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North Carolina State University
2005 First-Year Student Survey:
Frequency Distributions of Survey Item #18
(Goal Development and Importance)

This document reports the frequency distributions by gender and race/ethnicity of survey item #18 of the Fall 2005 First-Year Student Survey. The exact wording of the survey item is as follows:

Below is a list of knowledge, skills, and personal development goals held by NC State for your undergraduate preparation. In the left-hand column (of the survey), please indicate your current level of development using the following scale: 5="very high," 4="high," 3="average," 2="low," 1="very low," 0="don't know". In the right-hand column (of the survey), please rate how important this goal is to you right now, using the following scale: 5="very important," 4="important," 3="moderately important," 2="of limited importance," 1="not important," 0="don't know")

Note: "Don't know" responses were excluded from the analyses.

Current Development: General Education Goals | Personal Development Goals | World View Goals
Goal Importance: General Education Goals | Personal Development Goals | World View Goals

General Education (Current Level of Development)
Current level: Apply math skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.63 3.47 3.77 3.74 3.62 3.65
5: Very high % 20.1 14.4 24.6 22.7 19.8 19.8
4: High % 36.1 34.8 37.1 38.5 35.5 38.4
3: Average % 33.0 36.3 30.3 30.3 33.8 28.7
2: Low % 8.9 12.1 6.4 7.1 8.7 12.8
1: Very low % 2.0 2.4 1.7 1.4 2.3 0.3
Total N 3576 1594 1982 353 2864 359

Current level: Good listening skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.69 3.80 3.60 3.93 3.66 3.72
5: Very high % 19.1 22.8 16.1 29.2 17.6 21.1
4: High % 40.2 41.3 39.3 40.8 40.3 38.3
3: Average % 32.7 30.3 34.6 25.2 33.6 33.1
2: Low % 6.7 4.6 8.4 3.1 7.2 6.4
1: Very low % 1.4 1.1 1.6 1.7 1.4 1.1
Total N 3574 1595 1979 353 2861 360

Current level: Broad general education NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.61 3.69 3.56 3.83 3.58 3.65
5: Very high % 13.7 15.7 12.1 21.5 12.6 14.8
4: High % 39.8 41.3 38.5 42.4 39.5 39.6
3: Average % 41.8 39.7 43.4 34.7 42.6 41.8
2: Low % 3.8 2.6 4.7 0.9 4.2 3.3
1: Very low % 1.0 0.7 1.2 0.6 1.1 0.6
Total N 3547 1583 1964 349 2839 359

Current level: Carry out projects independently NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.66 3.82 3.53 3.81 3.64 3.63
5: Very high % 18.4 23.7 14.1 25.4 17.9 15.6
4: High % 38.5 41.3 36.3 37.9 38.2 41.6
3: Average % 34.6 29.0 39.1 29.9 35.3 33.5
2: Low % 7.2 5.0 9.1 5.9 7.2 8.7
1: Very low % 1.3 1.0 1.5 0.8 1.4 0.6
Total N 3567 1593 1974 354 2855 358

Current level: Critically analyze information NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.55 3.58 3.53 3.74 3.53 3.52
5: Very high % 13.7 13.7 13.7 21.5 12.7 14.1
4: High % 37.0 38.0 36.1 37.9 37.2 34.1
3: Average % 41.1 41.0 41.1 35.0 41.6 42.7
2: Low % 7.2 6.6 7.6 4.5 7.4 7.8
1: Very low % 1.1 0.6 1.5 1.1 1.1 1.4
Total N 3571 1593 1978 354 2856 361

Current level: Influence of science/technology NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.53 3.34 3.68 3.68 3.50 3.62
5: Very high % 16.3 10.8 20.7 21.5 15.2 20.4
4: High % 33.5 30.9 35.5 34.2 33.8 30.4
3: Average % 38.8 42.5 35.9 36.7 38.8 40.8
2: Low % 9.7 13.2 6.9 6.2 10.4 7.5
1: Very low % 1.7 2.6 1.0 1.4 1.9 0.8
Total N 3576 1591 1985 354 2864 358

Current level: Develop computer skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.56 3.49 3.61 3.86 3.52 3.57
5: Very high % 17.4 14.1 19.9 25.1 16.1 19.5
4: High % 34.4 35.2 33.8 41.4 34.0 31.2
3: Average % 37.0 38.6 35.6 29.0 37.7 39.0
2: Low % 9.2 9.9 8.7 3.9 10.1 7.5
1: Very low % 2.0 2.1 2.0 0.6 2.1 2.8
Total N 3577 1592 1985 355 2863 359

Current level: Diverse cultures/values NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.55 3.71 3.42 4.07 3.43 3.97
5: Very high % 18.8 22.9 15.5 39.5 14.3 34.0
4: High % 32.3 35.3 29.9 32.5 31.9 34.8
3: Average % 36.5 32.8 39.5 24.0 39.4 26.5
2: Low % 9.5 7.7 11.0 3.4 11.0 3.9
1: Very low % 2.8 1.3 4.1 0.6 3.4 0.8
Total N 3553 1588 1965 354 2840 359

Current level: Good reading comprehension skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.46 3.53 3.39 3.69 3.42 3.47
5: Very high % 14.8 16.6 13.4 22.8 13.6 16.7
4: High % 31.3 32.6 30.3 34.0 31.2 29.4
3: Average % 40.5 39.7 41.0 33.7 41.4 39.7
2: Low % 11.5 9.7 13.0 8.7 11.7 12.5
1: Very low % 1.9 1.4 2.4 0.8 2.1 1.7
Total N 3569 1593 1976 356 2853 360

Current level: Communicate ideas orally NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.41 3.43 3.39 3.64 3.39 3.36
5: Very high % 12.5 13.1 12.1 22.9 11.1 13.4
4: High % 32.8 33.7 32.0 31.6 33.2 30.4
3: Average % 40.2 39.4 40.8 35.3 41.0 38.2
2: Low % 12.2 11.1 13.0 7.3 12.4 15.0
1: Very low % 2.4 2.8 2.1 2.8 2.2 3.1
Total N 3566 1593 1973 354 2853 359

Current level: Apply scientific principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.29 3.13 3.42 3.37 3.27 3.37
5: Very high % 10.5 7.9 12.5 12.1 10.0 12.3
4: High % 29.0 24.6 32.6 28.8 29.0 29.3
3: Average % 42.8 44.6 41.4 45.5 42.4 43.9
2: Low % 14.5 18.2 11.6 11.0 15.3 12.3
1: Very low % 3.1 4.7 1.9 2.5 3.3 2.2
Total N 3571 1590 1981 354 2859 358

Current level: Communicate ideas in writing NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.26 3.36 3.18 3.54 3.23 3.24
5: Very high % 8.4 10.3 6.8 16.2 7.3 9.1
4: High % 29.4 30.8 28.4 34.2 29.2 26.3
3: Average % 45.2 45.9 44.7 39.2 45.8 46.3
2: Low % 13.8 11.0 16.2 7.8 14.3 16.1
1: Very low % 3.1 2.0 4.0 2.5 3.3 2.2
Total N 3573 1598 1975 357 2855 361
Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #18

Personal Development Goals (Current Level of Development)
Current level: Responsibility for own behavior NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.14 4.30 4.00 4.48 4.10 4.07
5: Very high % 39.1 46.1 33.5 58.0 37.0 37.4
4: High % 39.3 39.1 39.4 34.4 40.1 37.6
3: Average % 18.3 13.6 22.2 5.6 19.7 20.3
2: Low % 2.7 1.1 3.9 1.4 2.7 3.8
1: Very low % 0.6 0.1 1.0 0.6 0.6 0.8
Total N 3581 1599 1982 355 2862 364

Current level: Viewing learning as lifelong NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.97 4.13 3.85 4.23 3.94 3.98
5: Very high % 32.6 39.1 27.3 46.3 30.7 33.9
4: High % 37.3 37.5 37.1 34.0 37.9 35.3
3: Average % 25.6 21.0 29.3 16.9 26.5 26.7
2: Low % 3.9 2.0 5.4 1.7 4.2 3.6
1: Very low % 0.7 0.4 0.9 1.1 0.7 0.6
Total N 3573 1596 1977 356 2857 360

Current level: Acting on ethical principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.88 4.02 3.77 4.13 3.85 3.88
5: Very high % 27.2 31.9 23.4 37.7 25.5 30.4
4: High % 40.1 41.3 39.2 41.7 40.5 35.1
3: Average % 27.5 24.1 30.2 17.2 28.8 27.3
2: Low % 4.4 2.5 5.9 2.5 4.3 6.4
1: Very low % 0.9 0.3 1.4 0.8 0.9 0.8
Total N 3561 1587 1974 355 2844 362

Current level: Function as part of team NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.86 3.96 3.77 4.08 3.84 3.78
5: Very high % 25.9 29.4 23.0 38.5 24.6 24.2
4: High % 41.0 42.2 39.9 37.6 41.9 36.9
3: Average % 27.0 23.8 29.6 18.2 27.4 32.2
2: Low % 5.2 4.1 6.2 4.6 5.2 6.1
1: Very low % 0.9 0.5 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.6
Total N 3565 1591 1974 351 2854 360

Current level: Being independent NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.80 3.86 3.76 4.01 3.79 3.71
5: Very high % 25.3 28.5 22.8 34.3 24.3 24.4
4: High % 37.7 36.9 38.3 38.6 38.1 33.8
3: Average % 30.1 28.1 31.7 23.1 30.8 31.3
2: Low % 5.8 5.4 6.1 2.3 5.7 9.7
1: Very low % 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.7 1.1 0.8
Total N 3551 1587 1964 350 2840 361

Current level: Understanding own abilities/interests NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.78 3.84 3.72 4.07 3.75 3.74
5: Very high % 21.4 24.7 18.8 36.4 19.7 20.6
4: High % 40.8 39.8 41.6 39.5 41.0 40.3
3: Average % 32.6 31.4 33.6 19.3 34.3 32.5
2: Low % 4.4 3.3 5.4 4.3 4.3 5.8
1: Very low % 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.8
Total N 3565 1590 1975 352 2853 360

Current level: Having self-discipline NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.69 3.76 3.64 4.00 3.66 3.67
5: Very high % 22.0 23.6 20.8 33.6 20.1 25.7
4: High % 36.1 37.3 35.1 39.0 36.6 29.3
3: Average % 32.5 31.4 33.5 21.9 33.7 33.7
2: Low % 7.7 6.6 8.5 4.3 8.0 8.6
1: Very low % 1.7 1.1 2.1 1.1 1.6 2.8
Total N 3548 1593 1955 351 2835 362

Current level: Realizing potential for success NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.69 3.73 3.66 4.12 3.65 3.61
5: Very high % 20.2 21.3 19.4 40.1 18.2 16.7
4: High % 37.2 38.1 36.5 35.3 37.5 36.7
3: Average % 34.8 33.3 36.0 21.2 36.0 38.9
2: Low % 6.7 6.4 7.0 2.8 7.2 6.7
1: Very low % 1.0 0.9 1.2 0.6 1.1 1.1
Total N 3561 1590 1971 354 2847 360

Current level: Clarifying personal identity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.69 3.75 3.63 4.12 3.64 3.63
5: Very high % 20.7 22.8 19.0 40.5 18.2 20.8
4: High % 36.2 37.7 34.9 37.9 36.6 31.1
3: Average % 35.6 32.6 38.0 16.8 37.4 39.4
2: Low % 6.4 6.1 6.6 3.1 6.6 7.5
1: Very low % 1.2 0.9 1.5 1.7 1.2 1.1
Total N 3542 1586 1956 351 2831 360

Current level: Having self-confidence NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.62 3.61 3.63 4.08 3.57 3.54
5: Very high % 19.9 20.2 19.6 39.4 17.6 19.2
4: High % 35.6 34.9 36.2 36.0 35.8 33.3
3: Average % 33.4 33.1 33.6 19.8 35.1 32.8
2: Low % 8.9 9.6 8.4 3.4 9.2 11.9
1: Very low % 2.2 2.2 2.2 1.4 2.2 2.8
Total N 3561 1589 1972 353 2848 360

Current level: Commit to health/fitness NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.60 3.61 3.60 3.84 3.59 3.48
5: Very high % 20.9 21.6 20.3 32.5 19.5 20.1
4: High % 32.4 31.5 33.1 31.3 33.1 28.1
3: Average % 35.0 34.9 35.0 25.4 36.1 35.7
2: Low % 9.6 9.8 9.4 9.7 9.2 12.0
1: Very low % 2.2 2.1 2.2 1.1 2.1 4.2
Total N 3555 1589 1966 351 2845 359

Current level: Leadership/mgmt. skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.60 3.68 3.53 3.89 3.57 3.49
5: Very high % 16.1 18.4 14.4 27.5 14.9 15.0
4: High % 37.1 39.2 35.4 40.2 37.1 33.8
3: Average % 38.2 35.2 40.7 27.8 39.7 37.1
2: Low % 7.2 6.3 7.9 3.1 6.9 13.3
1: Very low % 1.3 0.9 1.6 1.4 1.4 0.8
Total N 3568 1591 1977 353 2854 361

Current level: Coping with change NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.51 3.45 3.56 3.77 3.48 3.50
5: Very high % 17.5 17.0 18.0 26.5 16.1 19.8
4: High % 31.5 29.3 33.2 34.5 31.6 27.9
3: Average % 38.4 39.2 37.8 30.2 39.6 37.3
2: Low % 10.1 11.2 9.3 6.8 10.2 12.5
1: Very low % 2.5 3.3 1.8 2.0 2.5 2.5
Total N 3546 1586 1960 351 2836 359

Current level: Handling stress NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.40 3.21 3.56 3.69 3.37 3.38
5: Very high % 15.2 10.7 18.7 23.9 13.9 16.4
4: High % 30.8 27.0 33.8 34.1 30.7 27.9
3: Average % 37.1 39.9 34.9 32.1 37.9 36.5
2: Low % 13.3 17.7 9.8 7.1 13.7 16.2
1: Very low % 3.6 4.8 2.7 2.8 3.8 3.1
Total N 3551 1588 1963 352 2840 359

Current level: Managing my time NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.31 3.40 3.23 3.48 3.30 3.24
5: Very high % 13.3 14.9 11.9 19.8 12.5 12.5
4: High % 27.8 31.0 25.3 29.5 27.9 25.5
3: Average % 39.8 37.6 41.7 32.9 40.5 41.3
2: Low % 14.7 12.5 16.5 14.2 14.7 15.5
1: Very low % 4.4 4.0 4.6 3.7 4.3 5.3
Total N 3561 1595 1966 353 2847 361

Current level: Involved in public/community affairs NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.32 3.52 3.15 3.63 3.28 3.33
5: Very high % 13.0 18.0 8.9 23.8 11.3 15.6
4: High % 26.7 29.8 24.2 31.4 26.5 23.3
3: Average % 42.4 40.3 44.1 31.4 43.7 43.1
2: Low % 14.9 10.6 18.3 10.5 15.4 15.0
1: Very low % 3.1 1.3 4.5 2.8 3.1 3.1
Total N 3557 1587 1970 353 2844 360
Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #18

World View Goals (Current Development)
Current level: Valuing racial equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.11 4.26 3.99 4.62 4.02 4.30
5: Very high % 42.9 49.5 37.6 71.7 38.1 52.6
4: High % 31.5 31.0 31.8 20.8 33.2 27.9
3: Average % 20.8 16.3 24.4 6.4 23.1 16.7
2: Low % 3.5 2.5 4.2 0.6 4.0 2.2
1: Very low % 1.4 0.7 2.0 0.6 1.6 0.6
Total N 3516 1580 1936 346 2811 359

Current level: Valuing gender equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.10 4.28 3.96 4.49 4.04 4.18
5: Very high % 41.2 49.0 34.7 63.7 37.9 45.1
4: High % 33.4 32.7 34.0 23.9 34.7 32.2
3: Average % 21.1 15.8 25.3 10.4 22.7 19.0
2: Low % 3.1 1.9 4.1 1.4 3.4 2.8
1: Very low % 1.3 0.6 1.8 0.6 1.4 0.8
Total N 3516 1579 1937 347 2812 357

Current level: Work w/ people from diverse backgrounds NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.81 3.94 3.70 4.27 3.73 4.01
5: Very high % 26.1 30.4 22.7 49.4 22.1 35.7
4: High % 37.0 38.5 35.7 30.7 38.0 34.8
3: Average % 29.8 26.5 32.5 17.5 32.0 24.4
2: Low % 5.8 3.6 7.5 1.7 6.4 4.8
1: Very low % 1.3 0.9 1.5 0.6 1.5 0.3
Total N 3522 1582 1940 348 2818 356

Current level: Tolerance for different views NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.74 3.85 3.65 4.09 3.67 3.95
5: Very high % 23.5 26.3 21.2 38.0 20.8 31.1
4: High % 37.0 39.0 35.5 36.9 37.0 37.5
3: Average % 31.3 29.1 33.1 21.9 33.0 26.9
2: Low % 6.2 4.8 7.3 2.0 7.0 3.9
1: Very low % 2.0 0.9 2.8 1.2 2.2 0.6
Total N 3517 1578 1939 347 2813 357

Current level: Appreciate arts/music/literature NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.44 3.61 3.31 3.73 3.39 3.56
5: Very high % 19.5 23.7 16.1 25.9 18.2 23.7
4: High % 27.9 29.7 26.5 33.1 27.1 29.6
3: Average % 34.2 32.8 35.4 31.1 35.2 29.3
2: Low % 14.1 11.5 16.1 7.8 14.9 13.8
1: Very low % 4.3 2.2 5.9 2.0 4.6 3.7
Total N 3503 1577 1926 344 2804 355

Current level: World problems/issues NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.41 3.37 3.45 3.71 3.36 3.52
5: Very high % 13.2 12.1 14.0 22.3 11.4 18.6
4: High % 31.0 28.9 32.7 35.5 30.6 29.6
3: Average % 42.3 44.4 40.6 34.4 43.5 40.0
2: Low % 11.3 13.0 9.9 6.1 12.1 9.3
1: Very low % 2.3 1.6 2.9 1.7 2.4 2.5
Total N 3517 1579 1938 346 2816 355

Current level: Present as it relates to history NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.31 3.23 3.37 3.58 3.27 3.38
5: Very high % 11.7 10.0 13.1 17.9 10.5 15.5
4: High % 28.0 25.3 30.3 34.7 27.3 27.4
3: Average % 42.8 45.0 41.0 36.7 43.9 39.8
2: Low % 14.5 17.2 12.3 8.7 15.3 13.8
1: Very low % 2.9 2.4 3.4 2.0 3.0 3.4
Total N 3511 1574 1937 346 2811 354

Importance: Carry out projects independently NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.32 4.47 4.20 4.48 4.29 4.37
5: Very important % 51.5 60.6 44.1 62.1 49.8 54.8
4: Important % 31.9 26.8 36.0 26.5 32.9 28.9
3: Moderately important % 14.3 11.1 16.9 9.6 14.7 15.2
2: Of limited importance % 1.8 1.3 2.2 1.2 2.0 1.1
1: Not important % 0.6 0.1 0.9 0.6 0.6 .
Total N 3539 1587 1952 343 2840 356
Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #18

General Education Goals (Level of Importance)
Importance: Broad general education NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.28 4.44 4.15 4.52 4.25 4.31
5: Very important % 50.5 58.9 43.8 64.9 48.7 51.7
4: Important % 32.1 29.2 34.5 26.1 32.7 33.2
3: Moderately important % 13.2 9.7 16.1 6.7 14.3 10.9
2: Of limited importance % 3.1 1.8 4.1 1.2 3.3 3.1
1: Not important % 1.1 0.5 1.5 1.2 1.0 1.1
Total N 3565 1595 1970 345 2862 358

Importance: Develop computer skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.16 4.17 4.16 4.44 4.13 4.13
5: Very important % 45.4 46.3 44.7 61.5 43.5 45.4
4: Important % 32.1 30.9 33.0 25.7 33.2 29.0
3: Moderately important % 17.3 17.3 17.3 9.0 18.0 20.1
2: Of limited importance % 3.7 4.6 3.1 2.6 3.7 4.7
1: Not important % 1.5 0.9 1.9 1.2 1.6 0.8
Total N 3536 1581 1955 343 2834 359

Importance: Good listening skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.26 4.41 4.13 4.63 4.21 4.31
5: Very important % 50.0 58.6 43.0 71.3 46.9 54.2
4: Important % 30.7 27.5 33.4 22.0 32.2 26.9
3: Moderately important % 15.5 10.9 19.2 5.2 16.7 16.1
2: Of limited importance % 2.7 2.2 3.1 1.2 3.0 1.7
1: Not important % 1.1 0.8 1.4 0.3 1.2 1.1
Total N 3555 1591 1964 345 2850 360

Importance: Communicate ideas orally NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.26 4.42 4.14 4.60 4.22 4.33
5: Very important % 49.0 57.1 42.5 69.3 46.2 52.2
4: Important % 32.9 30.6 34.8 24.1 34.1 32.2
3: Moderately important % 14.5 10.1 18.2 4.6 16.0 12.5
2: Of limited importance % 2.5 1.4 3.3 1.7 2.6 1.9
1: Not important % 1.0 0.8 1.3 0.3 1.1 1.1
Total N 3562 1591 1971 348 2854 360

Importance: Apply math skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.18 4.13 4.22 4.42 4.14 4.24
5: Very important % 46.7 43.6 49.3 58.4 44.9 50.3
4: Important % 30.8 32.2 29.7 29.2 31.2 28.8
3: Moderately important % 17.6 19.0 16.5 9.2 18.8 16.8
2: Of limited importance % 3.5 4.2 2.9 2.3 3.7 2.8
1: Not important % 1.4 1.1 1.6 0.9 1.4 1.4
Total N 3550 1586 1964 346 2846 358

Importance: Critically analyze information NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.16 4.24 4.10 4.38 4.12 4.26
5: Very important % 42.9 46.6 40.0 57.7 40.4 49.4
4: Important % 34.7 33.9 35.3 25.5 36.4 29.5
3: Moderately important % 18.7 16.9 20.1 14.2 19.2 19.1
2: Of limited importance % 3.0 2.3 3.5 2.3 3.3 1.1
1: Not important % 0.8 0.4 1.1 0.3 0.8 0.8
Total N 3546 1586 1960 345 2845 356

Importance: Good reading comprehension skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.17 4.34 4.04 4.58 4.11 4.25
5: Very important % 45.2 54.0 38.2 69.0 41.6 51.1
4: Important % 32.7 30.2 34.8 23.0 34.7 26.8
3: Moderately important % 17.3 12.7 20.9 6.0 18.4 19.0
2: Of limited importance % 3.4 1.9 4.7 1.4 3.8 2.5
1: Not important % 1.4 1.3 1.4 0.6 1.5 0.6
Total N 3553 1590 1963 348 2847 358

Importance: Diverse cultures/values NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.05 4.29 3.84 4.57 3.96 4.22
5: Very important % 42.8 53.1 34.4 67.0 39.0 49.6
4: Important % 29.2 28.3 30.0 25.7 29.7 29.1
3: Moderately important % 20.4 14.6 25.1 5.8 22.6 16.5
2: Of limited importance % 4.9 2.8 6.6 0.6 5.6 3.1
1: Not important % 2.7 1.2 3.9 0.9 3.1 1.7
Total N 3516 1581 1935 342 2817 357

Importance: Influence of science/technology NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.01 3.94 4.07 4.22 3.98 4.01
5: Very important % 38.0 35.0 40.5 47.8 36.8 38.4
4: Important % 33.1 32.8 33.2 31.2 33.7 30.0
3: Moderately important % 22.0 24.2 20.2 17.2 21.9 27.2
2: Of limited importance % 5.7 6.7 4.8 3.2 6.2 3.4
1: Not important % 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.6 1.4 1.1
Total N 3539 1580 1959 343 2839 357

Importance: Communicate ideas in writing NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.98 4.20 3.79 4.39 3.91 4.08
5: Very important % 36.3 45.2 29.0 57.5 33.1 40.8
4: Important % 34.7 34.8 34.7 28.3 35.6 34.4
3: Moderately important % 21.6 16.1 26.1 11.6 23.3 18.4
2: Of limited importance % 5.1 3.0 6.9 1.2 5.7 4.7
1: Not important % 2.3 1.0 3.3 1.4 2.4 1.7
Total N 3547 1592 1955 346 2843 358

Importance: Apply scientific principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.90 3.82 3.96 4.10 3.86 3.96
5: Very important % 35.5 32.7 37.8 47.6 33.8 38.0
4: Important % 30.1 29.4 30.6 23.2 31.0 29.0
3: Moderately important % 24.8 27.1 22.9 22.1 25.1 25.1
2: Of limited importance % 7.9 9.1 6.9 5.6 8.2 7.0
1: Not important % 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.9 0.8
Total N 3520 1567 1953 340 2825 355
Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #18

Personal Development Goals (Level of Importance)
Importance: Responsibility for own behavior NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.52 4.68 4.39 4.73 4.49 4.52
5: Very important % 65.6 75.7 57.4 80.2 63.9 64.8
4: Important % 23.2 18.2 27.3 14.1 24.2 24.3
3: Moderately important % 9.4 5.0 12.9 4.9 9.9 9.8
2: Of limited importance % 1.2 0.8 1.5 0.6 1.3 0.6
1: Not important % 0.6 0.3 0.9 0.3 0.7 0.6
Total N 3553 1590 1963 348 2847 358

Importance: Managing my time NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.54 4.70 4.40 4.73 4.51 4.54
5: Very important % 66.4 76.6 58.1 80.9 64.5 67.1
4: Important % 23.3 18.1 27.4 13.9 24.6 21.4
3: Moderately important % 8.5 4.4 11.8 3.5 8.9 9.7
2: Of limited importance % 1.4 0.6 2.0 1.2 1.4 1.4
1: Not important % 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.3
Total N 3547 1589 1958 346 2842 359

Importance: Having self-discipline NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.49 4.63 4.37 4.72 4.46 4.48
5: Very important % 63.2 71.5 56.5 79.5 61.4 61.8
4: Important % 25.0 21.3 28.0 14.5 26.1 26.5
3: Moderately important % 9.8 6.2 12.7 5.2 10.3 10.0
2: Of limited importance % 1.3 0.6 1.8 0.6 1.4 0.8
1: Not important % 0.7 0.3 1.1 0.3 0.8 0.8
Total N 3534 1588 1946 346 2829 359

Importance: Having self-confidence NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.47 4.63 4.33 4.74 4.44 4.45
5: Very important % 62.0 71.5 54.3 80.4 60.0 59.8
4: Important % 25.3 21.4 28.5 14.6 26.3 27.4
3: Moderately important % 10.7 6.4 14.2 3.2 11.5 11.5
2: Of limited importance % 1.4 0.4 2.1 1.8 1.3 1.1
1: Not important % 0.6 0.3 0.9 . 0.8 0.3
Total N 3539 1584 1955 342 2839 358

Importance: Being independent NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.45 4.61 4.32 4.62 4.42 4.48
5: Very important % 60.3 70.1 52.3 71.0 58.9 61.6
4: Important % 26.7 22.1 30.5 22.0 27.4 26.1
3: Moderately important % 10.7 6.5 14.1 4.9 11.3 10.9
2: Of limited importance % 1.8 1.1 2.5 1.7 1.9 1.4
1: Not important % 0.4 0.2 0.6 0.3 0.5 .
Total N 3540 1591 1949 345 2838 357

Importance: Handling stress NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.41 4.60 4.25 4.58 4.39 4.41
5: Very important % 59.2 69.8 50.6 69.7 58.0 58.7
4: Important % 26.6 22.3 30.1 20.5 27.1 28.1
3: Moderately important % 11.4 6.9 15.0 8.4 11.9 10.4
2: Of limited importance % 1.9 0.6 2.9 1.2 2.1 1.1
1: Not important % 1.0 0.4 1.4 0.3 1.0 1.7
Total N 3537 1586 1951 347 2834 356

Importance: Realizing potential for success NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.41 4.57 4.28 4.70 4.38 4.37
5: Very important % 58.0 66.8 50.8 78.3 56.0 54.5
4: Important % 27.5 24.4 30.1 15.9 28.6 30.2
3: Moderately important % 12.2 7.4 16.2 4.3 13.1 13.1
2: Of limited importance % 1.7 1.3 2.1 0.9 1.8 2.0
1: Not important % 0.5 0.1 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.3
Total N 3536 1588 1948 345 2833 358

Importance: Understanding own abilities/interests NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.39 4.57 4.25 4.69 4.36 4.37
5: Very important % 57.0 67.7 48.3 74.9 55.0 55.1
4: Important % 28.4 23.2 32.7 19.9 29.3 30.2
3: Moderately important % 12.2 7.9 15.8 4.3 13.2 12.2
2: Of limited importance % 1.7 0.9 2.3 0.6 1.9 1.4
1: Not important % 0.6 0.4 0.9 0.3 0.6 1.1
Total N 3548 1592 1956 347 2840 361

Importance: Leadership/mgmt. skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.35 4.47 4.25 4.63 4.31 4.36
5: Very important % 53.7 60.3 48.4 71.7 51.4 54.6
4: Important % 30.2 27.6 32.3 22.0 31.3 29.6
3: Moderately important % 13.5 10.5 15.8 4.9 14.6 12.7
2: Of limited importance % 2.2 1.5 2.8 0.9 2.3 3.1
1: Not important % 0.4 0.1 0.7 0.6 0.5 .
Total N 3536 1586 1950 346 2835 355

Importance: Acting on ethical principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.31 4.49 4.17 4.60 4.28 4.32
5: Very important % 52.7 62.5 44.6 69.5 50.6 52.5
4: Important % 29.8 26.2 32.7 21.9 30.6 31.2
3: Moderately important % 14.3 9.6 18.2 7.8 15.3 12.9
2: Of limited importance % 2.4 1.2 3.3 0.6 2.6 2.2
1: Not important % 0.8 0.4 1.1 0.3 0.8 1.1
Total N 3535 1586 1949 347 2832 356

Importance: Commit to health/fitness NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.34 4.49 4.23 4.52 4.32 4.33
5: Very important % 54.4 62.7 47.7 66.8 53.1 52.7
4: Important % 29.0 25.3 32.0 22.5 29.6 30.7
3: Moderately important % 13.7 10.2 16.7 7.8 14.4 14.4
2: Of limited importance % 2.2 1.5 2.8 2.0 2.3 1.7
1: Not important % 0.6 0.3 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.6
Total N 3535 1586 1949 346 2834 355

Importance: Function as part of team NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.33 4.45 4.23 4.58 4.30 4.30
5: Very important % 52.5 59.1 47.1 69.1 50.7 50.1
4: Important % 31.3 28.6 33.5 22.8 32.3 31.7
3: Moderately important % 13.5 10.6 15.8 5.5 14.0 16.5
2: Of limited importance % 1.9 1.3 2.4 2.3 1.9 1.7
1: Not important % 0.9 0.4 1.3 0.3 1.1 .
Total N 3545 1591 1954 346 2842 357

Importance: Viewing learning as lifelong NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.30 4.46 4.16 4.58 4.26 4.26
5: Very important % 51.8 61.4 44.0 68.4 50.0 50.0
4: Important % 30.3 26.3 33.6 23.3 31.1 30.9
3: Moderately important % 14.3 9.8 18.0 6.3 15.1 15.7
2: Of limited importance % 2.8 2.0 3.5 1.7 3.0 2.2
1: Not important % 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.3 0.8 1.1
Total N 3546 1589 1957 348 2842 356

Importance: Clarifying personal identity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.29 4.52 4.10 4.63 4.25 4.26
5: Very important % 52.3 64.3 42.6 72.9 50.0 51.0
4: Important % 28.5 24.6 31.7 19.0 29.7 28.7
3: Moderately important % 15.6 9.8 20.2 6.4 16.5 16.6
2: Of limited importance % 2.6 0.9 4.1 1.7 2.7 2.8
1: Not important % 1.0 0.4 1.4 . 1.1 0.8
Total N 3514 1576 1938 343 2816 355

Importance: Coping with change NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.28 4.48 4.11 4.55 4.25 4.22
5: Very important % 50.6 61.5 41.8 68.5 49.2 44.7
4: Important % 30.8 27.2 33.7 20.1 31.5 35.2
3: Moderately important % 15.0 9.9 19.2 9.9 15.4 17.0
2: Of limited importance % 2.9 1.3 4.2 1.2 3.1 3.1
1: Not important % 0.7 0.2 1.1 0.3 0.8 .
Total N 3521 1580 1941 343 2820 358

Importance: Involved in public/community affairs NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.01 4.23 3.83 4.43 3.95 4.04
5: Very important % 38.1 48.7 29.6 57.2 36.1 35.9
4: Important % 32.7 30.3 34.6 30.9 32.3 37.3
3: Moderately important % 22.7 17.4 27.0 9.8 24.2 22.8
2: Of limited importance % 5.0 2.8 6.7 2.0 5.5 3.1
1: Not important % 1.5 0.8 2.1 . 1.8 0.8
Total N 3535 1584 1951 346 2830 359
Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #18

World View Goals (Level of Importance)
Importance: Valuing racial equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.36 4.55 4.20 4.80 4.29 4.49
5: Very important % 59.5 69.6 51.2 85.2 55.7 65.5
4: Important % 22.5 19.0 25.3 10.4 24.1 20.6
3: Moderately important % 14.0 9.2 17.9 3.9 15.4 11.9
2: Of limited importance % 2.6 1.5 3.4 0.6 3.0 1.2
1: Not important % 1.5 0.8 2.1 . 1.8 0.9
Total N 3474 1567 1907 337 2792 345

Importance: Valuing gender equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.33 4.55 4.16 4.69 4.28 4.40
5: Very important % 57.4 68.8 48.1 78.7 54.3 61.4
4: Important % 23.7 19.7 27.1 13.6 25.2 21.9
3: Moderately important % 15.0 9.7 19.4 6.2 16.3 13.5
2: Of limited importance % 2.4 1.5 3.1 0.9 2.7 1.4
1: Not important % 1.5 0.4 2.3 0.6 1.5 1.7
Total N 3471 1562 1909 338 2786 347

Importance: Work w/ people from diverse backgrounds NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.29 4.50 4.12 4.71 4.23 4.37
5: Very important % 52.7 63.7 43.7 78.0 49.3 55.5
4: Important % 28.7 25.6 31.2 16.3 30.1 29.3
3: Moderately important % 14.7 8.5 19.8 3.9 16.3 12.1
2: Of limited importance % 3.3 2.0 4.3 1.8 3.5 2.9
1: Not important % 0.7 0.3 1.0 . 0.8 0.3
Total N 3493 1572 1921 337 2808 348

Importance: Tolerance for different views NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.26 4.47 4.09 4.62 4.21 4.32
5: Very important % 50.9 61.5 42.3 71.4 48.3 52.4
4: Important % 29.7 26.9 32.0 20.9 30.7 30.3
3: Moderately important % 15.2 9.6 19.7 5.9 16.4 14.4
2: Of limited importance % 2.9 1.5 4.1 1.5 3.1 2.3
1: Not important % 1.3 0.5 1.9 0.3 1.5 0.6
Total N 3484 1568 1916 339 2798 347

Importance: World problems/issues NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.22 4.37 4.09 4.46 4.18 4.24
5: Very important % 47.3 53.9 42.1 61.6 45.5 48.6
4: Important % 31.9 31.1 32.6 26.2 32.7 31.5
3: Moderately important % 16.9 13.0 20.0 9.5 17.8 16.5
2: Of limited importance % 2.7 1.7 3.6 2.1 2.9 2.3
1: Not important % 1.1 0.3 1.8 0.6 1.2 1.1
Total N 3502 1571 1931 336 2814 352

Importance: Present as it relates to history NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.96 4.05 3.89 4.27 3.92 4.01
5: Very important % 35.9 39.1 33.4 52.1 33.6 38.9
4: Important % 32.8 33.1 32.6 28.9 33.3 32.6
3: Moderately important % 24.7 22.7 26.3 14.6 26.3 21.7
2: Of limited importance % 4.9 4.3 5.4 3.3 5.2 4.3
1: Not important % 1.7 0.8 2.4 1.2 1.6 2.6
Total N 3480 1562 1918 336 2794 350

Importance: Appreciate arts/music/literature NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.87 4.08 3.69 4.17 3.83 3.89
5: Very important % 37.2 43.8 31.8 49.9 35.6 38.2
4: Important % 27.2 29.2 25.6 26.0 27.4 27.1
3: Moderately important % 24.2 20.0 27.6 17.1 25.0 24.5
2: Of limited importance % 7.8 5.2 10.0 5.0 8.3 6.3
1: Not important % 3.6 1.8 5.0 2.1 3.7 4.0
Total N 3469 1568 1901 339 2779 351
Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #18
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For more information on the 2005 First-Year Student Survey contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu

Posted: February, 2007

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