North Carolina State University
2008 Sophomore Student Survey:
Executive Summary

Survey Methods

• NC State conducted its biannual survey of sophomore students during the spring 2008 semester. Eligible students had completed 45-59 credit hours, with at least 30 at NC State.
• The survey methodology consisted of a web survey, followed by a paper and pencil survey distributed by academic advisors to those students not responding on the web. The response rate for the survey was 54.9 percent (1,353 of 2,464 eligible sophomores), with a margin of error of ±1.2.

Background and Interests

• Over 90 percent of respondents plan to complete their degree at NC State, and only about 5 percent said they would not choose to attend NC State if they had it to do over again. About 15 percent of all respondents had seriously considered leaving NC State, with the most common reasons mentioned for thinking about leaving relating to the desire for a different or stronger academic program, or due to personal issues (e.g., family problems, medical reasons).
• About 40 percent of respondents said they participated in organizations/clubs related to their major (40.3%) and intramurals/recreational sports/club teams (39.8%).
• About half of respondents were employed during the academic year. 62 percent of employed respondents reported working off campus only, 10 percent said they worked both off and on campus, and the remaining 28 percent worked only on campus. Students were most likely to say they work in order to pay for living expenses, followed by working for extra money or social expenses. Students working both on and off campus worked an average of 24 hours per week, compared to 17 hours per week for those working only off campus, and 12 hours per week for those working on campus. About one-third of employed sophomores, with no difference between those working on or off campus, said that their job was at least "somewhat related " to their major.

Campus Climate

• More than 80 percent of respondents said they experience a sense of belonging at NC State at least to some extent. Less than 10 percent reported that experiencing a sense of belonging at NC State is "very important" to them, but that they actually experience such a sense of belonging "not at all" or to only "a small extent."
• While respondents were generally satisfied with issues related to diversity at NC State, on average African Americans and other minority respondents were less satisfied than whites. Whites were more likely than African American respondents to "strongly agree" that NC State leadership fosters diversity on campus (38.3% vs 27.7%), and that NC State is committed to helping minorities succeed (50.7% vs 35.1%).
• Of the different student groups asked about, respondents were most likely to say the campus is most supportive of men, women, and African American students, and least supportive of gay and lesbian students.

Academic Environment

• More than 90 percent of respondents rated the intellectual environment at NC State as "very strong" or "strong" (91.2%), rated the overall education they were getting at NC State as "excellent" or "good" (93.2%), and said that NC State is meeting their needs for intellectual growth (94.1%).
• Almost 90 percent of respondents gave positive ratings to the overall quality of instruction (89.2%). A large majority of respondents rated faculty contributions to their educational experience as at least "good" in all areas asked about. Respondents gave highest average ratings for faculty setting high expectations for students to learn and for encouraging students to devote time to coursework.
• About one-third of respondents (32.3%) said they regularly met with a faculty member for academic guidance, and 22.1 percent said they regularly met with a faculty member for professional guidance. Only about 5 percent of respondents reported having other types of mentoring experiences with a faculty member, such as working with them on a non-course related research project, an extension/service project, or as a teaching assistant. However, regardless of the type of experience, a majority of participants said the experience contributed "a great deal" to their personal or professional growth.
• About one-fifth of respondents said that during their time at NC State they had had 3 or more classes that had been too large to learn effectively (19.1%), and 3 or more classes in which the instructor’s spoken English was difficult to understand (22.1%).

Student Services

• A large majority of respondents (80.9%) felt the campus has taken sufficient steps to ensure their physical safety.
• Respondents were generally satisfied with academic services at NC State. Overall, of the services asked about, respondents were most satisfied with library and technology services. Training services for both the library and campus technology received lower ratings than the other library and technology services. Although still rated positively by majorities of respondents, lowest ratings were given to new student orientation services and to the bookstore.
• Large majorities of respondents gave positive ratings to each of the non-academic service areas asked about. Highest ratings were given to health services, with 36.2 percent rating this service as "excellent," opportunities for extra-curricular activities (33.2%), and personal counseling services (31.0%). Food services was least likely to be rated "excellent" (15.4%).
• Ratings for staff associated with the various non-academic services were generally slightly lower than those given to the service itself. An exception was that food services staff were rated more positively than food services in general.
• Over half (58.2%) of respondents had some form of financial aid at NC State. Majorities of all those with financial aid gave positive ratings to the customer service skills of financial aid staff.

Knowledge, Skills, and Personal Development

• Over 40 percent of respondents said NC State had met their needs for personal growth (45.7%), and career training (41.8%) "very well."
• Three-fourths or more of respondents rated NC State’s contribution to 36 of 37 knowledge, skills and personal development goals as "good" or "excellent." In general, goals related to general education and personal development received higher ratings than goals related to students' world view.
• Respondents were most likely to say NC State contributed "very much" to their development of independence and self-reliance (58.2%), their potential for success (53.8%), personal growth (51.8%), and self-discipline (50.5%). Respondents were least likely to say NC State contributed "very much" to advancing their appreciation of the arts (28.5%), their sense of public responsibility and community service (29.2%), their understanding of the present as it relates to history (29.5%), and their writing (29.3%) and speaking skills (27.8%).

For more information on the 2008 Sophomore 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: April 2009

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