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North Carolina State University
2006 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: Good listening skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.74 3.82 3.67 3.88 3.72 3.76
5: Very high % 19.7 22.3 17.6 28.4 18.6 21.4
4: High % 41.8 42.7 41.1 37.0 42.4 41.2
3: Average % 31.9 30.1 33.3 29.3 32.2 31.3
2: Low % 5.8 4.4 7.0 4.6 6.1 4.5
1: Very low % 0.8 0.4 1.0 0.6 0.6 1.6
Total N 3861 1732 2129 324 3112 425

Current level: Apply math skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.70 3.50 3.86 3.63 3.70 3.71
5: Very high   23.1 17.7 27.6 21.1 23.3 23.5
4: High % 35.3 30.9 38.8 31.3 35.7 35.1
3: Average % 31.1 36.9 26.4 37.8 30.3 31.8
2: Low % 9.0 12.7 6.1 9.0 9.2 8.2
1: Very low % 1.4 1.9 1.0 0.9 1.5 1.4
Total N 3858 1728 2130 323 3110 425

Current level: Carry out projects independently NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.70 3.82 3.60 3.83 3.70 3.61
5: Very high   18.7 22.6 15.5 24.1 18.6 15.2
4: High % 39.8 42.8 37.3 39.0 39.8 40.4
3: Average % 35.2 29.7 39.6 32.8 35.3 36.1
2: Low % 5.7 4.3 6.8 3.7 5.7 7.1
1: Very low % 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.3 0.7 1.2
Total N 3846 1729 2117 323 3102 421

Current level: Broad general education NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.64 3.72 3.58 3.80 3.62 3.64
5: Very high   15.1 17.5 13.1 26.2 14.0 14.5
4: High % 38.5 39.2 37.9 32.7 38.9 39.5
3: Average % 42.3 40.8 43.6 37.7 42.9 41.7
2: Low % 3.6 2.3 4.5 2.2 3.6 4.0
1: Very low % 0.6 0.2 0.9 1.2 0.6 0.2
Total N 3830 1715 2115 321 3089 420

Current level: Diverse cultures/values NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.61 3.80 3.46 4.04 3.52 3.97
5: Very high   20.5 26.4 15.7 38.9 16.6 35.2
4: High % 32.6 34.6 31.0 30.5 32.7 33.3
3: Average % 36.0 32.1 39.3 26.8 38.4 26.1
2: Low % 8.9 6.0 11.3 3.1 10.1 4.3
1: Very low % 1.9 0.9 2.8 0.6 2.1 1.2
Total N 3826 1722 2104 321 3084 421

Current level: Critically analyze information NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.60 3.58 3.61 3.68 3.59 3.57
5: Very high   13.0 11.6 14.1 18.9 12.4 13.0
4: High % 40.7 41.3 40.2 36.2 41.3 40.0
3: Average % 39.9 40.7 39.2 39.9 40.0 38.8
2: Low % 5.9 5.9 5.9 4.3 5.8 7.3
1: Very low % 0.6 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.9
Total N 3845 1726 2119 323 3099 423

Current level: Develop computer skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.56 3.49 3.61 3.80 3.52 3.64
5: Very high   16.5 13.1 19.3 23.8 15.2 20.9
4: High % 35.4 35.9 35.0 37.8 35.3 34.3
3: Average % 37.1 39.9 34.9 34.1 37.8 34.5
2: Low % 9.0 8.7 9.3 3.1 9.8 8.2
1: Very low % 1.9 2.4 1.5 1.2 1.9 2.1
Total N 3853 1730 2123 323 3104 426

Current level: Influence of science/technology NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.56 3.37 3.72 3.61 3.54 3.67
5: Very high   16.2 11.8 19.8 18.6 15.4 19.9
4: High % 36.1 30.5 40.7 35.1 36.2 36.4
3: Average % 36.9 42.8 32.2 37.9 37.1 35.0
2: Low % 9.2 12.9 6.3 5.6 9.8 8.3
1: Very low % 1.5 2.1 1.0 2.8 1.5 0.5
Total N 3850 1725 2125 322 3105 423

Current level: Good reading comprehension skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.50 3.54 3.47 3.73 3.49 3.38
5: Very high   15.3 15.8 14.9 23.8 14.9 11.8
4: High % 33.3 34.5 32.3 35.9 33.4 30.4
3: Average % 39.4 39.3 39.5 31.3 39.6 44.1
2: Low % 10.2 8.8 11.4 7.7 10.3 11.6
1: Very low % 1.8 1.6 2.0 1.2 1.8 2.1
Total N 3848 1726 2122 323 3101 424

Current level: Communicate ideas orally NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.44 3.44 3.45 3.68 3.43 3.37
5: Very high   13.2 12.9 13.4 22.5 12.0 14.9
4: High % 33.0 32.6 33.4 34.5 33.8 26.4
3: Average % 40.7 41.4 40.0 33.5 41.4 40.8
2: Low % 11.1 11.0 11.2 7.4 10.8 16.3
1: Very low % 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.0 1.7
Total N 3859 1731 2128 325 3110 424

Current level: Apply scientific principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.34 3.16 3.48 3.27 3.34 3.33
5: Very high   11.0 7.4 14.0 10.4 11.3 9.5
4: High % 29.9 25.0 33.8 24.4 30.0 32.8
3: Average % 43.1 46.2 40.5 50.0 42.6 41.8
2: Low % 13.7 18.8 9.6 12.3 13.9 13.3
1: Very low % 2.3 2.6 2.0 2.8 2.2 2.6
Total N 3838 1722 2116 316 3101 421

Current level: Communicate ideas in writing NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.28 3.37 3.20 3.45 3.26 3.22
5: Very high   8.8 10.3 7.6 13.2 8.2 9.4
4: High % 29.3 31.4 27.6 32.3 29.5 25.9
3: Average % 45.5 45.4 45.5 42.5 45.8 45.4
2: Low % 13.6 10.8 15.9 10.2 13.6 16.2
1: Very low % 2.8 2.1 3.4 1.8 2.9 3.1
Total N 3863 1734 2129 325 3113 425
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Personal Development Goals (Current Level of Development)
Current level: Responsibility for own behavior NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.21 4.34 4.11 4.36 4.20 4.22
5: Very high   42.1 48.8 36.7 53.1 40.5 45.3
4: High % 39.5 38.0 40.7 31.7 41.0 34.9
3: Average % 16.3 11.9 19.8 13.7 16.5 17.0
2: Low % 1.6 1.1 2.1 1.2 1.6 2.1
1: Very low % 0.4 0.2 0.7 0.3 0.4 0.7
Total N 3849 1728 2121 322 3103 424

Current level: Acting on ethical principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.00 4.14 3.88 4.21 3.96 4.08
5: Very high   30.7 37.0 25.6 41.6 28.8 36.3
4: High % 41.8 41.7 41.9 39.7 42.5 38.4
3: Average % 24.3 19.7 28.1 16.9 25.3 22.5
2: Low % 2.7 1.5 3.7 1.6 2.8 2.8
1: Very low % 0.5 0.1 0.8 0.3 0.5 .
Total N 3838 1730 2108 320 3096 422

Current level: Viewing learning as lifelong NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.99 4.13 3.89 4.18 3.97 4.03
5: Very high   32.6 38.5 27.8 42.9 31.2 35.4
4: High % 38.9 38.0 39.6 35.7 39.3 38.0
3: Average % 24.4 21.4 26.8 18.3 25.4 21.7
2: Low % 3.6 1.9 4.9 2.5 3.6 4.0
1: Very low % 0.6 0.2 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.9
Total N 3850 1731 2119 322 3104 424

Current level: Function as part of team NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.94 4.05 3.85 4.14 3.93 3.88
5: Very high   27.7 32.2 23.9 38.1 26.9 25.3
4: High % 43.9 44.0 43.8 40.9 44.3 43.0
3: Average % 24.1 20.8 26.8 18.6 24.3 27.0
2: Low % 3.7 2.9 4.4 1.5 4.0 3.5
1: Very low % 0.6 0.2 1.0 0.9 0.5 1.2
Total N 3843 1729 2114 323 3097 423

Current level: Being independent NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.84 3.86 3.83 3.98 3.84 3.77
5: Very high   26.6 27.1 26.2 34.8 25.9 25.8
4: High % 37.8 38.2 37.5 33.9 38.6 35.1
3: Average % 29.7 28.7 30.5 26.4 29.8 31.3
2: Low % 5.1 5.3 4.9 4.3 5.0 6.4
1: Very low % 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.6 0.7 1.4
Total N 3827 1723 2104 322 3083 422

Current level: Understanding own abilities/interests NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.83 3.87 3.79 4.03 3.81 3.81
5: Very high   22.3 23.9 21.0 33.9 20.9 24.0
4: High % 43.2 43.6 42.8 39.1 44.1 39.3
3: Average % 29.9 28.4 31.1 23.0 30.5 31.0
2: Low % 4.1 3.9 4.4 4.0 4.0 5.0
1: Very low % 0.5 0.2 0.7 . 0.5 0.7
Total N 3833 1726 2107 322 3091 420

Current level: Having self-discipline NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.75 3.80 3.71 3.90 3.74 3.68
5: Very high   22.9 24.4 21.7 31.7 22.2 21.6
4: High % 37.8 38.8 37.0 35.4 38.4 35.8
3: Average % 31.4 29.8 32.7 25.5 31.6 34.1
2: Low % 6.9 6.4 7.3 6.2 7.0 6.4
1: Very low % 0.9 0.6 1.2 1.2 0.7 2.1
Total N 3826 1723 2103 322 3082 422

Current level: Clarifying personal identity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.74 3.79 3.70 4.04 3.72 3.71
5: Very high   21.7 22.4 21.1 35.9 20.3 21.5
4: High % 37.8 39.9 36.0 35.3 38.1 37.5
3: Average % 34.4 32.4 36.1 25.9 35.5 32.7
2: Low % 5.3 4.9 5.7 2.8 5.3 7.4
1: Very low % 0.8 0.4 1.1 . 0.8 1.0
Total N 3808 1721 2087 320 3069 419

Current level: Realizing potential for success NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.74 3.73 3.74 4.06 3.71 3.70
5: Very high   21.0 20.0 21.9 38.9 19.2 20.6
4: High % 38.8 39.1 38.6 32.4 39.6 38.2
3: Average % 33.8 35.3 32.6 24.9 34.8 33.2
2: Low % 5.3 4.9 5.7 3.4 5.4 6.4
1: Very low % 1.0 0.8 1.2 0.3 1.0 1.7
Total N 3830 1724 2106 321 3087 422

Current level: Commit to health/fitness NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.68 3.70 3.67 3.80 3.69 3.53
5: Very high   23.2 23.5 22.9 31.3 23.1 18.1
4: High % 34.0 33.9 34.1 29.4 34.4 34.7
3: Average % 32.0 32.5 31.7 29.1 32.3 32.5
2: Low % 9.1 8.8 9.4 8.4 8.9 11.4
1: Very low % 1.6 1.3 1.9 1.9 1.4 3.3
Total N 3829 1724 2105 320 3088 421

Current level: Having self-confidence NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.66 3.58 3.72 3.98 3.64 3.53
5: Very high   21.3 18.6 23.5 37.0 20.1 18.2
4: High % 35.3 34.8 35.8 33.2 36.1 31.5
3: Average % 32.9 34.5 31.6 22.4 33.3 38.2
2: Low % 8.8 10.2 7.6 6.2 9.0 9.0
1: Very low % 1.7 2.0 1.5 1.2 1.6 3.1
Total N 3836 1729 2107 322 3092 422

Current level: Leadership/mgmt. skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.65 3.72 3.59 3.87 3.64 3.58
5: Very high   17.4 18.4 16.7 27.3 16.4 17.5
4: High % 38.4 42.0 35.5 38.8 39.0 34.0
3: Average % 36.8 33.8 39.2 28.3 37.3 39.4
2: Low % 6.5 5.3 7.5 5.0 6.6 7.3
1: Very low % 0.8 0.5 1.1 0.6 0.7 1.9
Total N 3836 1727 2109 322 3090 424

Current level: Coping with change NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.59 3.52 3.66 3.80 3.57 3.61
5: Very high   18.2 16.1 19.9 25.9 16.9 21.7
4: High % 35.0 34.3 35.6 36.3 35.5 30.5
3: Average % 36.3 36.7 36.0 30.6 36.8 36.9
2: Low % 8.8 10.7 7.2 6.6 9.0 8.8
1: Very low % 1.7 2.1 1.3 0.6 1.7 2.1
Total N 3822 1722 2100 320 3082 420

Current level: Handling stress NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.46 3.28 3.61 3.60 3.45 3.46
5: Very high   16.1 11.3 20.0 21.7 15.4 16.6
4: High % 31.1 27.7 34.0 31.1 31.1 31.3
3: Average % 39.0 42.9 35.9 34.2 39.7 37.7
2: Low % 10.7 14.1 7.9 11.2 10.7 10.2
1: Very low % 3.1 4.0 2.3 1.9 3.0 4.3
Total N 3828 1725 2103 322 3084 422

Current level: Involved in public/community affairs NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.39 3.58 3.23 3.60 3.37 3.34
5: Very high   13.9 17.7 10.8 20.5 13.3 13.5
4: High % 29.2 34.1 25.2 31.4 29.2 27.6
3: Average % 41.0 38.1 43.5 36.6 41.3 42.3
2: Low % 13.2 9.0 16.7 10.2 13.6 12.4
1: Very low % 2.6 1.2 3.8 1.2 2.5 4.3
Total N 3830 1728 2102 322 3087 421

Current level: Managing my time NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.29 3.35 3.25 3.30 3.31 3.14
5: Very high   12.2 12.2 12.2 15.9 12.1 9.9
4: High % 28.1 30.2 26.4 24.0 29.2 23.4
3: Average % 40.3 40.7 40.0 38.9 39.9 44.2
2: Low % 15.7 13.9 17.1 16.8 15.5 16.1
1: Very low % 3.7 3.0 4.3 4.4 3.3 6.4
Total N 3821 1723 2098 321 3077 423
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World View Goals (Current Development)
Current level: Valuing racial equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.23 4.38 4.11 4.52 4.17 4.43
5: Very high   46.8 54.6 40.5 65.8 43.2 59.1
4: High % 32.6 30.6 34.2 21.9 34.5 26.3
3: Average % 17.9 13.3 21.6 11.3 19.2 13.2
2: Low % 2.2 1.5 2.9 0.6 2.5 1.4
1: Very low % 0.5 0.1 0.8 0.3 0.6 .
Total N 3787 1705 2082 319 3050 418

Current level: Valuing gender equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.21 4.38 4.07 4.43 4.17 4.32
5: Very high   45.5 54.8 37.9 61.4 42.8 52.7
4: High % 33.2 30.6 35.4 21.0 35.1 29.1
3: Average % 18.6 13.3 23.0 16.9 19.1 16.5
2: Low % 2.2 1.2 3.0 0.3 2.5 1.2
1: Very low % 0.5 0.2 0.8 0.3 0.5 0.5
Total N 3785 1704 2081 319 3047 419

Current level: Work w/ people from diverse backgrounds NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.92 4.08 3.80 4.25 3.86 4.14
5: Very high   28.9 34.4 24.4 47.8 25.5 39.1
4: High % 39.7 41.7 38.0 32.1 40.8 37.2
3: Average % 27.0 21.6 31.4 17.9 28.7 21.7
2: Low % 3.8 1.9 5.3 2.2 4.2 1.9
1: Very low % 0.6 0.4 0.8 . 0.8 .
Total N 3791 1705 2086 318 3054 419

Current level: Tolerance for different views NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.83 3.94 3.74 4.08 3.79 3.95
5: Very high   25.6 28.8 23.0 37.3 23.5 32.4
4: High % 39.3 41.3 37.6 36.4 39.9 36.7
3: Average % 28.6 25.7 31.0 23.5 29.5 26.0
2: Low % 5.5 3.5 7.1 2.8 6.0 4.0
1: Very low % 1.0 0.6 1.3 . 1.1 1.0
Total N 3787 1706 2081 319 3048 420

Current level: Appreciate arts/music/literature NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.48 3.69 3.31 3.79 3.45 3.53
5: Very high   21.3 26.7 16.9 30.4 20.4 21.1
4: High % 27.7 29.2 26.4 28.8 27.0 31.6
3: Average % 33.0 32.7 33.3 32.0 33.6 29.9
2: Low % 13.8 9.4 17.5 6.6 14.6 13.9
1: Very low % 4.1 2.0 5.8 2.2 4.4 3.6
Total N 3769 1704 2065 319 3032 418

Current level: World problems/issues NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.41 3.33 3.47 3.62 3.37 3.53
5: Very high   12.5 10.8 13.9 18.6 11.2 17.6
4: High % 30.5 27.5 33.0 32.5 30.3 30.7
3: Average % 43.6 47.0 40.9 41.0 44.3 40.7
2: Low % 11.7 13.2 10.5 7.6 12.5 9.0
1: Very low % 1.6 1.5 1.7 0.3 1.7 1.9
Total N 3789 1701 2088 317 3052 420

Current level: Present as it relates to history NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.33 3.24 3.41 3.59 3.30 3.36
5: Very high   11.6 9.2 13.6 19.9 10.5 13.4
4: High % 28.6 26.4 30.4 30.6 28.4 28.9
3: Average % 43.1 45.5 41.2 38.8 43.9 40.8
2: Low % 14.4 16.8 12.5 10.1 14.9 14.3
1: Very low % 2.2 2.2 2.3 0.6 2.3 2.6
Total N 3783 1700 2083 317 3047 419
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General Education Goals (Level of Importance)
Importance: Carry out projects independently NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.42 4.57 4.29 4.61 4.39 4.45
5: Very important   56.3 64.9 49.3 70.0 54.4 59.8
4: Important % 30.9 27.4 33.7 22.7 32.3 26.8
3: Moderately important % 11.1 7.2 14.3 5.7 11.5 12.2
2: Of limited importance % 1.4 0.4 2.2 1.3 1.4 1.2
1: Not important % 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.3 0.4 .
Total N 3790 1713 2077 317 3055 418

Importance: Good listening skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.38 4.51 4.26 4.58 4.34 4.49
5: Very important   54.4 62.4 47.8 70.1 51.9 60.4
4: Important % 31.3 27.9 34.2 19.6 32.8 29.6
3: Moderately important % 12.0 8.6 14.8 9.3 12.8 8.6
2: Of limited importance % 1.9 0.9 2.7 0.3 2.2 1.2
1: Not important % 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.2
Total N 3793 1716 2077 321 3053 419

Importance: Broad general education NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.36 4.49 4.26 4.59 4.33 4.46
5: Very important   54.4 61.5 48.6 69.6 51.9 61.5
4: Important % 30.5 27.4 33.0 21.0 32.2 25.1
3: Moderately important % 12.7 9.6 15.1 8.2 13.2 11.7
2: Of limited importance % 1.9 1.4 2.3 0.9 2.1 1.2
1: Not important % 0.6 0.1 0.9 0.3 0.6 0.5
Total N 3818 1721 2097 319 3081 418

Importance: Communicate ideas orally NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.35 4.49 4.24 4.62 4.30 4.51
5: Very important   53.3 61.1 47.0 72.9 50.0 62.8
4: Important % 31.3 28.1 33.9 16.4 33.5 26.5
3: Moderately important % 13.2 9.7 16.1 10.4 13.9 10.0
2: Of limited importance % 1.6 0.9 2.2 . 2.0 0.2
1: Not important % 0.6 0.2 0.9 0.3 0.6 0.5
Total N 3813 1716 2097 317 3077 419

Importance: Critically analyze information NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.27 4.36 4.20 4.51 4.24 4.31
5: Very important   47.8 52.2 44.3 64.0 46.1 48.7
4: Important % 34.1 33.0 34.9 25.2 34.9 34.5
3: Moderately important % 15.7 13.1 17.9 9.2 16.4 15.9
2: Of limited importance % 1.9 1.5 2.2 1.0 2.1 1.0
1: Not important % 0.4 0.2 0.7 0.6 0.5 .
Total N 3785 1704 2081 314 3056 415

Importance: Apply math skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.26 4.20 4.32 4.45 4.24 4.29
5: Very important   50.1 45.7 53.7 62.5 48.8 50.1
4: Important % 30.7 32.9 28.9 23.0 31.5 31.2
3: Moderately important % 15.4 17.5 13.6 12.3 15.6 16.1
2: Of limited importance % 3.1 3.6 2.7 1.9 3.3 2.6
1: Not important % 0.7 0.3 1.1 0.3 0.8 .
Total N 3798 1708 2090 317 3064 417

Importance: Good reading comprehension skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.26 4.40 4.15 4.62 4.21 4.40
5: Very important   49.0 55.1 43.9 72.9 45.5 56.1
4: Important % 32.4 31.6 33.1 18.4 34.1 30.7
3: Moderately important % 15.4 11.8 18.3 6.9 17.0 10.3
2: Of limited importance % 2.4 1.2 3.4 1.6 2.5 2.4
1: Not important % 0.8 0.2 1.2 0.3 0.9 0.5
Total N 3787 1709 2078 321 3049 417

Importance: Develop computer skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.22 4.22 4.21 4.51 4.19 4.18
5: Very important   46.6 46.9 46.3 66.4 44.6 46.2
4: Important % 33.5 32.8 34.0 20.8 35.2 30.8
3: Moderately important % 16.0 16.8 15.4 11.3 16.1 18.7
2: Of limited importance % 2.8 2.6 3.0 0.9 2.9 3.6
1: Not important % 1.1 0.8 1.3 0.6 1.2 0.7
Total N 3801 1705 2096 318 3061 422

Importance: Diverse cultures/values NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.14 4.41 3.91 4.60 4.06 4.36
5: Very important   46.7 58.1 37.2 72.6 42.6 57.3
4: Important % 28.7 27.6 29.5 17.6 30.2 26.0
3: Moderately important % 18.3 12.2 23.3 7.9 20.0 13.3
2: Of limited importance % 4.7 1.6 7.2 1.3 5.3 2.4
1: Not important % 1.7 0.5 2.7 0.6 1.9 1.0
Total N 3769 1717 2052 318 3036 415

Importance: Influence of science/technology NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.11 4.04 4.17 4.27 4.08 4.22
5: Very important   42.3 38.4 45.6 53.8 40.2 49.0
4: Important % 32.1 33.0 31.4 25.0 33.3 28.7
3: Moderately important % 20.6 23.2 18.5 17.2 21.3 18.4
2: Of limited importance % 4.0 4.6 3.5 2.8 4.3 3.1
1: Not important % 0.9 0.8 1.0 1.3 0.9 0.7
Total N 3775 1700 2075 320 3041 414

Importance: Communicate ideas in writing NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.07 4.27 3.90 4.41 4.01 4.23
5: Very important   40.0 48.5 33.0 60.8 36.8 47.7
4: Important % 34.4 33.2 35.4 22.3 35.9 32.6
3: Moderately important % 19.2 15.7 22.1 14.4 20.2 15.8
2: Of limited importance % 5.1 2.4 7.3 2.2 5.7 2.9
1: Not important % 1.3 0.2 2.1 0.3 1.4 1.0
Total N 3795 1711 2084 319 3059 417

Importance: Apply scientific principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.01 3.93 4.07 4.16 3.98 4.08
5: Very important   38.7 35.9 41.0 48.7 37.3 41.4
4: Important % 32.2 30.7 33.4 25.2 32.9 32.4
3: Moderately important % 21.7 25.0 19.0 20.7 22.0 20.0
2: Of limited importance % 6.2 7.4 5.2 4.1 6.5 5.4
1: Not important % 1.2 1.0 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.0
Total N 3741 1682 2059 314 3016 411

Importance: Managing my time NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.63 4.77 4.52 4.76 4.61 4.67
5: Very important   71.8 81.2 63.9 81.6 70.5 73.4
4: Important % 20.8 14.8 25.8 13.3 21.7 20.1
3: Moderately important % 6.4 3.7 8.6 4.7 6.6 6.5
2: Of limited importance % 0.7 0.1 1.2 0.3 0.8 .
1: Not important % 0.3 0.1 0.4 . 0.4 .
Total N 3780 1714 2066 316 3047 417
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Personal Development Goals (Level of Importance)
Importance: Responsibility for own behavior NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.60 4.73 4.49 4.78 4.58 4.64
5: Very important   70.3 78.5 63.6 84.0 68.6 72.7
4: Important % 21.2 16.8 24.8 10.1 22.6 19.2
3: Moderately important % 7.1 4.3 9.4 6.0 7.2 7.6
2: Of limited importance % 0.9 0.3 1.3 . 1.1 0.2
1: Not important % 0.5 0.1 0.9 . 0.6 0.2
Total N 3817 1725 2092 318 3078 421

Importance: Having self-discipline NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.59 4.73 4.48 4.79 4.57 4.63
5: Very important   68.6 77.7 61.1 84.1 66.8 70.4
4: Important % 23.2 18.0 27.6 10.8 24.5 23.1
3: Moderately important % 7.2 4.1 9.8 5.1 7.6 6.0
2: Of limited importance % 0.7 0.2 1.1 . 0.8 0.5
1: Not important % 0.3 0.1 0.4 . 0.3 .
Total N 3776 1715 2061 314 3047 415

Importance: Having self-confidence NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.56 4.67 4.46 4.75 4.53 4.58
5: Very important   65.5 73.0 59.2 80.8 63.8 66.3
4: Important % 25.9 21.9 29.3 13.2 27.3 25.4
3: Moderately important % 7.6 4.6 10.2 6.0 7.7 8.1
2: Of limited importance % 0.7 0.3 1.0 . 0.9 0.2
1: Not important % 0.2 0.1 0.3 . 0.3 .
Total N 3783 1717 2066 318 3047 418

Importance: Being independent NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.55 4.70 4.43 4.71 4.54 4.56
5: Very important   65.3 75.0 57.3 78.7 64.0 65.1
4: Important % 26.1 20.6 30.6 14.3 27.3 26.1
3: Moderately important % 7.4 4.0 10.3 6.0 7.4 8.9
2: Of limited importance % 1.0 0.3 1.6 1.0 1.1 .
1: Not important % 0.2 0.1 0.3 . 0.3 .
Total N 3768 1713 2055 315 3035 418

Importance: Handling stress NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.55 4.70 4.43 4.71 4.53 4.56
5: Very important   64.9 74.8 56.5 77.8 63.3 66.5
4: Important % 26.3 20.6 31.1 15.9 27.8 23.7
3: Moderately important % 7.9 4.1 11.0 6.0 7.8 9.6
2: Of limited importance % 0.7 0.4 0.9 . 0.8 0.2
1: Not important % 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.3 .
Total N 3767 1712 2055 315 3034 418

Importance: Realizing potential for success NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.50 4.63 4.40 4.78 4.47 4.53
5: Very important   62.1 70.1 55.5 83.0 59.8 63.0
4: Important % 27.5 23.3 31.0 12.3 29.0 27.9
3: Moderately important % 9.2 5.9 11.9 4.4 9.8 8.2
2: Of limited importance % 0.9 0.6 1.1 . 1.0 0.7
1: Not important % 0.3 0.1 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.2
Total N 3775 1711 2064 317 3042 416

Importance: Understanding own abilities/interests NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.47 4.61 4.36 4.69 4.45 4.48
5: Very important   60.8 69.2 53.8 77.2 58.7 63.1
4: Important % 27.4 23.0 31.1 14.9 29.3 23.1
3: Moderately important % 10.5 7.1 13.4 7.6 10.6 12.5
2: Of limited importance % 1.0 0.6 1.4 0.3 1.1 1.2
1: Not important % 0.3 0.1 0.4 . 0.3 .
Total N 3773 1712 2061 316 3042 415

Importance: Acting on ethical principles NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.45 4.61 4.31 4.63 4.43 4.49
5: Very important   60.5 69.6 53.0 72.2 58.9 63.2
4: Important % 26.5 23.1 29.3 18.7 27.6 24.5
3: Moderately important % 10.9 6.6 14.4 8.9 11.1 10.7
2: Of limited importance % 1.6 0.7 2.4 0.3 1.8 1.4
1: Not important % 0.5 0.1 0.8 . 0.6 0.2
Total N 3793 1721 2072 316 3056 421

Importance: Leadership/mgmt. skills NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.45 4.57 4.35 4.64 4.43 4.45
5: Very important   58.2 65.6 52.1 73.1 56.5 59.3
4: Important % 30.2 26.4 33.3 19.0 31.7 27.8
3: Moderately important % 10.3 7.2 12.9 7.0 10.4 12.2
2: Of limited importance % 1.0 0.7 1.2 0.9 1.1 0.2
1: Not important % 0.4 0.1 0.6 . 0.4 0.5
Total N 3779 1710 2069 316 3045 418

Importance: Commit to health/fitness NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.43 4.57 4.32 4.56 4.42 4.41
5: Very important   58.2 66.5 51.2 68.6 57.1 57.8
4: Important % 29.0 24.6 32.7 21.6 29.9 28.4
3: Moderately important % 11.3 8.1 14.1 7.9 11.7 11.6
2: Of limited importance % 1.1 0.5 1.7 1.3 1.1 1.7
1: Not important % 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.3 0.5
Total N 3766 1710 2056 315 3036 415

Importance: Function as part of team NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.42 4.52 4.35 4.61 4.40 4.44
5: Very important   56.8 63.0 51.6 70.3 55.4 56.6
4: Important % 30.8 27.2 33.9 20.9 31.8 31.4
3: Moderately important % 10.8 8.8 12.4 8.9 10.9 11.3
2: Of limited importance % 1.3 0.9 1.6 . 1.5 0.5
1: Not important % 0.3 0.2 0.4 . 0.4 0.2
Total N 3783 1712 2071 316 3050 417

Importance: Clarifying personal identity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.40 4.58 4.24 4.68 4.36 4.41
5: Very important   56.9 66.9 48.5 77.6 54.6 57.2
4: Important % 28.8 25.2 31.8 13.9 30.4 28.5
3: Moderately important % 12.1 7.3 16.1 8.2 12.4 12.8
2: Of limited importance % 1.5 0.5 2.4 . 1.8 1.2
1: Not important % 0.7 0.1 1.2 0.3 0.8 0.2
Total N 3755 1710 2045 317 3024 414

Importance: Viewing learning as lifelong NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.40 4.53 4.30 4.57 4.38 4.45
5: Very important   56.9 64.4 50.6 69.4 55.0 61.4
4: Important % 28.9 25.6 31.7 19.6 30.5 24.7
3: Moderately important % 12.3 9.0 15.1 10.1 12.6 12.0
2: Of limited importance % 1.6 1.0 2.0 0.9 1.6 1.4
1: Not important % 0.3 0.1 0.5 . 0.3 0.5
Total N 3789 1717 2072 317 3055 417

Importance: Coping with change NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.36 4.54 4.21 4.62 4.34 4.34
5: Very important   54.1 64.7 45.2 70.9 52.5 52.8
4: Important % 30.7 25.6 34.9 20.9 31.9 29.5
3: Moderately important % 12.9 8.5 16.6 7.3 13.0 16.5
2: Of limited importance % 1.9 0.9 2.8 0.9 2.1 1.2
1: Not important % 0.4 0.3 0.5 . 0.5 .
Total N 3761 1711 2050 316 3032 413

Importance: Involved in public/community affairs NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.12 4.34 3.92 4.39 4.09 4.12
5: Very important   40.9 51.6 32.0 57.6 39.3 40.1
4: Important % 34.5 32.9 35.8 24.4 35.3 36.7
3: Moderately important % 20.5 13.9 26.0 17.1 20.9 19.5
2: Of limited importance % 3.4 1.3 5.1 0.9 3.8 2.4
1: Not important % 0.7 0.2 1.1 . 0.7 1.2
Total N 3744 1707 2037 316 3017 411
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World View Goals (Level of Importance)
Importance: Valuing racial equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.50 4.66 4.36 4.78 4.46 4.58
5: Very important   64.9 74.6 56.8 84.9 62.0 70.7
4: Important % 22.4 18.1 26.0 8.7 24.3 19.1
3: Moderately important % 11.0 6.7 14.5 5.8 11.8 8.8
2: Of limited importance % 1.1 0.4 1.6 0.3 1.2 0.7
1: Not important % 0.7 0.2 1.1 0.3 0.7 0.7
Total N 3710 1686 2024 312 2989 409

Importance: Valuing gender equity NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.47 4.64 4.32 4.69 4.43 4.56
5: Very important   62.5 72.8 53.9 78.2 60.1 67.6
4: Important % 24.3 19.5 28.3 14.4 25.5 22.8
3: Moderately important % 11.3 7.1 14.8 6.1 12.2 8.3
2: Of limited importance % 1.2 0.4 1.8 1.0 1.3 0.5
1: Not important % 0.8 0.2 1.2 0.3 0.8 0.7
Total N 3711 1686 2025 312 2991 408

Importance: Work w/ people from diverse backgrounds NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.40 4.60 4.23 4.66 4.36 4.47
5: Very important   57.0 68.0 47.9 75.7 54.1 64.4
4: Important % 28.2 24.4 31.5 16.2 30.5 20.6
3: Moderately important % 12.5 6.9 17.1 6.5 13.0 13.3
2: Of limited importance % 1.7 0.6 2.7 1.3 1.9 1.0
1: Not important % 0.5 0.1 0.8 0.3 0.5 0.7
Total N 3712 1687 2025 309 2996 407

Importance: Tolerance for different views NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.35 4.54 4.18 4.59 4.31 4.41
5: Very important   54.6 65.1 45.8 69.4 52.5 58.5
4: Important % 29.1 25.5 32.1 21.6 30.0 27.8
3: Moderately important % 13.6 8.4 17.9 7.7 14.5 11.0
2: Of limited importance % 2.0 0.8 3.1 1.0 2.2 2.0
1: Not important % 0.7 0.2 1.1 0.3 0.8 0.7
Total N 3720 1690 2030 310 3000 410

Importance: World problems/issues NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.28 4.43 4.16 4.54 4.25 4.37
5: Very important   48.8 55.5 43.3 65.7 46.2 55.0
4: Important % 34.2 33.9 34.4 23.9 36.0 28.7
3: Moderately important % 14.4 9.4 18.6 9.2 14.9 14.3
2: Of limited importance % 2.0 1.1 2.7 1.3 2.1 1.7
1: Not important % 0.7 0.2 1.0 . 0.8 0.2
Total N 3724 1688 2036 306 3011 407

Importance: Present as it relates to history NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 4.02 4.09 3.96 4.30 3.98 4.07
5: Very important   37.6 40.6 35.1 55.2 35.4 40.0
4: Important % 34.0 33.6 34.3 24.5 35.0 33.7
3: Moderately important % 22.3 20.8 23.6 16.5 23.2 20.1
2: Of limited importance % 5.0 4.3 5.5 3.2 5.1 5.7
1: Not important % 1.1 0.8 1.4 0.6 1.2 0.5
Total N 3699 1684 2015 310 2982 407

Importance: Appreciate arts/music/literature NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Mean 3.95 4.19 3.74 4.29 3.91 3.98
5: Very important   39.9 49.5 31.8 56.1 37.7 43.4
4: Important % 28.2 26.7 29.5 22.1 29.3 24.7
3: Moderately important % 21.8 18.5 24.5 17.6 22.2 22.2
2: Of limited importance % 7.1 4.0 9.8 3.2 7.7 6.0
1: Not important % 3.0 1.3 4.5 1.0 3.2 3.7
Total N 3650 1664 1986 312 2937 401
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For more information on the 2006 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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