Portland State University Research Update

Portland State University

Research Update Office of Institutional Research and Planning

Volume I, Issue 2 Winter\Spring 1998

This report examines results from the 1992, 1994, and 1995 Entering Student Survey and the 1997 Current Undergraduate Student Survey, conducted at Portland State University by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. Findings from these surveys shed light on what students have to say about their academic and personal experiences at PSU, including why students chose PSU, what they hope to achieve at PSU, and how they intend to meet their academic expectations. For further information regarding the surveys, contact Kathi A. Ketcheson, Acting Director, the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, (503) 725-3425.

Entering Student Survey: 1992, 1994, 1995 Characteristics of Entering Students Portland State University offers students the opportunity to live and learn in the largest urban center of Oregon, while participating in a degree program or taking supplemental course work. Many of the students are Oregon residents, and because of the variety of degree programs offered at Portland State University, these residents are able to stay in Oregon while participating in higher education. Entering students at PSU vary in age. Some entering freshmen begin PSU right after high school (56%), while others return to PSU after taking a break in their formal education (13%). Similarly, transfer students report having attended school less than six months ago (57%), having attended school between one and five years ago (25%), and having attended school more than five years ago (8%).

What Attracts Students to PSU? Portland State University appeals to students for several reasons. As reported in the Entering Student Survey conducted in the Fall of 1995, the majority of new freshmen indicated that their top three reasons for attending PSU were: Ability to stay in Portland (69%), Cost (75%), and Program Offerings (65%). Similar findings were reported by both freshman and transfer students in the 1992 and 1994 Entering Student Surveys, with the ability to stay in Portland being the number one choice. Together, these factors influence students’ decisions to attend PSU (see Table 1).

Table 1

Table 1 includes all entering students (new freshmen and transfers).

Furthermore, the Portland metropolitan area has become an increasingly popular place to live. In 1997, Money Magazine rated Portland the 37th best place to live in America out of the 300 cities ranked. Money Magazine also showed that job growth (+4.6%) and forecast for job growth (+6.5%) in Portland was higher than the national average (1.6%, 4.5%) and that the unemployment rate in Portland (4%) was less than the national average (5.3%) in 1997. Furthermore, Portland is ideally placed between the mountains and the ocean, and conveniently located on the west coast between Seattle and San Francisco. As a result, a larger number of students from across Oregon, as well as from other states and other countries, are attracted to PSU.

What are Students’ Academic Aspirations at PSU? In 1995, over half (61%) of the entering freshmen respondents reported that they plan to earn a Bachelor’s degree at Portland State University; for transfer students, 87% reported that they intend to earn a Bachelor’s degree at PSU. Entering students were asked what will be the highest degree they expect to earn at PSU. In 1995, only 23% of new freshmen suggested that their highest degree would be a Bachelor’s, while 36% reported that they plan to earn a Master’s as their highest degree. The responses were similar for transfer students; 35% planned to earn a Bachelor’s degree, while 41% planned to earn a Master’s. This theme is reflected in the 1992 and 1994 data as well; a larger percentage of students intended to earn a Master’s degree. It is interesting to note that in spite of growing attrition rates in higher education, a high percentage of respondents to PSU’s surveys plan to go on and earn a Master’s degree.

How are Students Responding to the Rising Cost of Higher Education? As mentioned, the cost of tuition is one of the main reasons students consider PSU. However, due to the growing cost of higher education, a larger number of students rely on financial aid to cover tuition. A majority of entering students at PSU applied for financial aid, as reported in all three Entering Student Surveys. Moreover, the Entering Student Surveys show a slight rise in the percentage of new freshmen applying for financial aid from 1992 (59%) to 1995 (63%). There is a similar upward trend for new transfer students who applied for financial aid from 1992 (53%) to 1995 (65%). In addition to the growing percentage of PSU students applying for financial aid, the majority of entering students are employed in addition to attending school full-time. In 1995, 78% of students planned to work in addition to going to school. Students report intending to work from sixteen to twenty-five hours per week while in school (see Table 2).

Table 2

The Office of Student Financial Aid at PSU is aware of the growing need for financial assistance, and has worked on enhancing the quality and availability of financial aid services for the students. The Entering Students Surveys show a considerable increase in levels of satisfaction regarding financial aid services, with an overall 21% increase in satisfaction for entering freshmen and a 32% increase for transfers from 1992 to 1995 (see Table 3).

Table 3

What Type of Learning Environment Does PSU Offer Entering Students? University Studies was introduced in 1994 to create a new environment for learning at PSU. This innovative program is designed to enhance students’ overall skills in critical thinking, writing, and communication. The Entering Student Surveys from 1994 and 1995 include students’ opinions of the new University Studies program. Levels of satisfaction increased from the first year of the program to the second. For example, advising from Peer Mentors in Freshman Inquiry was ranked high/very high by 45% of the entering freshman in 1994; 62% responded similarly in 1995. Moreover, 34% of entering freshman in 1994 agreed that service from the Office of University Studies staff was high/ very high. Responses to the same question jumped to 45% in 1995. Furthermore in 1994, 43% agreed/ strongly agreed the general education courses they are taking will help them apply information gained in class work to community/world issues; 55% agreed/ strongly agreed to the same question in 1995. Faculty and staff had the opportunity to fine tune the program in 1995 to meet the needs of students after the first year of University Studies.

What are Students’ Initial Concerns at PSU? In the 1992-1995 Entering Student Surveys, freshman and transfer students raised some concerns regarding their initial experiences at PSU. A student in 1994 reported, "my first term was a good experience. If I was struggling with the class, the professor was willing to help." Other students reported, "very good, but could use more academic counseling," and "overall very nice... more things need to be done in order for students to get to know each other." Efforts are currently underway to encourage students to become more involved and to feel more united with fellow students, faculty, and staff. In order to reduce the confusion around academic requirements and to encourage students to become more involved in on-campus activities, a new orientation program was created in 1995. This new program introduces students to the campus and college life and assists them with academic questions concerning the University Studies curriculum. Although orientation is not required for entering students, attendance has increased for new freshman, from 79% in 1992 to 87% in 1995, as student needs and academic concerns are being addressed.

Current Student Survey, 1997 Characteristics of Current Students

A total of 509 students responded to the 1997 Current Undergraduate Student Survey, for a response rate of 43%. Fifty-one percent of the respondents entered as freshmen, and 48% entered as transfer students. A majority were employed (75%), and worked between 16 and 35 hours per week (58%). Most (93%) of the respondents reported paying for their own education from a combination of financial aid sources (33%), or loans or scholarships only (36%); some reported receiving no financial assistance at all (30%). Nearly all respondents lived off campus and commuted to PSU by driving alone (45%), or by accessing Tri-Met/Max (36%). More than half of respondents (54%) reported attending both day and evening classes. A majority of the students reported that one or both parents attended or completed college: 56% of mothers, and 71% of fathers.

What are Current Undergraduate Students’ Educational Goals? Most respondents (85%) plan to earn a degree at PSU; some intend to earn a bachelor’s degree (35%), while others intend to go on for a master’s degree (34%). Seventy-seven percent of respondents to the 1995 Entering Student Survey indicated that they expect to earn their degree at PSU, compared to 85% of respondents to the Current Undergraduate Student Survey. About half (51%) of respondents intend to complete their degrees within 3 to 5 years. A third (34%) of respondents determined their majors before enrolling, while 40% chose majors during freshman or sophomore years. Students were asked to report their top concern related to their experience at PSU. Fifty-nine percent reported academic performance, 16% reported course availability, and 15% reported finances. Students also were asked to report who they received social support from to meet their educational goals. Parents rated the highest (85%), then friends (83%), followed by fellow students (74%). Other areas of social support included spouse (67%), PSU faculty (64%), and employers (63%).

Why Do Students Come to PSU? Current Undergraduate survey respondents reported learning about PSU in a number of ways, including families (27%), friends (25%), and PSU catalogs and brochures (18%). Students were influenced in their decisions to attend PSU based on a number of factors. The primary factor was the ability to stay in Portland (78%), followed by the cost of attending PSU (70%), and PSU program offerings (68%). The top three reasons students report choosing to study at PSU were: to receive a college degree (94%), to prepare for a career (92%), and to increase potential income (81%). Students were asked an open-ended question to explain what they intend to gain from their undergraduate education. Their answers focused on basic themes, such as, "knowledge that I can apply to my life as a whole," and "knowledge I need for my career goals."

How Students Rate PSU? Seventy-seven percent of respondents reported that PSU offers the courses or programs needed to achieve their long-range career goals. The Current Undergraduate respondents overwhelmingly expressed satisfaction with the following areas: Admissions (83%), course content (82%), testing and grading practices (79%), library (79%), and registration procedures (77%). About half of respondents (51%) report having reviewed their student records on the World Wide Web. A majority (82%) of respondents noted that they often use the library and/or the Internet for research. Respondents were asked to indicate how often they participated in certain activities as part of their course work at PSU. Written academic essays (85%), use of the library and the Internet for research (82%), and group or team projects (75%) were the top three.

A Comparison of Highlights from the Entering Student and Current Undergraduate Student Surveys Both entering students and continuing students had similar reasons for why they chose to attend PSU. Ability to stay in Portland was the number one reason for entering students in 1992, 1994, and 1995, as well as for current students from 1997. Moreover, cost was the second reason, and program offerings ranked third for all entering and current student respondents (see Table 4). Table 4

Important/Very Important Reasons to Attend PSU Entering Students Current StudentsReasons 1992 1994 1995 1997 (n=545)* (n=539)*(n=460)* (n=509)*Ability to Stay in Portland Area 70.7% 71.9% 73.7% 78.1%Cost 66.3% 63.4% 71.2% 70.1%Program Offerings 60.0% 56.8% 66.1% 63.1%Reputation of Programs 42.6% 43.2% 49.9% 46.9%Reputation of the University 36.1% 36.4% 41.8% 36.8%Financial Aid Package Offered by PSU 30.9% 37.8% 36.7% 43.2%Desire to Move to Portland 19.0% 25.2% 30.1% 22.7%Recommendation of Family 21.4% 25.7% 28.4% 24.0%Recommendation of Friend 15.5% 21.8% 22.6% 20.2%Friends Currently Attending PSU 16.9% 20.0% 21.7% 15.9%Recommendation of School Counselor 14.4% 14.7% 18.2% 13.2%University Studies Program NA NA NA 12.6%Senior Capstone Program NA NA NA 8.9%Recommendation of Employer 5.7% 5.4% 8.3% 7.9%*The number of respondents slightly varies in each category. The amount of hours worked while attending PSU were similar for the entering and current student respondents. Forty-five percent of the 1995 entering student respondents report working between 16-35 hours per week while attending school. Fifty-eight percent of the 1997 current student respondents also worked between 16-35 hours per week while

Table 5

enrolled at PSU (see Table 5). In addition to the large percentages of students who work while attending PSU, both the 1995 Entering Student Survey and the 1997 Current Student Survey show that a majority of the respondents have applied for or utilized financial aid; 64% of the entering students and 69% of the current student respondents report applying or utilizing financial aid (see Table 6).

Table 6

Another category that highlights some parallels and differences between the Entering and Current Undergraduate Student Surveys is the highest degree students intend to earn while attending PSU. According to the 1995 Entering Student Survey, 28% of respondents intend to earn a Bachelor’s degree, while 34% of respondents plan to earn a Master’s degree. There are some slight differences between responses to this survey and the 1997 Current Undergraduate Student Survey in that 34% intend to earn a Bachelor’s, while 33% intend to earn a Master’s (see Table 7).

Table 7

Lastly, the level of satisfaction with PSU is another interesting area to compare and contrast between the Entering and Current Undergraduate Student Surveys. Several differences were noted when comparing responses to the same questions asked on both surveys. In 1997, 85% of respondents reported that they were "socially comfortable coming on to campus and going to class," compared to 78% of respondents to the 1995 Entering Student Survey. Furthermore, 68% of current student respondents reported that they "know how to get help with questions and concerns." This is 11% higher than the 57% of 1995 Entering Student Survey responses to the same question. Additionally, 62% of the Current Undergraduate Student Survey respondents said that they had "met a faculty member who I can talk to." This shows a slight increase from the 56% reported by entering students in 1995 (see Table 8).

Table 8

Overall, student’s experiences were positive, from academic learning in the classroom to social interaction on campus.

This addition of the Portland State University Research Update was created by Kathi A. Ketcheson, Director; Lina Lu, Research Assistant; Leigh Hedrick, Graduate Research Assistant; Gillian Lerner Graduate Research Assistant; and Nobuko Wantabe, Graduate Research Assistant. Special thanks to Michelle Toppe, Sam Collie, and Michael Toth for additional information included in the Entering Student Survey report.