THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
AT UC SANTA CRUZ
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine students' perceptions and evaluations of the academic and social
environment at UC Santa Cruz. Based on a review of the literature, other university environment studies
and the advice and consultation with representatives from several campus units, a broadly based
questionnaire was developed that focused on the academic and social environment of the University.
Separate sections in the twelve-page survey focused on background characteristics, student opinions and
values, social attitudes and activities, life on campus, academic attitudes and activities, barriers to progress
and personal experiences. The survey was mailed to all students of color and graduate students as well as a
large sample of all other students during the winter of 1990. Thirty-one percent (1,237) of the
questionnaires were returned. Results are reported separately for undergraduate students, graduate
students and freshpersons. Native juniors and junior transfer students are compared to see how their
perceptions of the academic and social environment differ. A fifth section explores how students from
different backgrounds describe and evaluate the campus environment. Undergraduate students' evaluations
of the social and academic environment were mixed, noting both positive and negative aspects of the
University environment. Advising was found to be a major problem, with few undergraduates receiving
advising and a third dissatisfied with the availability of advisors. Two-thirds of the graduate students were
satisfied with their boards of study and the quality of the instruction. Over half of the graduate students
reported frequent drug or alcohol use. Among freshpersons, over ninety percent rarely or never saw their
advisors. Few differences were found between native juniors and junior transfer students. Ethnic group
differences were found on 26 of the 37 scales in the survey, socioeconomic group differences on eight
scales, and gender differences on eight scales.
This report was prepared by the Institutional Research group in the Office of Planning and Budget. Major contributors to this
report included Harley Baker, Randy Nelson, Virgil Adams, Jane Delgado and Kay Wilder. Additional copies may be
requested from the Office of Planning and Budget, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064 [408 459-2446]. This report
was released in August 1992.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY......................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................6
METHOD ...............................................................................................................................................8
Survey Development ...........................................................................................................................8
Survey Respondents............................................................................................................................9
Weighting ...........................................................................................................................................9
Analysis............................................................................................................................................ 11
Development of Item Groups............................................................................................................. 11
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS............................................................ 14
Demographic Information.................................................................................................................. 14
Questionnaire Topics ........................................................................................................................ 15
Student Opinions and Values............................................................................................................. 15
Social Attitudes................................................................................................................................. 17
Social Activities................................................................................................................................ 19
Life on Campus ................................................................................................................................ 20
Academic Activities .......................................................................................................................... 20
Academic Attitudes........................................................................................................................... 21
Degree Progress ................................................................................................................................ 25
Barriers to Progress .......................................................................................................................... 25
Personal Experiences......................................................................................................................... 26
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ......................................................................... 28
Demographic Information.................................................................................................................. 28
Student Opinions and Values............................................................................................................. 29
Social Attitudes................................................................................................................................. 30
Social Activities................................................................................................................................ 31
Life on Campus ................................................................................................................................ 32
Academic Activities .......................................................................................................................... 32
Academic Attitudes........................................................................................................................... 33
Barriers to Progress .......................................................................................................................... 34
Personal Experiences......................................................................................................................... 36
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR FRESHPERSONS...................................................................................... 37
Demographic Information.................................................................................................................. 37
Student Opinions and Values............................................................................................................. 38
Social Attitudes................................................................................................................................. 38
Social Activities................................................................................................................................ 39
Life on Campus ................................................................................................................................ 41
Academic Activities .......................................................................................................................... 41
Academic Attitudes........................................................................................................................... 43
Barriers to Progress .......................................................................................................................... 44
Personal Experiences......................................................................................................................... 45
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS .......................................................................... 46
Demographic Information.................................................................................................................. 46
Student Opinions and Values............................................................................................................. 46
Social Attitudes................................................................................................................................. 47
Social Activities................................................................................................................................ 48
Life on Campus ................................................................................................................................ 48
Academic Activities .......................................................................................................................... 49
Barriers to Progress .......................................................................................................................... 49
DIVERSITY AND CAMPUS CLIMATE.............................................................................................. 50
Climate Differences Related to Ethnicity............................................................................................ 51
Student Opinions and Values............................................................................................................. 52
Social Attitudes................................................................................................................................. 53
Social Activities................................................................................................................................ 54
Life on Campus ................................................................................................................................ 54
Academic Activities .......................................................................................................................... 55
Academic Attitudes........................................................................................................................... 55
Barriers to Progress .......................................................................................................................... 55
Personal Experiences......................................................................................................................... 57
Summary Description of Ethnic Group Differences............................................................................ 58
Climate Differences Related to Socioeconomic Status........................................................................ 60
Climate Differences Related to Gender .............................................................................................. 61
Diversity and the Atmosphere at UCSC............................................................................................. 62
IMPLICATIONS................................................................................................................................... 65
Diversity, Multiculturalism and Backlash .......................................................................................... 65
Alcohol and Drug Use....................................................................................................................... 66
Opportunities for Informal Socializing............................................................................................... 66
Undergraduate Advising.................................................................................................................... 67
Academic Involvement and Collaborative Learning ........................................................................... 67
Financial Support for Graduate Students ........................................................................................... 67
APPENDIX A: Annotated Copy of the University Environment Survey................................................. 68
APPENDIX B: Weights Used to Equate the Sample and the Student Body Population............................ 81
APPENDIX C: Item Groupings and Scale Items.................................................................................... 82
The Academic and Social Environment at UC Santa Cruz
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A questionnaire designed to provide information about students' perceptions and evaluations of the UCSC
campus environment were sent to all students of color and graduate students and a random sample of all other
students. Of the 3,992 surveys sent to students, 1,237 (31%) were returned. The survey was administered during
the winter of 1990.
Findings are reported in five sections. The first three sections provide a general description of climate as
reported by (1) undergraduate students, (2) graduate students, and (3) freshpersons. The fourth section compares
junior transfer students with juniors who started as freshpersons at UCSC. The findings presented in the fifth
section explore how students from diverse ethnic, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds describe and evaluate
the campus environment. The problems that appeared to be most salient in students' evaluations and comments
were: diversity, multiculturalism and backlash; alcohol and drug use; opportunities for informal socializing;
advising, especially for freshpersons and junior transfer students; collaborative learning and academic
involvement; campus growth; and financial support for graduate students. Implications in each of these areas are
discussed in the final section of the report.
The percentages reported in this summary are based on those students who did not express neutral opinions.
Consequently, the percentages will not sum to 100% because many students were neutral on the questions in the
survey.
Campus Climate for Undergraduate Students
Over 900 undergraduate students completed the survey. Findings about the social environment indicated
that:
•
undergraduates more frequently engaged in social activities off-campus than on-campus (49% vs. 13%);
this discrepancy was not a result of dissatisfaction with on-campus social activities, as close to half
(42%) expressed satisfaction and only 16% expressed dissatisfaction;
•
drugs and alcohol were considered to be a problem at UCSC by almost half the undergraduates (41%),
even though a much smaller percentage reported using drugs or alcohol on a regular basis (13%); in
their comments, students elaborated about the seriousness of the problem and their concerns about
students' consumption of drugs and alcohol, some students also made suggestions how to deal with this
problem;
•
close to half (41%) of the undergraduates believed people received equal treatment regardless of sexual
orientation, gender or ethnicity; a quarter of the students (23%), however, did not believe there was
equal treatment on campus;
•
about half (45%) expressed feelings of belonging at UCSC, indicating that they felt socially integrated
on campus, while 19% did not express these feelings;
•
a third (36%) were satisfied and 15% were dissatisfied with their opportunities to meet and interact with
people from similar backgrounds;
•
19% were satisfied and 36% were dissatisfied with the food on campus; and,
•
1% frequently felt pressure to engage in unwanted activities (e.g., change political beliefs, engage in
unwanted sexual relationships, take drugs or drink alcohol) while 92% said they rarely or never
experienced such pressure.
The Academic and Social Environment
2
Undergraduates also described the academic environment at UCSC. The study found that
•
74% rarely or never saw their advisors; 23% were satisfied and at least 31% were dissatisfied with the
availability of their college and faculty advisors;
•
68% believed UCSC develops students' academic, analytical, creative and aesthetic abilities; with only
5% who disagreed;
•
66% were satisfied with narrative evaluations (NES) and only 10% were dissatisfied;
•
61% were satisfied with the quality of instruction, while only 4% expressed dissatisfaction
•
30% were satisfied with course access and 26% expressed dissatisfaction with course access;
•
26% frequently had contact with faculty members and 34% rarely made contact with faculty;
•
22% worked collaboratively with other students on projects while 47% rarely did so; and,
•
13% frequently engaged in unassigned class-related activities;
Potential barriers to progress were also explored. Six common barriers to progress were studied and
students were asked to check those which applied. Their responses indicated that
•
up to a quarter of the students might not graduate on-time because of a change of major, taking extra
courses, repeating courses, taking a reduced course load, or transferring to or from UCSC.
Students were also asked about other commonly reported difficulties, and whether they believed these would
increase their time-to-degree. Their answers showed that
•
fewer than 10% expected personal, academic, logistical, motivational or diversity problems to increase
their time-to-degree.
Students' comments throughout the survey revealed that many felt that campus growth was eroding the
quality of education at UCSC. These comments addressed academic issues such as course access and the quality of
both narrative evaluations and instruction.
Campus Climate for Graduate Students
Descriptions of the social environment were based on the 302 graduate students who returned the survey
and included:
•
50% were satisfied and 23% were dissatisfied with their housing situations;
•
49% were satisfied with their opportunities to interact with people from different ethnic backgrounds;
•
49% frequently interacted with people from different ethnic backgrounds;
•
39% believed that equal treatment is afforded all people at UCSC while 28% did not believe that equal
treatment is afforded all students;
•
33% were satisfied with the availability of on-campus social programs and events, yet only 2%
frequently attended such events;
•
32% were satisfied and 40% were dissatisfied with the noise level on-campus;
•
30% felt socially integrated and a feeling of belonging at UCSC and 20% did not feel socially
integrated;
•
26% were satisfied and 33% were dissatisfied with the food on-campus;
•
18% believed that drugs and alcohol are a problem at UCSC, and 8% reported regular use of drugs or
alcohol;
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
3
Graduate students' views of the academic environment were generally positive. According to their answers
on the questionnaire,
•
69% were satisfied while 10% were dissatisfied with their interactions with their boards of study;
•
65% were satisfied and 5% were dissatisfied with the quality of the instruction they received;
•
60% had a high degree of respect for UCSC as an academic institution, whereas 6% expressed low
levels of respect;
•
58% had high levels of involvement in their courses and 8% seemed relatively uninvolved in their
courses;
•
57% were satisfied with the availability of faculty advisors, even though only 17% frequently received
advising;
•
54% were satisfied and 20% were dissatisfied with the quality of the narrative evaluations; and
•
43% were satisfied and 22% were dissatisfied with course access.
Few graduate students expected personal problems (10%), logistical, academic, motivational or diversity
problems (all fewer than 3%) to slow their academic progress. Graduate students were concerned about financial
issues. Specifically, a number of graduate students indicated that they were quite concerned about not having
enough money to complete their education. It was suggested that teaching assistants and research assistants
require more money to live on while they attend school. Several graduate students suggested that the University
may be unconcerned about their financial welfare.
Campus Climate for Freshpersons
Based on the responses of the 238 freshpersons who completed the survey, the study found that:
•
55% were satisfied and 9% were dissatisfied with the availability of on-campus supplies;
•
53% felt like they belong and 14% did not feel like they belong at UCSC;
•
52% believed that all groups received equal treatment on campus and 11% felt some groups receive
unequal treatment;
•
50% were satisfied and 16% were dissatisfied with on-campus social events and programs;
•
49% frequently interacted with people from different backgrounds, and 45% were satisfied with these
opportunities;
•
48% felt there is a drug problem on campus, although only 8% reported frequent drug or alcohol
consumption;
•
43% were satisfied and 21% were dissatisfied with their housing;
•
21% were satisfied and 30% were dissatisfied with the food on campus; and,
•
13% frequently attended and 54% rarely attended on-campus social events; 15% frequently attended and
55% rarely attended off-campus social events.
On the academic environment:
•
92% rarely or never received academic advising, and many were dissatisfied with the availability of their
college advisor (31%) and faculty advisor (48%);
•
69% respected UCSC as a university that develops students' abilities, while only 2% disagreed;
•
57% were satisfied and 15% were dissatisfied with the narrative evaluations;
•
18% reported frequent contact with faculty members, and 50% reported rare contact;
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
4
•
15% engaged in collaborative learning activities with other students and 63% reported rarely working
collaboratively with other students; and
•
5% engaged in additional course work beyond that which was required in the course.
Like advanced standing students, freshpersons tended to doubt that problems or difficulties would slow their
degree progress. Specifically,
•
six percent or fewer of the freshpersons believed that personal, academic, logistical, motivational, and
diversity problems would slow their academic progress; and
•
up to 20% might not graduate on-time because of a change of major, taking extra courses, repeating
courses, taking a reduced course load, or transferring from UCSC.
Campus Climate for Junior Transfer Students
Compared with continuing juniors, junior transfer students
•
more often believed that equal treatment of all students occurs at UCSC, and had more frequent contact
with people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds; and,
•
felt less socially integrated at UCSC, collaborated less frequently with other students, and less frequently
attended on-campus social events and activities.
The Campus Environment and Diversity
Ethnic group differences in students' evaluation of the University's climate were found on 25 of the 37
scales (70%). Differences related to socioeconomic status (SES) were each found on 10 scales (27%), and genderrelated differences were found on 12 scales (32%). Ethnicity differences were found in all of the survey sections.
Comparisons among students of color suggested that
•
African American students reported having more problems with diversity issues, were not very satisfied
with the opportunities to interact with other students from their ethnic group, and were the least likely to
agree that all students were treated equally. They reported higher levels of anxiety and had the lowest
self-esteem. African American students felt alcohol and drug use was a greater problem on campus than
did other students. They were also more often dissatisfied with some elements of the academic climate,
rating the quality of interaction within their boards of study, course access, and availability of college
advisors lower than other students. In contrast, they attended more on-campus social events (and fewer
off-campus events), were more politically active, and felt more socially integrated than students in other
groups. They also had more contact with faculty and teaching assistants than other students.
•
Asian American students reported more academic problems than other students. They tended to be less
satisfied with the quality of narrative evaluations, the availability of their faculty advisors, and the
quality of their interactions within their boards of study. They reported the least involvement in offcampus activities, were infrequently involved in on-campus activities, and were dissatisfied with the
opportunities for informal socializing. They were more likely to feel that all students were treated fairly,
but were dissatisfied with their opportunities to interact with students of the same ethnicity.
• Caucasian students reported the fewest academic or personal problems. Fewer Caucasian
students felt that drug and alcohol use was a problem on campus and they reported the highest
level of use. They were the most likely to agree that all students were treated equally and reported the
least contact with students of different ethnicities. Caucasian students reported the highest level of
satisfaction with informal opportunities to socialize, and had the least involvement with on-campus
activities (they reported the highest level of off-campus activities); They had the highest satisfaction
with the quality of instruction, interaction with their board, and had the highest level of self-esteem.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
5
•
Chicano students reported more academic, motivational, and personal problems than students in other
groups. They were less satisfied with the availability of their faculty advisors, the quality of board
interactions, and the overall quality of instruction. They were also more likely to repeat courses. They
were dissatisfied with the opportunities for informal socializing and were less likely to agree that all
students were treated equally. Unlike the other ethnic/cultural groups, their dissatisfactions were not
counterbalanced by other areas of satisfaction.
•
Over one-fourth of Latino students reported that personal problems were affecting their academic
progress (one-third said that a change of major will cause them to take longer to graduate). They
reported higher satisfaction with the social opportunities than students in other groups (e.g., contact
with people in the same and different ethnic groups; informal socializing; and on-campus events). They
were more satisfied with the availability of their college and faculty advisors, and rated the academic
programs at UCSC higher than students in any other group. Latino students also reported higher levels
of anxiety and lower self esteem.
• Native American students reported fewer academic, diversity, motivational, or personal problems than
other groups. They were generally more satisfied with the social atmosphere (e.g., contact with people
from the same and different ethnic groups; social integration; students treated fairly). They were also
more satisfied with the academic atmosphere (e.g., quality of academic programs, availability of college
and faculty advisors; course availability; quality of interaction in their board; quality of instruction; the
narrative evaluation system). Native American students were more likely to have transferred to UCSC.
They were less likely to repeat a course, and more planned to take extra courses before graduating.
Native American students also reported higher self-esteem than students in other groups.
• Students who identified their ethnic/cultural group as 'Other' reported more motivational and diversity
problems. Compared with other groups, they were dissatisfied with opportunities for interaction with
people with similar and different ethnic backgrounds, reported the lowest level of social integration, and
were less likely to agree that all students received equal treatment. They were less satisfied with the
availability of their college and faculty advisors, and were more likely to take a reduced course load.
Other Minority students attended more off-campus events than students in other groups, and were more
likely to agree that drugs and alcohol were a problem on campus.
Except for Native American students, students of color reported more difficulties and problems than
Caucasian students. There were important differences between the levels of academic involvement and social
engagement in each group.
There were some differences in students' campus experiences that were related to their socioeconomic
background and gender, although they were far fewer than those related to ethnicity.
Implications and Discussion
The problems that were most salient in students' evaluations and comments were:
diversity,
multiculturalism, and backlash; alcohol and drug use; opportunities for informal socializing; advising, especially
for freshpersons and junior transfer students; collaborative learning and academic involvement; and financial
support for graduate students. Each of these topics and the implications for campus action are discussed in the
final section.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
6
INTRODUCTION
According to the California Postsecondary Education Commission, a college's academic and social
environment, or campus climate as it is frequently called,
is a complex and multifaceted concept. Virtually every and all aspects of the collegiate
environment comprise the climate. It follows, then, that to gain insights into the experiences
of institutional participants will require a comprehensive examination of the myriad
dimensions. . . that together constitute that climate.1
This paper reports the results of the UC Santa Cruz University Environment Study. Conducted
during the winter of 1990, the major purposes of the study were to provide information about how students
perceive the academic and social environment at the University and to identify areas that may need
improvement. A second report, which will be released later this year, will examine the relationship between
campus environment and student attrition. In addition, results from this study may serve as a baseline for
future studies of the effectiveness of academic and student service programs.
The findings are reported in five sections. The first three sections provide a general description of
climate as reported by undergraduate students, graduate students, and freshpersons. The results of
comparisons of junior transfer students with juniors who started at UCSC as freshpersons are presented in
the fourth section. The findings presented in the fifth section explore how students from diverse ethnic,
gender and socioeconomic backgrounds describe and evaluate the campus environment.
Because the study examined broad areas of the academic and social environment, this report should
be of interest to many segments of the University community. Diverse aspects of the social environment
are examined, such as students' beliefs about equal treatment of individuals, their feelings about alcohol
and drug use on campus, and their respect for UCSC 's academic programs. Other important aspects of the
social environment are reported, including students' sense of belonging at the University, their opportunities
for contact with people from diverse backgrounds, and their satisfaction with social events on campus. The
degree of satisfaction with some aspects of campus life, such as satisfaction with housing, food, the noise
level, and the availability of supplies on campus are also discussed. Academic issues like course
involvement, contact with faculty, attitudes toward collaborative learning, and satisfaction with advising
are addressed. Student satisfaction with the quality of instruction, interaction with the board, narrative
evaluations, as well as their feelings about course access, and access to computers are also included. Some
barriers that might impede students' progress are also examined.
While understanding and documenting the effects of the campus' academic and social environment is
important in its own right, it becomes especially important as the campus begins its self-study for
accreditation during the 1992-93 academic year. New accreditation standards make clear the necessity of
conducting studies of student satisfaction and campus climate, as these substantially affect the quality of
the education offered by a university.
Individuals from various segments of the University community provided thoughtful and valuable
contributions to this study: some suggested topics for inclusion in the study, some reviewed the initial
survey, some reviewed draft versions of this report, and a professor graciously allowed the initial survey to
be field tested in his class. We would like to thank these people for their help in this study:
1
California Postsecondary Education Commission, Assessing Campus Climate, 1991.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
Rick Allen, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services
Dennis Artman, Assistant Dean, Natural Sciences
Susan Burcaw, Assistant to The Vice Chancellor for Student Services
Max Camarillo, Counseling Psychologist
Amy Cho, Student Representative
Janice Crooks, Special Assistant to the Budget Director
Lee Duffus, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Services
Allen Fields, Director of SAA/EOP
David Harrington, Associate Professor of Psychology
Barbara Ige, Student Representative
Galen Jarvinen, Deputy Associate Chancellor for Planning and Budget
Dick Jensen, Assistant Academic Vice Chancellor
Robert Jorgensen, Assistant Dean, Social Sciences
Ziesel Kimura, Merrill College Administrative Officer
Keith Muscutt, Assistant Dean, Arts
Jim Newman, Assistant to the Dean of Graduate Studies
Arturo Pacheco, Former Dean of Student Services
Paulette Ratchford, Student Representative (??)
Cindi Smith, Assistant Dean, Humanities
Alice Williams, Director of Student Organization Advising and Resources
University of California, Santa Cruz
7
The Academic and Social Environment
8
METHOD
Survey Development
The survey was designed to address a broad range of topics related to the academic and social
aspects of the campus environment. To identify potential topic areas for the survey, numerous sources of
information about campus climate were reviewed. These sources included books and journal articles,
studies conducted at other UC campuses, and a large number of commercially available climate surveys.
The topics were synthesized and integrated and an initial survey was created. As the study was being
designed to examine the environment specifically at UCSC, the list of topics covered in the initial survey
were reviewed by representatives from varied segments of the campus community. The reviewers provided
a critique of the survey, and their comments were used to modify and add questions to the survey. After a
number of revisions, the survey was administered to a small sample of students. The survey was revised
further following suggestions provided by the students.
A relatively simple student development model (see Figure 1) was used to assist in survey
development and the analysis of the survey data.2 This model provided a simple analytical framework from
which to interpret the results. This framework is reflected throughout this report.
Figure 1
The Student Development Model
Social
Integration
Student
Characteristics
(Ethnicity, etc.)
Student
Aspirations
(Goals, Etc.)
Institutional
Outcomes
(Satisfaction,
Persistence)
Environment
Academic
Integration
The final survey (see Appendix A) asked questions in six broad topic areas. These topic areas were
further subdivided into smaller sections containing similar questions. For example, questions about
academic integration were asked in two sections of the survey, Academic Activities and Academic
Attitudes. The focus of the section on student activities centered on students' involvement in various
academically-related activities. The focus of the section on attitudes concerned students' satisfaction with
the academic environment. Rather than concentrate on a few aspects within each section, questions were
designed to assess as many facets as possible. While this approach added breadth to the survey, it also
limited the conclusions that could be drawn. The information provided by this survey is useful for outlining
and identifying students' evaluations of campus climate and for suggesting broad areas that need
improvement. It is less useful for making specific recommendations about what services or programs need
to be improved, or how they could be improved
2
Pace, C. R. (1984) Measuring the quality of college student experiences. Los Angeles: Higher Education
Research Institute.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
9
The survey contained nine major sections: background and demographic characteristics, academic
activities, student opinions and values, academic attitudes, social attitudes, barriers to progress, social
activities, personal experiences, and life on campus. Questions in two sections were grouped into
subsections. The survey also contained an optional blank for students to fill in their names. Students who
provided their names were eligible to win prizes in a drawing. The first-place prize was a $200 gift
certificate at the Bay Tree Bookstore. Two second-place certificates for $100 were also awarded. These
incentives were offered to students for two reasons: to increase the number of students who responded to
the survey, and provide the names of students for follow-up studies.
Survey Respondents
Surveys were sent to all graduate students and students of color to assure that as many surveys from
those students would be returned as possible. A random sample of one-fourth of all other students received
the survey. A total of 3,992 surveys were mailed to students; 1,237 (31%) were returned. The response
rate was typical of surveys of UCSC students. Given the length and breadth of the present survey, 31%
was considered to be an adequate response rate.
Weighting
Because of the disproportionate sampling, some student groups had a greater opportunity for
participation than other student groups. Consequently, without adjustment, the results would reflect this
disproportionate sampling strategy. In order to compensate, weights were used to adjust the results so that
they were not affected by the disproportionate sampling. Weights compensate by adjusting the degree of
influence each segment has in the sample. This adjustment is based on the number of respondents in the
sample and the number in the population. The weighted sample, by correcting for disproportionate
sampling, provides a better representation of the population than the unweighted sample. In this study, the
weights were based on gender and ethnicity. Appendix B reports the weights, sample, and population
proportion for each gender and ethnicity combination. In this report, unless otherwise stated, results and
findings are based on the weighted sample.
Table 1 reports the results of selected demographic comparisons between all undergraduate students
and those who returned the questionnaire. As can be seen, the demographic characteristics of the sample
were fairly similar to those of all UCSC undergraduates. The only substantial difference was age, where
significantly more 18 to 20 year old students and significantly fewer 21 to 23 year-olds were in the sample
than in the population. The similarities suggest that the sample was representative of UCSC undergraduate
students.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
10
Table 1
Comparison of the Weighted Sample and Undergraduate Students
on Selected Demographic Characteristics
Demographic Characteristic
Gender
Female
Male
Sample
Percentage
All Undergraduates
Percentage
55.1%
44.9%
54.4%
45.6%
1.2%
57.6%
32.7%
3.7%
1.4%
1.1%
1.0%
1.4%
.1%
33.7%
48.0%
7.6%
4.0%
2.8%
1.0%
2.8%
College
Cowell
Stevenson
Crown
Merrill
Porter
Kresge
Oakes
College 8
14.1%
11.3%
13.4%
16.1%
10.6%
13.6%
10.5%
10.4%
11.5%
10.5%
13.2%
13.1%
12.4%
11.4%
10.1%
8.5%
Class Level
Freshperson
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
23.7%
21.2%
26.5%
28.5%
21.8%
22.8%
26.9%
28.5%
Ethnicity
American Indian/Native American
Asian American
Black/African American
Caucasian/European American
Chicano
Latino
Other Minority
Decline to State
1.1%
9.5%
2.8%
71.3%
5.8%
2.8%
1.8%
4.9%
1.0%
9.6%
2.8%
70.8%
5.7%
2.9%
1.8%
5.3%
Age
Under 18
18 - 20
21 - 23
24 - 26
27 - 29
30 - 32
33 - 35
36 or older
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
11
Analysis
Percentages and averages were calculated for each of the item groups. When not all members of a
group were sent a copy of the questionnaire, the weighted results are reported; when all members of a
group were included in the study, the unweighted results are shown. In most cases, differences between
student groups (e.g., male/female or among ethnic groups) are reported if the differences were statistically
significant3 and have policy implications.
The average sampling error on the reported percentages is about 2.8 percent. This means that there
is a 95% chance that the actual population percentage is within 2.8% of the reported percentage from the
sample. If all UCSC students had completed the survey, the percentages based on the entire student body
would be similar of the percentages reported in this paper.
Development of Item Groups
Rather than analyze each individual item in the survey, item groups were created from items within
each section. Item groups were created by combining questions that assessed similar aspects of the campus
academic and social environments.4 These groups, along with the number of items in each group, and a
brief definition of what the item group measures are reported in Table 2. Appendix C lists the items that
comprise each item group.
Table 2
Descriptions of the Item Groups
Survey Sections and Item Groups
Number
of Items
Group Description
Student Opinions and Values
Alcohol and Drug Use
3
The perceived amount of drug and alcohol use
among students.
Equal Treatment
3
The perceived equal treatment students receive
regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, or
cultural/ethnic backgrounds.
Respect for UCSC
4
The degree of respect for UCSC as a university that
develops students' academic, analytical, creative and
aesthetic abilities.
Campus Programs and Events
3
Satisfaction with the variety of on-campus programs
and events.
Contact with Different Ethnicities
3
Satisfaction with the opportunities for contact with
people from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds.
Social Attitudes
3
Results based on the chi-squared (χ2) or analysis of variance comparisons are reported only if they meet the .05 level of
statistical significance.
4
Factor analysis was used to create the item groupings. Their adequacy was assessed by internal consistency analysis and
the degree to which the items were related conceptually. Coefficient α ranged from .57 to .92, with a median of .75.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
12
Table 2 (continued)
Survey Sections and Scales
Number
of Items
Scale Description
Social Attitudes (continued)
Contact with Similar Ethnicities
2
Satisfaction with the opportunity to interact with
people from similar cultural or ethnic backgrounds.
Informal Socializing
3
Satisfaction with the opportunities for informal
interactions with people.
Social Integration
4
Students' satisfaction with campus social life and
their feelings of belonging to the University, their
colleges and their residence halls or dorms.
Interacting With People From
Different Backgrounds
3
Frequency of interacting with people from different
cultural backgrounds.
Off-Campus Social Events
3
Frequency of socializing off campus.
On-Campus Social Events
6
Frequency of attending on-campus social and
cultural events.
Personal Drug Use
2
Frequency of alcohol and drug use.
Political Activities
5
Frequency of attending political events.
Satisfaction With Food
2
Satisfaction with food served in the restaurants and
shops on campus.
Satisfaction With Housing
2
Satisfaction with the quality of the residential living
areas.
Satisfaction With Noise Level
2
Satisfaction with the level of noise on campus.
Satisfaction With Supplies
2
Satisfaction with the availability of books and
supplies on campus.
Advising
3
Frequency of contact with advisors.
Collaborative Learning
2
Frequency of working or studying with other
students.
Contact With Faculty
3
Frequency of contact with faculty or teaching
assistants outside class.
Course Involvement
7
Degree of involvement with faculty, advisors, and
research.
Social Activities
Life on Campus
Academic Activities
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
13
Table 2 (continued)
Survey Sections and Scales
Number
of Items
Scale Description
Academic Attitudes
Access to Computers
6
Satisfaction with the availability and quality of
computing resources.
Access to Academic facilities
7
Satisfaction with the availability and quality of study
areas, laboratories, art facilities, and the classrooms.
Availability of College Advisor
2
Satisfaction with the college advisor.
Availability of Faculty Advisor
2
Satisfaction with the academic advisor.
Course Access
4
Satisfaction with course availability.
Quality of Board Interaction
3
Satisfaction with interaction with the major board.
Quality of Instruction
6
Satisfaction with the quality of instruction.
Quality of Narrative Evaluations
2
Satisfaction with the fairness and usefulness of the
narrative evaluations.
Academic Problems
7
Difficulties in academic areas that are likely to
impede progress toward graduation.
Diversity Problems
4
Difficulties that arise from issues of diversity, such
as sexual orientation or ethnicity that are likely to
impede progress toward graduation.
Logistics Problems
2
Difficulties arising from housing or parking that are
likely to impede progress toward graduation.
Motivational Problems
4
Difficulties that suggest motivational problems, such
as poorly defined goals or lack of interest, that are
likely to impede progress toward graduation.
Personal Problems
6
Difficulties of a personal nature, (e.g., health,
financial) that are likely to impede progress toward
graduation.
Anxiety
7
Feelings of anxiety and alienation.
Pressure
4
Pressure to engage in unwanted activities.
High Self-Esteem
4
Positive feelings toward one's self.
Barriers to Progress
Personal Experiences
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
14
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Demographic information on each student was collected as well as their views on the campus
climate. The demographic characteristics of the students and results from each part of the survey are
described for each group of students covered in this study (e.g., all undergraduates, freshpersons, etc.).
Weighted percentages are reported in the following section on all undergraduates.
Demographic Information
Students' experiences and cultural assumptions are likely to influence their perceptions of the
campus. To better understand the academic and social climate for undergraduate students, it is important
to understand the demographic characteristics of the respondents. These characteristics include social
identity (i.e., gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation), socioeconomic status (i.e., parental income,
financial aid status, work status, whether parents have attended college), residence (i.e., place of residence,
whether the student has lived on campus) and academic and educational goals (i.e., major, expected time to
degree).
Social Identity Characteristics
Social identity refers to characteristics that identify an individual as a member of various groups. The
social identity characteristics examined in this survey included gender, ethnicity, age, and sexual
orientation. The sample mirrors the population in gender and ethnicity, reflecting the influence of
weighting. The sample contained a higher proportion of 18-20 year-olds and fewer 21-23 year-olds than
the population. While these differences were considerable, they will probably not significantly bias the
results.5 Fewer than one-in-ten (9%) of the respondents identified themselves as reentry students. There
were very few disabled students (2%) in the sample. The sample percentages for these characteristics were
consistent with the population as a whole.
Socioeconomic Status Characteristics
On the annually administered ACE Freshman Survey, freshpersons at Santa Cruz consistently report
family incomes higher than the national average. In 1989, the median family income for Santa Cruz
freshpersons was $52,700. This is about 5% higher than the median family income reported by students in
this survey ($50,300). One reason for this difference may be that the ACE survey only studies
freshpersons, while this survey included students from all academic levels. The median income reported by
freshpersons on the this survey was $51,620.
About half of the undergraduate students were employed, whether on-campus (31%) or off-campus
(19%). These students averaged about 16 hours of work per week, with those working on-campus having a
lower average (13 hours) than those working off-campus (17 hours). A third (32%) of the students also
received some type of need-based financial aid. Financial aid recipients were more likely to work than
students who did not receive financial aid (64% vs. 49%). A lower percentage of the aid recipients worked
off-campus (13%) than did nonrecipient students (21%). Seven percent of the undergraduate students had
children, and over half of these students described themselves as single parents (5%). The respondents
5
To test whether the age differences would bias the results, the two age groups were compared on all of the scales in the
survey. There were statistically significant differences on only two scales, which is what would be expected by chance.
Further, while there were several significant correlations between age and the scales on the survey, they were all small and
suggested that age differences would not influence the results to any real extent.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
15
came primarily from college-educated families: a fifth of the students (21%) reported that they were the
first in their families to attend college.
Residence Information
Half of the students lived off-campus (48%). The rest lived in residence halls or apartments (49%),
Family Student Housing (1%), or other campus housing (2%). Of the students living off-campus, most
(76%) have lived on-campus previously.
Academic Characteristics
Students from each major were included in the sample. It should be noted that the sample differed
significantly from the population. The major difference was the significantly lower percentage of
undeclared majors in the sample than in the population. This is probably due to many officially undeclared
students listing their intended majors rather than listing themselves as undeclared. It is interesting that three
times as many students in the sample listed double or triple majors than was found in the population (18%
vs. 6%). This may also account for some of the discrepancies between the sample and the population
listings of major. Table 3 reports the majors by academic division. Double majors were counted once for
each major.
Table 3
Academic Majors of the Sample Respondents by Division
Academic Division
Arts Division
Percentage in Sample
6%
Humanities Division
20%
Natural Sciences Division
20%
Social Sciences Division
35%
Interdisciplinary
Individual/Undeclared/Undecided
2%
16%
Questionnaire Topics
Results are presented for each of the eight topic areas in the survey: Student Opinions and Values,
Social Attitudes, Social Activities, Life on Campus, Academic Activities, Academic Attitudes, Barriers to
Progress, and Personal Experiences.
Student Opinions and Values
The section on opinions and values contained general questions covering diverse issues and topics.
Three item groups were created from these items, Alcohol and Drug Use, Equal Treatment and Respect
for UCSC. The item groups were composed of items scored on a five-point scale from one (strongly
disagree) through three (neutral) to five (strongly agree). Students' responses are reported in Table 4.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
16
Table 4
Students' Responses on the Student Opinion and Values Scales6
Scale
Percent
Disagree
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Agree
Alcohol and Drug Use
17%
42%
41%
Equal Treatment
23%
36%
41%
5%
27%
68%
Respect for UCSC
Forty-one percent of the students believed there was a drug or alcohol problem at UCSC. Of these,
about a third of the respondents agreed, and almost ten percent strongly agreed, that alcohol and drugs use
was a problem. College residential staff were cited by several students as contributing to the problem. One
student wrote: "not to have to deal with the stupidity of people who abuse drugs and alcohol and RA's that
support that lifestyle would be wonderful." Some students offered ways to deal with the problem. For
example, a senior from Crown College said that he thought the "alcohol policy on campus is too strong. It
forces people off-campus to party, which means drinking and driving. I think UCSC should encourage
people to party on-campus instead of off-campus." Another student concurred that campus policy may be
too restrictive: "Alcohol and drugs are a problem on this campus, but making this a dry campus would
make things worse. Educating students about alcohol and addiction and having 'substance free' halls like
the ones at Porter are a good solution." This sentiment was echoed by a Cowell junior, who said: "the more
the campus shuts down Happy Hours, dorm parties, etc., the more likely people will be to turn to closet
drinking where they can really develop a problem -- I've seen it." She called on the administration to "allow
[students] to be the responsible adults we can be and you'll be surprised at the changes." One student
commented, however, that he didn't "believe students are beguiled or seduced by either [alcohol or drugs],
but that the level of their use-abuse depends on the current fashions. In other words, you can't do too much
about it except to maintain a basic level of vigilance -- put the money into lectures, field trips, and other
academically-oriented activities."
Students were about evenly divided on whether or not they receive equal treatment regardless of
gender, sexual orientation, or cultural/ethnic background. While close to half agreed that students receive
equal treatment, a fourth felt that they do not. Whether these students believed this as a result of their own
experiences, or because they have witnessed discrimination, is unclear. The nature of the unequal treatment
reported by students is also somewhat unclear. However, students' comments help to provide additional
information. In answering whether students receive equal treatment without regard to sexual orientation,
one student said: "by University policy, yes; by students, no." Several students said that males (particularly
white males) were discriminated against on this campus. Still other students echoed the comments made by
a female graduate student who said that she felt there was "an 'aura' or atmosphere of innuendo existing at
the university due to the large numbers of older tenured male faculty teaching to young, inexperienced
women." A younger female (age 20) concurred, stating that, "there is a lot of sexism" in my board.
A 31 year-old senior wondered why there were no "questions about age discrimination? UCSC is
geared toward 18 year-olds supported by Mommy and Daddy." The absence of age-related discrimination
questions was also noted by other students.
6
The strongly disagree and disagree responses were combined, as were the strongly agree and agree responses.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
17
A large number of comments were made about issues of diversity and equal treatment on this
campus. While many praised UCSC for the emphasis on diversity and in trying to create a multicultural
setting, some students felt that issues related to ethnicity were over-emphasized. This overemphasis was
seen as leading to unfair and unequal treatment. A student who described herself as "not homophobic or
racist in any way" felt that: "gays and students of color do get certain advantages and often too much." A
junior Economics major simply stated: "people of color are given preferential treatment." A female politics
major wrote:
My biggest problematic issue would have to be the 'ethnicity' one. I come from a family that
holds people as precious things - no matter what color or culture they are or come from.
Nobody, I learned, should be looked at or treated differently. I got the impression that UCSC
believed this; all people are equal regardless of any cultural differences. Now I feel like I've
been lied to and that is the biggest farce I will ever experience. I am happy that UCSC
promotes black (African) pride, Chicano pride, and Asian pride, etc. But I am very disturbed
that I am not being encouraged in the same way to be proud of my German/Lithuanian
heritage. Why? Because my skin isn't a different color Wake up. You can't keep believing
that it will help other cultures/races feel better to make the 'majority' feel guilty and thus, not
proud of their own cultures, and consequently, themselves.
Another student complained that he was "tired of hearing [about] ethnic or cultural boundaries. Nobody
realizes that everybody is equal in every respect. The University needs to help people realize what they are
-- the same as every other person on the street." This same theme was expressed with regard both to ethnic
and women's issues by a 20 year-old female who said
on one hand, it's good that gender/ethnic issues should be discussed openly and that people
are concerned. But on the whole, I think the emphasis is shoved in students' faces and can
present more problems than it cures. It would be nice not to have to specifically discuss
women's issues -- couldn't we just discuss human issues?
Two-thirds of the students felt that UCSC helped students to develop their academic, analytical,
creative and aesthetic abilities. A small group of students (5%) did not agree. A predominant theme ran
through the comments made by students with negative views of UCSC. For these students the image and
reputation of UCSC were quite important, as noted by a male biology major:
UCSC has a 'flaky' image. Too much effort is spent on having flashy statistics on
'progressive' sexual preferences, minority and gender programs (although these are important)
and less on tough academics. We should be more concerned that when people meet a graduate
from UCSC, that they expect somebody that's academically high-powered.
How students' views differed as a result of their ethnic backgrounds, gender, and socioeconomic
status is reported in the section on diversity.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
18
Social Attitudes
The seventeen social attitude questions addressed students' satisfaction with UCSC as a community.
Satisfaction with various aspects of the UCSC community were rated on a five-point scale ranging from
"very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied." Five scales were created from these items. Table 5 reports the
percentage of the students who expressed dissatisfaction and satisfaction in these areas.
Table 5
Students' Responses to the Social Attitudes Questions7
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
Campus Programs and Events
16%
42%
42%
Contact with Different Ethnicities
20%
42%
37%
Contact with Similar Ethnicities
15%
49%
36%
Informal Socializing
25%
47%
28%
Social Integration
19%
36%
45%
Scale
On the whole, most undergraduates were either neutral or satisfied with their social experiences at
UCSC. Of the issues examined, students were most satisfied with campus programs and events, and their
feelings of identification with their college, ethnic group, major, and campus. The most dissatisfaction was
expressed in students' opportunities to socialize informally with others and interact with people from
different ethnic backgrounds. Student dissatisfaction with the opportunities for informal socializing may be
a result of lack of space, as one student pointed out "there are not very many places where people can go
and relax or study with each other." These issues are discussed further in the section on diversity.
One-fifth of the undergraduates were dissatisfied with their feelings of belonging at UCSC.
Research on student persistence has found that such students have a lower likelihood of graduation than
students who feel socially integrated. This dissatisfaction is clearly expressed in the comment of a female
freshperson from Kresge College who said: "during the past quarter, I have felt that perhaps I don't fit in at
UCSC. I am unsure about majoring in theater arts, the quality of the Theater Arts Program at UCSC, and
whether I really want to continue going to college at all."
A number of other students also expressed feelings of alienation and not belonging here. A few
students even questioned whether or not there was even a group to which they might belong. As one
student said,
Such a great deal of focus is placed upon a large and diverse number of ethnic groups on this
campus that I automatically found myself asking to which 'group' I belonged. Several sources
(e.g. courses, student organizations, university organizations) were and are telling me
(assuming) that I belong to a middle to upper-class white background. Well, I don't, not
entirely. Certainly I come from a predominantly white background, but from the lower
classes. My mother was a single head of household raising three children on a nurse's income.
7
Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined together, as were very satisfied and satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
19
My grandfather and great uncles were all in the military and fought in WW II, but I was not
raised on a base or felt a military tradition influencing my home. Before the War, my family
came from the farmlands of Michigan and Kentucky. My grandparents grew up on farms and
worked them during the Great Depression. But I never lived on a farm or have even been to
the old family homestead (almost a thousand miles from where I grew up). My parents were
divorced when I was 4 years old. I was raised hundreds of miles away from relatives on either
side. I feel no affinity with military or farming traditions. Where do I fit? Where do I
'belong'? Which group celebrates me and my heritage?
Social Activities
The previous section focused on students' satisfaction with opportunities to engage in activities. The
questions on social activities focused on how frequently students took advantage of such opportunities.
Students rated the frequency of attending social events on a five-point scale ranging from "never" to "very
often." Five item groups were derived from this section: Interacting with People from Different
Backgrounds, Off-Campus Social Events, On-Campus Social Events, Personal Drug Use, and Political
Activities. Table 6 reports the percentage of students involved in these social activities.
Table 6
Students' Responses on the Social Activities Item Groups8
Percent
Rarely
Involved
Percent
Occasionally
Involved
Percent
Frequently
Involved
Interacting with People from
Different Backgrounds
11%
44%
45%
Off-Campus Social Events
18%
33%
49%
On-Campus Social Events
54%
33%
13%
Personal Drug Use
59%
28%
13%
Political Activities
71%
23%
6%
Scale
Almost half (45%) of the students frequently interacted with people with backgrounds different from
their own. Undergraduates attended off-campus social events and activities far more frequently than oncampus activities. Differences due to academic level are explored in the section on freshpersons and new
students. Although students were generally satisfied with on-campus programs and events, over half of the
undergraduates rarely or never attended on-campus social activities or events. More striking is that close to
three-fourths of the undergraduates rarely or never engaged in political activities. This is inconsistent with
the popular view that Santa Cruz students are politically active.
A large percentage of students reported that they rarely or never used drugs or alcohol.
students reported that drug and alcohol use is a serious problem at UCSC, only thirteen percent
undergraduates said they used them on a frequent basis. This may not be an accurate reflection
frequency of drug or alcohol use by students. On the 1989 ACE Freshman Survey, about half
8
Never and rarely were grouped together as were very often and often.
University of California, Santa Cruz
While
of the
of the
of the
The Academic and Social Environment
20
incoming freshpersons reported that they occasionally consumed alcohol (beer 45%; wine or hard liquor
56%); another sixth reported frequent consumption of alcohol (beer 18%; wine or hard liquor 14%).
Because the climate survey was not anonymous, students may have under-reported their drug and alcohol
use.
Life on Campus
The eighteen items in this section were placed into four item groups: Satisfaction with Food,
Satisfaction with Housing, Satisfaction with Noise Level, and Satisfaction with Supplies. Satisfaction was
rated on a five-point scale ranging from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied." Students' responses are
reported in Table 7. While three-fourths of the undergraduate students were neutral or satisfied with
campus housing and the availability of supplies, a significant number were dissatisfied with the food and
noise. Over a third of the students expressed dissatisfaction with the quality or cost of food. Over a fourth
of the students were also dissatisfied with the noise levels on campus and the availability or cost of housing.
Table 7
Students' Responses on the Life on Campus Item Groupings9
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
Satisfaction With Food
36%
45%
19%
Satisfaction With Housing
27%
31%
42%
Satisfaction With Noise
29%
38%
29%
Satisfaction With Supplies
15%
47%
38%
Scale
Some students' comments addressed the problems with noise. A female freshperson from Porter
College wrote:
I enjoy having fun, but I need my sleep. I think that quiet and silent hours should be enforced
more during the week. I don't think they are enforced at all, even silent hours during finals
were extremely loud. If I could sleep before 1:00 am during school nights, the quality of my
work and my social aspects would improve.
Several other students felt that there were very few places that they can go on campus to have some quiet
time alone or with friends.
9
Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined as were satisfied and very satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
21
Academic Activities
Students described the frequency of academically-related activities on a scale from "never" to "very
often." Four item groups were developed from the twenty questions in this section: Advising,
Collaborative Learning, Contact with Faculty, and Course Involvement. The percentages reported in
Table 8 show that undergraduate students infrequently engaged in the academically-oriented activities
asked about in the survey.
Table 8
Students' Responses on the Academic Activities Item Group10
Percent
Rarely
Involved
Percent
Sometimes
Involved
Advising
74%
19%
7%
Collaborative Learning
47%
30%
22%
Contact With Faculty
34%
40%
26%
Course Involvement
38%
49%
13%
Scale
Percent
Frequently
Involved
As has been found in other studies at UCSC, few students reported having active advising. This
study found that three-quarters of the undergraduates either rarely or never received advising. Only onefifth occasionally received advising, and about one in fourteen said they received advising often or very
often. In addition, a third of the students reported little or no contact with faculty outside of class.
The course involvement items included questions about faculty contact, exceeding minimal course
requirements, and working with other students in the class. Only one student in eight reported going
beyond the minimal course requirements and nearly half of the respondents reported that they rarely or
never worked collaboratively with other students
While the lack of advising is consistent with information from other surveys, finding low levels of
faculty contact and collaborative learning were unexpected. Two popular beliefs about the University are
that there is more interaction between faculty and students than at other campuses, and that the Santa Cruz
ethos discourages competition and increases cooperation among students.
Academic Attitudes
Satisfaction with courses, instruction, grading, advising and academic facilities were assessed in the
section on academic attitudes. Responses to these questions ranged from “very dissatisfied” to “very
satisfied" (see Table 9).
10 Never and rarely were grouped together, and very often and often were grouped together.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
22
Consistent with the results of other studies, students were generally satisfied with academic quality
at UCSC. More than half of the undergraduates were satisfied with instructional quality, the narrative
evaluations, and their interaction with the boards of study. In contrast, students were dissatisfied with the
advising process on this campus. Over forty percent of the students were dissatisfied with the availability
of their advisors. This may be one of the reasons why three-fourths of the undergraduates rarely or never
saw their advisors. While satisfaction with computers and academic facilities appeared to be high, less
than a third of the students answered the items that comprised these scales. With this much missing data, it
is difficult to interpret the findings. However, among the students who answered these questions, only a
small percentage were dissatisfied.
Table 9
Students' Responses on the Academic Attitude Item Group11
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
13%
50%
37%
7%
41%
51%
Availability of College Advisor
31%
46%
23%
Availability of Faculty Advisor
41%
36%
23%
Course Access
26%
44%
30%
Quality of Board Interactions
14%
35%
51%
4%
35%
61%
10%
24%
66%
Scale
Access to Computers
Access to Academic facilities
Quality of Instruction
Quality of Narrative Evaluations
Only a fourth of the students expressed satisfaction with the availability of their college or faculty
advisors. Students' comments suggest several reasons for their dissatisfaction. Some students felt they did
not receive adequate academic or social advising as freshpersons. As one freshperson said, "when I entered
UCSC I had no guidance in selecting classes. I felt lost." This was repeated by two seniors who
commented: "there must be more academic-social advising for first-year students. . . who need a bit of help
in putting the UCSC academic puzzle together," and "there is not enough advising going on at the first and
second years of the undergraduates' college careers." This lack of advising, continues this student, "ends
up costing the student another quarter or another year of school."
Many students were confused as to who their advisors were. Evidence of this was provided by
students who commented "What?", "Who?", and "I do not know who my faculty advisor is, or who to ask
questions regarding grades, etc." Further, many students did not know the differences between the faculty,
college and academic board advisors. As one senior said after four years at UCSC, "I am a senior this year
and still rather vague about the different advisors whom I need to have and their different functions (e.g.,
college, faculty, academic and board)."
11 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined as were satisfied and very satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
23
Another problem was the infrequency of meeting with advisors. Several students pointed out they
had "never been advised about anything," although they "requested several times, but to no avail." Other
students said the information provided by advisors was often not useful. As one student said, "I learned a
long time ago that advising is worthless." Comments on advising included:
•
academic advisors, especially board advisors, don't know very much and don't care very much
•
they don't know too much about any major except for the one [in] which [they] taught
•
they don't try to get know [students], and always seem uninterested and superficial
•
the advising available to students is pretty-much nonexistent.
Narrative evaluations was a topic that also elicited comments. The positive comments talked about
how the narrative evaluations are "fantastic for graduate work," or that students "came to UCSC because
of its narrative evaluation system." Many of the positive comments linked the narrative evaluation system
(NES) with UCSC's position as an alternative university within the UC system. For example, a male senior
said the narrative system "is one of the few things still making UCSC a unique and great institution," and
another student commented that narratives are "crucial to maintaining a liberal, progressive atmosphere at
UCSC."
More students, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the NES. A female freshperson commented,
"I'm disappointed with the amount of time it takes to receive them and then they tend to be rather general."
Comments like: "evaluations [are] too subjective and inconsistent. . . "; "my complaint is that it is not a
consistent system -- a 'good' [is] a 'B' in one course, whereas in another, it's a 'C'"; and "the reason for
narrative evaluations is for good constructive criticism, not just scores, not put-downs by the faculty!"
suggest that dissatisfied students expect the NES to be more personal and consistent across courses. Some
students see narrative evaluations as grades in disguise; a female graduate student wrote:
. . . the narrative evaluation system is a joke. For most large classes, exams, quizzes, etc. are
evaluated on a point basis and then the student's total points at the end of the quarter are used
to determine the 'appropriate' narrative evaluation.
Several students suggested that UCSC stop using narratives because "there is not objective
uniformity, faculty seems to be able to say anything, they have too much leeway, and result in
unsubstantiated, subjective remarks that often do not reflect students' efforts. I truly believe that [the NES]
is UCSC's biggest folly."
Other comments critical of the NES focused on the time it takes to process the evaluations. Recall
that the questionnaire was distributed during the first two weeks of February, two months after the fall
quarter ended. Comments of this type included:
• I've never seen my narratives;
• haven't gotten any evaluations from fall quarter yet;
• I've only received one evaluation;
• [I am] extremely dissatisfied with the wait;
• haven't gotten any back yet. February 1;
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
24
• I don't see the usefulness of a narrative evaluation system when it takes up to a year before
a student receives them. By then, both the faculty member and student have forgotten
what occurred during the course.
Only about a third of the students were satisfied with their ability to get into the courses they wanted.
Of all the comments by students, some of the most vehement concerned overcrowding. Dissatisfied
comments ranged from being simple and non-judgmental (e.g., "classes I need are only offered every other
year, and they are very overcrowded") to angry (e.g., "I am unable to take courses for my major because of
overcrowding") to intensely angry (e.g., "the growth so far has caused many classes to become extremely
impacted -- there are one to two year waiting lists for some of the classes in my major. . . This is absolutely
ridiculous! If growth is going to bring UCSC educational quality grinding to a halt. . . maybe growth
should be rethought"). Some students commented about the issues of course access being reduced by
growth, even though they had yet to experience this problem:
although I have yet to be confronted with problems getting into classes, I am almost certain
I shall experience conflict in trying to get into upper-division courses. . . My major concern
is not being able to get into the courses I want due to limited space and competition with
too many other students.
Students' dissatisfaction with campus growth went beyond issues of course access. Most of the
comments about campus growth assumed that growth would destroy the unique qualities of the campus.
Virtually all of these comments were negative. The following is a sampling of students' views:
I came to UCSC for small classes. Instead I have found overcrowded rooms. Introductory
courses with 350 people are absurd! Even in upper-division [courses], it is rare to find a
small (less than 40) class. The way this university is growing. . . is detrimental to everyone.
The saving graces are shopping for classes and narrative evaluations. Please don't get rid of
them and kill UCSC's last breath of hope.
I am also against campus growth, which would destroy the personal qualities I came to school
for. The small community atmosphere of the colleges is destroyed in the 400-students classes.
More students are being admitted without a concurrent rise in the number of faculty or
funding for TA's.
Overcrowding has also exasperated [sic] an already serious problem for graduate students.
That problem is funding.
The school is changing so fast and losing its integrity. I feel like the administration cares
more about making us into a crowded, impersonal, research/science-oriented institution than
the quality of life. I can't get a parking space after 9 a.m., can't fir on a shuttle, and can't get
into classes in my major the year before I am supposed to graduate. What is the 'ideal' the
administration wants to become 'real?' It sure isn't the quality of undergraduate liberal arts
education. I love Santa Cruz, and I came for the small, intellectually stimulating classes with
no competition. Instead, I get to explore political issues with 300 other people while my
university builds a $20 million science building and I am missing classes because I can't even
get to them. I am so frustrated. . . .
The major point of these and the over 50 other similar comments about the effects of growth is that
students perceive growth as a threat to both the University and their ability to function effectively in the
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
25
University. These comments linked the results of growth to problems as diverse as noise on campus,
eroding the quality of education, parking problems, time-to-degree issues, financial aid availability, and the
destruction of what students believe to be the campus's mission.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
26
Degree Progress
Using a five-point scale, students were asked about the likelihood that they would both continue and
graduate from UC Santa Cruz. Most students said they were extremely likely to continue at UCSC (70%)
and extremely likely to graduate from UCSC (73%). As might be expected, there were large differences
due to academic level in their expectations. For example, a lower proportion of lower-division students
(freshpersons 48%; sophomores 80%) expected to graduate from UCSC than upper-division students
(juniors 97%; seniors 98%). The number of quarters undergraduates expected to remain in college before
earning their degrees was calculated. Their expectations were consistent with the actual time taken by
students to graduate.12 For example, the typical freshperson in this study expected to take about thirteen
quarters to graduate (12.8 quarters); students who graduated in 1990-91 took an average of fourteen
quarters to graduate. Junior transfer students' expectations were a little less consistent with the actual time
it takes to complete their degrees (8.1 quarters and 9.7 quarters respectively). Overall, however, students
had fairly realistic expectations about the time required to graduate.
Barriers to Progress
A list of decisions that may cause students to take more than four years to graduate was presented to
students (e.g., taking a reduced course load or transferring from another college). Table 10 reports the
percentage of students who said the decisions might influence their time to graduation.
Table 10
Reasons for Taking Longer Than Four Years to Graduate
Reason
Changed or plan to change majors
Took or plan to take extra courses
Transferred to UCSC from another institution
Repeated one or more courses
Took or plan to take a reduced course load
Plan to transfer to another institution
Percentage Affected
25%
23%
15%
14%
13%
12%
To see if these decisions were related to students' time-to-degree expectations, students at each class
level who listed these as possible barriers were compared with students who did not list these as barriers.
Among freshpersons, none of these were related to the number of quarters students expected to remain
enrolled until graduation. For sophomores, the only difference was a result of students' decisions to take a
reduced course load. On the average, sophomores who decided to take a reduced course load expected to
take almost two quarters longer than sophomores not having reduced course loads (13.7 quarters vs. 11.9
quarters). Among juniors, three of these decisions affected students' time-to-degree expectation. Juniors
who repeated courses expected to spend an extra two quarters than juniors not repeating quarters (13.2
quarters vs. 11.2 quarters). Reduced course loads were also expected to slow degree progress: juniors with
a reduced course load expected to take an extra 2.5 quarters to complete their degrees (13.7 quarters vs.
11.2 quarters). Similarly, juniors also expected a change in major to slow their degree progress, with those
changing majors expecting to take an extra two quarters to complete their degrees (13.0 quarters vs. 11.1
quarters). Three of these decisions were also related to seniors' time-to-degree expectations. Seniors taking
12 Retention and Graduation Update 1991-92. Available from the Office of Planning and Budget, UC Santa Cruz, Santa
Cruz, CA; [(408) 459-2446].
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
27
a reduced course load expected to take over a quarter longer to graduate than seniors taking full course
loads (12.9 quarters vs. 11.5 quarters). Taking extra courses were also expected to increase time-todegree more than one quarter (12.8 quarters vs. 11.3 quarters), as was repeating courses (13.5 quarters vs.
11.3 quarters). In summary, reduced course loads, repeating courses, taking extra courses, and changing
majors influence students' expectations for completing their degrees in the four years.
Students were also asked how likely other issues would be to slow their progress toward graduation.
Students were asked if they believed personal, academic, logistic, motivational, or diversity-related issues
would increase their time to degree. The 19 items in this section were combined into five item groups. The
percentages for these groups are displayed in Table 11. According to students, it is very unlikely that these
types of problems will affect their degree progress.
Table 11
Students' Responses on the Barriers to Progress Item Groups
Scale
Percent
Not Likely
Percent
Moderately
Likely
Percent
Likely
73%
96%
87%
92%
64%
21%
3%
10%
6%
26%
6%
1%
3%
2%
10%
Academic Problems
Diversity Problems
Logistical Problems
Motivational Problems
Personal Problems
Personal Experiences
Items assessing anxiety, pressure to conform and self esteem were included in this section. The
possible responses ranged from "never" to "very often." Anxiety items focused on feelings of isolation,
fear, stress and some possible effects of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Questions in the pressure scale
asked how often students felt pressured to use drugs or alcohol, engage in unwanted sexual activity, change
political beliefs or stick with one's own cultural or ethnic group. The self esteem questions asked about
feelings of self-satisfaction, being pleased with life, proud of one's self, and feeling in control of life. Table
12 shows that about one-sixth frequently experienced anxiety.
Table 12
Students' Responses on the Personal Experiences Item Groups13
Scale
Anxiety
Pressure
High Self Esteem
Percent
Rarely
Experiencing
Percent
Occasionally
Experiencing
Percent
Often
Experiencing
43%
92%
11%
42%
7%
34%
15%
1%
55%
13 Never and rarely were combined as were very often and often.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
28
The overwhelming majority of undergraduates reported that there was very little pressure to engage
in unwanted activities with only one percent citing this as a frequent problem. Over half of the students
reported high levels of self-esteem.
The October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale, had a
major impact on a number of students. Not only did it negatively affect their coursework, but they were
also emotionally affected. About a third of the students felt the aftereffects of the earthquake seriously
hampered their schoolwork. Students' personal reactions ranged from being moderately to severely
affected. A senior biochemistry major commented: "the earthquake really got to me and I kind of feel that
people have dismissed it lightheartedly." Some students felt that the earthquake and its aftereffects was the
most important climate issue covered in the survey. One student added he was "only now feeling
comfortable in the buildings," and that he "thinks about the earthquake every day." Twenty-seven students
commented on the effects of the earthquake.
It is likely that students' answers to the other questions in this section were also affected by how they
coped with the earthquake. For example, students' answers to some of the High Self Esteem questions (see
Appendix B) were certainly related to how they weathered the earthquake. Questions regarding feeling in
control, or being pleased with life were certainly affected by the quake. As one student reminded us, "all
these [answers] also have to do with the earthquake! Take it into consideration!"
In interpreting the findings for undergraduates, it is important to remember that the survey was
administered during the Winter of 1990. These results do not reflect any changes in the campus' academic
and social environment since then. Some of the issues identified as problems (e.g., advising, food service)
may have undergone considerable changes since the data were originally collected.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
29
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
The survey was sent to each of the 941 graduate students, of which 302 (32%) were returned.
Because all graduates were included in the sample, the findings and conclusions are based on the
unweighted results.
Demographic Information
To better understand the academic and social environments of graduate students, the data was
analyzed with reference to students' demographic characteristics. These characteristics included social
identity (i.e., gender, ethnicity, age), socioeconomic status (i.e., financial aid status, work status, whether
parents have attended college), residence (i.e., place of residence, whether the student has lived on campus)
and academic and educational information (i.e., major, expected time to degree). Comparisons between the
sample and the entire population of graduate students on selected demographic characteristics are reported
in Table 13.
Table 13
Comparison of the Graduate Population and Unweighted Sample
on Selected Demographic Characteristics
Demographic Characteristic
Gender
Female
Male
Sample
Percentage
Population
Percentage
49.3%
50.7%
48.1%
51.9%
4.3%
27.7%
23.0%
11.3%
13.8%
11.3%
5.0%
3.5%
.3%
20.8%
21.9%
17.0%
13.0%
10.5%
7.9%
8.6%
.3%
11.3%
3.0%
68.5%
3.0%
3.6%
4.3%
6.0%
.3%
11.0%
2.7%
66.0%
5.0%
4.0%
2.7%
8.8%
Age
Under 23
23 - 25
26 - 28
29 - 31
32 - 34
35 - 37
38 - 40
41 or older
Ethnicity
American Indian/Native American
Asian American
Black/African American
Caucasian/European American
Chicano
Latino
Other Minority
Decline to State
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
30
Social Identity Characteristics
Graduate students 28 or older when entering the University are considered to be reentry students. A
third of the respondents (33%) qualified as reentry students.
Socioeconomic Status Characteristics
Most graduate students were employed, whether on-campus (72%) or off-campus (12%). Graduate
students employed on-campus averaged 23 hours of work per week while those employed off-campus
averaged 25 hours per week. A quarter (25%) of the students also received some type of need-based
financial aid. Financial aid recipients were just as likely to work as students who do not receive financial
aid (80% vs. 85%). A higher percentage of financial aid recipients worked on campus (22%) than did
nonrecipients (11%). Thirteen percent of the graduate students (13%) had children, and a few were single
parents (4%). Respondents came primarily from college-educated families, although a fifth of the graduate
students (20%) reported that they were the first in their families to attend college.
Residence Information
As might be expected, most graduate students lived off campus (75%). Those who lived on-campus
were housed primarily in Family Student Housing (13%), with the others living in residence halls or
apartments (6%) or other campus housing (6%). Of those students currently living off-campus, about a
third had previously lived on-campus (31%).
Academic Characteristics
While many students listed their graduate majors, other students may have listed their undergraduate
majors (some respondents listed a second major or a major without graduate programs). Because of these
problems, information on graduate students' majors was not analyzed.
About a fourth of the respondents (24%) first enrolled at UCSC as undergraduates. Most of these
students started here either as freshpersons (10%) or juniors (11%). The number of quarters since first
enrolling was calculated for each student. For students who began as graduate students, about threequarters (76%) were either first- or second- year students. The range was from 1 to 55 quarters, and the
average was 5.9 quarters. Based on when they started and when they expected to complete their programs,
the time students expected to be enrolled was calculated. On the average, graduate students expected to
spend almost five years (4.7 years) working on their degrees.
Questionnaire Topics
The scales that were derived from the items within each survey section comprise the questionnaire
topics reported in this section. Results are presented for each of the eight topic areas in the survey:
Student Opinions and Values, Social Attitudes, Social Activities, Life on Campus, Academic Activities,
Academic Attitudes, Barriers to Progress, and Personal Experiences.
Student Opinions and Values
This section contained three item groups, Alcohol and Drug Use, Equal Treatment and Respect for
UCSC. The scores on these groups ranged from one (strongly disagree) to three (neutral) to five (strongly
agree). Graduate students' views, reported in Table 14, were similar to the views expressed by
undergraduate students on the Equal Treatment and Respect for UCSC scales.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
31
Table 14
Graduate Students' Responses on the Student Opinion and Values Scales14
Percent
Disagree
Scale
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Agree
Alcohol and Drug Use
28%
54%
18%
Equal Treatment
28%
33%
39%
6%
34%
60%
Respect for UCSC
Graduate students' responses to questions on equal treatment (regardless of sexual orientation,
gender, or ethnicity) were similar to those of undergraduates (about a fourth disagreed). Sixty percent of
the graduate students felt that UCSC provided a good learning environment. Unlike undergraduates,
however, fewer than twenty percent of the graduate students believed that drug and alcohol use created
serious problems at UC Santa Cruz. While more than half were neutral on the issue, almost a third felt
they were not a serious problem. Few comments were made about drugs or alcohol.
Social Attitudes
The seventeen items in this section addressed graduate students' attitudes toward UCSC as a
community. Satisfactions with various aspects of the UCSC community were assessed on a five-point
scale ranging from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied." Graduate students' responses are reported in
Table 15.
Table 15
Graduate Students' Responses on Social Attitudes Items15
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
Campus Programs and Events
17%
50%
33%
Contact with Different Ethnicities
14%
37%
49%
Contact with Similar Ethnicities
16%
42%
42%
Informal Socializing
14%
33%
53%
Social Integration
20%
50%
30%
Scale
Fewer than twenty percent were dissatisfied with any aspect of the social climate. Compared to the
undergraduates, graduate students were considerably more satisfied with the opportunities both to interact
with people from different backgrounds and to socialize informally. They expressed less satisfaction with
campus programs and appeared to identify less with UCSC than did undergraduates (lower social
integration).
14 Strongly disagree and disagree were combined as were agree and strongly agree.
15 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined as were satisfied and very satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
32
Some graduate students expressed feelings of loneliness and isolation. For example, a female wrote
that she felt "isolated as the only lesbian in my graduate program," while a male said that he "felt isolated,
lonely, sad, lost in the crowd, bored, and anxious very often." This sentiment was expressed by several
graduate students, one of whom commented: "living on-campus I often feel bored, lonely, isolated," and
"more so during my first year here."
Social Activities
Twenty-three items asked about the frequency of attending social events. The questions and scales
were similar to those in the Social Attitudes section. Five item groups (see Table 16) were derived from
this section: interacting with people from different backgrounds, off-campus social events, on-campus
social events, personal drug use, and political activities.
Table 16
Graduate Students' Responses on Social Activities Items16
Percent
Occasionally
Involved
Percent
Frequently
Involved
9%
42%
49%
Off-Campus Social Events
10%
29%
61%
On-Campus Social Events
88%
10%
2%
Personal Drug Use
73%
19%
8%
Political Activities
81%
16%
3%
Scale
Interacting With People From Different
Backgrounds
Percent
Rarely
Involved
The social life of the majority of graduate students takes place off-campus rather than on-campus.
While almost two-thirds often attended off-campus social events, only two percent frequently attended oncampus events. Half of the graduate students also frequently interacted with people from different
backgrounds. One-fourth of the graduate students reported engaging in political activities, and even fewer
reported drug or alcohol use. While the pattern of involvement is similar to that of the undergraduate
students, the level of involvement differs from that of undergraduates. The differences can best be seen by
comparing the percentage of undergraduate and graduate students rarely involved in on-campus social
events (54% vs. 88%) and political activities (71% vs. 81%). The differences are explained by a graduate
student who commented: "as a grad student I don't have time for these activities."
Life on Campus
The eighteen items in this section were grouped into four scales. These items and scales were more
appropriate for undergraduate students than for graduate students. Students' responses on Quality of
Housing, Satisfaction With Food, Noise Level, and Availability of Supplies are reported in Table 17.
Between a fourth and a third of the graduate students were dissatisfied with campus food, housing, noise,
and supplies. A number of graduate students commented that they were dissatisfied with the number and
16 Never and rarely were combined as were very often and often.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
33
types of books available in the bookstore. For example, one student wanted "more real books," while
another wanted "more general books," while still another wanted "more technical books and more journals."
Table 17
Graduate Students' Responses on Life on Campus Items17
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
Satisfaction With Food
33%
41%
26%
Satisfaction With Housing
23%
27%
50%
Satisfaction With Noise
28%
40%
32%
Satisfaction With Supplies
23%
51%
23%
Scale
Academic Activities
The academic activities section of the survey asked questions related to academic life on campus.
Students’ rated the frequency they engaged in these activities from “never” to “very often.” Four item
groups were developed from the twenty questions in this section: course involvement, contact with faculty,
collaborative learning, and advising. Their responses are reported in Table 18.
As is expected during graduate study, students' level of course involvement was quite high. Over
half of the students were frequently involved in course-related academic activities such as working with the
faculty on research projects, reading more than the course requirements, and meeting with the course
instructor. The low level of involvement in the other item groups in this section is probably due to the
items being written primarily for undergraduates.
Table 18
Graduate Students' Responses on Academic Activities Items18
Percent
Rarely
Involved
Percent
Somewhat
Involved
Percent
Frequently
Involved
Advising
55%
28%
17%
Collaborative Learning
50%
27%
23%
Contact With Faculty
47%
25%
28%
8%
34%
58%
Scale
Course Involvement
17 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined as were satisfied and very satisfied.
18 Never and rarely were grouped together as were very often and often.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
34
Academic Attitudes
Satisfaction with courses, instruction, grading, advising and academic facilities were assessed in this
section. Answers for these questions range from “very dissatisfied” to “very satisfied." Table 19 reports
the graduate students' responses on the Academic Attitude questions. Some of the items were answered by
relatively few students (i.e., quality of instruction, quality of board interaction, availability of college
advisor, access to computers, and access to academic facilities) and should be interpreted cautiously. The
large amount of missing data for these scales (from 44% to 94%) suggests these questions were not
appropriate or relevant for many graduate students.
Table 19
Graduate Students' Responses on the Academic Attitude Item Group19
Scale
Access to Computers
Access to Academic facilities
Availability of Faculty Advisor
Course Access
Quality of Board Interactions
Quality of Instruction
Quality of Narrative Evaluations
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
20%
0%
18%
22%
10%
5%
20%
43%
58%
24%
35%
21%
30%
26%
37%
42%
57%
43%
69%
65%
54%
Graduate students were satisfied with most aspects of the academic environment at UCSC. Over
half were satisfied with the availability of their faculty advisors, the quality of their interactions with their
board, and the quality of the NES. Further, close to half were satisfied with issues of course access. Even
so, one-in-five were dissatisfied with the availability of their faculty advisors, the quality of the NES and
course access.
Barriers to Progress
These questions focused on barriers that might hinder the academic progress of students. As shown
in Table 20, graduate students reported few barriers. Barriers that affected undergraduate students such as
planning to transfer, having transferred to UCSC, changing majors, taking a reduced course load, taking
extra courses, or repeating courses had little effect on graduate students (these difficulties were reported by
fewer than 10% of the graduate students). Graduate students felt that few barriers would impede their
progress. Using a five-point scale, graduate students were asked about the likelihood that they would both
continue and graduate from UC Santa Cruz. Most graduate students said they were extremely likely to
continue (62%) and graduate (75%) from UCSC.
19 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined as were satisfied and very satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
35
Table 20
Graduate Students' Responses on the Barriers to Progress Item Groups
Percent
Not Likely
Percent
Moderately
Likely
Academic Problems
83%
15%
2%
Diversity Problems
96%
3%
1%
Logistics Problems
90%
8%
2%
Motivational Problems
98%
1%
1%
Personal Problems
63%
27%
10%
Scale
Percent
Likely
One major difficulty not asked about in the survey, but addressed by students' comments was that of
child care. The stresses and difficulties in finding good child care at an affordable rate was explained by a
female graduate student who wrote:
I have 3-1/2 year old twin girls and to try to find child care when my husband is working so I
can go to school and try to get classes -- that is pretty overwhelming. I feel students with
young children should have priority getting classes that they are supposed to take. Also, I did
check into child care here when I first heard that I was accepted. I was a little disappointed
that the first priority goes to those who have a low income. I realize they need child care, too,
but I have to pay a lot for two classes a quarter, books and child care -- we estimate that we
spend $700.00 a month (average) on schooling and that is a lot for us to spend -- why can't
the University offer more child care to everyone not just those who are needy?
Compared to other problems, considerably more graduate students felt they might be deterred by
personal problems. The items in this item group are somewhat diverse, including health issues, course
unavailability, financial problems, stress, time conflicts due to family and/or job demands and difficulty
completing the thesis. When asked about the things that most adversely affect them, one graduate student
answered: "Depression. Too much stress. Money problems mostly." This comment seemed to reflect the
views of a number of graduate students. Other comments help to clarify more clearly the nature of the
"money problems" they face, and some of their concerns about the consequences of the "money problem."
Comments by graduate students on their financial difficulties included:
Why are you worried about drugs and alcohol, race and gender discrimination? Financial
aid is much more of a problem on this campus.
You need to examine in far greater depth the financial strain in attending school, particularly
those from other than rich backgrounds--this applies to graduate students particularly.
I personally feel one of the major problems with UCSC is an inability to maintain a solid
foundation for its graduate students, especially in the humanities. You (a student) are
encouraged to come via an initial offer of financial support which barely meets the basic
needs of anyone overt the age of 21 years. Support dwindles or is nonexistent by your
second year. Many majors, including my current one, lack teaching assistant support. In
fact, you find yourself scrambling from quarter to quarter to find a way to support your work.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
36
Summer for most graduate students means leaving the area in hopes of finding work to be able
to return in the fall. You are never advised of summer opportunities. You hear indirectly
through the decentralized offices and services of campus about work opportunities. To retain
graduate students any major university must be aware that our personal commitment to
academics and research does not mean we can live off of air, that we are removed from the
outside world and must find financial, academic, and social support at the university if we are
to succeed in our field.
There should be a better summer financial support system for graduates -- most of us don't 'go
home' in the summer, but our income stops. We need research grants, more teaching
opportunities, need scholarships (most of us study all summer), etc.
Financial stress is especially acute, grads have a hard time getting funding before their
dissertation research--Santa Cruz is very expensive to live in.
Financial aid was inefficient and under-provided the amount necessary to live without also
having to work--stress!!
Money problem has affected me most. It is difficult to finish my teaching credential because
of lack of money for school and money to live on while I attend. I am a single parent living
off-campus.
One student said she felt financial issues were increasing the racial and ethnic tension among graduate
students. She wrote:
There is increasing tension between 'white' students and 'ethnic minority' students concerning
the allocation of university fellowships, RA's, TA's, etc. A dialogue is necessary to prevent
this situation from conflating into something ugly.
Personal Experiences
These items, described more completely in the section on undergraduates, evaluated pressure,
anxiety and self esteem. As shown in Table 21, very few graduate students reported feelings of being
pressured into activities. (Of the 302 respondents, only 4 indicated either occasionally or frequently feeling
this way.) Excessive anxiety was not a problem for the graduate students and over half reported high levels
of self-esteem.
Table 21
Graduate Students' Responses on the Personal Experiences Items20
Percent
Rarely
Experiencing
Percent
Occasionally
Experiencing
Anxiety
53%
40%
7%
Pressure
99%
1%
0%
5%
35%
60%
Scale
High Self Esteem
Percent
Often
Experiencing
20 Never and rarely were grouped to form the rarely category, and very often and often were grouped together to form the often
category.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
37
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR FRESHPERSONS
Campus environment issues are particularly important for freshpersons, both because they are new
to the University and because they live on-campus. In this section, freshpersons are compared with
students who have been here a longer time, The results of comparisons between sophomores, juniors and
seniors are also reported when the comparisons yielded significant differences. As in earlier sections, social
identity, socioeconomic status and academic characteristics of the respondents are described. To provide
the most accurate portrait of undergraduates, weights based on the gender and ethnicity were used in the
analyses.
Demographic Information
Demographic characteristics used in the analyses included social identity (i.e., gender, ethnicity,
age, sexual orientation), socioeconomic status (i.e., parental income, financial aid status, work status,
whether parents have attended college), residence (i.e., place of residence, whether the student has lived on
campus) and academic and educational information (i.e., major, time to degree).
Social Identity Characteristics
Due to the use of weights, the sample of freshpersons mirrors the population in gender and ethnicity.
The ages of the students in the sample was similar to the population. Only four (2%) of the respondents
identified themselves as reentry students. Overall, the sample was quite similar to the population of
freshpersons.
Socioeconomic Status Characteristics
Santa Cruz freshpersons have consistently reported higher family income levels than their peers
nationally on the annually administered ACE Freshman Survey. In 1989, the median family income as
reported on the ACE survey for Santa Cruz freshpersons was $52,700. The median income reported by
freshpersons on the climate survey was $51,620 -- about 2% lower.
About one-third of the freshpersons were employed (on-campus: 24%; off-campus: 8%). These
students averaged about 12 hours of work per week; freshpersons working on-campus average 10 hours
per week and those working off-campus averaged 19 hours per week. Roughly a third (29%) of the
students also received some type of need-based financial aid. Financial aid recipients were more likely to
work than students who did not receive financial aid (55% vs. 22%). Of those who worked, more than half
of the nonrecipients worked on-campus (58%), while almost all financial aid recipients worked on-campus
(92%). The respondents primarily came from college-educated families: only a sixth of the students (13%)
reported that they were the first in their families to attend college.
Academic Characteristics
There was a much lower percentage of undeclared majors in the sample (39%) than in the
population (50%). This may be due to undeclared students listing their intended majors rather than listing
themselves as undeclared. Almost one-sixth of the freshpersons in the sample listed double or triple
majors. This may also account for some of the discrepancies between the sample and the population
listings of major.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
38
Questionnaire Topics
Scales were derived from the items within each survey section and comprise the questionnaire topics.
As before, the results are presented for each of the eight topic areas in the survey: Student opinions and
Values, Social Attitudes, Social Activities, Life on Campus, Academic Activities, Academic Attitudes,
Barriers to Progress, and Personal Experiences.
Student Opinions and Values
Table 22 reports freshpersons' responses on the items in this section. Items were scored on a fivepoint scale from one (strongly disagree) to five (strongly agree). About half of the freshpersons agreed that
alcohol and drug use is a problem and that people are treated equally at UCSC. Over two-thirds reported a
high degree of respect for UCSC's academic programs.
Table 22
Freshpersons' Responses on Student Opinion and Values Items21
Scale
Percent
Disagree
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Agree
Alcohol and Drug Use
11%
41%
48%
Equal Treatment
11%
37%
52%
2%
29%
69%
Respect for UCSC
When compared with advanced standing students, a higher percentage of freshpersons agreed that
alcohol and drug use was a problem and that people receive equal treatment on this campus. In general, as
class level increased, fewer students believed alcohol and drugs were problems or that people received
equal treatment on campus.
Social Attitudes
Table 23 reports the percentage of the students who expressed satisfaction on the social attitude
questions. With the exception of informal socializing, their answers show a high degree of satisfaction.
Although most freshpersons were satisfied, about one in every seven (15%) freshpersons were dissatisfied
in each area.
Several interesting trends were found. On three of the scales (social integration, contact with
different ethnicities, and campus programs and events) freshpersons were the most satisfied, while seniors
were the least satisfied. The reverse was true on the Informal Socializing scale. Living on-campus may be
an underlying cause of the differences, because it may increase the level of social integration and
opportunities for socializing with people from differing backgrounds. Once students move off-campus,
social activities tend to be more informal, and the importance of organized campus social activities seems
to decline. The need for independence could also partially explain why older students are less dependent
upon campus activities.
21 The strongly disagree and disagree responses were combined, as were the strongly agree and agree responses.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
39
Table 23
Freshpersons' Responses to Social Attitudes Items22
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
Campus Programs and Events
16%
34%
50%
Contact with Different Ethnicities
15%
40%
45%
Contact with Similar Ethnicities
15%
50%
35%
Informal Socializing
31%
53%
16%
Social Integration
14%
33%
53%
Scale
Social Activities
Social activity items assessed how frequently students were involved in social activities.
Freshpersons reported frequent interaction with people from different backgrounds. Surprisingly, they
rarely engaged in on- or off-campus social activities. Table 24 reports the percentage of freshpersons
involved in each social activity. While satisfied with the opportunities for attending on-campus events, few
freshpersons actually participated in such events. Freshpersons were just as likely to participate in offcampus events as in on-campus events. On the whole, few freshpersons participated in the types of social
activities covered in the scales.
Table 24
Freshpersons' Responses to Social Activities Item23
Percent
Occasionally
Involved
Percent
Frequently
Involved
9%
42%
49%
Off-Campus Social Events
52%
33%
15%
On-Campus Social Events
54%
33%
13%
Personal Drug Use
64%
28%
8%
Political Activities
74%
21%
5%
Scale
Interacting with People from
Different Backgrounds
Percent
Rarely
Involved
Due to how items were grouped in this study, over half of the freshpersons reported infrequent
attendance at on- or off-campus social events. Only items that were consistent across most of the students
were included in item groups. Activities undertaken by freshpersons only would not have been added to the
scales. Examining social activities questions that were not placed in any of the scales (see Table 25) shows
22 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined together, as were very satisfied and satisfied.
23 Never and rarely were grouped together as were very often and often.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
40
that three-fourths of the freshpersons regularly met with friends on campus, over half frequently used the
athletic academic facilities, and a third frequently attended on-campus fine arts events or movies.
Table 25
Freshpersons' Responses to Other Social Activities Items24
Percent
Occasionally
Involved
Percent
Frequently
Involved
6%
16%
78%
Used campus athletic facilities
26%
19%
55%
Attended a fine arts event or movie on campus
30%
40%
30%
Attended an on-campus athletic event
70%
18%
12%
Social Activities Item
Met with friends to socialize on campus
Percent
Rarely
Involved
The percentage of students who frequently met on campus to socialize with friends declined from
over three-quarters (78%) as freshpersons to about half (48%) for seniors. More freshpersons socialized
on campus than any other class level, which might be expected since more freshpersons live on-campus.
Socializing on campus was the most commonly reported social activity for freshpersons.
These results show some interesting differences and similarities with those based on the annually
administered ACE Freshman Survey. On the ACE survey, for example, 27% of the freshpersons expected
that they would participate in political demonstrations. This figure closely matches the 26% that
participated in political activities. On the same survey, about half of the new freshpersons said they
"occasionally" consumed alcohol (beer 45%; wine or hard liquor 56%), and about a sixth drank
"frequently" (beer 18%; wine or hard liquor 14%). These percentages are considerably higher than those
reported in this survey. Reasons for the discrepancy between the two surveys may be that freshpersons
either under-reported their drug and/or alcohol use on campus or that they have reduced their use of alcohol
and drugs while living on campus.
When comparing students at different class levels, freshpersons were similar to advanced standing
students on only one of the five scales, Interaction With People From Different Backgrounds. More
freshpersons attended on-campus social events and fewer attended off-campus social events than students
at other class levels. Further, they reported less frequent drug and alcohol use and less involvement in
political activities than advanced standing students. As was the case for social attitudes, these findings
were expected since almost all freshpersons live on-campus.
24 Never and rarely were grouped together as were very often and often.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
41
Life on Campus
The Life on Campus items addressed students' degree of satisfaction with campus life. Satisfaction
was assessed on a five-point scale ranging from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied." Freshpersons'
responses are reported in Table 26. Almost a third expressed dissatisfaction with the food and noise levels
on campus, while one-in-five expressed dissatisfaction with their housing. Few expressed dissatisfaction
with the availability of supplies on campus.
Table 26
Freshpersons' Responses to Life on Campus Items25
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
Satisfaction With Food
30%
49%
21%
Satisfaction With Housing
21%
36%
43%
Satisfaction With Noise
28%
35%
37%
9%
36%
55%
Scale
Satisfaction With Supplies
Freshpersons differed from students at other class levels only in their satisfaction with supplies and
noise level. In both cases, they were more satisfied than sophomores, juniors and seniors. Compared to
students at other class levels, a substantially larger percentage of the comments made by freshpersons dealt
with the issues of day-to-day living. Many wanted more laundry facilities and change machines. Others
asked for vending machines that dispensed water or for the student store to carry more toiletries.
Academic Activities
Freshpersons reported they were rarely engaged in the academic activities covered in the survey.
Table 27 reports their responses. Freshpersons reported only occasional contact with faculty and
collaborated with other students on class projects only occasionally. They rarely engaged in academic
activities outside of course requirements, and few had frequent interaction with their advisors. Only eight
percent of the freshpersons reported occasional contact with advisors, and forty-two percent reported
having no contact with their advisors.
25 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined as were satisfied and very satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
42
Table 27
Freshpersons' Responses on the Academic Activities Item Group26
Percent
Not
Involved
Scale
Percent
Moderately
Involved
Percent
Highly
Involved
Advising
92%
5%
3%
Collaborative Learning
63%
21%
15%
Contact With Faculty
50%
32%
18%
Course Involvement
61%
34%
5%
Figure 2 displays the proportion of students at each level with rare or no involvement in these areas.
Comparison with advanced standing students reveal that freshpersons had the lowest level of course
involvement.
Figure 2
Proportion of Students with Rare or No Involvement By Class Level
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
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Their comments help to explain why so few freshpersons received advising. Students commented
that they "need advisors that are easy to contact and can deal with students' needs and problems." For other
students, advising was not a good experience. A female freshperson from Stevenson College said: "I don't
even remember who my academic advisor is. When I did meet with her at the beginning of last quarter, she
was not much help. I only got to talk with her for five minutes because she had to go to a meeting." Some
freshpersons did not know who their advisors were, the differences between college and academic advisors,
26 Never and rarely were combined as were very often and often.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
43
or how to find them; one student stated: "I've never realized that there are so many advisors I could go see.
I wish they were more prominently advertised."
Academic Attitudes
Table 28 reports freshpersons responses on the eight academic attitude item groups. Too few
freshpersons answered the items about access to computers and to academic facilities to safely draw
conclusions.
Table 28
Freshpersons’ Responses on the Academic Attitude Item Group27
Scale
Access to Computers
Access to Academic facilities
Availability of College Advisor
Availability of Faculty Advisor
Course Access
Quality of Board Interactions
Quality of Instruction
Quality of Narrative Evaluations
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
7%
38%
31%
48%
17%
16%
5%
15%
68%
52%
51%
35%
49%
61%
41%
28%
25%
10%
18%
17%
34%
23%
54%
57%
Over half of the freshpersons expressed satisfaction with instruction and the narrative evaluations,
and a third were satisfied with the availability of courses. In contrast, between a third and a half of the
freshpersons expressed dissatisfaction with advising. The finding that over 90% of the freshpersons had
little or no contact with their advisors is underscored by the finding that fewer than twenty percent were
satisfied with the availability of their advisors. Class level differences were found on seven of the eight
scales. In contrast to the class-level differences reported in the previous section, these findings do not
consistently point to greater dissatisfaction among the freshpersons. In their assessment of the boards of
studies, the quality of the NES, and the availability of both college and faculty advisors, freshpersons
expressed the greatest degree of dissatisfaction. Some of the differences between freshpersons and their
upper-level peers are expected. For example, freshpersons would be expected to have less direct contact
with boards of studies than students at higher academic levels. The difference in satisfaction with the NES
is likely due to freshpersons' limited experiences with the NES. Differences in satisfaction with advising
were between lower- and upper-division students (freshpersons and sophomores vs. juniors and seniors).
This difference was expected, given that most freshpersons and many sophomores have less need for a
faculty advisor than do juniors and seniors. Freshpersons and sophomores probably have a greater need for
college advisors than do juniors and seniors.
Freshpersons expressed the greatest degree of satisfaction with course access. A more structured set
of courses for freshpersons during their first term at UCSC (i.e., introductory and core courses) may have
contributed to the differences between freshpersons and advanced standing students. Even so, a number of
freshpersons were concerned about the affects of campus growth on course access and academic
27 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined as were satisfied and very satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
44
excellence. Considering that they had been here for only one quarter before they completed the survey,
campus growth was a highly salient issue. Freshpersons' comments on growth included:
•
my major problem at UCSC is campus growth. I'm getting nervous that I won't be getting into my
classes
•
campus growth is the biggest problem I see in the future, also class size is too large [which] goes
along with not being able to get into desired classes.
Barriers to Progress
Few freshpersons expected they would face problems that would slow their progress. As shown in
Table 29, only six percent expected to be adversely affected by any of these problems.
Table 29
Freshpersons' Responses to Barriers to Progress Items
Scale
Academic Problems
Diversity Problems
Logistical Problems
Motivational Problems
Personal Problems
Percent
Not Likely
Percent
Moderately
Likely
74%
97%
64%
96%
82%
22%
2%
30%
3%
12%
Percent
Likely
4%
1%
6%
1%
6%
Class level differences were found in students’ expectations that academic, personal and
motivational problems might impede their degree progress. In each case, fewer freshpersons and
sophomores expected to be hindered than did the juniors and seniors. Only a few freshpersons commented
on these problems. One freshperson wrote: "family problems affected me the most. Those problems led me
to be anxious, stressful and lonely. As a consequence, I sometimes feel worthless, and I don't know what
I'm doing here." Another said: "a stress class should be offered; I had a friend who tried to commit suicide
because of academic stress." Comments such as these serve as a reminder of how difficult the transition
from high school to college can be for students away from home.
As shown in Table 30, students' expectations regarding barriers to progress changed as students
advanced. More lower-division students expected to transfer than upper-division students and upperdivision students were more likely to have transferred to UCSC. Fewer freshpersons' expected to take
reduced course loads than advanced standing students (older students may have responsibilities that cause
them to take fewer courses per term). In addition, fewer freshpersons anticipated changing their major
(freshpersons in this study had only completed one quarter of college); students at other class levels could
have either anticipated a change or may have already changed their majors.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
45
Table 30
Barriers to Progress By Class Level
Freshpersons
Item Groups
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
Plan to Transfer
20%
21%
6%
2%
Take Extra Courses
18%
22%
20%
30%
Change of Major
11%
26%
27%
31%
Reduced Course Load
6%
10%
17%
18%
Repeat Courses
4%
14%
20%
17%
Transferred to UCSC
1%
3%
23%
30%
12%
15%
19%
12%
Other Difficulties
Personal Experiences
The items in this section assessed pressure to engage in unwanted activities, feelings of alienation
and anxiety, and feelings of self-esteem. As reported in Table 31, one freshperson in eight reported
frequent feelings of anxiety, and another third reported occasional feelings of anxiety. Almost half of the
freshpersons reported a high level of self-esteem and about one in ten very seldom experienced such
feelings. Pressure to engage in unwanted activities was almost nonexistent among the freshpersons with
only 2% regularly experiencing problems.
Table 31
Freshpersons' Responses to Personal Experiences Items28
Percent
Rarely
Experiencing
Percent
Occasionally
Experiencing
Percent
Often
Experiencing
Anxiety
54%
34%
12%
Pressure
89%
9%
2%
High Self Esteem
11%
44%
45%
Scale
Freshpersons' responses on the self esteem scale differed from the responses of students at other
class levels. Freshpersons experienced less self esteem than students at other class levels. Although 45%
of the freshpersons reported frequent feelings of self-esteem, it was reported by a greater proportion of
sophomores (58%), juniors (60%) and seniors (58%). This may reflect the transition from high school to
college.
28 Never and rarely were combined as were often and very often
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
46
CAMPUS CLIMATE FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS
Compared with native juniors (i.e., current juniors who started at UCSC as freshpersons), junior
transfer students may view the campus environment differently and have a different set of adjustment
problems. For example, a female transfer student wrote: "being a transfer was really hard; I felt really
alone." In this section, native juniors and junior transfer students are compared on each of the thirty-seven
scales of the University Environment Survey to see how their perceptions of the campus' social and
academic environment differ. Some demographic differences will also be reported. Throughout this
section the weighted results will be reported.
Demographic Information
Social Identity Characteristics
Native juniors and junior transfer students were quite similar, both ethnically and in the proportion
of males and females. There were, however, both college affiliation and age differences between the two
groups. Native juniors were more often affiliated with the older colleges (Cowell, Stevenson, Crown,
Merrill, Porter) while transfer students were more often affiliated with the newer colleges (Kresge, Oakes,
Eight). Compared with native juniors, a higher proportion of the transfer students were reentry students
(6% native juniors and 27% transfer juniors). Consistent with this is age difference, native juniors tended
to be younger (88% were 21 or younger compared to 58% of the transfer students).
Socioeconomic Status Characteristics
Some substantial SES differences were found between transfer students and native juniors.
Although two-thirds of the students in both groups worked (63% for both groups), junior transfer students
worked more hours per week than native juniors (17 hours vs. 13 hours). Among employed juniors, a
larger proportion of native juniors worked on-campus (64%) than transfer juniors (41%). Another
substantial difference between the two groups was in their parents' income. Native juniors reported a
considerably higher parental income than did transfer juniors ($8,100 higher).
Questionnaire Topics
Native and transfer juniors were compared on each scale in the University Environment Survey.
Important differences between the two groups were found on nine of the thirty-seven scales. This section
reports and discusses these differences.
Student Opinions and Values
Native juniors and junior transfers differed on two scales in this section, Equal Treatment and
Respect for UCSC. Students' responses on these scales are reported in Table 32. These differences
suggest native juniors may be less happy with UCSC than are transfer juniors. In both cases, a larger
proportion of transfer juniors expressed positive views about UCSC. Only a small percentage (6%) of
either group were dissatisfied with the academic opportunities at UCSC.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
47
Table 32
Comparisons of Native and Junior Transfer Students on the
Student Opinions and Values Scales29
Student Opinions and Values Scales
Equal Treatment Scale
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
Respect for UCSC
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
Percent
Disagree
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Agree
25%
12%
37%
35%
38%
53%
6%
6%
33%
19%
61%
75%
Social Attitudes
Items on social attitudes addressed students' satisfaction with UCSC as a community. Native and
transfer juniors differed on three of the five scales in this section: Contact with Similar Ethnicities,
Informal Socializing and Campus Programs and Events. Table 33 reports the percentage of the native
juniors and junior and transfer students who expressed satisfaction and dissatisfaction on these scales.
Table 33
Comparison of Native and Junior Transfer Students on the
Social Attitudes Scales30
Social Attitude Scales
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
17%
16%
54%
31%
29%
54%
26%
16%
48%
34%
26%
50%
Contact with Similar Ethnicities
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
Informal Socializing
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
Campus Programs and Events
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
19%
19%
47%
32%
34%
49%
In each of these areas, junior transfer students were more satisfied than continuing juniors. Native juniors
were more dissatisfied in the opportunities for informal socializing.
29 The strongly disagree and disagree responses were combined, as were the strongly agree and agree responses.
30 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined together, as were very satisfied and satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
48
Social Activities
This section focused on how frequently students engaged in social activities. Table 34 shows native
juniors and junior transfer students differed only on one scale.
Table 34
Comparison of Native and Junior Transfer Students on the
Social Activities Scales31
Social Activities Scales
Percent
Rarely
Involved
Percent
Occasionally
Involved
Percent
Frequently
Involved
44%
83%
44%
11%
12%
6%
On-Campus Social Events
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
The difference between native juniors and junior transfer students in their involvement in on-campus
social events was extremely large. While close to half of the native juniors rarely or never attended such
activities, over 80% of the transfer juniors rarely or never attended on-campus social events. Only 6% of
the transfer students frequently attended these events, and only 11% occasionally attended them. These
differences may be caused by transfer students' lack of ties to the campus.
Life on Campus
Native juniors and junior transfer students differed on two of the four scales in this section. The
percentages reported in Table 35 show that between a quarter and a third of the juniors were dissatisfied
with the food on campus and their housing.
Table 35
Comparison of Native and Junior Transfer Students on the
Life on Campus Scales32
Social Attitude Scales
Percent
Dissatisfied
Percent
Neutral
Percent
Satisfied
28%
26%
57%
37%
15%
37%
31%
26%
30%
22%
39%
52%
Satisfaction With Food
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
Satisfaction With Housing
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
31 Never and rarely were grouped together, and very often and often were grouped together.
32 Very dissatisfied and dissatisfied were combined together, as were very satisfied and satisfied.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
49
While the proportion of the two groups that expressed dissatisfaction was roughly equal, the
proportion that expressed satisfaction differed. Compared with the native juniors, more transfer juniors
were satisfied in these areas.
Academic Activities
Of the four item groups in the academic activities section, native juniors and junior transfer students
differed only on the Collaborative Learning scale. The percentages reported in Table 36 show that more
native juniors worked collaboratively with their peers than did the junior transfer students.
Table 36
Comparison of Native and Junior Transfer Students on the
Academic Activities Scales33
Academic Activities Scales
Percent
Rarely
Involved
Percent
Sometimes
Involved
Percent
Frequently
Involved
40%
69%
37%
26%
23%
6%
Collaborative Learning
Native Juniors
Junior Transfers
While collaboration with other students was not frequent for the native juniors (forty percent rarely
or never collaborated with other students), it was rare for the junior transfer students. Among the transfer
students, two-thirds reported either rarely or never collaborating with other students. While a fourth of the
native juniors reported that they regularly worked with other students, only 6% of the transfer juniors
regularly worked with other students.
Barriers to Progress
Native and transfer juniors were similar in their assessments of the effects of barriers to progress and
problems that might increase their time-to-degree. Even though transfer juniors more often listed
transferring to UCSC as a barrier to progress than did native junior, the only real difference between the
two groups was in their assessment of the effects of repeating courses. Contrary to expectation, a larger
proportion of native juniors compared to transfer juniors listed this as a barrier (25% vs. 11%). The two
groups were similar on all of the other barriers to progress in the survey (see p. 24).
Transfer and native juniors expected to remain enrolled at UCSC the same amount of time (5.4
quarters for native juniors; 5.5 quarters for transfer juniors).
33 Never and rarely were grouped together, and very often and often were grouped together.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
50
DIVERSITY AND CAMPUS CLIMATE
This section describes how students from different backgrounds viewed the campus environment.
Responses of students of different ethnicities, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) were compared.
These differences are summarized in Table 37, which shows the scales for which there were significant
ethnicity-, gender-, and SES-related differences. A "Y" in the table means that significant differences were
found. Analyses by gender and ethnicity were based on unweighted survey responses.
Table 37
Differences Related to Diversity Characteristics
Differences Related to
Survey Sections and Item Groupings
Ethnicity
SES
Gender
Student Opinions and Values
Alcohol and Drug Use
Y
Equal Treatment
Respect for UCSC
Y
Social Attitudes
Campus Programs and Events
Contact with Different Ethnicities
Y
Contact with Similar Ethnicities
Y
Informal Socializing
Y
Social Integration
Y
Y
Y
Y
Social Activities
Interacting With People From Different
Backgrounds
Y
Off-Campus Social Events
Y
On-Campus Social Events
Y
Personal Drug Use
Y
Y
Political Activities
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Life on Campus
Satisfaction With Food
Satisfaction With Housing
Satisfaction With Noise Level
Satisfaction With Supplies
Academic Activities
Advising
Collaborative Learning
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
51
Table 37 (continued)
Differences Related to
Survey Sections and Item Groupings
Ethnicity
SES
Gender
Academic Activities (continued)
Contact With Faculty
Course Involvement
Y
Y
Academic Attitudes
Access to Computers
Access to Academic facilities
Availability of College Advisor
Y
Availability of Faculty Advisor
Y
Y
Course Access
Y
Y
Quality of Board Interaction
Y
Quality of Instruction
Y
Quality of Narrative Evaluations
Y
Barriers to Progress
Academic Problems
Y
Diversity Problems
Y
Y
Logistics Problems
Motivational Problems
Y
Personal Problems
Y
Y
Y
Y
Personal Experiences
Anxiety
Y
Pressure
High Self-Esteem
Y
Y
Y
There were significantly more ethnicity-related differences (70%) than either socioeconomic-related
(27%) or gender-related (32%) differences. Ethnicity-related differences in students' perceptions of campus
climate are examined first, followed by socioeconomic- and gender- related differences.
Climate Differences Related to Ethnicity
There were significant differences among ethnic groups on twenty-six of the thirty-seven item
groups. The differences will help reveal how ethnicity influences individuals view of campus climate and
point out broad areas of concern held by different ethnic groups. Differences among the ethnic groups are
reported as the proportion of students in each ethnic group that expressed satisfaction, agreement, or
involvement on the survey.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
52
Student Opinions and Values
There were significant differences between students' from different ethnic groups in all three item
groups. Figure 3 displays the proportion of students in each ethnic group who agreed that alcohol and drug
use was a problem, that students receive fair and equitable treatment, or that expressed respect for UCSC's
academic programs.
Figure 3
Ethnic Differences on Student Opinions and Values
80%
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African American students were different from other students on all three of the scales. Almost twothirds (63%) of the African American students felt that drug and alcohol use was a problem at UCSC.
This was considerably higher than the percentage for any other group. Other Minority students34 had the
second highest percentage, but fewer than half (46%) of these students agreed that alcohol and drugs were
a problem. African American students also held different views about the likelihood of fair and equitable
treatment for students at UCSC. They had the lowest percentage (22%) agreeing that students receive
equal treatment. At least 40% of Caucasian, Asian American and Native American students agreed that all
students receive equal treatment as did about 30% of Chicano, Latino and Other Minority students. When
compared with other groups, fewer African American and Asian American students expressed positive
views of the academic programs at UCSC (59% and 52% respectively). Overall, African American
students rated the campus less positively than other students.
34 Minority students not self-identifying as African American, Asian American, Chicano, Latino or Native American.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
53
Social Attitudes
Although there were no consistent patterns, ethnic differences were found on four of the five social
attitude item groups (see Figure 4). More Latino and Native American students were satisfied with the
opportunities for interaction with different ethnic groups than were Caucasian and Other Minority students.
Caucasian and Latino students were the most satisfied with the opportunities for contact with their own
ethnic group, but significantly fewer Asian American and Other Minority students were satisfied.
Caucasian and Latino students were also the most satisfied with the opportunities for informal socializing
with others, while Asian American and Chicano students expressed the lowest level of satisfaction.
Although African American students often expressed the most dissatisfaction with the campus, they (along
with Native American students) were also the most satisfied with their level of social integration in the
campus. Other Minority students expressed the lowest level of satisfaction.
While it is easy to look at the percentages and infer that some groups feel more integrated than
others, it is important to remember that there is a great deal of diversity within each of these groups. For
example, a Chicano student said:
the extent to which I feel I belong at this University is marginal. The lack of Chicano/Latino
faculty, scholarships, activities; the atrocious retention rates, the low percentage of MY
community being accepted on a University-wide level is nearly non-existent. If it weren't for
the handful of organizations and colleges (Oakes, Merrill) this University would not be
acceptable and I'd transfer out to a university that doesn't just give Chicano/Latino and other
Third World students 'lip service' and token funding. Multicultural diversity doesn't only
mean the presence of students from different ethnicities, but also the diversification of
staff/faculty, activities, and scholarships.
Figure 4
Proportion of Satisfied Students Based on the Social Attitudes Scales
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University of California, Santa Cruz
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Chicano
The Academic and Social Environment
54
Social Activities
There were significant differences among ethnic groups on all five social activities scales (see Figure
5). African American students were different from all other students (especially Caucasian students) in
most areas; they reported the highest level of on-campus socializing, engagement in political events, and
interaction with people from other backgrounds. They reported the lowest level of personal drug use, and
were among the lowest in socializing off campus. In contrast, Caucasian students reported the lowest level
of on-campus socializing, engagement in political events, and interacting with people from other
backgrounds and the highest levels of off-campus socializing and personal drug use. Asian American
students were markedly lower than other students in attending social events, whether on- or off- campus.
Figure 5
Proportion of Involved Students Based on Social Activities Scales
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Life on Campus
In this section of the survey only the Satisfaction with Food scale showed differences among the
ethnic groups. A greater proportion of Caucasian (27%) and African American (19%) students reported
being satisfied than did the Asian American (11%) students.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
55
Academic Activities
The only academic activities scale that showed ethnic group differences was Course Involvement.
Caucasian, Latino and African American students reported greater involvement than did Asian American,
Chicano and Other Minority students.
Academic Attitudes
As shown in Figure 6, substantial ethnic group differences were found on six of the eight academic
attitude scales. On five scales, the Native American students were the most satisfied (availability of college
advisor, course access, quality of board instruction, quality of instruction, and quality of the NES), and on
a sixth scale they ranked second (availability of board advisor). On both of the availability of advising
scales, Latino and Native American students were the most satisfied and Other Minority students were the
least satisfied. On course access, the percentage of satisfied Caucasian, Latino and Native American
students was considerably higher than for African American, Asian American, Chicano and Other Minority
students. Native American and Caucasian students were much more satisfied with the quality of their
interactions with the Boards of study than were other students. Asian American students were far less
satisfied with the NES than other students.
Figure 6
Proportion of Students Who Were Satisfied on The Academic Attitude Scales
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Barriers to Progress
Students rated the likelihood of encountering difficulties during their college careers. Figure 7
reports the percentage of each ethnic group that expected problems to hinder their degree progress.
Ethnicity-related differences were found on four of the five scales in this section.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
56
Figure 7
Proportion of Students that Expect Problems to Hinder Academic Progress
30%
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20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
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Problems
African
American
AAA
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Latino
AAA
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Diversity
Problems
Asian
American
AAAA
AAAA Native
AAAA
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American
Motivational
Problems
Personal
Problems
AAAA
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AAAA
AAAACaucasian
AAAA
AAAAOther
AAAA
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Chicano
Minority
Different ethnic groups expected to face different types of problems. Compared with students from
other groups, a considerably larger proportion of Chicano students expected academic and motivational
difficulties to impede their progress. More African American students anticipated difficulties related to
diversity problems and a larger proportion of Latino and Chicano students expected personal difficulties
than did students from other ethnic groups. Overall, Chicano students reported a greater number of
problems than did students from other ethnic backgrounds.
Students identified reasons that might cause them to take longer to graduate (see Table 38). When
interpreting the percentages, remember that the number of students in each ethnic group is different,
ranging from 21 (Native Americans) to 362 (Caucasians). Even relatively large differences in the
percentages between two small groups may reflect only small differences in the actual number of students.
Table 38
Ethnic Group Differences in Some Common Reasons for
Taking Longer Than Four Years to Graduate
Ethnic Group
African American
Asian
Caucasian
Chicano
Latino
Native American
Other Minority
Plan to
Transfer
16%
23%
10%
14%
16%
10%
6%
University of California, Santa Cruz
Transferred
to UCSC
8%
9%
16%
17%
10%
33%
25%
Change of
Major
27%
24%
23%
28%
33%
19%
22%
Reduced
Course
Load
0%
10%
14%
10%
16%
5%
22%
Taking
Extra
Courses
16%
31%
21%
20%
24%
33%
22%
Repeated
Courses
16%
19%
12%
27%
17%
0%
17%
The Academic and Social Environment
57
Significant differences were found in three areas, planning to transfer, transferred to UCSC, and
repeated courses. Compared with their peers, Native Americans expected that transferring to UCSC would
cause a delay in their graduation (more Native American students were junior transfers). When compared
with their African American peers, Other Minority students expected a reduced course load to cause them
to take longer to graduate.
Personal Experiences
The final section of survey contained three scales that examined different aspects of students'
personal experiences at UCSC (see Figure 8). Anxiety was reported by more Native American and Latino
students than Caucasian, Asian or Other Minority students. Fewer Asian American students expressed
high levels of self-esteem than did students from other ethnic groups. While this may mean fewer Asian
students have high levels of self-esteem, it may also mean that Asian students interpreted the questions
differently than other students.35
Figure 8
Proportion of Students Who Frequently Experienced Anxiety and High Self-Esteem
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Self-Esteem
Asian
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American
35 Studies have found that the meaning of self-esteem differs between Eastern and Western cultures. In Western culture, high
self-esteem is typified by feelings of self-pride and individuality. These characteristics are asked about in the self-esteem
scale in this study. In many Asian cultures, self-esteem comprises different characteristics, such as humility, sensitivity to
others, and a willingness to submerge individuality for the good of the group.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
58
Summary of Ethnic Group Differences
The results from the analyses by ethnic group are summarized below for each group. Each summary
highlights only the findings that were significantly different from the other groups. Although the profiles of
the groups were often different, the variations between individuals within each group were always greater
than the differences between the groups.
African American Students
African American students reported having more problems with diversity issues, were not very
satisfied with the opportunities to interact with other students from their ethnic group, and were the least
likely to agree that all students were treated equally. They reported higher levels of anxiety and had the
lowest self-esteem. African American students felt alcohol and drug use was a greater problem on campus
than did other students. They were also more often dissatisfied with some elements of the academic
climate, rating the quality of interaction within their boards of study, course access, and availability of
college advisors lower than other students. In contrast, they attended more on-campus social events (and
fewer off-campus events), were more politically active, and felt more socially integrated than students in
other groups. They also had more contact with faculty and teaching assistants than other students.
Asian American Students
Asian American students reported more academic problems than other students. They tended to be
less satisfied with the quality of narrative evaluations, the availability of their faculty advisors, and the
quality of their interactions within their boards of study. They reported the least involvement in off-campus
activities, were infrequently involved in on-campus activities, and were dissatisfied with the opportunities
for informal socializing. They were more likely to feel that all students were treated fairly, but were
dissatisfied with their opportunities to interact with students of the same ethnicity.
Caucasian Students
Caucasian students reported the fewest academic or personal problems. Fewer Caucasian students
felt that drug and alcohol use was a problem on campus and they reported the highest level of use. They
were the most likely to agree that all students were treated equally and reported the least contact with
students of different ethnicities. Caucasian students reported the highest level of satisfaction with informal
opportunities to socialize, and had the least involvement with on-campus activities (they reported the
highest level of off-campus activities); They had the highest satisfaction with the quality of instruction,
interaction with their board, and had the highest level of self-esteem.
Chicano Students
Chicano students reported more academic, motivational, and personal problems than students in
other groups. They were less satisfied with the availability of their faculty advisors, the quality of board
interactions, and the overall quality of instruction. They were also more likely to repeat courses. They
were dissatisfied with the opportunities for informal socializing and were less likely to agree that all
students were treated equally. Unlike the other ethnic/cultural groups, their dissatisfactions were not
counterbalanced by other areas of satisfaction.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
59
Latino Students
Over one-fourth of Latino students reported that personal problems were affecting their academic
progress (one-third said that a change of major will cause them to take longer to graduate). They reported
higher satisfaction with the social opportunities than students in other groups (e.g., contact with people in
the same and different ethnic groups; informal socializing; and on-campus events). They were more
satisfied with the availability of their college and faculty advisors, and rated the academic programs at
UCSC higher than students in any other group. Latino students also reported higher levels of anxiety and
lower self esteem.
Native American Students
Native American students reported fewer academic, diversity, motivational, or personal problems
than other groups. They were generally more satisfied with the social atmosphere (e.g., contact with people
from the same and different ethnic groups; social integration; students treated fairly). They were also more
satisfied with the academic atmosphere (e.g., quality of academic programs, availability of college and
faculty advisors; course availability; quality of interaction in their board; quality of instruction; the
narrative evaluation system). Native American students were more likely to have transferred to UCSC.
They were less likely to repeat a course, and more planned to take extra courses before graduating. Native
American students also reported higher self-esteem than students in other groups.
Other Minority Students
Students who identified their ethnic/cultural group as 'Other' reported more motivational and
diversity problems. Compared with other groups, they were dissatisfied with opportunities for interaction
with people with similar and different ethnic backgrounds, reported the lowest level of social integration,
and were less likely to agree that all students received equal treatment. They were less satisfied with the
availability of their college and faculty advisors, and were more likely to take a reduced course load. Other
Minority students attended more off-campus events than students in other groups, and were more likely to
agree that drugs and alcohol were a problem on campus.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
60
Climate Differences Related to Socioeconomic Status
Students' socioeconomic status was based on students' reports of their parents' income. Students
were categorized as upper, upper-middle, lower-middle, or lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups, as
reported in Table 39.
Table 39
Socioeconomic Status Based on Parental Income
Income
Percent
Lower SES
Less than $20,000
20%
Lower-Middle SES
$20,000 - $39,999
26%
Upper-Middle SES
$40,000 - $59,999
24%
$60,000 or more
30%
Category
Upper SES
Significant differences due to SES were found on eight scales. Table 40 reports the proportion of
students in each SES group who were satisfied, involved, or expected problems with academic progress.
Table 40
Socioeconomic Differences on Social and Academic Items
Lower
SES
LowerMiddle
SES
UpperMiddle
SES
Upper
SES
Contact With Similar Ethnicities
29%
34%
33%
36%
Social Integration
33%
39%
44%
45%
Satisfaction With Food
17%
20%
20%
23%
Satisfaction With Supplies
26%
33%
43%
37%
Advising
13%
6%
9%
6%
Off-Campus Social Events
42%
43%
48%
53%
Personal Drug Use
5%
10%
14%
14%
Political Activities
11%
9%
4%
5%
Diversity Problems
3%
0%
0%
1%
Personal Problems
18%
15%
10%
7%
Item Group
Percent Satisfied
Percent Involved
Percent Expecting Problems
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
61
Students of color tended to come from lower income families. While some of the differences found
appear to economic (e.g., satisfaction with campus food and supplies, amount of alcohol and drug use, and
frequency of attending off-campus social events), other differences may be attributed to students' ethnic
background (e.g., dissatisfaction with the opportunities to interact with people of similar ethnicities or
problems related to diversity). There were also differences in the likelihood for taking longer to graduate.
Compared with their higher SES students, lower SES students were more likely to change their major (34%
vs. 22%) or repeat courses (21% vs. 15%).
Climate Differences Related to Gender
Differences due to gender were found on twelve of the thirty-seven scales. Table 41 reports the
proportion of females and males who were satisfied, involved or expecting problems with academic
progress.
Table 41
Gender Differences on Social and Academic Items
Item Group
Females
Males
7%
20%
9%
11%
29%
12%
19%
5%
6%
8%
21%
43%
29%
41%
27%
18%
27%
36%
46%
38%
14%
1%
10%
2%
Percent Involved
Advising
Course Involvement
Personal Drug Use
Percent Experiencing
Anxiety
Pressure
Percent Satisfied
Satisfaction With Food
Satisfaction With Supplies
Availability of Faculty Advisor
Contact With Different Ethnicities
Course Access
Percent Expecting Problems
Personal Problems
Motivational Problems
Females were less engaged in their coursework and less satisfied with advising than male students.
They also expressed a higher degree of anxiety and reported more personal problems.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
62
Comments About Diversity at UCSC
Some students' comments expressed concern about intolerance toward differing points of view.
Whether the intolerance was over issues of ethnicity, gender, or political philosophy, a number of students
described UCSC as a place where diversity of opinions and beliefs is not tolerated. Comments about
intolerance were made in three areas: ethnic relations, gender relations, and politics. Many comments
linked two or more of these topics, and some the comments concerning political intolerance also included
comments about ethnicity and gender. Ethnic and gender issues were not always the focus of the
comments, however. As one student said: "there are a lot of things that I do which are not considered
'politically correct' -- I find that there is a lot of pressure from students to be politically 'right' and do things
their way." A similar view was expressed by a junior Economics major who felt there was "pressure to be
a total activist and if you [weren't] a total activist you get written off by many students."
It could be that some students did not feel comfortable at UCSC with its reputation for liberal
political and social attitudes. Several students pointed to liberalism as the defining issue with respect to
intolerance. For example, a female graduate students wrote:
The biggest thing I've noticed since I've been here is the closed-mindedness of many
students, especially undergraduates. The only acceptable ideas seem to be those on the
political left. I consider myself politically moderate, and I'm at times angered and alienated
by the attitudes of many students here at supposedly and progressive UCSC. No, UCSC is
not free-thinking; just liberal.
Some pointed out that it may not be simply a student issue and that "the development of non-liberal views
is discouraged" at UCSC. Despite the cause, the effect was that some students felt "a great deal of
pressure to keep my opinions and thought to myself. At times I feel that unless you have a liberal point of
view, [others see] you [as] a jerk." Another student talked about the "pressure from all sides to conform to
an uninformed, generic liberal world view. . . having lots of people explain to me in very condescending
terms that the reason I'm not doing well in their class is because I don't agree with their more 'P.C.' outlook
of life really gets to me." One student was offended by the liberal atmosphere: "I am Christian and feel
oppressed by the atheistic/humanistic slant of the student population."
Most comments on intolerance addressed on racial and ethnic issues. These comments centered on
the "focus on division at this campus." One student said the "survey items that referred to ethnicity
offended me," and "this campus puts entirely too much emphasis on race." .A junior biology major from
Oakes College talked about the "almost obsessive preoccupation with racial issues." He wrote:
As a minority, I feel it is important to address the issues, but at UCSC and Oakes
particularly, they take on paranoid levels. People with different political beliefs that are
not in line with those of people at UCSC are branded as racist or some sort of evil person.
Similar comments were made regarding issues of gender. Typical of these is a comment by a female
undergraduate:
There is too much emphasis on radical feminism at this university. True, women are
oppressed. . . Because of my refusal to blindly accept all of the current 'hip' morals on
feminism, and my decision to develop my own opinions, I have been reprimanded by
professors and students.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
63
Students were asked in the questionnaire whether or not they would choose to live on an ethnic theme
floor and why. Students offered analyses of the problems presented by theme floors:
I can see why theme dorms or floors are so controversial. From a general overall view, there
is a degree of isolationism when one dorm or floor is of just one ethnicity or culture (I wonder
what would an all-white floor or dorm be called?) I would like to see more of a multicultural
atmosphere in all dorms without necessarily designating 'themes' because it would become
apparent that they are multicultural. But, there are not enough people of color to make this
possible. So I feel that people of color who feel isolated, lonely, or lost in the crowd of
predominantly white people should be given the opportunity to share those feelings and
experiences of being a person of color in a white majority school (sophomore male from
Merrill College).
On the one hand I would like to think that we could all live together homogeneously [sic]- that
way we can all be exposed to other cultures. On the other hand, I realize that people in
minority groups might feel isolated and in need of support and a place where they feel that
they belong. (freshperson female from Cowell College)
Several reasons were offered by students as to why they did not favor ethnic theme floors. For some, the
issue was ethnic isolation. These students believed that theme floors would reduce rather than increase
interaction among students. "I am interested in learning about other groups besides my own -- and I don't
feel theme floors encourage this," wrote a Merrill College freshperson. A stronger sentiment was expressed
by a number of students who felt that "theme floors impose racism and do nothing to break down the
barriers." An Oakes student commented: "ethnic theme floors tend to separate people into cliques. This is
epidemic at Oakes." Other students felt "the diversity of a non-theme floor would be a more important
experience" than living on a theme floor (senior Psychology major from Stevenson College).
Some students argued that existing theme floors were not effective in creating supportive
environments. Comments of this type included:
I'm white, and have been disappointed by the lack of means to integrate with members
from other cultural backgrounds. I felt like an outsider on the theme floor. . . I'm sorry to
say that I might be developing prejudices, and not insight, toward blacks, following my
experience (a freshperson from Merrill College).
The theme floor I live on is not at all different from the regular floor I lived on last year,
except that I felt closer to the people on my floor last year. It has not promoted a feeling
of community to me.
This year I live on a multicultural theme floor, but it doesn't seem any different from the
regular floor I lived on last year.
Some students said the campus was not doing enough to improve diversity. A sociology graduate
student wrote: "while this campus is solidly supportive of diversity in principle much needs to be done to
make this a reality." Others, like a junior from Stevenson College, expressed their views more forcefully:
"I am angry at the school for not being more inviting, comfortable and accessible to students of color and
for not being open to their needs and demands." Several students commented that "UCSC needs more
programs to help minority students stay at UCSC and graduate." The majority of comments from
undergraduate students, regardless of gender or ethnicity, supported an ethnic studies requirement, if not an
Ethnic Studies Board.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
64
IMPLICATIONS AND DISCUSSION
The purpose of this study was to provide a broad overview of students' evaluations of the social and
academic environment at UC Santa Cruz and to identify areas in which the campus climate could be
improved. Some problem areas identified in this study reflect problems of the larger society (e.g., diversity
and multiculturalism), some areas may be the result of ineffective policies and programs (e.g., advising),
and others may have arisen from a lack of awareness or coordinated effort (e.g., collaborative learning).
Because the study was designed to cover a broad range of issues, it provided limited information
about specific topics. It is possible that some of the issues identified by this study may not be problems,
either due to the broad wording of the questions or to changes in institutional policy since the survey was
administered. In most cases, more detailed and specific information should be collected before specific
program recommendations are made.
The problems that were most salient in students' evaluations and comments were: diversity,
multiculturalism and backlash; alcohol and drug use; opportunities for informal socializing; advising,
especially for freshpersons and junior transfer students; collaborative learning and academic involvement;
and financial support for graduate students. Each of these topics and the implications for campus action
are discussed below.
Diversity, Multiculturalism and Backlash
Although most students agreed that it was important for the campus to create and maintain a strong
multicultural environment, some felt the campus's efforts were ineffective or exclusive. Some students of
color felt that the University talks about the creation of a multicultural campus, but does not act in ways
that support it. Some students from dominant cultural groups (e.g., white, male, or heterosexual) felt
ignored or excluded from specific cultural or academic programs.
The complexities of creating a multicultural campus were reflected in students' reactions to the
ethnic theme floors proposed for residence halls. A number of students commented that it was a good idea
and should be implemented. These students felt strongly that theme floors would provide students of color
with a supportive environment. Another group of students strongly opposed theme floors. They felt theme
floors were racist and would make it more difficult for students of color to be part of the campus
community. Opinions of students of color were equally divided between these points of view.
Although the campus has devoted significant resources to the recruitment and support of students of
color, many students were dissatisfied at UCSC. Overall, African American students appeared to have the
greatest difficulties, although Asian, Latino, Chicano, and Other Minority students were also less satisfied
than Caucasian students. While some of the differences found between groups may be due to different
cultural assumptions, the overall conclusion must be that students of color had greater problems than
Caucasian students. This comes as no surprise to most of the campus. While no campus can fully
compensate for the complex problems of the society around it, the challenge is to assure that the programs
and services it provides are as effective as possible. Conducting future studies like this one will be useful
in monitoring the overall atmosphere, but more detailed studies of students and programs are necessary to
improve effectiveness.
The programs and courses designed to increase and support multicultural awareness were criticized
by some for inhibiting dialog and being too strident. A number of students felt that there is too much
emphasis on multicultural and feminist issues. Most of these students agreed that multicultural issues were
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
65
important, but should be less salient (not "shoved down their throats" as one student commented).
Creating a climate that encourages multicultural awareness and sensitivity while supporting open dialog is
a challenge that faces campuses nationwide. The numerous remarks about the perceived imbalance serve
as a reminder of the difficulty of creating and sustaining an atmosphere that protects both values.
Alcohol and Drug Use
Forty percent of the undergraduate students felt that alcohol and drug use was a problem, although
fewer than one in five reported using them frequently. Due to the breadth of the questionnaire and the type
of questions asked about alcohol and drug use, estimates of the levels of use among students can not be
obtained from this study. Variation in students' evaluation of frequent use makes the information difficult
to interpret (e.g., drinking beer three times a week may be considered to be "very often" by some people,
but only "occasionally" by others). More information is needed on the type and frequency of alcohol and
drug use by students and its associated problems. Comments on alcohol and drug use help to illuminate
what students perceive to be the problems associated with their use (see p. 16). Suggested solutions ranged
from cracking down hard on violations to providing safe places for students to drink and take drugs. Most
comments implied that enforcement of the campus's alcohol and drug use policies was inconsistent.
Opportunities for Informal Socializing
One of the primary reasons for having a residential college system was to create a community setting
for students that would increase the opportunities for interaction among students and faculty. Nevertheless,
one-fourth of the students expressed dissatisfaction with the opportunities for informal socializing with
their friends.
The physical layout of the campus may be part of the problem. Although college clusters provide
some space for informal gatherings, the college groups are spread out. On many campuses, informal
socializing among students is facilitated by a centralized student union building. Typically, student union
buildings house places to eat, the college bookstore, and a number of recreational facilities and open spaces
designed for student use. While the initial core of the campus's student union building has been built, it has
yet to serve as a central meeting place. As new colleges are designed, the space for informal socializing
should be carefully considered. While this may ease the problem at new colleges, it may not address the
campuswide need.
Increasing the number of planned social activities and events may not solve the problem. The
majority of the students rarely or never attended planned events (only one-eighth attended with any
regularity) and half were satisfied with the current offerings (one-sixth were dissatisfied). Planned
activities do not appear to be a substitute for informal social activities.
Undergraduate Advising
Students have consistently reported dissatisfaction with advising on surveys over the past five years.
Students' comments identified some of the problems. They seemed genuinely confused as to the functions
of the various advisors and who their advisors were. A number of students also said that they received
incorrect information or felt that their advisors were generally not interested in them. Due to the
importance of decisions made during their college years, it would be in the best interest of the students and
the campus to better understand these problems. However, since the survey was done, the structure and
nature of advising has changed. The problems which students identified may have already been resolved,
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
66
or at least, lessened. Further study of the advising process and student satisfaction with advising is clearly
needed.
Academic Involvement and Collaborative Learning
Course involvement and collaborative learning among freshpersons was not high. This may be
because first year students usually enroll in a number of large, introductory courses.36 Without the help of
professors, advisors, teaching assistants, or more experienced students, freshmen may not create the
personal ties to the instructors or other students that help make large courses meaningful and challenging.
Recent research at Harvard University37 reaffirmed the importance of teaching students strategies to
increase their involvement and learning in large classes. Although some students prefer to study alone, the
study recommended that instructors and advisors help and encourage freshpersons to form study groups.
Students who worked in study groups did better in their courses and found them to be more challenging and
rewarding. Providing freshpersons with an alternative model for study may help them to become more
involved throughout their entire academic career.
Financial Support for Graduate Students
Financial support was found to be the major area of concern for graduate students. A number of
students commented that the support they received (either from financial aid or assistantships) was
insufficient for their needs. This was especially true for married graduate students with only one family
income, and single parents. The stress caused by financial need also reportedly led to tension between
students who received adequate funding and students who did not. A predominant theme of these
comments was that the University was unconcerned about their financial welfare. Recent protests by
graduate teaching assistants about wages and working conditions provide additional corroboration that this
is an issue of some importance.
During the 1990-91 academic year, UCSC graduate students received higher amounts of support per
student than students on any other UC campus. Because many graduate programs lack strong external
support, the cost to the campus to support these students is high. The planned growth of graduate
programs, fee increases, and the State's continuing budget problems make it unlikely that UCSC will be
able to maintain the current level of support. As the cost of supporting a research assistantship now
approaches or surpasses the cost of hiring a post-doctoral researcher, sources of external support may also
be reduced. As a result, discontent with financial support will probably not be easily resolved. This
problem underscores the importance of tying long-range program planning to issues of student support, but
the short- and long-term complexities of planning for graduate students make it a very difficult issue to
address.
36 The 1991-92 Class Size Study provides detailed information about the relationship between class size and student level.
37 Light, Richard (1992). The Harvard Assessment Seminars: Second Report. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
67
APPENDIX A
Annotated surveys report the answers to all of the survey questions. In this survey, all reported
figures are percents, and adjust for missing answers. As all of the reported figures are percents, the
percentage signs have not been included to increase the readability of the annotated survey. Because of
rounding, some percentages do not sum to exactly 100%.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
(cover letter goes here)
University of California, Santa Cruz
68
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
69
THE UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT SURVEY
University of California, Santa Cruz
Background Information
To better understand your responses to this survey, it is important to know something about you. Please tell us about yourself
by checking the appropriate box in each category below.
1.
Current Academic Level
19.6 Freshperson
17.0 Sophomore
17.9 Junior
21.0 Senior
24.4 Graduate
2.
College
9.9 Cowell
8.6 Stevenson
10.3 Crown
14.9 Merrill
8.2 Porter
9.4 Kresge
9.5 Oakes
7.5 Eight
21.6 Graduate
3.
Ethnicity
1.8 American Indian
3.7 Black/African American
5.5 Latino
8.6 Chicano
21.1 Asian (specify): ________
46.4 White/Caucasian
6.8 Decline to State
6.2 Other (specify): ________
4.
What was your academic
level when you first enrolled
at UCSC?
64.7 Freshperson
6.7 Sophomore
9.2 Junior
.8 Senior
18.6 Graduate
5.
Are you employed?
40.6 No
43.5 Yes, on campus
15.9 Yes, off campus
6.
Average hours per week
of employment
11.9 4 or fewer
18.2 5 - 9
35.4 10 - 19
26.5 20 - 29
3.4 30 - 39
4.5 40 or more
7.
Please check all that apply to you
35.6 Receive need-based financial aid
25.7 SAA/EOP Student
14.4 Re-entry student
2.0 Permanently disabled student
4.9 Parent/guardian for children under 17
54.5 Have a car
4.7 International student, here on student visa
11.7 Naturalized citizen or resident alien
20.6 The first in your family to attend college
5.2 Single parent
8.
What is your parent's income (estimated)?
7.3 Under $9,000 per year
13.1 $10,000 - $19,000 per year
13.8 $20,000 - $29,000 per year
12.3 $30,000 - $39,000 per year
12.1 $40,000 - $49,000 per year
11.5 $50,000 - $59,000 per year
9.0 $60,000 - $69,000 per year
5.2 $70,000 - $79,000 per year
5.5 $80,000 - $89,000 per year
10.2 $90,000 or more
9.
How would you describe your sexual orientation?
86.7 Heterosexual
3.1 Bisexual
3.2 Gay or Lesbian
7.0 Decline to State
What is your political orientation? (circle the number)
10.
Where do you live?
43.3 UCSC residence hall/apartment
4.2 Family Student Housing
2.5 Other campus housing
50.0 Off campus house/apartment
Gender
13. Age _______
59.8 Female
40.2 Male
11.
Left 16------------43-----------32-----------8-----------1 Right
14.
15.
16.
17.
12.
If you live off campus now, have you ever lived on campus?
20.7 No 32.3 Yes, at __________________
In what year and quarter did you first enroll at UCSC? ____ Yr. ______ Qtr.
Major(s) ___________________________________________________________________________________
In what year and quarter do you intend to graduate?
____ Yr.______ Qtr. 4.2 Won't graduate at UCSC
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
70
Student Opinions and Values
Please indicate the extent to which you agree with the following statements of opinion about UCSC.
Strongly
Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
1.
The university supports student participation in
the development of university policy.
3
26
32
29
10
2.
Alcohol and/or drug use is a serious problem
here.
6
21
33
33
7
3.
On this campus, students are treated equally
regardless of sexual orientation.
8
39
26
22
5
4.
Letter grades should replace the narrative
evaluation system.
5
8
12
26
49
5.
Ethnic theme floors are a good idea.
16
24
28
18
14
6.
UCSC is a prestigious university.
9
46
31
12
2
7.
Alcohol and/or drug use is widespread at UCSC.
15
39
29
14
3
8.
Alcohol and/or drug use is widespread at my
college.
12
32
34
17
5
9.
At UCSC, students are treated equally regardless
of gender.
10
38
23
23
6
10.
UCSC offers enough ethnic studies courses.
8
24
30
21
17
11.
The development of critical thinking, evaluative
and analytical skills is encouraged here.
19
55
16
9
1
12.
The growth that is currently planned will benefit
UCSC.
8
18
19
28
27
13.
Attracting a diverse student body is a UCSC
priority.
17
33
24
18
8
14.
Sexual harassment often occurs at UCSC.
3
15
46
30
6
15.
The development of creative and aesthetic
abilities is encouraged here.
11
52
26
9
2
16.
UCSC offers enough courses that discuss
differences in sexual orientation.
7
24
42
20
7
17.
When appropriate, the courses at UCSC attempt
to integrate non-traditional perspectives (ethnic,
cultural, gender).
11
20
25
12
3
18.
On this campus, students are treated equally
regardless of ethnic or cultural differences.
6
30
26
27
11
19.
UCSC offers enough courses that discuss
women's issues.
13
34
29
19
5
20.
Course registration procedures should be
changed.
12
16
25
33
14
21.
If I had it to do over again, I would enroll at
UCSC.
43
35
13
6
3
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
71
Social Attitudes
This section addresses your attitudes toward UCSC as a community. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with
each of the following? (Please circle "NA" if it does not apply)
Very
Very
Neutral
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
1.
The variety of on-campus programs and
events available from Monday through
Thursday.
9
35
36
16
4
2.
The variety of on-campus programs and
events available from Friday through Sunday.
6
32
35
20
7
3.
Opportunities to meet people and make
friends on campus.
13
40
25
18
4
4.
Opportunities to meet people and make
friends off campus.
4
17
31
34
14
5.
Opportunities to interact informally with
professors.
14
35
19
24
8
6.
Opportunities to interact with students whose
ethnic or cultural background are different
from yours.
12
34
25
21
8
7.
Opportunities to interact with students of your
own cultural and ethnic background.
16
40
29
10
5
8.
Extent to which you have a feeling of
"belonging" to your housing residence unit or
hall.
23
31
25
14
7
9.
Extent to which you have a feeling of
"belonging" to your college.
19
30
23
16
12
10.
Extent to which you have a feeling of
"belonging" to the University as a whole.
13
39
28
14
6
11.
Extent to which you have a feeling of "belonging" to your own ethnic or cultural group.
18
25
42
10
5
12.
Extent to which you have a feeling of "belonging" to your board or major.
18
32
28
15
7
13.
The degree to which students help and
support one another.
17
48
24
9
2
14.
Quality of your relations with students whose
cultural or ethnic background is different
from yours.
19
44
23
10
4
15.
Opportunities to interact with faculty and
staff whose cultural and ethnic back-grounds
are different from yours.
7
26
36
23
8
16.
Opportunities to interact with faculty and
staff whose cultural and ethnic back-grounds
are the same as yours.
10
27
37
15
11
17.
Extent to which you feel included in campus
social life.
7
28
36
21
8
University of California, Santa Cruz
NA
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
72
Social Activities
In your experience at UCSC, how often have you done each of the following? Indicate your response by circling the number.
Very
Often
Often
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
23
41
30
5
1
1.
Had a conversation with students whose values or
beliefs are different from yours.
2.
Attended a fine arts event or movie on campus.
7
19
38
25
11
3.
Attended a fine arts event or movie off campus.
14
25
31
20
10
4.
Attended a meeting of a student social
organization.
8
10
21
31
30
5.
Participated in community service.
7
9
20
32
32
6.
Attended a political demonstration.
2
6
17
27
48
7.
Attended an on-campus athletic event.
4
6
15
22
53
8.
Used campus athletic facilities.
27
22
22
15
14
9.
Attended a dance or party in your building or
residence hall.
13
21
23
19
24
10.
Had a conversation with students whose ethnic or
cultural backgrounds are different from yours.
33
33
25
8
1
11.
Attended a meeting of a student political
organization.
7
7
14
22
50
12.
Had a conversation with someone who is not
connected with the University.
29
21
23
20
7
13.
Met with friends to socialize on campus.
25
30
25
15
5
14.
Met with friends to socialize off campus.
25
29
26
15
5
15.
Drank an alcoholic beverage.
13
20
30
21
16
16.
Attended a dance or party sponsored by your
college.
10
17
24
24
25
17.
Attended an ethnic or cultural event sponsored by
your college.
6
14
25
25
30
18.
Attended a dance or party at another college.
7
15
24
25
29
19.
Used a drug to alter your mood.
3
7
16
19
55
20.
Attended a meeting of an off-campus political
organization.
1
2
7
18
72
21.
Attended a campus wide dance or party.
4
7
20
27
42
22.
Attended a campus wide ethnic or cultural event.
4
8
25
31
32
23.
Had a conversation with faculty or staff whose
ethnic cultural backgrounds are different from
yours.
9
19
30
30
12
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
73
Life on Campus
If you live on campus now, or if you have EVER lived on campus, please indicate your level of satisfaction with the following
aspects of life at UCSC. Please circle "NA" if it does not apply.
Very
Satisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Neutral
Campus Housing
1.
The availability of on-campus housing.
20
33
23
14
10
2.
The noise level in and around the living areas.
11
31
25
21
12
3.
The quality of the individual living spaces.
16
37
23
17
7
4.
The quality of the common areas.
10
40
26
18
6
5.
The helpfulness of the residential staff.
23
38
21
12
6
6.
The expense of housing.
2
8
20
31
39
7.
The availability of recreational areas close to
college housing.
15
32
24
18
11
8.
The availability of parking on-campus.
5
8
12
24
51
9.
Availability of quiet study areas close to college
housing.
15
39
23
16
7
10.
Transportation to and from campus.
26
41
16
13
4
11.
Choice of living arrangements at your college
(single-sex halls, theme floors, etc.)
3
6
24
41
26
12.
Would you choose to live on a theme floor?
38.6 Yes
61.4 No Why or why not _______________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Campus Food and Supplies
13.
The quality of food in dining halls on campus.
3
18
25
30
24
14.
The quality of food in coffee shops/ restaurants
on campus.
11
45
28
13
3
15.
The expense of food in coffee shops/ restaurants
on campus.
3
18
28
33
18
16.
The availability of books and supplies in the
Bookstore.
9
40
23
19
9
17.
The availability of supplies in the Student
Center store
7
24
44
17
8
18.
19.
What supplies would you like to have available on campus? ______________________________________
Where do you usually eat on campus? _________________________________________________________
University of California, Santa Cruz
NA
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
74
Academic Activities
In your experience at UCSC, how often have you done each of the following? Indicate your response by circling the number.
Double majors, please choose one major to consider in the following sections. Major:________________________
Very
Often
Often
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
1.
Talked with a faculty member about a course topic
outside of class.
14
23
33
21
9
2.
Used the McHenry/Science library as a place to read
or study.
17
22
27
24
10
3.
Used a college library as a place to read or study.
9
15
25
27
24
4.
Used a personal computer (not mainframe) for your
course work.
38
22
11
12
17
5.
Asked another person to proof read something you
had written.
14
22
28
23
13
6.
Talked with a teaching assistant about coursework
outside of class.
11
26
33
19
11
7.
Met with a faculty member during office hours.
11
22
34
23
10
8.
Used the McHenry/Science library to conduct
research for a project or paper.
21
28
23
13
15
9.
Tried to explain class material to another student.
25
38
29
7
1
10.
Read unassigned articles related to class topics.
14
22
32
24
8
11.
Met with your faculty academic advisor.
9
13
23
33
22
12.
Met with your college advisor.
3
7
17
37
36
13.
Met with your academic Board advisor.
4
8
19
29
40
14.
Met with a teaching assistant during office hours.
8
16
28
25
23
15.
Studied with a group of classmates for a quiz or an
exam (outside of class).
13
23
28
22
14
16.
Worked with another student on a project.
10
17
30
24
19
17.
Worked with a faculty member on a research project.
8
8
8
12
64
18
14
18
20
30
18.
Used the computer center or college computer labs.
19.
Average number of hours per week spent on
academic activities, including coursework.________
20.
Where do you usually study? __________________________________________________________
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
75
Academic Attitudes
This section contains items relating to your attitudes toward UCSC as an academic institution. How satisfied or dissatisfied
are you with the following? (Please circle "NA" if it does not apply)
Very
Courses
Very
Neutral
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
1.
The rigor of the courses offered in your major.
23
50
17
8
2
2.
The accessibility of courses offered in your major.
15
34
18
20
13
3.
The breadth of courses offered in your major.
11
36
26
21
6
4.
The content of the core courses.
16
34
23
16
11
5.
The degree of flexibility in choosing courses.
16
34
24
18
8
6.
The size of the classes.
14
28
21
21
16
Instruction
7.
The quality of the instruction you receive from
faculty.
21
52
16
9
2
8.
The quality of the instruction you receive from
teaching assistants.
13
43
28
13
3
9.
The accessibility of faculty members.
19
41
27
10
3
10.
The accessibility of teaching assistants.
18
46
28
7
1
11.
The faculty's attitude toward students.
20
45
23
9
3
12.
The teaching assistants' attitude toward students.
17
51
24
6
2
Grading
13.
The fairness of the narrative evaluation system.
26
44
19
8
3
14.
The usefulness of the narrative evaluation system.
35
34
17
9
5
15.
The promptness with which narrative evaluations
are returned to you.
3
13
23
33
28
16.
The letter grade option.
27
32
30
5
6
17.
The standard for minimum acceptable academic
progress.
15
37
36
9
3
18.
The opportunity to achieve honors in your major.
14
26
44
12
4
University of California, Santa Cruz
NA
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
76
Academic Attitudes (cont.)
Advising
Very
Satisfied
Very
Dissatisfied
Neutral
19.
The accuracy of pre-enrollment publications (e.g.,
catalog, admissions information)
13
43
28
12
4
20.
The quality of your college's academic orientation
program.
10
31
37
16
6
21.
The availability of contact with your faculty
academic advisor.
13
27
30
19
11
22.
The usefulness of the information received from
your faculty advisor.
12
26
31
16
15
23.
The availability of contact with your college
advisor.
8
24
39
19
10
24.
The usefulness of the information received from
your college advisor.
9
23
40
15
13
25.
The availability of contact with your Board
advisor.
13
31
35
14
7
26.
The usefulness of the information received from
your Board advisor.
17
34
33
9
7
27.
Quality of your interactions with your academic
Board office.
27
30
28
9
6
Facilities
28.
Comprehensiveness, quality and availability of the
material in the McHenry Library.
16
43
21
15
5
29.
Comprehensiveness, quality and availability of the
material in the Science Library.
13
39
28
15
5
30.
Availability of quiet and comfortable study areas.
18
41
20
16
5
31.
Quality of science laboratory facilities.
11
42
28
14
5
32.
Quality of art studios, fine arts facilities.
12
33
34
16
5
33.
Quality of language labs, social science laboratory
facilities.
11
44
34
9
2
34.
Quality of classrooms.
6
39
30
20
5
35.
Accessibility of UCSC-owned personal computers.
11
36
27
21
5
36.
Adequacy of UCSC-owned personal computers
and software.
11
38
32
15
4
37.
Accessibility of UCSC mainframe computers.
12
37
34
13
4
38.
Adequacy of UCSC mainframe computers and
software.
9
32
40
15
4
39.
Availability of assistance in developing computer
skills.
9
27
36
20
8
40.
Quality of computer consulting services.
10
26
40
16
8
University of California, Santa Cruz
NA
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
77
Barriers to Progress
Listed below are some common reasons that students give for taking longer than usual to finish or for leaving UCSC before
earning their degree. Which of the following apply to you?
1.
11.1 Plan to transfer to another institution
15.0 Transferred to UCSC from another institution
20.7 Changed or plan to change majors
12.4 Took or plan to take a reduced course load
20.9 Took or plan to take extra courses
12.3 Repeated one or more courses
Which of the following would be likely to slow
your progress toward graduation?
Extremely
Likely
2.
Health problems.
3.
Moderately
Likely
Not at all
Likely
7
6
14
24
49
Unavailability of degree programs or courses.
10
12
19
23
36
4.
Financial problems (need to support self/ family).
21
17
19
18
25
5.
Earning a degree is not a major goal.
2
2
7
12
77
6.
Alcohol or drug problems.
1
1
2
7
89
7.
Frustration with transportation/parking.
2
3
9
20
66
8.
Frustration with housing.
3
6
14
25
52
9.
Poor academic performance, poor evaluations.
3
6
12
24
55
10.
Inadequate advising.
6
9
20
29
36
11.
Lack of interest, motivation, or academic goals.
4
8
15
24
49
12.
Dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching.
3
9
17
32
39
13.
Stress, depression or anxiety.
12
15
26
24
23
14.
Problems due to ethnicity or culture.
3
4
9
17
67
15.
Problems due to sexual orientation.
1
2
4
11
82
16.
Problems due to gender.
1
2
7
17
73
17.
Problems due to disability.
2
2
3
7
86
18.
Problems establishing social relationships.
2
4
11
22
61
19.
Time conflicts, demands of job or family.
12
13
21
22
32
20.
Difficulty completing thesis/ graduation
requirements.
7
12
22
23
36
21.
OTHER:_______________________________________________________________________________
N/A
How likely is it that you will graduate from UCSC?
70
17
8
2
3
How likely is it that you will continue at UCSC next
year?
67
9
6
3
13
University of California, Santa Cruz
2
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
78
Personal Experiences
During the last quarter, about how often have you experienced the following feelings?
Very
Often
Often
Occasionally
Rarely
Never
1.
Felt isolated, lonely or sad.
11
21
38
25
5
2.
Felt "in control" and sure of your direction.
16
40
29
13
2
3.
Felt "lost in the crowd," invisible.
6
11
30
34
19
4.
Felt that the aftereffects of the earthquake
were seriously affecting your schoolwork.
18
17
23
22
20
5.
Felt "at loose ends" or bored, especially on
weekends.
7
12
26
31
24
6.
Felt pressured to drink or use drugs.
1
2
6
19
72
7.
Felt pressured to engage in sexual activity.
2
2
6
15
75
8.
Felt that you have much to be proud of.
19
32
34
12
3
9.
Felt like you wanted to kill yourself.
1
3
7
14
75
10.
Felt pressured to change your political
beliefs.
3
5
10
17
65
11.
Felt physically afraid for your safety on
campus (for reasons unrelated to the
earthquake).
1
4
15
24
56
12.
Felt pressured to stick with your own ethnic
or cultural group.
2
4
9
18
67
13.
Felt satisfied with yourself, on the whole.
21
43
25
9
2
14.
Felt anxious and under too much stress.
22
27
33
13
5
15.
Felt pleased with life.
23
41
27
7
2
COMMENTS: Which one of the issues presented in this survey has affected you the most? What more would you like to say
about this issue? (There is more space on the back of this page)
OPTIONAL: For the purposes of this study, we would like to be able to follow up on your progress at UCSC. In order to do
this, it is necessary for us to ask you for your name. Your name will remain confidential and will be used only by the
research team for tracking future events and distributing prizes.
NAME______________________________________________
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX A
(Photostat last page of survey and put here)
University of California, Santa Cruz
79
The Academic and Social Study
APPENDIX B
80
APPENDIX B
Weights Used to Equate the Respondents and
the Student Population
Gender
Ethnicity
Weight
Unweighted
Sample
Proportion
Weighted
Sample
Proportion
Female
American Indian
Asian
Black/African American
Chicana
Latina
White/European American
Other
Decline to State
4.20
3.04
5.21
5.50
3.97
14.73
2.11
8.75
1.7%
15.7%
3.2%
5.8%
3.9%
25.4%
5.0%
2.7%
.7%
5.0%
1.8%
3.3%
1.6%
39.1%
1.1%
2.4%
Female
American Indian
Asian
Black/African American
Chicano
Latino
White/European American
Other
Decline to State
6.80
4.83
22.75
5.05
4.81
21.32
3.28
6.84
.6%
8.9%
.4%
4.8%
2.3%
14.4%
2.0%
3.4%
.4%
4.5%
1.1%
2.5%
1.2%
32.3%
.7%
2.5%
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX C
81
APPENDIX C
Item Groupings and Scale Items
Student Opinions and Values
Alcohol and Drug Use
1. Alcohol and/or drug use is a serious problem here.
2. Alcohol and/or drug use is widespread at UCSC.
3. Alcohol and/or drug use is widespread at my college.
Equal Treatment
1. On this campus, students are treated equally regardless of sexual
orientation.
2. At UCSC, students are treated equally regardless of gender.
3. On this campus, students are treated equally regardless of ethnic
or cultural differences.
Respect for UCSC
1. UCSC is a prestigious university.
2. The development of critical thinking, evaluative and analytical
skills is encourage here.
3. The development of creative and aesthetic abilities is encouraged
here.
4. If I had it to do over again, I would enroll at UCSC.
Social Attitudes
Campus Programs and Events
1. The variety of on-campus programs and events available from
Monday through Thursday.
2. The variety of on-campus programs and events available from
Friday through Sunday.
3. Opportunities to meet people and make friends on campus.
Contact With Different
Ethnicities
1. Opportunities to interact with students whose ethnic or cultural
background are different from yours.
2. Quality of your relations with students whose cultural or ethnic
background is different from yours.
3. Opportunities to interact with faculty and staff whose cultural and
ethnic backgrounds are the same as yours.
Contact With Similar
Ethnicities
1. Opportunities to interact with students of your own cultural and
ethnic background.
2. Opportunities to interact with faculty and staff whose cultural and
ethnic backgrounds are the same as yours.
Informal Socializing
1. Opportunities to meet people and make friends off campus.
2. Opportunities to interact informally with professors.
3. Extent to which you have a feeling of "belonging" to your
academic board or major.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
Social Integration
APPENDIX C
82
1. Extent to which you have a feeling of "belonging" to your housing
residence unit or hall.
2. Extent to which you have a feeling of "belonging" to your college.
3. Extent to which you have a feeling of "belonging" to the
University as a whole.
4. Extent to which you feel included in campus social life.
Social Activities
Interacting With People from
Different Backgrounds
1. Had a conversation with students whose values or beliefs are
different from yours.
2. Had a conversation with students whose ethnic or cultural
backgrounds are different from yours.
3. Had a conversation with faculty or staff whose ethnic or cultural
backgrounds are different from yours.
Off-Campus Social Events
1. Attended a fine arts event or movie off campus.
2. Had a conversation with someone who is not connected with the
University.
3. Met with friends to socialize off campus.
On-Campus Social Events
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Personal Drug Use
1. Drank an alcoholic beverage.
2. Used a drug to alter your mood.
Political Activities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Attended a dance or party sponsored by your college.
Attended a dance or party in your building or residence hall.
Attended an ethnic or cultural event sponsored by your college.
Attended a dance or party at another college.
Attended a campus wide dance or party.
Attended a campus wide ethnic or cultural event.
Attended a meeting of a student social organization.
Participated in community service.
Attended a political demonstration.
Attended a meeting of a student political organization.
Attended a meeting of an off-campus political organization.
Life on Campus
Satisfaction With Food
1. The quality of food in coffee shops/restaurants on campus.
2. The expense of food in coffee shops/restaurants on campus.
Satisfaction With Housing
1. The quality of the individual living spaces.
2. The quality of the common areas.
Satisfaction With Noise Level
1. The noise level in and around the living areas.
2. Availability of quiet study areas close to college housing.
Satisfaction With Supplies
1. The availability of books and supplies in the Bookstore.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX C
83
2. The availability of supplies in the Student Center store.
Academic Activities
Advising
1. Met with your faculty academic advisor.
2. Met with your college advisor.
3. Met with a teaching assistant during office hours.
Collaborative Learning
1. Studied with a group of classmates for a quiz or an exam (outside
of class).
2. Worked with another student on a project.
Contact With Faculty
1. Talked with a teaching assistant about coursework outside of
class.
2. Met with a faculty member during office hours.
3. Met with a teaching assistant during office hours.
Course Involvement
1. Talked with a faculty member about a course topic outside of
class.
2. Met with a faculty member during office hours.
3. Used the McHenry/Science library to conduct research for a
project or paper.
4. Tried to explain class material to another student.
5. Read unassigned articles related to class topics.
6. Met with your faculty academic advisor.
7. Worked with a faculty member on a research project.
Academic Attitudes
Access to Computers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Access to Facilities
1. Availability of quiet and comfortable study areas.
2. Comprehensiveness, quality and availability of the material in the
Science Library.
3. Comprehensiveness, quality and availability of the material in the
McHenry Library.
4. Quality of science laboratory facilities.
5. Quality of art studios, fine arts facilities.
6. Quality of language labs, social science laboratory facilities.
7. Quality of classrooms.
University of California, Santa Cruz
Accessibility of UCSC-owned personal computers.
Adequacy of UCSC-owned personal computers and software.
Accessibility of UCSC mainframe computers.
Adequacy of UCSC mainframe computers and software.
Availability of assistance in developing computer skills.
Quality of computer consulting services.
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX C
84
Availability of College
Advisor
1. The usefulness of the information received from your college
advisor.
2. The availability of contact with your college advisor.
Availability of Faculty Advisor
1. The availability of contact with your faculty academic advisor.
2. The usefulness of the information received from your faculty
advisor.
Course Access
1.
2.
3.
4.
Quality of Board Interaction
1. Quality of your interactions with your academic Board office.
2. The usefulness of the information received from your Board
advisor.
3. The availability of contact with your Board advisor.
Quality of Instruction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Quality of Narrative
Evaluations
1. The fairness of the narrative evaluation system.
The accessibility of courses offered in your major.
The breadth of courses offered in your major.
The degree of flexibility in choosing courses.
The size of the classes.
The quality of the instruction you receive from faculty.
The quality of the instruction you receive from teaching assistants.
The accessibility of faculty members.
The accessibility of teaching assistants.
The faculty's attitude toward students.
The teaching assistants' attitude toward students.
2. The usefulness of the narrative evaluation system.
Barriers to Progress
Academic Problems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Poor academic performance, poor evaluations.
Inadequate advising.
Lack of interest, motivation, or academic goals.
Dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching.
Stress, depression or anxiety.
Problems establishing social relationships.
Difficulty completing thesis/graduation requirements.
Diversity Problems
1.
2.
3.
4.
Problems due to ethnicity or culture.
Problems due to sexual orientation.
Problems due to gender.
Problems due to disability.
Logistics Problems
1. Frustration with transportation/parking.
2. Frustration with housing.
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Academic and Social Environment
APPENDIX C
Motivational Problems
1.
2.
3.
4.
Earning a degree is not a major goal.
Alcohol or drug problems.
Poor academic performance, poor evaluations.
Lack of interest, motivation, or academic goals.
Personal Problems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Health problems.
Unavailability of degree programs or courses.
Financial problems (need to support self/family).
Stress, depression or anxiety.
Time conflicts, demands of job or family.
Difficulty completing thesis/graduation requirements.
Personal Experiences
Anxiety
Pressure
High Self Esteem
University of California, Santa Cruz
1. Felt isolated, lonely or sad.
2. Felt that the aftereffects of the earthquake were seriously
affecting your schoolwork.
3. Felt physically afraid for your safety on campus (for
reasons unrelated to the earthquake).
4. Felt anxious and under too much stress.
1. Felt pressured to drink or use drugs.
2. Felt pressured to engage in sexual activity.
3. Felt pressured to change your political beliefs.
4. Felt pressured to stick with your own ethnic or cultural
group.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Felt "in control" and sure of your direction.
Felt that you have much to be proud of.
Felt satisfied with yourself, on the whole.
Felt pleased with life.
85