UCSC Graduation Survey 2003
Advising
During the 2003 spring quarter undergraduates who filed an on-time petition to graduate
were invited to participate in an on-line graduation survey. Of the 2,006 filers, 690
answered at least part of the survey, for an overall response rate of 34%. Among other
topics, the survey included a section on advising. Students were asked both to rate the
overall quality of advising at UC Santa Cruz, and to indicate from whom they received
various types of academic advice and the quality of the advice they received.
Descriptive statistics for each of the advising items are presented below.
In general, students were enthusiastic about the academic advising they received from
faculty as well as departmental and college staff, but less so about career and graduate
school advising. In terms of selecting classes, and to a lesser extent selecting a major,
students tended to seek more advice from other students than from faculty and other
college personnel. They received the most advice about choosing a career from parents
and family. Overall, the advice students did receive from faculty and other advising staff
was rated favorably.
1) Please rate the quality of the advising that you received while enrolled at UCSC.
Very
Excellent
Mean
Good
(5)
(4)
Standard
Deviation
N
Poor
(1)
Fair
(2)
Good
(3)
Effectiveness/Helpfulness of
college advisors/preceptors
654
8%
16%
31%
27%
19%
3.35
1.18
Effectiveness/Helpfulness of
departmental staff in your major
654
2%
10%
25%
32%
31%
3.79
1.06
648
13%
25%
33%
18%
12%
2.91
1.18
636
13%
26%
28%
19%
13%
2.92
1.22
646
6%
20%
32%
28%
15%
3.26
1.11
Type
Faculty advising about careers
Faculty advising about graduate
school
Academic advising by faculty
Institutional Research and Policy Studies – October 2004
1
2) In terms of selecting a major please indicate how much advice you received from
the various people in your life as well as the quality of the advice you received.
Amount
Other Students
Parents and Family
Faculty
College Advisors/ Preceptors
Quality
(if received advice)
Other Students
Parents and Family
Faculty
College Advisors/ Preceptors
N
587
594
590
592
None
(1)
29%
33%
40%
47%
Some Quite a Bit
(2)
(3)
36%
20%
39%
17%
38%
15%
38%
11%
A lot
(4)
15%
11%
7%
3%
336
Poor
(1)
6%
Fair
(2)
21%
Good
(3)
53%
Excellent
(4)
20%
311
286
314
3%
4%
9%
23%
24%
35%
53%
51%
44%
20%
21%
12%
N
Mean
2.21
2.07
1.89
1.71
Standard
Deviation
1.02
0.98
0.90
0.80
2.94
Standard
Deviation
0.69
2.91
2.90
2.6
0.75
0.76
0.81
Mean
3) In terms of selecting General Education classes please indicate how much advice
you received from the various people in your life as well as the quality of the advice
you received.
Amount
Other Students
Faculty
College Advisors/ Preceptors
Department Advisors
Quality
(if received advice)
Other Students
Faculty
College Advisors/ Preceptors
Department Advisors
N
637
633
633
632
N
499
245
185
245
None
(1)
16%
59%
53%
59%
Poor
(1)
1%
<1%
8%
2%
Some Quite a Bit
(2)
(3)
33%
28%
34%
6%
35%
10%
30%
9%
Fair
(2)
17%
33%
30%
29%
Institutional Research and Policy Studies – October 2004
Good
(3)
55%
58%
49%
54%
A lot
(4)
23%
2%
2%
3%
Excellent
(4)
27%
9%
12%
14%
Mean
2.57
1.50
1.61
1.56
Mean
3.07
2.76
2.66
2.80
Standard
Deviation
1.02
0.68
0.75
0.77
Standard
Deviation
0.70
0.61
0.80
0.70
2
4) In terms of selecting classes in Your Major please indicate how much advice you
received from the various people in your life as well as the quality of the advice you
received.
Amount
Other Students
Faculty
College Advisors/Preceptors
Departmental Advisors
N
None
Some Quite a Bit
638
636
635
629
11%
24%
64%
31%
33%
42%
27%
36%
A lot
Mean
31%
25%
6%
24%
25%
9%
3%
9%
2.57
1.50
1.61
1.56
Standard
Deviation
1.02
0.68
0.75
0.77
Quality
(if received advice)
Other Students
N
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
Mean
535
<1%
11%
49%
39%
3.28
Standard
Deviation
0.66
Faculty
College Advisors/Preceptors
Departmental Advisors
455
210
409
1%
5%
2%
15%
35%
21%
58%
42%
50%
26%
17%
28%
3.09
2.71
3.03
0.66
0.81
0.75
5) In terms of choosing a career direction please indicate how much advice you
received from the various people in your life as well as the quality of the advice you
received.
Amount
Other Students
Parents and Family
Faculty
College Advisors/Preceptors
Departmental Advisors
Career Center Counselors
Quality
(if received advice)
Other Students
Parents and Family
Faculty
College Advisors/Preceptors
Departmental Advisors
Career Center Counselors
N
None
Some Quite a Bit
A lot
Mean
637
637
633
632
636
627
39%
26%
40%
73%
60%
65%
38%
37%
39%
20%
29%
23%
15%
24%
15%
6%
8%
7%
8%
13%
6%
1%
3%
4%
1.92
2.24
1.88
1.35
1.54
1.51
N
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
Mean
368
442
356
157
242
205
2%
4%
3%
5%
4%
10%
30%
21%
24%
36%
32%
26%
52%
53%
53%
45%
48%
40%
16%
22%
21%
14%
16%
24%
2.82
2.93
2.91
2.69
2.76
2.79
Institutional Research and Policy Studies – October 2004
Standard
Deviation
0.92
0.98
0.89
0.65
0.77
0.82
Standard
Deviation
0.72
0.77
0.74
0.77
0.77
.93
3