DOCUMENT RESUME JC 980 347 ED 421 198 Arnold, Carolyn L.; Ugale, Rachel AUTHOR Student Satisfaction Survey, Fall 1997. TITLE Chabot Coll., Hayward, CA. INSTITUTION 1997-00-00 PUB DATE 79p. NOTE Research Reports Numerical/Quantitative Data (110) PUB TYPE (143) MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE Community Colleges; Comparative Analysis; Educational DESCRIPTORS Research; Enrollment; Institutional Evaluation; *Needs Assessment; *Participant Satisfaction; *Statistical Data; *Student Attitudes; Student Characteristics; *Student Surveys; Success; Tables (Data); *Two Year College Students; Two Year Colleges Chabot College CA IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This Chabot College (California) Student Satisfaction Survey sampled 1,149 students in 59 course sections. Conducted in fall 1997, the five-page survey focused on the following factors: educational goals and reasons for attending Chabot, satisfaction with the college and its facilities and services, campus safety, campus climate, course registration and scheduling, level of involvement in Chabot activities, studying and majors, and degree of conflict between studies and other pressures. The first section of the report describes the background and survey methodology used, and summarizes survey results. The second section highlights student responses, including income and family status, and discusses major changes between fall 1995 and fall 1997 survey results. The third section furnishes student enrollment status and demographic information, and the fourth section consists of detailed student responses. Data tables and charts are included throughout the report. Appended are student comments about Chabot College and the survey, as well as a copy of the survey itself. (EMH) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ******************************************************************************** 00 Chabot College 0\ Office of Institutional Research es11 Survey Student Satisfaction Fall 1997 Researcher Carolyn L. Arnold, Institututional Rachel Ugale, College Clerk III U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Office of Educational Research and Improvement MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) C. L. Arnold his document has been reproduced as sPfe ceived from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to 141.1 improve reproduction quality. (Y) Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent OINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." official OERI position or policy. Supported by C° Office of the President Office of Matriculation Office of Institutional Research Hayward, California 94545 25555 Hesperian Boulevard Chabot College Chabot College Office of Institutional Research Student Satisfaction Survey Fall 1997 Carolyn L. Arnold, Institututional Researcher Rachel Ugale, College Clerk III Supported by Office of the President Office of Matriculation Office of Institutional Research Hayward, California 94545 25555 Hesperian Boulevard Chabot College 3 Chabot College Fall 1997 Student Satisfaction Survey Chabot Las Positas Community College District Board of Trustees 1997-1998 Mrs. Linda M. Tangren, President Dr. Alison Lewis, Secretary Dr. Arnulfo Cedillo Mrs. Elva Cooper Mr. Gary R. Craig Mrs. Isobel F. Dvorsky Mr. Barry Schrader Ms. Tricia Peterson, Chabot College Student Representative Mr. Jarod Buna, Las Positas College Student Representative Mr. Ronald A. Kong, Chancellor Mr. Terrence J. Burgess, President, Chabot College Dr. Susan A. Cota, President, Las Positas College 4 Chabot College Fall 1997 Student Satisfaction Survey Table of Contents Pages Introduction I 1 . Background 1 Methodology 1 Organization of report 1 2 Summary of Student Satisfaction II. Highlights of survey results 3 Overall satisfaction with Chabot 5 Choosing Chabot: reasons and sources of information 6 7 Campus safety Conflicts between studies and other pressures 8 9 Student income and family status Major changes between Fall 1995 and Fall 1997 10 III. Student enrollment status and demographics 11 12-15 Fall Census vs. Enrollments vs. Survey sample: All Students 16-19 Survey sample: Full-time, Part-time, and Evening/Saturday students Selected demographics by student status: 20 Living situation by full-time, part-time, and evening/Saturday status 21 Income by full-time, part-time, and evening/Saturday status 22 Educational goal by full-time, part-time, and evening/Saturday status 23 IV. Detailed responses of survey items Percentage distribution of all survey items 25-30 All students 31-36 Full-time, part-time, and evening/Saturday students 37-41 Comparison of similar survey items on Fall 1995 and Fall 1997 43 V. Appendix 45-56 Written comments about Chabot, the survey, or in "other" categories 57-61 Copy of survey Chabot College Fall 1997 Student Satisfaction Survey I. Introduction Background Every two years, the Office of Institutional Research surveys a representative sample of Chabot students to determine their satisfaction with Chabot College and to collect information about students for purposes of college planning and evaluation. In Fall 1994, the Campus Climate Survey focused on how students felt about the atmosphere at Chabot, how they were treated, and how they felt students in all racial-ethnic, gender, age, and other groups were regarded. In Fall 1995 the Accreditation Survey asked detailed questions about all aspects of academic and student services at Chabot. In Fall 1997, the Student Satisfaction Survey included questions from the previous surveys about campus climate and student satisfaction with different aspects of Chabot, and added questions about why students chose Chabot, campus safety, conflicts with their studies, scheduling preferences, and demographics such as income and living situation. Methodology The Fall 1997 Student Satisfaction survey was conducted during the week of October 13-18, 1997 in a stratified random sample of 59 course sections, which produced a sample of 1,149 students. These students represented the same gender and race-ethnicity distribution of students who attend Chabot. However, there were more full-time, new and younger students in the sample than among all students who attend Chabot, because students who were enrolled in more courses, such as full- time students, had a higher chance of being in the sample. Therefore, the overall results are most reflective of students who are on campus more frequently. Most percentages in these overall results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 to 4 percentage points. In order to control for the bias towards full-time students, the detailed results are reported separately for full-time, part-time, and evening/Saturday students. These results have higher margins of error that range from 3 to 6 evening/Saturday students. percentage points for full-time students to 9 to 12 percentage points for Students responded to questions about their experiences at Chabot in a five-page survey that was organized under the following themeseducational goals and reasons for attending Chabot, satisfaction with Chabot experiences, facilities, and services, opinions on campus safety, campus climate, course registration, and scheduling, level of involvement in Chabot activities, studying, and majors, and degree of conflict between their studies and other pressures. In addition, since it about their student status, family was an anonymous survey, they also answered questions background, and demographic information. Organization of report On the next page is a brief summary of the overall findings about student satisfaction. Section II provides one-page highlights of the major survey results, plus a page that shows the changes in satisfaction between Fall 1995 and Fall 1997. Section HI displays the responses to the student enrollment status and demographic survey items compared to the actual Fall 1997 census and enrollment student information. In addition, these enrollment and demographic survey results are shown for full-time, part-time, and Saturday/evening students. Section IV displays the detailed full-time, part-time, and Saturday/evening responses to each survey item for all students and for students, as well as a comparison of the responses to all similar survey items used in Fall 1995 and Fall 1997. Section V contains the written comments from the survey and a copy of the survey. Chabot College Office of Institutional Research Page 1 6 Chabot College Fall 1997 Student Satisfaction Survey Summary This page summarizes students' reasons for attending Chabot and their satisfaction with Chabot. Substantial differences between full-time, part-time, and/or evening/Saturday students are noted. Other parts of the survey are summarized in the next section of survey highlights. Reasons for attending Chabot More than 80 percent of all students chose to attend Chabot either because the class schedule fit their schedule, Chabot was close to home, Chabot had a lower cost than other colleges, they heard that the instructors were good, and/or Chabot had a specific major, course, or program they wanted. Almost all (95%) of evening/Saturday students chose Chabot because the classes fit their schedule. Satisfaction with overall experiences, facilities, services, and campus climate Most students (79%) were satisfied with their overall experience at Chabot College. A majority students (75 percent or more) were also satisfied with their instructors, the campus climate, the classrooms, the learning resource center/library, the bookstore, and the general maintenance/cleanliness of the buildings and grounds. In addition, the following major student services and programs were found to be helpful by a majority (75 percent or more) of students who used the serviceAdmissions and Records, the Assessment Center, the Counseling Department, the Bookstore, Food Services, and Campus Safety and Security. Part-time (1-6 units) students and evening/Saturday students tended to be more satisfied than full-time and other part- time students. Since Fall 1995, student satisfaction has increased by more than 10 percentage points in the areas of registration, experience with instructors, the efforts of instructors to help students achieve, campus climate, course availability, classrooms, the bookstore, overall maintenance/cleanliness of the buildings and grounds, the Transfer/Career Center, Tutorial Center, PACE program, and Food Services. Instructors were the source of the highest levels of satisfaction, which perhaps explained why they were a major reason for attending Chaboteighty percent or more of all types of students were satisfied with their overall experiences with instructors. Campus climate was also positive-79 percent of all students felt welcome at Chabot and felt treated with respect by faculty and staff, and 75 percent would encourage others to attend Chabot. Part-time (1-6 units) students and evening/Saturday students were even more enthusiastic about these aspects of Chabot. Areas for improvement (reflecting lower levels of satisfaction and/or higher levels of dissatisfaction) included overall experiences with counselors, admissions and records staff, and other college staff; preparation for transfer and employment; the physical facilities of classrooms, science and technology laboratories, and computer laboratories; the art/music/theatre drama facilities, physical education facilities; the cafeteria; and the availability /working order of equipment in the labs. Some of the low levels of satisfaction came from students who were "not sure" of their satisfaction in these areas. Part-time students and evening/Saturday students tended to be less satisfied than full-time students with the physical education facilities, while full-time students tended to be less satisfied than other students with the computer labs and the library. Twenty-five student services and programs were listed on the survey. Many of the students had either never heard of or never used many of the services. Only seven servicesAdmissions and Registration, Orientation, Assessment, Counseling, the Bookstore, Food Services, and Campus Safety and Securitywere used by more than half the students. However, most of the students who used each service were satisfied with it. For most of the services, 80 percent or more of the students who used that service found it helpful or very helpful, and ninety percent or more of the students who used the following services found them helpfulAdmissions and Registration, Student Services Computer Center Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), and the , College Bookstore. Services with lower satisfaction levels were Veteran's Services (74%) and Student Govemmept/ASCC (67%). Chabot College Office of Institutional Research Page 2 Chabot College Fall 1997 Student Satisfaction Survey n. Highlights of Survey Results 8 Chabot College Office of Institutional Research Page 3 Survey: Fall 1997 Chabot College Student Satisfaction highlights Overall Satisfaction with Chabot 1997 in a representative sample of The Student Satisfaction Survey was conducted in October fifty-nine course sections. Surveys were completed by 1,149 students. Chabot academic, student and The purpose of the survey was to monitor student satisfaction with students chose Chabot; determine other services, campus climate, and campus safety; find out why otherwise available. scheduling preferences; and collect student demographic data that is not Highest Levels of Overall Satisfaction Students reported the highest levels of satisfaction with the following aspects of Chabot. Percentage of all students Satisfied or very satisfied Overall experience with: 79% Chabot College 81% Instructors condition of: Physical 75% Classroom (lecture) facilities 70% Learning Resource Center/Library 85% Bookstore 78% Maintenance/cleanliness of buildings and grounds Helpfulness of Major Student Senrices helpful. Over two thirds of all students used the following services, and most found them helpful or very Percentage of those who used service Helpful or very helpful 90% Admissions and Records 80% Assessment Testing Center 79% Counseling 92% College Bookstore 84% Food Services 79% Campus Safety and Security Campus climate Most students described a positive campus climate at Chabot. Chabot College Student Satisfaction Survey, Fall 1997 Students' experience of campus climate Percent agree or strongly agree 79% I feel welcome at Chabot There is respect for differences 68% in race-ethnicity 79% I am treated with respect I would encourage others to 75% attend this college 90% 100% 80% 70% 60% 40% 50% 30% 20% 0% 10% Page 5 Chabot College Office of Institutional Research 9 Chabot College Student Satisfaction Survey: Fall 1997 highlights Chabot: Reasons and Sources of Information Choosing Top five reasons for choosing Chabot Class schedule fit my schedule 89% Close to home 88% Lower cost I 82% Heard the instructors were good 82% Had specific 80% major/course/program I wanted 40% 60% 90% 20% 0% 30% 50% 70% 80% 10% 100% Top five sources of information about Chabot Class schedule/other publication Family or friends High school advisor/counselor Counselor visit to my high school Chabot Web site 0% 20% 30% 10% NOTE: All percentages have a margin of error of 2 to 4 percentage points ) Important or Important or Very Important Very Important Sources of information about Chabot Reasons for choosing Chabot Class schedule or other college publication Class schedule fit into my schedule 89% 72% Family or friends 88% Close or convenient to home 67% High school advisor or counselor Lower cost than other colleges or programs 82% 59% Heard that the instructors were good College rep/counselor visit to my high school 82% 51% Chabot Web site (www.c1pccd.cc.caus/cc) Had the major, course, or program I wanted 80% 45% Attending events on campus 73% Heard the academic atmosphere was good 39% Local newspaper Heard the social atmosphere was good 58% 38% Local television Close or convenient to work 54% 36% Local radio 39% Had the other activities I wanted 29% Movie theater ads Friends or family attended Chabot 35% 23% 10 Chabot College Office of Institutional Research Page 6