North Carolina State University
2009-2010 Graduating Senior Survey:
All Respondents
This report presents findings from the 2009-2010 Graduating Senior Survey. It describes the overall responses to each survey question within the following topics: student goals and intentions, academic environment and faculty contributions, campus climate, student services, knowledge, skills and personal development, and employment and extracurricular activities. For a full discussion of the survey�s methodology, see "2009-2010 Graduating Senior Survey: Introduction, Methods, and Student Demographic Profile." Responses broken down by gender, race/ethnicity, and college, as well as a copy of the survey instrument with exact question wording, are available online through the 2009-2010 Graduating Senior Survey: Table of Contents.
Table of Contents:
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Student Goals and Intentions
Educational Goals
Post-Graduate Plans
Time to Graduate
Withdrawal/Transfer from NC
State
Academic Environment and Faculty Contributions
Overall Satisfaction
Faculty Contributions
Faculty-Student Mentoring
Services for Students
Academic Services
Non-academic Services
Financial Aid
Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Development
General Growth and Training
Knowledge, Skills, and Personal
Growth
Employment and Extracurricular Activities
On- and Off-Campus Employment
Hours Worked
Job Relationship to Major
Work/Career-Related Experience
Extracurricular Involvement
Student Goals and Intentions
Educational Goals (Table 1)
Students were asked about their primary goal or objective in attending NC State and to what extent they accomplished that goal or objective. The majority of respondents' primary goal in attending NC State was either to prepare for a new career or profession (41.5%) or to prepare for graduate or professional school (39.9%).
Overall, more than 70 percent of all respondents said they "fully accomplished" their primary goal. Respondents who said their primary goal was to earn a bachelor's degree or certificate were most likely to fully accomplish their objective (86.5%). Respondents whose primary goal was to prepare for a new career or profession were more likely than those whose primary goal was to prepare for graduate or professional school to say they "fully accomplished" their goal (74.1% vs. 66.1%, respectively).
Table 1: Goals and Objectives at NC State| Goal/objective | Accomplishment of goal/objective | Goal/Objective Overall (N=2,081) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fully accomplished | Partially accomplished | Not accomplished |
||
| Bachelors degree/certificate only (N=341) | 86.5% | 13.2% | 0.3% | 16.4% |
| Prep. for grad/prof school (N=828) | 66.1% | 33.3% | 0.6% | 39.9% |
| Prep. for new career/profession (N=862) | 74.1% | 25.3% | 0.6% | 41.5% |
| Improve for current profession (N=24) | 54.2% | 41.7% | 4.2% | 1.2% |
| Courses for personal interest (N=4) | 50.0% | 50.0% | . | 0.2% |
| Other (N=18) | 33.3% | 61.1% | 5.6% | 0.9% |
| Accomplishment of Goal/Objective Overall (N=2,077) | 72.3% | 27.1% | 0.6% | 100.0% |
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Off-Campus Degree Program (Figure 1)
Respondents who were pursuing their degree through an off-campus degree program were asked the likelihood of obtaining a degree at a UNC campus had the off-campus degree program been unavailable. Although a quarter of respondents (23.7%) said they would "very likely" have obtained a degree at a UNC campus had the off-campus degree program been unavailable, close to one-third of respondents (31.4%) said it was "not likely" they would have done so.
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Time to Graduate (Tables 2 and 3)
Close to one-half of respondents (48.6%) reported that it took them longer than four years to graduate. The most commonly reported reason for taking more than four years to graduate was changed majors (40.8%). One-fifth or more respondents attributed their taking longer than four years to graduate to taking a lighter courseload (25.1%), having a double major/minor (23.5%), hours spent working for pay (22.3%), and lost credits when transferred (20.2%). Study abroad was the least commonly reported reason for taking longer than four years to graduate (4.9%). Of the 15 percent who selected other reasons for taking longer than four years to graduate, common responses included performed poorly/had to retake classes/to improve GPA, poor advising, and took extra classes for personal interest.
Table 2: Time to Graduate| N | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Taken longer than 4 yrs to graduate | 1,013 | 48.6% |
| N | Yes, was a reason | |
|---|---|---|
| Changed majors | 413 | 40.8% |
| Wanted/advised lighter courseload | 254 | 25.1% |
| Double major/minor | 238 | 23.5% |
| Hours spent working | 226 | 22.3% |
| Lost credits when transferred | 205 | 20.2% |
| Could not get classes needed | 198 | 19.5% |
| Co-op/intern/practicum/teach/etc | 196 | 19.3% |
| Took semester or more off for personal reasons | 154 | 15.2% |
| Financial reasons | 124 | 12.2% |
| Part-time for personal reasons (e.g., medical, family, etc.) | 94 | 9.3% |
| Study abroad | 50 | 4.9% |
| Other reasons | 147 | 14.5% |
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Withdrawal/Transfer from NCSU (Figure 2 and Table 4)
Slightly more than one-fifth of respondents (21.3%) reported that they had considered withdrawing or transferring from NC State before graduation, and slightly more than one-half of those had either seriously considered doing so or had actually left and returned. Students who had considered leaving most frequently reported issues related to curriculum/program (33.2%), issues related to campus life (25.3%), and personal reasons (e.g., medical, distance from home, personal relationships, etc.) (25.1%) for doing so.
| N | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum/program reasons | 147 | 33.2% |
| Campus life | 112 | 25.3% |
| Personal reasons (e.g., medical, distance from home, personal relationships, etc.) | 111 | 25.1% |
| Financial reasons | 34 | 7.7% |
| Class environment | 29 | 6.5% |
| Poor academic performance | 27 | 6.1% |
| Location | 23 | 5.2% |
| Wanted to attend different school/NCSU not first choice | 18 | 4.1% |
| Diversity issues | 13 | 2.9% |
| Poor advising | 10 | 2.3% |
| Non-academic opportunity | 3 | 0.7% |
| Miscellaneous/other | 21 | 4.7% |
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Reasons for Staying at NC State (Table 5)
Respondents who considered withdrawing or transferring or had actually done so were also asked to describe their reasons for staying at or returning to NC State. Most frequently reported were personal reasons (39.5%), such as accomplishment of a personal goal or to be close to friends. More than a quarter of respondents (28.7%) reported that their decision to stay at or return to NC State was based on the programs offered at NC State, such as program or degree availability, and prestige or quality of instruction within an academic department at NC State. Very few students (2.5%) reported that they stayed at or returned to NC State because they could not get into their school of choice or that they had no better option.
Table 5: Reasons for staying at or returning to NC State (N=443)| N | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Personal reasons (e.g., accomplishment of personal goal, to be close to friends, etc.) | 175 | 39.5% |
| Program at NCSU | 127 | 28.7% |
| NCSU/city environment | 82 | 18.5% |
| Hassle (lose credit hrs,etc.) | 75 | 16.9% |
| Financial reasons | 41 | 9.3% |
| Need degree for job/graduate school/success | 33 | 7.4% |
| Didn't get into 1st choice/no better option | 11 | 2.5% |
Post-Graduation Plans (Table 6)
At the time they completed the survey, 42 percent of respondents reported that they were still seeking employment. About 16 percent said that they had already accepted a full-time job (12.4%) or a part-time job (0.4%) for after graduation or would continue in their current position (3.5%). More than one-fourth said that they planned to go on to graduate or professional school either full-time (24.4%) or part-time (3.6%).
Given that about one-third of respondents completed the survey 4 or more months prior to graduation, it is important to note that reports on post-graduation plans are somewhat related to how close to graduation the respondent completed the survey. Respondents who completed the survey within 2 months of graduation were twice as likely as those who completed it 4 or more months prior to graduation to have secured employment for after graduation (22.2% vs. 11.1%, respectively).
The proportion of students who indicated that their plans after graduation were to attend graduate/professional school doesn't appear to be impacted by the time at which students submitted the survey. Similar proportions of students who completed the survey within 2 months of graduation (29.4%), 2-3 months prior (27.1%), and 4 or more months prior (27.5%) to graduation to say they were planning to attend graduate/professional school either full- or part-time.
Table 6: Plans Following Graduation| Plans following graduation | Number of Months Prior to Graduation Completed Survey | Plans Following Graduation Overall |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 2 months |
2-3 months |
4 or more months |
||
| Have accepted a full-time paid job related to field of study (N=226) | 15.3% | 10.9% | 5.8% | 10.8% |
| Have accepted a full-time paid job not related to field of study (N=34) | 2.0% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.6% |
| Have accepted a part-time paid job (N=9) | 0.8% | . | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Will continue in my current paid job (N=73) | 4.1% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3.5% |
| Currently seeking, or plan to seek, paid employment (N=877) | 36.4% | 44.4% | 46.2% | 42.1% |
| Going to graduate/professional school full-time (N=509) | 26.9% | 23.1% | 22.9% | 24.4% |
| Going to graduate/professional school part-time and working part-time (N=76) | 2.5% | 4.0% | 4.6% | 3.6% |
| Will take more undergraduate courses (N=14) | 0.4% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 0.7% |
| Neither seeking employment nor planning on attending school (N=1) | 0.1% | . | . | 0.0% |
| Military service (N=32) | 0.8% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1.5% |
| Volunteer activity (N=16) | 0.7% | 1.2% | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Starting or raising a family (N=6) | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| I don't know yet (N=128) | 5.9% | 5.4% | 7.1% | 6.1% |
| Other (N=84) | 3.8% | 3.5% | 4.7% | 4.0% |
| Months Prior to Graduation Overall (N=2,085) | 36.4% | 31.1% | 32.5% | 100.0% |
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Academic Environment and Faculty Contributions
Overall Satisfaction (Figure 3, Tables 7 and 8)
The majority of graduating seniors appeared to be satisfied with the education they received at NC State. More than 90 percent (92.2%) reported that they would recommend NC State to a friend and slightly more than 80 percent (81.6%) said they would choose NC State again if starting over. Although close to two-thirds of respondents (64.8%) said they would choose the same major again, there was a lot of uncertainty among graduating seniors, with more than one-fifth of respondents (21.9%) saying they were "not sure" if they would choose the same major. This compared to only 6 percent who were not sure if they would recommend NC State to a friend and 13 percent who were not sure they would choose NC State again.
Graduating seniors were asked to assess the academic environment at NC State. Specifically, they rated the overall education they received, instruction in their major and overall, and the intellectual environment on campus.
The vast majority of respondents (95.3%) gave positive ratings to the overall education they received at NC State. Most were also happy with the quality of instruction they received, although ratings were higher for instruction within their major than overall. Finally, over 90 percent of respondents agreed that the intellectual environment on campus was "strong" (54.1%) or "very strong" (39.8%).
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Table 7: Evaluation of Education
| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall education received | 3.51 | 56.0% | 39.3% | 4.2% | 0.5% |
| Quality of instruction in major | 3.55 | 62.3% | 31.8% | 4.7% | 1.2% |
| Quality of instruction overall | 3.31 | 39.2% | 53.6% | 6.6% | 0.6% |
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Table 8: Intellectual Environment
| Mean | 4: Very strong | 3: Strong | 2: Weak | 1: Very weak | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intellectual environment on campus | 3.33 | 39.8% | 54.1% | 5.6% | 0.5% |
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Faculty Contributions (Table 9)
Students were asked to evaluate various aspects of the instruction provided by faculty members in their major department, using a scale from 1 ("poor") to 4 ("excellent"). "Don't know" responses were not included in calculations of average ratings. Overall, students were very positive about the contributions faculty in their major department made toward their education. Highest ratings were given to faculty setting high expectations for learning and to encouraging that time and energy be devoted to coursework, with over 90 percent of respondents rating faculty as "excellent" or "good" on these aspects of teaching. Although still rated as "excellent" or "good" by a majority of respondents, factors related to faculty involvement with students on a more individual basis received somewhat lower ratings.
Table 9: Faculty Contributions| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Set high expectations for learning | 3.53 | 56.1% | 40.9% | 2.8% | 0.2% |
| Faculty: Encourage devoting time/energy to coursework | 3.48 | 54.1% | 40.6% | 5.0% | 0.3% |
| Faculty: Encourage actively involved learning | 3.37 | 47.7% | 42.2% | 9.0% | 1.1% |
| Faculty: Opp. to learn cooperatively with fellow students | 3.33 | 46.0% | 41.7% | 11.2% | 1.0% |
| Faculty: Respect diverse talents/ways of learning | 3.32 | 42.6% | 47.5% | 9.1% | 0.8% |
| Faculty: Care about your academic success and welfare | 3.30 | 46.0% | 40.6% | 11.1% | 2.2% |
| Faculty: Give frequent and prompt feedback | 3.28 | 40.4% | 47.8% | 10.9% | 0.9% |
| Faculty: Encourage student-faculty interaction | 3.27 | 42.6% | 42.7% | 13.3% | 1.4% |
| Faculty: Evaluation on all eight measures | 3.37 | 43.8% | 50.4% | 5.3% | 0.6% |
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Faculty-Student Mentoring (Table 10)
Graduating seniors were asked whether or not they had various faculty-student mentoring experiences while at NC State and if so, how the experience contributed to their personal and/or professional growth. Students most frequently reported regular meetings with faculty to get academic guidance (44.3%), followed by regular meetings with faculty to get professional guidance/support (37.4%). Respondents were least likely to have worked on an extension/public service project with faculty (10.0%). More than 60 percent (61.9%) of students reported having at least one of the 8 mentoring experiences asked about.
For each type of mentoring, the majority of students having had the experience said it contributed "a great deal" to their personal and/or professional growth. Interestingly, although only 17.3% of students reported regularly meeting with faculty to get non-academic guidance, this mentoring experience received the highest percentage of students saying it contributed "a great deal" to their personal and professional growth (78.2%). Regular meetings for professional guidance (75.5%), independent study project with faculty (71.5%), research project with faculty (70.6%), and regular meetings for academic guidance (70.3%) also received among the highest ratings, with 70 percent or more of those having had such experience saying the experience contributed "a great deal" to their personal and/or professional growth.
Table 10: Faculty-Student Mentoring| Yes, had experience | Contribution to Growth | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | 4: A great deal | 3: Some | 2: A little | 1: Not at all | |
| Contrib to growth: Routine academic guidance from faculty (e.g., assistance with coursework, course selection, etc.) | 887 | 44.3% | 70.3% | 25.3% | 3.8% | 0.6% |
| Contrib to growth: Routine professional guidance/support from faculty (e.g., career, letters of recommendation, etc.) | 749 | 37.4% | 75.5% | 20.7% | 3.4% | 0.4% |
| Contrib to growth: Worked with faculty on campus activities | 420 | 21.0% | 60.2% | 31.7% | 7.1% | 1.1% |
| Contrib to growth: Independent study project with faculty | 408 | 20.3% | 71.5% | 24.0% | 3.7% | 0.8% |
| Contrib to growth: Research project with faculty | 397 | 19.8% | 70.6% | 22.5% | 6.4% | 0.5% |
| Contrib to growth: Routine non-academic guidance from faculty (e.g., work, family, physical well-being, etc.) | 346 | 17.3% | 78.2% | 19.0% | 2.2% | 0.6% |
| Contrib to growth: Assisted in teaching class/lab | 235 | 11.8% | 68.2% | 24.4% | 6.0% | 1.4% |
| Contrib to growth: Extension/public service project with faculty | 199 | 10.0% | 67.2% | 27.6% | 4.0% | 1.1% |
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Campus Climate (Tables 11 and 12)
Students were asked to assess the campus climate toward various groups of students (e.g., Women, African Americans, those with disabilities, etc). Two-thirds or more respondents felt the campus climate was at least "mildly supportive" toward each of the groups asked about, with two exceptions. Although 50 percent or more respondents felt the campus climate was at least "mildly supportive" toward gay, lesbian, bisexual (59.1%) and transgender (50.9%) students, respondents were more than three times as likely to say the campus was nonsupportive toward these students than any other group asked about.
A vast majority of respondents agreed either "strongly" (56.2%) or "somewhat" (40.6%) that NC State is committed to helping minority students succeed. Respondents were less likely to agree, however, that NC State has visible leadership from the Chancellor and other administrators to foster diversity on campus (38.2% "agree strongly," 44.1% "agree somewhat").
Table 11: Ratings of Campus Support for Various Groups of Students| Mean | 5: Strongly supportive | 4: Mildly supportive | 3: Neutral | 2: Mildly nonsupportive | 1: Strongly nonsupportive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 4.47 | 62.5% | 23.4% | 13.3% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Men | 4.43 | 65.3% | 15.3% | 17.2% | 1.5% | 0.7% |
| African Americans | 4.37 | 58.0% | 24.3% | 15.2% | 2.0% | 0.5% |
| Other racial/ethnic minorities | 4.27 | 51.3% | 27.6% | 18.6% | 1.7% | 0.9% |
| International students | 4.33 | 55.1% | 24.9% | 18.3% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Students with disabilities | 4.25 | 51.5% | 25.8% | 19.8% | 2.0% | 0.9% |
| Gay, lesbian, and bisexual students | 3.79 | 34.1% | 25.0% | 29.7% | 8.6% | 2.6% |
| Transgender students | 3.62 | 30.4% | 20.5% | 34.8% | 9.6% | 4.8% |
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Table 12: Support for Diversity
| Mean | 4: Agree strongly | 3: Agree somewhat | 2: Disagree somewhat | 1: Disagree strongly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCSU is committed to minority students success | 3.52 | 56.2% | 40.6% | 2.7% | 0.6% |
| NCSU leaders foster diversity on campus | 3.16 | 38.2% | 44.1% | 13.1% | 4.6% |
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Services for Students
Graduating seniors were instructed to evaluate various academic and non-academic services provided by NC State, based on their experiences within the last two years on campus. Ratings ranged from 1 ("poor") to 4 ("excellent"). The "don�t know/did not use" option available for those students with insufficient experience to evaluate a service area was excluded from analyses.
Academic Services (Tables 13-18)
Academic services encompassed six primary areas: library services, technology services, career-related services, employment search assistance, academic advising, and research support. Overall, students were pleased with virtually all 29 specific areas asked about, with each getting a positive rating of "good" or "excellent" by a large majority of respondents. In general respondents gave highest ratings to library and technology services and lowest ratings to academic advising and research support. Among the individual items, the highest average rating was given to library hours of operation , followed by access to internet. Opportunities to do research/creative projects received the lowest average ratings of all 29 services asked about. The academic advising items, sufficient time with advisor, accurate information about degree requirements/courses, and academic advising overall, received ratings of "fair" or "poor" by one-fourth or more respondents.
Library Services: Highest ratings were given to hours of operation, with more than two-thirds rating it as "excellent." Training to use the library received the lowest ratings.
Table 13: Library Services| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours of operation | 3.68 | 69.8% | 28.6% | 1.6% | 0.0% |
| Access to databases/collections | 3.57 | 60.4% | 36.4% | 3.1% | 0.2% |
| Staff responsiveness | 3.52 | 56.0% | 40.1% | 3.7% | 0.2% |
| Training to use library | 3.26 | 46.4% | 37.3% | 12.8% | 3.6% |
| Library services overall | 3.54 | 56.8% | 40.7% | 2.3% | 0.1% |
Technology Services: Ratings for the various technology services varied widely. A majority of respondents gave ratings of "excellent" to access to the internet (69.4%), hours of operation for computer labs (59.0%), and access to up-to-date facilities (57.1%). Access to trained staff for help and technology training classes received much lower ratings, with only about 40 percent of respondents rating these services as "excellent."
Table 14: Technology Services| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tech: Access to Internet | 3.67 | 69.4% | 28.2% | 2.1% | 0.2% |
| Hours of operation for computer labs | 3.53 | 59.0% | 35.3% | 5.0% | 0.7% |
| Access to up-to-date facilities | 3.50 | 57.1% | 36.4% | 6.0% | 0.5% |
| Access to trained staff for help | 3.21 | 41.7% | 41.5% | 13.4% | 3.4% |
| Training classes | 3.20 | 41.1% | 41.1% | 14.1% | 3.7% |
| Technology services overall | 3.42 | 48.6% | 45.3% | 5.6% | 0.5% |
Career-related Services: There was little variation in ratings for career-related services, with information available through the internet and other technology receiving the highest average ratings. Resources available to explore career options received the lowest average ratings, with close to one-fifth of respondents giving ratings of either "fair" (15.4%) or "poor" (3.9%).
Table 15: Career-Related Services| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Info. through Internet and other technology | 3.23 | 39.8% | 46.0% | 12.1% | 2.1% |
| Oppor. for career assistance | 3.20 | 37.3% | 48.1% | 11.3% | 3.3% |
| Info. on internships, co-op, etc. | 3.18 | 39.0% | 43.6% | 13.8% | 3.6% |
| Resources available to explore options | 3.13 | 36.4% | 44.3% | 15.4% | 3.9% |
| Career-related services overall | 3.16 | 34.5% | 49.8% | 13.2% | 2.5% |
Employment Search Assistance: Forty percent or more respondents rated resume preparation (41.1%) and access to career fairs, job listings, etc. (40.9%) as "excellent." Interview preparation skills received the lowest ratings, with one-fifth of respondents rating it as "fair" (16.1%) or "poor" (4.6%).
Table 16: Employment Search Assistance| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resume preparation | 3.24 | 41.1% | 44.2% | 11.9% | 2.8% |
| Access to career fairs, job listings, etc. | 3.20 | 40.9% | 42.1% | 12.9% | 4.1% |
| Interview prep skills | 3.10 | 35.2% | 44.2% | 16.1% | 4.6% |
| Employment search assistance overall | 3.14 | 35.5% | 46.0% | 15.4% | 3.2% |
Academic Advising: Ratings for academic advising services were among the lowest of all academic services asked about. More than one-fifth of respondents gave ratings of "fair" or "poor" to each of the five academic advising items. Ratings were particularly low for sufficient time with advisor, accurate information about degree requirements/courses, and academic advising overall, for which more than 25 percent of respondents gave ratings of "fair" or "poor."
Table 17: Academic Advising| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to advisor | 3.18 | 46.1% | 32.7% | 14.4% | 6.8% |
| Knowledge of policies/procedures | 3.14 | 41.5% | 36.8% | 15.9% | 5.8% |
| Accurate info. about degree req./courses | 3.11 | 44.9% | 29.7% | 17.1% | 8.3% |
| Sufficient time with advisor | 3.08 | 43.9% | 29.9% | 16.7% | 9.6% |
| Academic advising overall | 3.09 | 42.8% | 32.0% | 17.2% | 8.1% |
Research Support Services: Although research support services were among the lowest rated services, majorities rated each aspect of research support as at least "good," with access to up-to-date facilities receiving the highest ratings (37.2% rated as "excellent").
Table 18: Research Support Services| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access to up-to-date facilities | 3.16 | 37.2% | 46.2% | 11.8% | 4.8% |
| Access to faculty involved in research | 3.09 | 35.2% | 44.2% | 15.3% | 5.3% |
| Opportunities to do research/creative projects | 3.06 | 36.1% | 40.7% | 15.9% | 7.3% |
| Research support overall | 3.08 | 33.5% | 45.6% | 16.4% | 4.5% |
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Non-academic Services (Tables 19 and 20)
Students were also asked to evaluate a range of non-academic services. For those services involving interaction with staff members (secretaries, tutors, counselors, office workers, etc.), students were also instructed to evaluate the responsiveness of the staff.
Non-academic services tended to receive slightly lower ratings than academic services. However, with the exception of campus food services, all of the non-academic services were rated as at least "good" by three-fourths or more respondents. Campus food services received the lowest ratings with about one-third (32.7%) of respondents giving ratings of "fair" or "poor".
Table 19: Non-Academic Services| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Area: Personal safety on campus | 3.29 | 39.2% | 51.6% | 8.0% | 1.1% |
| Service Area: University Career Center | 3.29 | 40.5% | 49.5% | 8.6% | 1.4% |
| Service Area: Campus counseling (not career) svcs | 3.27 | 41.3% | 47.2% | 9.0% | 2.5% |
| Service Area: Opportunities for extra-/co-curricular activities | 3.27 | 39.1% | 50.7% | 8.6% | 1.6% |
| Service Area: Campus health services | 3.24 | 39.7% | 47.3% | 10.2% | 2.8% |
| Service Area: College/dept placement assistance | 3.20 | 36.6% | 49.4% | 11.4% | 2.7% |
| Service Area: Financial aid svcs:application/award prcss | 3.20 | 37.7% | 47.0% | 12.4% | 2.9% |
| Service Area: Financial aid svcs:disbursement process | 3.18 | 37.9% | 45.9% | 12.8% | 3.4% |
| Service Area: Opportunities for community service | 3.18 | 34.6% | 51.3% | 11.9% | 2.2% |
| Service Area: Opportunities to develop leadership skills | 3.15 | 34.3% | 48.8% | 14.7% | 2.2% |
| Service Area: Bookstore services and products | 3.12 | 29.9% | 54.4% | 13.7% | 2.1% |
| Service Area: Residence life programs | 3.07 | 26.0% | 57.1% | 14.7% | 2.2% |
| Service Area: Business svcs/cashier/student accts | 3.05 | 24.4% | 58.6% | 14.2% | 2.7% |
| Service Area: Registration process | 2.95 | 25.4% | 49.5% | 20.0% | 5.0% |
| Service Area: Campus food services | 2.78 | 17.9% | 49.5% | 25.5% | 7.2% |
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In general, ratings for staff associated with non-academic student services were similar to ratings given their respective services. With the exception of campus food services staff, three-fourths or more respondents rated staff responsiveness for a given service as "excellent" or "good." Highest average ratings were given to staff associated with the University Career Center and lowest average ratings were given to staff associated with campus food services.
Table 20: Staff Responsiveness| Mean | 4: Excellent | 3: Good | 2: Fair | 1: Poor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Resp: University Career Center | 3.33 | 43.2% | 47.2% | 8.7% | 0.9% |
| Staff Resp: Personal safety on campus | 3.26 | 38.7% | 49.9% | 10.3% | 1.1% |
| Staff Resp: Campus counseling (not career) svcs | 3.25 | 42.5% | 43.7% | 10.2% | 3.6% |
| Staff Resp: Extra-/Co-curricular activities | 3.25 | 38.1% | 50.8% | 9.6% | 1.5% |
| Staff Resp: College/dept placement assistance | 3.20 | 37.6% | 47.8% | 11.7% | 2.9% |
| Staff Resp: Campus health services | 3.20 | 39.1% | 45.5% | 11.7% | 3.6% |
| Staff Resp: Financial aid svcs:disbursement process | 3.19 | 39.5% | 43.5% | 13.5% | 3.6% |
| Staff Resp: Financial aid svcs:application/award prcss | 3.18 | 39.8% | 42.6% | 14.0% | 3.7% |
| Staff Resp: Bookstore services and products | 3.15 | 31.2% | 54.0% | 13.4% | 1.4% |
| Staff Resp: Residence life programs | 3.07 | 27.2% | 55.1% | 14.8% | 2.9% |
| Staff Resp: Business svcs/cashier/student accts | 3.04 | 25.4% | 56.7% | 14.5% | 3.4% |
| Staff Resp: Registration process | 2.99 | 27.4% | 48.3% | 19.8% | 4.5% |
| Staff Resp: Campus food services | 2.86 | 21.0% | 50.1% | 22.8% | 6.1% |
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Financial Aid (Figures 4 and 5)
Two-thirds of respondents (66.4%) said they received some sort of financial aid. The vast majority of these respondents said they were either "very satisfied" (51.6%) or "moderately satisfied" (41.6%) with the aid package they received. Majorities of those receiving aid gave positive ratings to the financial aid staff in three areas. Financial aid advisor staff were most likely to be rated as "excellent" (46.5%), followed by reception staff (45.3%), and phone staff (39.7%).
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Development
General Growth and Training (Figure 6)The vast majority of respondents reported that NC State met their intellectual growth, career training and personal growth needs either "adequately" or "very well." Of the three areas assessed, intellectual growth received the highest ratings, with 70 percent saying NC State met their intellectual growth needs "very well." Career training received the lowest ratings, with 15 percent of respondents saying NC State met their career training needs only "somewhat adequately" (12.0%) or "poorly" (3.7%).
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Growth (Tables
21-23)
Graduating seniors rated the extent to which NC State contributed to a wide range of factors related to their general education, personal development, and world views using a scale of 1 ("not at all") to 4 ("very much"). The vast majority of respondents said NC State contributed at least "somewhat" to each of the 44 items asked about.
Respondents were most likely to report that NC State contributed "very much" to the general education goals of problem-solving skills (68.5%), enhancing analytic skills (67.1%), and critical analysis of ideas/information (66.3%) and the personal development goals of potential for success (66.9%), personal growth (66.3%), and independence and self-reliance (66.3%). While still rated positively by a majority of respondents, NC State was least likely to have contributed "very much" to the general education goals of appreciating the arts (34.3%), appreciating the humanities (41.4%), and applying social science methods to understand human behavior (41.6%), the personal development goals of exercising public responsibility/community service (44.7%) and maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle (46.4%), and the world view goal of appreciating differences in sexual orientation (43.3%).
Table 21: Contribution to General Education Goals| Mean | 4: Very Much | 3: Somewhat | 2: Very Little | 1: Not at all | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Problem-solving skills | 3.64 | 68.5% | 27.6% | 3.3% | 0.5% |
| Enhancing analytic skills | 3.63 | 67.1% | 29.0% | 3.5% | 0.4% |
| Critical analysis of ideas/info | 3.62 | 66.3% | 30.4% | 2.7% | 0.6% |
| Logical reasoning skills | 3.60 | 65.9% | 29.4% | 3.9% | 0.8% |
| Ability to plan/carry out projects indep | 3.60 | 65.9% | 29.2% | 3.6% | 1.2% |
| Using library/internet resources for research | 3.56 | 63.8% | 29.3% | 5.9% | 1.0% |
| Comprehension skills | 3.52 | 59.3% | 34.3% | 5.3% | 1.0% |
| Organize steps to successfully complete group project | 3.51 | 59.5% | 33.5% | 5.7% | 1.2% |
| Applying scientific methods | 3.48 | 59.0% | 31.4% | 8.1% | 1.6% |
| Adapt to changing technologies | 3.47 | 55.7% | 36.8% | 6.4% | 1.2% |
| Science/tech influence on everyday life | 3.46 | 54.1% | 38.4% | 6.4% | 1.0% |
| Listening skills | 3.41 | 51.6% | 39.6% | 7.4% | 1.5% |
| Speaking skills | 3.40 | 52.4% | 36.7% | 9.1% | 1.8% |
| Writing skills | 3.38 | 49.2% | 41.4% | 8.0% | 1.4% |
| Using math skills | 3.36 | 52.6% | 32.7% | 12.6% | 2.0% |
| Understand diverse cultures/values | 3.35 | 51.3% | 35.3% | 10.6% | 2.7% |
| Developing computer skills | 3.32 | 49.0% | 36.5% | 12.5% | 2.1% |
| Applying social science methods to understand human behavior | 3.15 | 41.6% | 37.7% | 15.0% | 5.7% |
| Appreciating the humanities (e.g., literature, philosophy, religion, history, etc.) | 3.13 | 41.4% | 35.8% | 16.9% | 5.9% |
| Appreciating the arts (e.g., music, art, theater, etc.) | 2.94 | 34.3% | 34.8% | 21.8% | 9.1% |
| Mean | 4: Very Much | 3: Somewhat | 2: Very Little | 1: Not at all | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potential for success | 3.61 | 66.9% | 28.5% | 3.4% | 1.1% |
| Personal growth | 3.61 | 66.3% | 29.5% | 3.0% | 1.1% |
| Independence and self-reliance | 3.59 | 66.3% | 27.7% | 4.6% | 1.4% |
| Valuing learning as a life-long process | 3.56 | 64.2% | 29.2% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Ability to function as part of a team | 3.55 | 61.2% | 33.5% | 4.3% | 1.0% |
| Time management | 3.53 | 61.9% | 30.2% | 6.4% | 1.5% |
| Self-discipline | 3.53 | 61.2% | 32.3% | 5.1% | 1.4% |
| Taking responsibility for own behavior | 3.48 | 60.1% | 31.0% | 6.0% | 2.9% |
| Coping with change | 3.47 | 57.5% | 34.5% | 6.0% | 2.0% |
| Ability to lead or guide others | 3.44 | 53.3% | 39.0% | 6.4% | 1.3% |
| Self-confidence | 3.44 | 56.6% | 33.1% | 8.0% | 2.3% |
| Sense of personal identity | 3.44 | 57.7% | 30.8% | 8.7% | 2.7% |
| Ability to handle stress | 3.43 | 56.4% | 32.9% | 7.5% | 3.2% |
| Recognizing/acting upon ethical principles | 3.41 | 54.2% | 35.2% | 8.1% | 2.4% |
| Maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle | 3.24 | 46.4% | 35.7% | 13.1% | 4.7% |
| Exercising public responsibility/community svc | 3.23 | 44.7% | 37.8% | 13.4% | 4.0% |
| Mean | 4: Very Much | 3: Somewhat | 2: Very Little | 1: Not at all | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ability to work with people diverse backgrounds | 3.46 | 56.3% | 35.1% | 6.6% | 2.0% |
| Understanding world issues/problems | 3.39 | 52.5% | 36.5% | 8.7% | 2.3% |
| Developing tolerance for divergent views | 3.34 | 48.4% | 40.4% | 7.8% | 3.3% |
| Understanding the present as it relates to history | 3.34 | 49.4% | 38.3% | 9.4% | 3.0% |
| Understanding human problems through a global perspective | 3.34 | 49.5% | 38.1% | 8.9% | 3.5% |
| Appreciating gender equity | 3.32 | 50.8% | 35.0% | 10.0% | 4.2% |
| Appreciating racial equity | 3.31 | 50.0% | 35.5% | 9.8% | 4.7% |
| Appreciating differences in sexual orientation | 3.12 | 43.3% | 34.3% | 13.6% | 8.9% |
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Employment and Extracurricular Activities
On- and Off-Campus Employment (Figure 7)
Slightly more than 70 percent of respondents (71.3%) indicated that they were employed during their senior year. More than 60 percent of employed respondents worked only off campus (62.6%), one-fifth worked only on campus (20.5%), and another 16.9 percent worked both on and off campus.
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Why Worked for Pay (Table 24)
Employed respondents were asked to describe why they worked for pay during the academic year. By far the most commonly reported reason for working was for basic living expenses, such as rent or groceries, with 57 percent of respondents giving such reasons. Social or personal expenses (24.2%) and school expenses (23.4%) were provided as reasons for working for pay during the academic year by about one-fourth of employed respondents. A sizable number of students indicated they worked to get experience in their chosen field (18.8%).
Table 24: Reasons for Working for Pay During Academic Year| N | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Life expenses | 849 | 57.3% |
| Personal expenses | 358 | 24.2% |
| School expenses | 347 | 23.4% |
| Career experience | 279 | 18.8% |
| Fin Aid/Wrk Stdy Req | 175 | 11.8% |
| Personal fulfillment | 122 | 8.2% |
| Savings/Investment | 52 | 3.5% |
| Health ins/other benefits | 6 | 0.4% |
| Miscellaneous/other | 8 | 0.5% |
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Hours Worked (Figures 8 and 9)
Overall, most employed students reported working 20 or fewer hours per week (65.0%). However, those working both on and off campus were more than twice as likely as those working off campus only and more than 8 times as likely as those working on campus only to report working 40 or more hours per week (19.5% vs. 7.7% and 2.4%, respectively). On average, respondents who worked on campus only reported working 13.6 hours per week, compared to an average of 20.5 hours for those working off campus only and 27.8 hours for those working both on and off campus.
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Job Relationship to Major (Tables 25 and 26)
Students who were employed on campus (39.5%) were more likely than those employed off campus (29.1%) to report working in jobs directly related to their major. Among those working in jobs unrelated to their major, students working off campus (48.1%) were more likely than those working on campus (35.4%) to say this was not by choice.
Table 25: Job Relation to Academic Major| Directly related | Somewhat related | Not related |
Total (N) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus job relationship to major | 39.5% | 26.6% | 33.9% | 534 |
| Off-campus job relationship to major | 29.1% | 23.3% | 47.6% | 1,104 |
| If not related, by choice? | By choice | Not by choice |
|---|---|---|
| On-campus job relationship to major/by choice (N=181) | 64.6% | 35.4% |
| Off-campus job relationship to major/by choice (N=526) | 51.9% | 48.1% |
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Work/Career-Related Experiences (Tables 27 and 28 and Figure 10)
Students were asked about their participation in various work-related experiences while at NC State. Internships were the most commonly reported work-related experience (42.4%), followed by summer employment or part-time job in major (30.1%) and research with faculty (16.2%).
Table 27: Participation in Work/Career-Related Experiences| N | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Internship | 898 | 42.4% |
| Summer employment or part-time job in major | 639 | 30.1% |
| Research with faculty | 344 | 16.2% |
| Student Teaching | 189 | 8.9% |
| Cooperative Education Program | 163 | 7.7% |
| Residence Advisor | 70 | 3.3% |
| Practicum | 67 | 3.2% |
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Forty percent of respondents had a co-op, internship, practicum, or field experience as part of their major while at NC State. More than 70 percent of those (72.1%) said the experience made an "excellent" contribution to their personal or professional growth, and more than one-fourth (26.5%) said they received a job offer from their employer.
| N | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Received job offer from employer at field experience | 217 | 26.5% |
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Extracurricular Involvement (Tables 29 and 30)
Students were asked about their involvement in a number of school-related groups and their attendance at performances and exhibits while at NC State. Close to one-half of respondents reported participating in organizations/clubs related to your major (47.3%). A large number of students also participated in intramural/recreational sports/club teams (39.7%).
More than two-thirds of respondents (67.7%) attended at least one concert, performance, or exhibit while a student at NC State. Among the specific NC State concerts, performances, and exhibits asked about, University Theatre performances (28.8%) and Music Department concerts (28.2%) were the most frequently attended.
Table 29: Extracurricular Involvement at NCSU| N | % | |
|---|---|---|
| Organizations/Clubs related to major | 1,003 | 47.3% |
| Intramural/Rec sports/Club team | 841 | 39.7% |
| Religious groups | 386 | 18.2% |
| Service groups | 375 | 17.7% |
| University Scholars Program | 293 | 13.8% |
| Social fraternity/sorority | 269 | 12.7% |
| Minority student groups | 178 | 8.4% |
| Visual/Performing arts/Music groups | 143 | 6.7% |
| University Honors Program | 128 | 6.0% |
| Academic scholarship prog (Caldwell, Park, etc.) | 112 | 5.3% |
| Political/Issue groups | 98 | 4.6% |
| Residence Hall Council | 87 | 4.1% |
| Varsity Athletic Teams | 75 | 3.5% |
| Student Government | 71 | 3.3% |
| Student Media/Publications | 64 | 3.0% |
| ROTC | 44 | 2.1% |
| Union Activities Board | 34 | 1.6% |
| AEGIS | 10 | 0.5% |
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
Back to Top Table 30: Attendance at Concerts/Performances/Exhibits
| N | % | |
|---|---|---|
| University Theatre performance(s) | 610 | 28.8% |
| Music Department concert(s) | 597 | 28.2% |
| Center Stage performance(s) | 295 | 13.9% |
| Gregg Museum of Art and Design | 289 | 13.6% |
| Dance Program concert(s) | 279 | 13.2% |
| Crafts Center exhibit(s) | 174 | 8.2% |
| Other performances | 1,135 | 53.5% |
Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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For more information on the 2009-2010 Graduating Senior 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: November, 2010
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