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Student opinions of undergraduate experience improve
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
Students' opinions of various aspects of the UB undergraduate experience have improved markedly since 2000, according to the latest edition of the SUNY Student Opinion Survey (SOS).
Of the specific institutional attributes included in the last three surveys administered by UB's Office of Institutional Analysis—in 2000, 2003 and 2006—all were rated higher by students in the most recent survey than the one conducted in 2000, said Lauren Young, institutional research analyst. Moreover, 11 items in the 2006 survey were rated as "highly satisfactory" and only one was viewed as "unsatisfactory," while in 2000, only one item—library facilities—was ranked as highly satisfactory and eight were unsatisfactory, Young said.
The SOS is a triennial, self-report questionnaire that addresses student satisfaction with academic services and experiences, student services and facilities, and student life. It is sponsored by SUNY as "a major component of its ongoing system evaluation" and is administered at most, if not all, SUNY campuses, Young added.
Dennis Black, vice president for student affairs, called the SOS "just one of the many tools we use today to assess student needs and student satisfaction."
"Our students get grade reports every semester; we view SOS as our grade report on campus life and the UB experience," said Black.
"What can be more important than listening to our students?"
He said that Student Affairs uses the data from the survey to "assist in decision-making and in resource allocations."
Michael E. Ryan, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, agreed that the SOS is helpful in assessing student feedback and making improvements to programs, services and facilities.
"We have been responsive as an institution in addressing student concerns," Ryan said. "The offices of Undergraduate Education and Student Affairs have been working collaboratively to continue to address the quality of the undergraduate experience, both inside and outside of the classroom."
Young said UB's ability to improve student satisfaction is particularly important as the university "seeks to promote its reputation among a racially, geographically and academically diverse group of students."
"There is little that can provide a better recommendation to the university than its willingness not only to address sources of student concern, but also to constantly strive to reinforce the successes for which we are already recognized," she said.
The survey asks students to rate 62 specific institutional attributes, among them library resources, services and facilities; computer network and support services; course registration processes; condition of building and grounds; campus safety and security; openness to different opinions; health and wellness programs; food services and recreation and intramural programs.
Students rate their satisfaction with the attributes using a five-point Likert scale: 1, very dissatisfied; 2, dissatisfied; 3, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied; 4, satisfied; or 5, very satisfied. Attributes with a mean rating above 4 are considered "highly satisfactory," Young said.
The 2006 survey, administered at UB this spring, was the first to be conducted online. Online administration of the survey substantially increased participation, Young said, noting that 2,272 undergraduates completed the survey this year, compared to 600-700 in previous years.
SOS ratings are not strongly related to race, ethnicity, selectivity (high school QPA or SAT/ACT scores), or current UB QPA, Young said. Women tend to rate most SOS attributes higher than men do, and freshmen generally award higher ratings than upper-division students do, she added.
Some of the 2006 survey's general findings:
Students rate library resources and services, and UB's computer network highest—all received "highly satisfactory ratings—when considering their academic experiences. Availability of internships rated the least favorably, although its mean score of 3.25 is considered satisfactory.
Among student services and facilities, the libraries, Student Union, athletic and recreational facilities, and classrooms all received "highly satisfactory" ratings. Students were least satisfied with parking, food services and job-placement services, although only parking received an "unsatisfactory" rating—below a neutral 3. In fact, parking was the only category in the entire survey that received an "unsatisfactory" rating.
Of the three general areas examined in the survey—academic services and experiences, student services and facilities, and student life—respondents were most satisfied with student life, rating 40 percent of student-life attributes as "highly satisfactory." They were least satisfied with the use of student activity fees, help in finding part-time jobs and student government, although none received an "unsatisfactory" rating of less than 3.
Ryan said he was particularly interested in students' responses regarding "sense of belonging" and "student input to policies"—part of the assessment of student life issues in the survey.
"The 'sense of belonging' is an important issue that is especially relevant for entering freshmen and transfers, and for commuting students—a significant number of undergraduates at UB," he said.
He also noted that while students already have "significant input" in the development of university policies, the process "may not be very apparent to the typical student. This is something that needs to be made more transparent to our students," he said, adding the administration needs to "engage students to a greater degree in the shared responsibility for developing policy."
To access the survey results, visit http://www.provost.buffalo.edu/OIA/publications.htm.