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Executive Summary: Three-fifths of entering students attended Convocation, and over 97% found it a welcoming event. Musical performances were the most popular components of the event. The New Students Program was perceived as helpful by seven-eighths of the respondents. Three-quarters of the women questioned indicated that orientation had made them aware of the drug Rohypnol, and four-fifths of new students were made more aware of the issue of acquaintance rape. Approximately half of the new students were aware of the W.I.S.E. system, but only a fifth had actually used it. Four-fifths of students were dissatisfied with their original academic schedules, but almost 95% were satisfied with their schedules after making changes. Less than a third of students attended any of the First Week events arranged by Campus Activities.
On Wednesday, September 17, Project Pulse conducted its annual Opening telephone survey for the New Students Program. The survey explored students’ reactions to Convocation, the New Students Program, First Week activities, and various administrative procedures for registering and settling in to university life. Although interviews were conducted with both first year and returning students, this report refers only to the 273 new students’ responses. Survey results for the sample of returning students are available, upon request, from SARIS. Pulse interviewers attempted to contact 432 first-year students who were randomly selected by computer from the University’s student database. Of these, 306 were successfully contacted and 273 (89%) agreed to be interviewed. The response rate for the survey was 63%. Sampling error is plus or minus six percentage points.
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Table 1: Final Disposition
of the Sample
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|||
|
|
N
|
% of Total
|
% of Contacted
|
| Response Rate, (In & cooperated) |
273
|
63.2
|
89.0
|
| In, declined interview |
33
|
7.6
|
11.0
|
| Not in |
126
|
29.2
|
|
| Totals |
*432
|
100.0
|
100.0
|
| * excludes 7 sampled students with unobtainable phone numbers | |||
Convocation
The first set of questions asked incoming students about their experience and impressions of Convocation at the Mullins Center, an event designed to welcome new students to UMass. Slightly over three-fifths (61.8%, n=168) of the incoming students sampled had attended all or part of Convocation, and 97.6% (n=160) of those attending reported that the event made them feel very or somewhat welcome.
Figure 1. Convocation Attendance
When asked what they liked most about Convocation, some students mentioned only one favorite component of the event, while others listed many things they had enjoyed. The live acts and performances were the most memorable, with 132 students mentioning them in some fashion. The band performance was listed by 68 students, the a cappella group by 28 students, the cheerleaders by 14 students, and other aspects such as the athletic performances, the color guard, and ‘music’ by 22 students. Speeches were the next most popular category, receiving 28 mentions. Those who mentioned specific speakers focused on students (n=7), and the Chancellor and Dr. Whitbourne (n=3 for each). Videos received favorable mention from 13 students. Nine students stated that a sense of the group (“having everyone together”, “seeing the size of the freshman class”, “school spirit”) was an important part of the experience, and five others mentioned Convocation as an opportunity to meet people.
New Students Program
The next set of questions asked incoming students about their experiences with and impressions of the New Students Program ‘summer orientation’ Approximately seven-eighths of the students (88.2%, n=240) found the program very or somewhat helpful in preparing them to start school at UMass. Of those attending orientation, 71.4% (n=187) reported that the program encouraged them to meet those in the UMass community from different cultural backgrounds. When asked if the program had made them “more aware of the issue of acquaintance rape”, 80.4% (n=213) reported that it had. The women in the sample also were asked if the program had made them “aware of the drug Rohypnol, also known as ‘the date rape drug’, and approximately three quarters (74.1%, n=103) said “yes.”
Administrative Systems
In the next portion of the survey, students were asked about their experience with various administrative systems and procedures with which they interacted in the process of settling in to life at UMass. Approximately half of the incoming students (52.3%, n=138) reported that the New Students Program had made them aware of the W.I.S.E. system, which allows them to look up information about their schedules, grades, or bills on the World Wide Web, but only 18.4% (n=44) had actually used the system since their arrival on campus. Almost three-quarters of the students sampled (72.3%, n=196) had used the telephone add/drop system to make changes in their course schedules for the semester. Of those, 71.3% (n=139) found the change process not too or not at all difficult, while 11.8% (n=23) found it very difficult.
Most students (92.0%, n=242) reported that they had found the information mailed to them prior to their arrival at UMass somewhat or very helpful. They were less positive about the course schedules they received with their registration packets; four-fifths of the sampled students (81.7%, n=219) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the schedules they originally received. After changes, 94.8% (n=257) felt satisfied or very satisfied with their current schedules.
Figure 2. Satisfaction with Course Schedule Received in
Registration Packet
Figure 3. Satisfaction with Current Course Schedule
Next, students were queried about issues attached
to billing and financial aid. Approximately two-thirds of the sample (66.9%,
n=105) reported that the procedure for paying their bills at UMass was not too
difficult or not difficult at all. A larger group (72%, n=149) felt that it
was not difficult for them or their parents to understand their financial aid
awards.
Almost half of the sample (47.8%, n=129) stated that they had called the University’s
toll-free 800 number over the summer with questions about housing, billing,
or financial aid, and four-fifths of the users (79.4%, n=100) found that service
somewhat or very helpful.
Housing
Students living on campus were asked about their
level of satisfaction with their current housing, and 88.8% (n=239) reported
that they were somewhat or very satisfied. There was less enthusiasm about the
amount of time it took the University to notify them of their housing assignments;
three-fifths (60.9%, n=162) reported satisfaction in that area.
Some of the students who attended the New Students Program were able to request
their housing by computer. Only 22.7% (n=59) of the incoming students surveyed
were among those who made their requests by computer, but those who did so reported
overwhelmingly (98.2%, n=57) that the process was not difficult.
Other
Asked about their ability to find their way around the University, 88.6% of
the incoming students (n=240) reported little or no difficulty. Students also
seemed comfortable with their knowledge of campus safety and security issues,
with 85.6% (n=232) of the sampled students stating that they felt somewhat or
very knowledgeable in this area.
During the first week of the semester, Campus Activities sponsored a series of First Week programs, including a movie, comedy shows, and an a cappella concert. Students were asked to indicate how many of the events they had attended. More than two thirds of the respondents (68.3%, n=185) had not attended any of the offerings.
Figure 4. Number of First Week Activities Attended
