1999 Entering Transfer Student Survey:
All Respondents
(Report No. 3)

This overview presents findings from all transfer students responding to the 1999 New Transfer Student Survey. For information about the survey and analysis methods, see "1999 Entering Transfer Student Survey: Introduction, Methods, and Student Demographic Profile." Tables of responses by gender, race/ethnicity, and college are available on the Web.

Table of Contents:

Background Information:

Application Process:

Educational Intent and Interests:

Goals for Undergraduate Education:

Background Information

This section presents background information provided by transfer students who responded to the survey, including whether they expect to receive financial aid, information about their households, their employment plans, and other personal information.

Financial Aid (Table 3-1)

Transfer students indicated whether they expected to receive financial aid, including work-study, grants, loans, and scholarships. Nearly half of all respondents (47.3%) stated they expected some sort of financial aid. One-third of all respondents anticipate aid based on financial need. Table 3-1 presents the breakdowns of the types of financial aid respondents expect to receive.

Table 3-1: Types of Financial Aid

Basis of Aid

Students expecting
type of aid

% of Respondents

Financial Need

248

33.3%

Academic

90

12.1%

Other than listed

55

7.4%

Athletic

6

.8%

Other (dance, music, etc.)

2

.3%

Note: Respondents could list more than one type of aid.
Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Student and Parent/Guardian Income (Table 3-2)

Students were given 14 income brackets ranging from under $10,000 to over $200,000 per year and asked to indicate which best described both their own and their parents' or guardians' combined 1998 pre-tax income. Over forty percent of respondents (41.7%) said their own income was $10,000 or less. In contrast, half of respondents (50.7%) said their parents' or guardians' income exceeded $60,000, and 17.6 percent said it was over $100,000.

Table 3-2: Student and Parent Income

Pre-tax Income

Students' Income

Parents' Combined Income


n

%

n

%

$10,000 or less

126

41.7%

10

2.1%

$10,001-$15,000

43

14.2%

12

2.6%

$15,001-$20,000

32

10.6%

12

2.6%

$20,001-$25,000

28

9.3%

14

3.0%

$25,001-$30,000

18

6.0%

14

3.0%

$30,001-$35,000

19

6.3%

28

6.0%

$35,001-$40,000

13

4.3%

34

7.3%

$40,001-$50,000

8

2.6%

56

12.0%

$50,001-$60,000

2

0.7%

50

10.7%

$60,001-$75,000

6

2.0%

68

14.6%

$75,001-$100,000

4

1.3%

86

18.5%

$100,001-$150,000

1

0.3%

49

10.5%

$150,001-$200,000

1

0.3%

21

4.5%

$200,000 plus

1

0.3%

12

2.6%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Parent/Guardian Education (Tables 3-3 and 3-4)

Respondents were asked to report the educational attainment of both their father/male guardian and their mother/female guardian. Almost half of respondents (44.6%) reported that their father/male guardian had a baccalaureate degree or higher. Slightly more than one-third (34.8%) reported that their mother/female guardian had at least a baccalaureate degree. Around five percent of respondents reported that mothers/female guardians and fathers/male guardians did not complete a high school degree.

Table 3-4 shows that about 30 percent of respondents reported that at least one parent/guardian had never attended college, and nearly 18 percent of respondents (17.5%) qualify as first generation students, with neither parent/guardian having attended college.

Table 3-3: Parent/Guardian Educational Attainment

Level of Education

% Fathers/Male Guardians Attaining

% Mothers/Female Guardians Attaining

Less than high school

5.4%

4.9%

High school graduate

21.9%

25.7%

Some college/no degree

13.7%

16.7%

Associate degree/certificate

14.5%

17.8%

4 yr. baccalaureate degree

26.6%

22.1%

Some graduate school

2.5%

3.0%

Master's degree

9.8%

7.5%

Doctorate or other prof. degree

5.7%

2.2%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Table 3-4: First Generation Students

No College

n

%

Father/male guardian

197

27.2%

Mother/female guardian

223

30.6%

Neither parent(s)/ guardian(s)

129

17.5%

Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Preparation for College (Table 3-5)

Over half of respondents said they were well prepared for college by their last institution (54.5%) and on their own (53.0%). While few respondents felt poorly prepared for college by previous schools and self-preparation, respondents were less satisfied with their high schools. About one-fifth (20.5%) said their high schools had prepared them poorly, and only one-third (32.3%) said they were well prepared for college by their high schools.

Table 3-5: Preparation for College

Source of Preparation

Poorly prepared
%

Adequately prepared
%

Well prepared

%

High school

20.5%

47.2%

32.3%

Last institution

5.1%

40.4%

54.5%

Self

3.2%

43.8%

53.0%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Religious Preference (Table 3-6)

The religious preference most often reported by respondents was Baptist (26.0%), followed by Catholic (13.8%), and Methodist (11.0%). Over one-fifth of respondents (21.9%) selected the "no preference" option.

Table 3-6: Religious Preferences

Religious preference

n

%

Baptist

185

26.0%

Catholic

98

13.8%

Methodist

78

11.0%

Other*

70

9.8%

Presbyterian

45

6.3%

Episcopal

20

2.8%

Lutheran

20

2.8%

Islamic

13

1.8%

Hindu

8

1.1%

Disciples of Christ

5

0.7%

Latter-Day Saints

5

0.7%

Unitarian

4

0.6%

Jewish

3

0.4%

Moravian

2

0.3%

No Preference

156

21.9%

*Respondents could write in a denomination or religion.
Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Intended Work Community (Table 3-7)

Respondents were asked to indicate the general location in which they intend to seek employment after graduation. While 37 percent said they would work anywhere, over one-fifth (21.0%) intend to seek work exclusively in North Carolina.

Table 3-7: Intended Work Community

Location of future employment

n

%

Anywhere

270

37.0%

In North Carolina

153

21.0%

Outside NC but in USA

244

33.4%

Outside the USA

8

1.1%

Will not seek employment

55

7.5%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Application Process

This section of the report explores transfer students??? experience with the application process and examines those factors students considered influential in their decision to attend NC State.

Number of Institutions Previously Attended (Table 3-8)

Over two-thirds of respondents (67.1%) said they had attended only one other institution before enrolling at NC State. About one-fifth (21.7%) had attended two other institutions.

Table 3-8: Number of Institutions Previously Attended

Number of schools

n

%

One

488

67.1%

Two

158

21.7%

Three

56

7.7%

Four

18

2.5%

Five or more

7

1.0%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Factors Influencing Attendance Decision (Table 3-9)

Respondents indicated the extent to which each of 19 factors influenced their decision to attend NC State. Their ratings were based on a scale from 5 = "very strong influence" to 1 = "very weak influence." Respondents who selected "not applicable" were not used in these calculations. On average, students were most likely to have said that academic reputation (mean rating = 4.0), availability of program (4.0), and location (3.9) were strong influences in their decision to attend NC State.

Respondents were also asked to indicate the single most influential factor in their decision to attend NC State. Almost one-fourth (23.7%) said "availability of program" was most influential, while an additional two-fifths of respondents cited "location" (21.3%) and "academic reputation" (20.2%).

Table 3-9: Factors Influencing Decision to Attend NC State

Factor

Mean

5: Very strong influence
%

4: Strong influence
%

3: Moderate influence
%

2: Weak influence
%

1: Very weak influence
%

% rating most influential

Academic reputation (n=731)

4.0

30.1%

41.3%

24.5%

2.5%

1.6%

20.2%

Availability of program (n=722)

4.0

42.2%

27.1%

23.3%

5.1%

2.2%

23.7%

Location (n=738)

3.9

39.4%

28.6%

19.4%

8.5%

4.1%

21.3%

Level of support for my intended major (n=700)

3.7

27.6%

32.3%

27.0%

8.7%

4.4%

10.3%

Facilities and resources available (n=711)

3.6

21.2%

35.0%

30.1%

8.7%

4.9%

1.8%

Recommended by friend, etc. (n=617)

3.4

21.6%

24.6%

31.3%

13.3%

9.2%

3.5%

Contact with a current student (n=528)

3.2

19.5%

25.8%

26.1%

14.6%

14.0%

3.8%

Cost (n=697)

3.1

14.8%

21.8%

36.7%

14.8%

11.9%

5.5%

Campus visit prior to orientation (n=488)

2.9

11.1%

24.2%

28.5%

19.9%

16.4%

0.8%

Contact with a graduate (n=423)

2.9

13.0%

21.7%

27.9%

18.4%

18.9%

1.3%

Number of hours transferred/credited (n=657)

2.8

9.4%

18.6%

31.7%

20.7%

19.6%

1.1%

Extracurricular opportunities (n=491)

2.8

8.4%

19.1%

33.6%

17.3%

21.6%

1.1%

Scholarships/financial aid available (n=601)

2.7

9.0%

15.0%

32.9%

25.0%

18.1%

0.3%

Size (n = 680)

2.6

5.9%

14.1%

34.7%

27.8%

17.5%

1.0%

Contact with a faculty/staff member (n=380)

2.6

9.5%

13.2%

25.5%

28.2%

23.7%

0.8%

Publications from NC State (n=371)

2.3

1.9%

10.0%

37.7%

21.3%

29.1%

0.0%

Letter from someone other than Admissions Office (n=262)

2.2

3.1%

9.5%

26.0%

29.0%

32.4%

0.0%

Attendance at a college fair (n=234)

2.1

2.6%

11.5%

20.5%

26.9%

38.5%

0.0%

Other* (n=51)

4.3

68.6%

7.8%

13.7%

2.0%

7.8%

3.4%

*Respondents could write in an alternate factor.
Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Satisfaction with Admissions (Table 3-10)

Survey respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction with the quality of various aspects of the NC State admissions process, using a scale from 4 = "very satisfied" to 1 = "very dissatisfied." Respondents who checked "don???t know/did not use" were not included in the analyses. The majority of respondents said they were either "very" or "moderately satisfied" with university (83.4%) and departmental (89.0%) admissions. Fewer respondents were as satisfied with the financial aid process (70.1%).

Table 3-10: Satisfaction with Admissions Processes

Admissions processes

Mean

4: Very satisfied
%

3: Moderately satisfied
%

2: Moderately dissatisfied
%

1: Very dissatisfied
%

University admissions process

3.2

36.8%

46.6%

12.8%

3.8%

Departmental admissions process

3.3

42.6%

46.4%

8.1%

2.8%

Univ. Financial Aid process

2.8

18.8%

51.3%

22.0%

7.9%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Transfer of Credit Hours (Table 3-11)

About three-fourths of respondents (74.4%) said the number of classes that transferred was about what NC State had led them to believe would transfer, and another 12.8 percent said it was more than they had expected. This is similar to the way students rated the credit transfer predictions made by their previous institutions.

Table 3-11: Transfer of Credit Hours

Transfer of credit hours

More than I expected
%

About what I
expected
%

Less than I expected
%

According to: previous institution

17.0%

68.1%

14.9%

According to: NCSU

12.8%

74.4%

12.8%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Educational Intent and Interests

This section of the report focuses on the respondents??? educational intent and interests. Specifically, it explores their interest in student affairs, their enrollment status, how long they expect it will take them to complete their degree, and their plans for further education. How certain the respondents were of their major at the time of the survey and the number of hours they expect to be employed during their first semester at NC State are also reported.

Student Affairs (Table 3-12)

Survey respondents identified the co-curricular programs and activities in which they were interested from a list of 27 such options at NC State. Greatest interest was indicated for fitness (45.7%), outdoor adventures (37.1%), intramurals (35.2%), and co-op (cooperative education) program (33.5%).

Table 3-12: NC State Co-curricular Programs/Activities

Program/Activity

n Expressing interest

% Expressing interest

Fitness (aerobics, walking, etc.)

340

45.7%

Outdoor adventures

276

37.1%

Intramurals

262

35.2%

Co-op program

249

33.5%

Volunteer services

177

23.8%

Theatre participation as audience

170

22.8%

Study abroad/student exchange

165

22.2%

Club sports

164

22.0%

Attending art exhibitions

133

17.9%

Social fraternity/sorority

122

16.4%

Healthy lifestyles issues

121

16.3%

Indoor recreation

105

14.1%

Student government

97

13.0%

Selecting performing arts attractions

97

13.0%

Student publications/media

82

11.0%

Student leadership development program

82

11.0%

The Crafts Center programs/classes

81

10.9%

Informal recreation

78

10.5%

Gender issues

63

8.5%

Music minor, bands, choirs, etc.

61

8.2%

Planning programs and services for children

61

8.2%

Union activities board programs/activities

56

7.5%

Theatre participation as artist

56

7.5%

Student Dance Companies

54

7.3%

Student judicial board

32

4.3%

Residence hall councils

27

3.6%

ROTC

26

3.5%

Note: Respondents could list more than one activity.
Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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First Semester Enrollment Status (Tables 3-13 and 3-14)

Respondents were asked to report the number of credit hours for which they were enrolled during their first semester at NC State. A slight majority (55.7%) said they would be taking 15 credit hours or more.

Of those reporting less than a 15 credit hour enrollment status (n = 304), the most frequently reported reasons were "need to work" (57.9%) and "want to make better grades" (49.3%).

Table 3-13: Enrollment Status

Enrollment status

n

%

15 credit hours of classes or more

383

55.7%

12-14 credit hours of classes

250

36.4%

Less than 12 credit hours of classes

54

7.9%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Table 3-14: Reasons for Less than 15 Credit Hour Enrollment Status

Reason

n

%

Yes: reported

Need to work

176

57.9%

Want to make better grades

150

49.3%

Courses wanted unavailable

69

22.7%

Family responsibilities

44

14.5%

Advisor suggested lighter load

45

14.8%

Too much with another big course

41

13.5%

Other reason*

32

10.5%

Did not need more courses

12

4.0%

Was doing internship, co-op, etc.

4

1.3%

*Respondents could write in a reason.
Note: Respondents could choose more than one reason.

Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Amount of Time to Complete Degree (Table 3-15)

The majority of entering transfer students (88.3%) expect to earn their baccalaureate degree in three years or less after arriving at NC State.

Table 3-15: Amount of Time to Complete Degree

Intended time

n

%

1 year

10

1.3%

2 years

344

46.4%

3 years

301

40.6%

4 years

69

9.3%

More than 4 years

14

1.9%

Will not complete Bachelor's

3

0.4%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Highest Level of Education (Table 3-16)

Nearly half of respondents (45.5%) plan to attain a master???s degree as their highest level of education. Almost three-fourths of respondents (71.3%) plan to pursue education beyond a baccalaureate degree.

Table 3-16: Highest Level of Education Intended

Level of education planned

n

%

Bachelor's degree

212

28.7%

Master's degree

336

45.5%

Doctoral degree

96

13.0%

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

39

5.3%

Other professional degree

55

7.5%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Goals and Objectives at NC State (Tables 3-17 and 3-18)

In keeping with the high frequency of respondents anticipating a graduate education, the most frequently reported primary goal in attending NC State was "to obtain a bachelor???s degree as preparation for graduate or professional school" (47.2%). The next most common objective was "to obtain a bachelor???s degree as preparation for a new career or profession" (40.4%). A large majority of respondents said they were "very certain" or "certain" in their choice of college major (84.3%).

Table 3-17: Goals and Objectives at NC State

Goal in attending NC State

n

%

Obtain a bachelor's degree/cert. only

69

9.3%

BA for graduate school preparation

349

47.2%

BA for career preparation

299

40.4%

Improve skills for current profession

7

0.9%

Take courses for personal interest

1

0.1%

Other

15

2.0%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Table 3-18: Certainty of College Major

Certainty of college major

n

%

Very certain

349

47.0%

Certain

277

37.3%

Uncertain

102

13.7%

Very uncertain

15

2.0%

Comparisons and Frequencies: Gender/Ethnicity, College
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First Semester Employment Plans (Table 3-19)

Respondents were asked to report the number of hours they intended to work during their first semester at NC State. Less than one-third (28.7%) do not plan on being employed, while 31.7 percent plan on working 20 hours or more each week.

Table 3-19: First Semester Employment Plans

Semester employment

n

%

Less than 20 hrs/wk

289

39.5%

20 or more hrs/wk

232

31.7%

Do not plan to work

210

28.7%

Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Goals for Undergraduate Education

This section presents information about respondents??? educational goals. The 35 goals asked about related to personal development, general education, and world views. Tables 3-20 and 3-21 present respondents??? mean ratings of each goal.

Respondents were asked to rate their current level of development on each goal and how important the goal is to them right now. Current level of development was rated on a scale from 5 = "very high" to 1 = "very low." Goal importance was rated on a scale from 5 = "very important" to 1 = "not important." "Don???t know" responses in both current development and importance ratings were excluded from the analysis.

Overall, personal development goals tended to receive higher mean ratings on current development than did the other areas, with 7 of the 10 highest mean ratings. Two of the world view goals, however, had the third and fourth highest mean ratings for current development. The four highest mean ratings were for taking responsibility for my own behavior (4.44), viewing learning as a lifelong process (4.25), valuing racial equity (4.16), and valuing gender equity (4.10).

Ratings of goal importance were consistently higher than ratings of current development. Again, personal development goals were given higher ratings than those related to general education and world views (9 of 10 highest mean ratings for importance). The four highest average importance ratings were for taking responsibility for my own behavior (4.61), having self-discipline (4.60), having self-confidence (4.59), and managing my time (4.58).

Table 3-20: Current Development

General Education Goals

Mean Development*

Plan/carry out projects independently

3.84

Good listening skills

3.80

Broad general education

3.71

Good reading comprehension skills

3.69

Critically analyze information

3.66

Understand scientific influence

3.61

Communicate in writing

3.59

Understand diverse cultures

3.54

Apply mathematics skills

3.53

Communicate ideas orally

3.50

Develop computer skills

3.42

Apply scientific principles

3.31

Personal Development Goals

Mean Development*

Taking responsibility for behavior

4.44

Viewing learning as lifelong

4.25

Being independent and self-reliant

4.06

Acting upon ethical principles

4.05

Function as part of a team

3.95

Understanding own abilities and interests

3.93

Clarifying personal identity

3.78

Having self-discipline

3.78

Realizing my potential for success

3.77

Having self-confidence

3.72

Coping with change

3.72

Improving leadership/management skills

3.63

Commitment to health and fitness

3.56

Handling stress

3.52

Managing my time

3.46

Involved with public/community affairs

3.14

World View Goals

Mean Development*

Valuing racial equity

4.16

Valuing gender equity

4.10

Interact with diverse people

3.86

Tolerance for different views

3.84

World problems/issues

3.44

Appreciation of the arts

3.41

Present as it relates to history

3.37

*Means based on a scale from 1 = "very low" to 5 = "very high."
Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Table 3-21: Goal Importance

General Education Goals

Mean Importance*

Develop computer skills

4.47

Plan/carry out project independently

4.39

Communicate ideas orally

4.37

Good listening skills

4.37

Good reading comprehension skills

4.27

Critically analyze information

4.23

Broad general education

4.21

Apply mathematics skills

4.21

Communicate in writing

4.16

Understand scientific influence

4.11

Apply scientific principles

3.96

Understand diverse cultures

3.96

Personal Development Goals

Mean Importance*

Taking responsibility for behavior

4.61

Having self-discipline

4.60

Having self-confidence

4.59

Managing my time

4.58

Realizing my potential for success

4.52

Handling stress

4.52

Being independent and self-reliant

4.49

Understanding own abilities and interests

4.46

Viewing learning as lifelong

4.43

Function as part of a team

4.42

Improving leadership/management skills

4.41

Commitment to health and fitness

4.38

Acting upon ethical principles

4.32

Coping with change

4.29

Clarifying personal identity

4.26

Involved with public/community affairs

3.86

World View Goals

Mean Importance*

Tolerance for different views

4.34

Valuing racial equity

4.33

Interact with diverse people

4.29

Valuing gender equity

4.27

World problems/issues

4.10

Present as it relates to history

3.88

Appreciation of the arts

3.85

*Means based on a scale from 1 = "very unimportant" to 5 = "very important."
Comparisons and Frequencies:
Gender/Ethnicity, College
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Comparing Average Ratings for Current Development and Importance of Goals (Chart 3-1)

Considerable variation exists in mean ratings of importance and development for each goal rated by survey respondents. These differences reveal potentially important aspects of students' goal orientation. Chart 3-1 graphically displays the inconsistencies in mean ratings of importance and development. The data points cluster on the lower right side of the chart, reflecting the fact that importance was consistently rated higher than current development.

The upper right quadrant contains goals that are rated relatively high in both importance and development. Thus, goals falling in this quadrant are those that respondents feel are particularly important and on which they feel they have made a good start. Especially noteworthy is number 13, taking responsibility for my own behavior.

Goals in the lower right quadrant were rated high in importance but comparatively lower in development. These are goals that are important for students, but which they feel have not been developed to the same extent as other goals. Most prominent is number 27, managing my time. Other goals in this quadrant include developing computer skills (9) and handling stress (26). In general, these items represent areas which students value and wish to improve upon.

Goals in the lower left quadrant were rated lower in both importance and development than many of the other goals. In general, the respondents are less concerned about these areas. Involved with public and community affairs (18) has a noticeably lower average development rating than the other goals.

Chart 3-1: Scatterplot of Goal Development and Importance Ratings

1 Acquiring a broad general education

19 Understanding own abilities/interests

2 Ability to communicate ideas in writing

20 Commitment to health and fitness

3 Ability to communicate ideas orally

21 Having self-confidence

4 Developing good listening skills

22 Realizing my potential for success

5 Developing reading comp. skills

23 Clarifying personal identity

6 Ability to apply math skills

24 Coping with change

7 Understanding scientific influence

25 Being independent and self-reliant

8 Apply scientific principles

26 Handling stress

9 Developing computer skills

27 Managing my time

10 Critically analyze info.

28 Having self-discipline

11 Plan/carry out project independently

29 World problems/issues

12 Understanding diverse cultures

30 Present as it relates to history

13 Taking responsibility for behavior

31 Interact with diverse people

14 Learning as lifelong process

32 Appreciation of the arts

15 Acting on ethical principles

33 Tolerance for different views

16 Leadership/management skills

34 Valuing gender equity

17 Function as part of a team

35 Valuing racial equity

18 Involved with public and comm. affairs

 

Goal development and importance by rank order: Gender/Ethnicity
Comparisons: Gender/Ethnicity
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For more information on the 1999 Entering Transfer Student Survey contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
E-mail: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu

Posted:

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