses relating to those questions can be seen in Table 11.
| Since
entering college, how often have you felt… |
Frequently
or Occasionally |
Mean
Score |
||
| Earlham students |
Peer Group students |
Earlham students |
Peer Group students |
|
|
|
% |
% |
|
|
| Courses inspired you to think in new ways |
93.2 |
88.7 |
3.4 |
3.3 |
| Social life interfered with college |
59.4 |
54.3 |
2.7 |
2.5 |
| Worried about meeting new people |
50.4 |
52.4 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
| Lonely or homesick |
46.6 |
54.1 |
2.5 |
2.6 |
| Worried about your health |
33.9 |
29.9 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
| Isolated from campus life |
33.9 |
35.6 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
| Intimidated by professors |
33.8 |
27.7 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
| Job responsibilities interfered with college |
23.3 |
19.1 |
1.8 |
1.7 |
| Family responsibilities interfered with college |
16.5 |
14.5 |
1.2 |
1.6 |
| Unsafe on campus |
3.8 |
4.3 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
Rating scale: 1=Not at all; 2=Rarely; 3=Occasionally;
4=Frequently
First-year students at
Earlham were more likely than students at other four-year colleges to be inspired
by their courses to think in new ways. 59.4% of Earlham’s first-year students
reported that their social life frequently or occasionally interfered with
their schoolwork compared to 54.3% of the first-year students from peer group
colleges. A smaller percentage of Earlham first-year students felt unsafe
on their campus than students at peer group colleges.
When asked if they would still choose to enroll
at Earlham if they could make their college choice over, 48% said they definitely
would. Another 38% said they
probably would. Only 2.3% said
they definitely would not choose the same college if they had to do it over
compared to 3.5% of peer group students.
| All or nearly all white | Mostly white | Half white and half racial/ethnic minorities | Mostly racial/ethnic minorities | All or nearly all racial/ethnic minorities | Not applicable | |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
| High school you last attended | 25.6 |
35.3
|
23.3 |
6.8 |
3.0 |
6.0 |
| Neighborhood where you grew up | 42.1 |
33.8 |
9.8 |
3.0 |
6.8 |
4.5 |
| Friends you socialize with in college | 5.3 |
45.1 |
41.4 |
5.3 |
2.3 |
.8 |
| Your informal study groups | 9.0 |
33.8 |
27.1 |
2.3 |
.8 |
27.1 |
| Clubs/organizations to which you belong | 5.3 |
45.1 |
32.3 |
3.8 |
.8 |
12.8 |
| Place of work | 11.3 |
30.1 |
21.1 |
3.8 |
2.3 |
31.6 |
| 4=Strongly agree, 3=Agree, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly disagree | Earlham
first-year students |
Peer
group |
| I have been singled out because of my race/ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation | 1.7 |
1.7 |
| I see myself as part of the campus community | 3.2 |
3.1 |
| I have heard faculty express stereotypes about racial/ethnic groups in class | 1.7 |
1.7 |
| The admission/recruitment materials I received accurately portrayed the campus | 2.8 |
2.8 |
| I feel I am a member of this college | 3.3 |
3.3 |
| Faculty here are interested in students' personal problems | 3.0 |
2.8 |
| There is a lot of racial tension on this campus | 1.7 |
1.9 |
| Most students here are treated like "numbers in a book" | 1.4 |
1.6 |
| There is strong competition among most of the students for high grades | 1.9 |
2.3 |
| Faculty here are interested in students' academic problems | 3.3 |
3.2 |
| I feel I have a sense of belonging to this college | 3.2 |
3.0 |
| Faculty feel that most students here are well-prepared academically | 3.0 |
3.1 |
4=Strongly agree, 3=Agree, 2=Disagree, 1=Strongly disagree
| 1=Never, 2=Seldom, 3=Sometimes, 4=Often, 5=Very often | Earlham
first-year students |
Peer
group |
| Dined or shared a meal | 3.8 |
4.1 |
| Had meaningful and honest discussions about race/ethnic relations outside of class | 3.3 |
3.3 |
| Had guarded, cautious interactions | 2.0 |
2.0 |
| Shared personal feelings and problems | 3.4 |
3.5 |
| Had tense, somewhat hostile interactions | 1.4 |
1.5 |
| Had intellectual discussions outside of class | 3.5 |
3.6 |
| Felt insulted or threatened because of race/ethnicity | 1.4 |
1.5 |
| Studied or prepared for class | 3.1 |
3.4 |
| Socialized or partied | 3.8 |
4.0 |
| Attended events sponsored by other racial/ethnic groups | 3.3 |
3.0 |
1=Never, 2=Seldom, 3=Sometimes, 4=Often, 5=Very often
First-year students from our peer group were somewhat more likely than Earlham first-year students to dine, study and party with students from a racial/ethnic group other than their own. Earlham students more inclined to attend events sponsored by other racial/ethnic groups.
A
college education is costly and often students are concerned about their ability
to finance their college education. 13.3% of Earlham first-year students had
major concerns about financing their education and were not sure if they will
have enough funds to complete college. 11.4% of students at peer group colleges
had the same major concern. About
55.6% of Earlham students had some concern about finances but they felt they
probably would have enough to finish college. Forty percent of these students were confident
that they would have sufficient funds.
Ninety-seven percent of the first-year students plan to attend Earlham again in the Fall of 2005. This compares to 95.1% of the first-year students from the peer group colleges indicating expectations of returning to the same college.
We chose to add supplemental questions to this survey. We wanted to determine the student’s perception on various items. We continue to be committed to academic excellence and therefore we are interested in learning about students’ perception of the level of academic challenge at Earlham. Also of interest to us was their opinion on the level of institutional support for various activities and facilities on campus. And as part of our assessment of how well we are serving our students, we inquired about their satisfaction with specific facilities and services on the Earlham campus.
Some of these same questions were included in the 2003 YFCY completed by the students who entered Earlham in fall of 2002 after they had completed one year at Earlham. Comparison results are included in this study when available.
First-year students’ perception of academic challenge at Earlham indicates that it is "appropriate" to ‘somewhat high’ based on the mean score shown in Table 15. The mean score was identical to the mean score of the students who took the YFCY in 2003. Only 1% of the students felt the level of academic challenge was below what is appropriate.
Students were asked their opinion about the level of institutional support for various campus activities. Fifty-one percent of these students felt that the institutional support for artistic activities was either too low or somewhat low. An additional 36% felt that institutional support for theatrical and musical activities was too low or somewhat low. The mean scores for theatrical, musical and artistic activities also reflect less than appropriate institutional support. The mean scores for 2003 and 2005 varied only slightly.
Characteristic |
Too
high |
Somewhat
high |
Appropriate |
Somewhat
Low |
Too
low |
2005 Mean |
2003 Mean |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
|
Level of academic challenge |
5 |
43 |
46 |
5 |
1 |
2.6 |
2.6 |
|
Level of institutional support for… |
|||||||
|
Varsity athletics |
4.3 |
16.1 |
55.9 |
22.6 |
1.1 |
3.0 |
2.8 |
|
Student organizations |
3.1 |
23.5 |
61.2 |
12.2 |
0.0 |
2.8 |
3.0 |
| Theatrical and musical activities | 1.1 |
14.7 |
48.4 |
29.5 |
6.3 |
3.3 |
3.4 |
| Artistic Activities | 2.1 |
12.5 |
34.4 |
31.2 |
19.8 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
Scale: 1=Too high, 2=Somewhat high, 3=Appropriate,
4=Somewhat low; 5=Too low
Do Earlham courses challenge students to think critically? Most students feel that they do. Thirty-eight percent of the students surveyed indicated that their courses very often challenged them to think critically about issues presented in class. Sixty-six percent of these first-year students felt that their courses invited the examination of ethical questions often or very often and 80% said their first-year general education courses addressed ethical question at least sometimes.
Table 16 shows the responses from the first-year students in 2005. These questions were not included on the 2003 YFCY survey, thus we do not have comparison data.
To
what extent did your... |
Very
often |
Often |
Sometimes |
Seldom |
Never |
Mean
2005
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
||
| Courses challenge you to think critically about issues presented in class? | 38 |
42 |
15 |
5 |
0 |
1.9 |
| Courses invite the examination of ethical questions? | 22 |
44 |
24 |
9 |
1 |
2.2 |
| First-year gen ed courses invite the examination of ethical questions? | 24 |
25 |
31 |
17 |
3 |
2.5 |
1=Very Often, 2=Often, 3=Sometimes, 4=seldom, 5=Never
How do these first-year students rate Earlham on various characteristics? Based on the mean scores, the first-year students rate Earlham good or very good. The characteristics rated the highest were quality of the personal connections they experienced and quality of their overall experience beyond the classroom. Their chances to be with students from different backgrounds was also rated very good. The mean scores for most all of these characteristics are better than the mean scores received from the first-year students who took the YFCY in 2003.
The chances of these students recommending Earlham to a friend or family member are very good. In fact 42% indicated an excellent chance they would do so. Only 31.5% of the first-year students in 2003 indicated the same.
Table
17
| Rate
Earlham
Scale: 1=Excellent; 2=Very good; 3=Good; 4=Fair; 5=Poor |
Excellent |
Very
good |
Good |
Fair |
Poor |
2005 Mean |
2003
Mean |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|||
| Quality of instruction in writing successful college papers | 16.3 |
36.7 |
26.5 |
13.3 |
7.1 |
2.6 |
N/A |
| Size of classes relevant to talk/purpose of the class | 16.0 |
47.0 |
17.0 |
18.0 |
2.0 |
2.4 |
N/A |
| Availability of classes | 11.0 |
32.0 |
31.0 |
20.0 |
6.0 |
2.8 |
N/A |
| Appropriate range of class sizes | 14.1 |
36.4 |
37.4 |
9.1 |
3.0 |
2.5 |
N/A |
| Quality of athletic facilities | 27.6 |
39.8 |
29.6 |
3.1 |
0.0 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
| Chance to be with students from different backgrounds | 37.0 |
33.0 |
20.0 |
8.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.5 |
| Availability of interdisciplinary academic programs | 20.2 |
35.4 |
38.4 |
5.1 |
1.0 |
2.3 |
2.5 |
| Availability of academic majors | 22.2 |
39.4 |
25.3 |
11.1 |
2.0 |
2.3 |
2.6 |
| Availability of academic support (tutoring, etc.) | 17.5 |
49.5 |
23.7 |
8.2 |
1.0 |
2.3 |
2.6 |
| Personal attention to students | 38.0 |
34.0 |
21.0 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
2.0 |
2.3 |
| Quality of college-planned social activities | 14.1 |
35.4 |
34.3 |
12.1 |
4.0 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
| Opportunities for involvement in College Governance | 13.5 |
34.4 |
41.7 |
9.4 |
1.0 |
2.5 |
3.0 |
| Level of peer's adherence to the Principles and Practices | 3.0 |
28.0 |
32.0 |
29.0 |
8.0 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
| Level of YOUR adherence to Principles and Practices | 12.0 |
39.0 |
31.0 |
14.0 |
4.0 |
2.6 |
2.5 |
| Level of support in Residence Halls to work through conflicts | 12.6 |
26.3 |
36.8 |
15.8 |
8.4 |
2.8 |
3.0 |
| Effectiveness of the roommate agreement (did it assist in the quality of interaction with your roommate | 14.7 |
17.9 |
24.2 |
26.3 |
16.8 |
3.1 |
3.3 |
| Quality of personal connections you have experienced | 49.5 |
32.3 |
11.1 |
5.1 |
2.0 |
1.8 |
2.1 |
| Quality of your overall experience beyond the classroom | 39.0 |
43.0 |
14.0 |
4.0 |
0.0 |
1.8 |
2.3 |
| Value for the cost to your family | 18.0 |
42.0 |
24.0 |
12.0 |
4.0 |
2.4 |
2.8 |
| Chances of your recommending Earlham to a friend or family member. | 42.0 |
30.0 |
18.0 |
8.0 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
2.2 |
Twenty-five percent of the first-year students prefer an open admission policy to a class even though it is large, 46% of the students prefer limited enrollment even though it means not everyone will be allowed to take the course. Another 25% of the students are not sure how they feel about the issue.
According to responses on the YFCY survey, when these first-year students see an academic infraction, 14.6% of them always address the issue, 49% sometimes address the issue, 34.4% never address the issue.
To continue this longitudinal study, the YFCY survey will be given to first-year students in the spring of 2009.
| Previous YFCY Surveys |
Created by Mary Ann Weaver
weavema@earlham.edu
January 18, 2006