September 25, 2015
Report to the Interim
VP for Strategic
Planning, Assessment
and Institutional
Effectiveness
Results from the Fall
2014 Freshman
Experience Survey
The annual Freshman Experience Survey, which is part of the Academies
Assessment Protocol, was revised for fall 2014 and administered via
SurveyMonkey. This report analyzes findings and compares fall 2014 results
with results from fall 2013. The vast majority of survey respondents expressed
a positive attitude towards the College.
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Executive Summary
A survey to assess first-semester experiences was administered to all degree-seeking freshmen
throughout the second half of the fall 2014 semester. This survey was developed by modifying
the previous Freshman Experience Survey to align it more closely with the objectives of the
Queensborough Academies. The purpose of the survey was to obtain information on: attendance
at orientations/events and utilization of student support services, the reasons for nonattendance/utilization, and student feedback on how the orientations and support services helped
them to navigate through their first semester and feel connected to the College. Finally,
freshmen were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with Queensborough. The survey findings
can be used to assess the effectiveness of orientations/events and student support/Academy
Advisement efforts.
Among the 630 survey respondents, attendance at the orientations/events varied widely, ranging
from 8.3 percent (Academy sponsored events) to 94.3 percent (ST-100). Nearly 73% of
respondents attended the orientation. One third of those not attending the orientation events
indicated that they were not aware of them at the time. A large majority of respondents agreed
that the orientation made them more aware of their Academy and that both Freshmen First and
the orientation helped them to be better prepared for their first semester. They agreed that
Freshmen First helped them feel more connected with their Academy, become more
knowledgeable of available student support services, and better understand their major. Of the
575 survey respondents who did not attend any Academy sponsored events, the vast majority
stated that they were either too busy or were not aware of the events. Sixty-three percent of all
respondents indicated that they had interacted with their Academy Adviser at least once since the
start of the semester. In the previous year’s survey, only 51 percent responded this way. Of
those who did not interact with their adviser, 35 percent did not know who their adviser was and
nearly a third stated that they did not need any help.
Freshmen were asked if they had difficulty navigating through college procedures during their
first semester. Most, 85.9 percent of respondents answered that they did not have difficulty.
Respondents agreed that the ST-100 course, the orientation, Freshmen First, and interacting with
their Academy Adviser all resulted in their becoming better at navigating through college
procedures, with the highest agreement levels (88 percent) attributed to ST-100. The
interaction(s) with an Academy Adviser and attending Freshmen First contributed most strongly
to a feeling of connectedness to the college community. Sixty-eight percent of the survey
respondents who attended Academy sponsored events agreed that attending resulted in greater
connectivity to the College. A new global question regarding connectedness revealed that 77
percent were in agreement that they feel part of the QCC community. A vast majority, 96.8
percent, responded that they had a positive (69 percent) or strongly positive (27.8 percent)
attitude towards QCC. A wide variety of reasons were given for their positive attitude, with
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
many attributing it to the helpfulness of QCC personnel, their professors and the positive
atmosphere at QCC.
Background/Purpose
During the fall 2013 semester, the new Queensborough Academies were fully implemented. As
part of this initiative, the research protocol for assessing the effectiveness of the Academies was
modified to include an updated freshman experience survey. It was particularly important to
assess the impact of the Academy Advisers given the recent changes in the operations of the
Academies starting in fall 2013 including the consolidation of all Freshman Coordinators and
Academic Advisers into one unit of Academy Advisers, the use of a caseload advising model,
and the employment of the Starfish Early Alert system. The results of the survey and changes in
student support practices led to an IRB- approved modification of the fall 2013 survey. This
newly modified Freshmen Experience Survey (FES) was administered in fall 2014 in accordance
with the assessment protocol specifying an annual fall survey. The overarching purpose of the
survey is to assess the effectiveness of the efforts of the Academy Advisers and student support
services during the freshmen enrollment process and during their first semester.
Most of the survey questions fall into three general categories: (1) student attendance at
orientations/events and utilization of student support services; (2) students’ reasons for nonattendance/utilization; and (3) student perspectives on the helpfulness of various student support
services. Questions about how students benefit were couched in terms of two broad objectives of
the academies which are to enhance student feelings of connectedness and to improve their
ability to navigate through the college’s procedures. In addition, there are two global questions.
The first question, asking about student attitude towards the College, serves as a broad firstsemester “satisfaction” question. The second global question, added in the fall 2014 FES, asks
about overall feelings of connectedness to Queensborough Community College.
Data Sources
All freshmen who completed a certain portion of ST-100 during the fall 2014 semester were
scheduled to meet their Academy Adviser to discuss current progress and course selection for the
subsequent semester. During this visit to their adviser, the freshmen were asked to take the First
Semester Freshman Experience Survey on a computer provided by Advisement. The survey was
administered in this manner starting on October 21, 2014 through January 21, 2015. There were
643 responses to the survey; however, several students took the survey twice. Duplicate
responses (the second response) and cases with mostly blank responses were eliminated. The
final dataset used for this report consisted of responses from 630 unique students.
The survey target population consisted of all full and part-time degree and certificate seeking
first-time freshmen and transfers enrolled in QCC during the fall 2014 semester. Students who
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
were enrolled in the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) or College Discovery
(CD) programs were eliminated from the dataset because they have a separate orientation
process and separate set of advisers. Table 1 shows the counts and percentages of various
demographic characteristics and representation by the Academies of the target population of
freshmen and the survey respondents. For most categories the respondents were a good
representation of the overall target population.
Table 1. Demographics of the Target Population of Freshmen and the Survey Respondents.
Survey Respondents
Students Total
Gender
Women
Men
Time Status
Full-time
Part-time
Ethnicity
American Indian or Native Alaskan
Asian or Pacific Islander
Black, Non-Hispanic
Hispanic
Other
White, Non-Hispanic
No Response
Academy
Business
Health Related Sciences
Liberal Arts
STEM
VAPA
Page 3
Count
630
Target Population
of Freshmen
Percentage Count
100.0% 3,741
Percentage
100%
338
292
53.7%
46.3%
1,880
1,861
50.3%
49.7%
554
76
87.9%
12.1%
3,154
585
84.4%
15.6%
12
134
158
195
40
82
9
1.9%
21.3%
25.1%
31.0%
6.3%
13.0%
1.4%
42
946
1,021
1,099
NA
633
NA
1.1%
25.3%
27.3%
29.4%
NA
16.9%
NA
92
59
325
77
77
14.6%
9.4%
51.6%
12.2%
12.2%
585
294
2,070
575
218
15.6%
7.9%
55.3%
15.4%
5.8%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Survey Findings
Questions on the orientation
Q. 4 Did you attend the orientation prior to the start of the semester?
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
Response Count
Response Percent
173
27.5%
457
72.5%
630
100.0%
Q. 5 Please explain why you have not attended the orientation.
Answer Options
I was not aware of it
Work schedule conflict
I was out of town
Health or family issues
It did not seem important to me
Other
Total Answered
Page 4
Response Count Response Percent
57
32.9%
46
26.6%
33
19.1%
11
6.4%
5
2.9%
21
12.1%
173
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Figure 1. Orientation attendance, outcomes of academy awareness and feelings of college
preparedness.
Strongly Agree
Agree
The orientation made me more aware that I
am part of an Academy. (N = 456)
After attending the orientation, I felt better
prepared to start college. (N = 456)
Neutral
Disagree
26%
19%
Strongly Disagree
52%
53%
20%
26%
Within this report, the phrase “agreement” or “in agreement” will be used to describe survey
responses of “agree” and “strongly agree”.
Questions on the Freshmen First Orientation
Q. 8 I have attended Freshmen First (The Freshmen First event is the fall semester
kickoff/welcome on August 25).
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
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Response Count Response Percent
290
46.2%
338
53.8%
628
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Q. 9 Why did you not attend the Freshmen First Orientation?
Answer Options
Work schedule conflict
I was not aware of it
I was out of town
It did not seem important to me
Health or family issues
Other
Total Answered
Response Count
97
88
54
18
7
26
290
Response Percent
33.4%
30.3%
18.6%
6.2%
2.4%
9.0%
100.0%
Figure 2. Over 78 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they
learned about support services and learned more about their majors at Freshmen First.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
3.3%
At Freshmen First, I learned more about the
majors that are part of my Academy. (N = 338)
25%
55%
16%
By attending Freshmen First, I learned about the
support services available to students (e.g.,
Single Stop, the Learning Center.) (N = 338)
25%
54%
19%
Attending Freshmen First made me feel more
connected to my Academy. (N = 338)
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19%
50%
29%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Questions on Academy Advisers and Support Services
Q. 13 Please select all of the topics, college procedures and policies that your Academy
Adviser discussed with you during your first meeting BEFORE the semester began. (select
all that apply)
Advisement Topic
Financial aid
My major/changing a major
Course registration
CUNYfirst/CUNY Portal/Tigermail
Queensborough Academies and its role
Registration for 15 credits
Learning centers
The Academy Advisement and Registration Guide
Foreign language placement
Transfer credits
Academic probation
Response Count
493
486
468
461
426
330
292
291
290
242
210
Response Percent
78.3%
77.1%
74.3%
73.2%
67.6%
52.4%
46.3%
46.2%
46.0%
38.4%
33.3%
Q. 14 How often have you interacted with your Academy Adviser (e.g., met in person, emailed, spoke to on the phone) since the START of the semester?
Answer Options
1 to 2 times
3 to 4 times
More than 4 times
Not at all
Total Answered
Response Count
323
55
14
235
627
Response Percent
51.5%
8.8%
2.2%
37.5%
100.0%
More than a third of the respondents indicated that they had not interacted with their Academy
Adviser since the start of the semester. This is a positive change from the previous year’s FES,
which indicated almost half (47%) had not interacted.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Q. 15 Please explain why you have not interacted with your Academy Adviser.
Answer Options
I did not know who my Academy Adviser is
I did not need help
I did not have time/too busy
I did not know where to go
Other
Total Answered
Response Count Response Percent
82
34.9%
74
31.5%
30
12.8%
14
6.0%
35
14.9%
235
100.0%
Of the 235 who responded that they did not interact with an Academy Adviser, thirty-five
percent indicated they did not know who their adviser was (down from forty-one percent of fall
2013 respondents), and 31.5 percent indicated that they did not need help, a proportion similar to
the year before.
Q. 16 During the semester, what topic(s) did you discuss with your Academy Adviser?
Please select all that apply.
Advisement Topic
My current class schedule
My major
My future class schedule
My grades
Financial aid assistance
Withdrawing from a course
A Starfish email (Tigermail) from my professor
Tutoring
Other
Response Count
254
232
203
131
127
84
76
70
53
Response Percent
40.3
36.8
32.2
20.8
20.2
13.3
12.1
11.1
8.4
The three most frequently discussed topics were current and future class schedule and major.
Q. 17 My Academy Adviser referred me to support services (e.g., the Financial Services
Office, tutoring, counseling, etc.) when I needed assistance.
Answer Options
I have not needed assistance
No
Yes
Total Answered
Page 8
Response Count Response Percent
126
32.2%
43
11.0%
222
56.8%
391
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Although only a relatively small number of respondents (43) indicated that their adviser did not
refer them to support services when help was needed, the percent responding this way (11
percent) was noticeably greater than the 4 percent responding in the previous fall 2013 survey.
Also fewer responded “yes” (56.8 percent) compared to 71.5 percent responding “yes” in the fall
2013 survey. Almost a third of respondents indicated they did not need assistance (compared to
nearly a quarter, 24.5 percent, in fall 2013).
Q. 18 Which student support office did you visit this semester? (please select all that apply)
Advisement Topic (Answer Option)
Financial Services
Writing Center
Campus Learning Center
Math Center
None of the services listed above
Academic Literacy Lab
Career Services
Counseling Department
E-Portfolio Lab
Services for Students with Disabilities
I am not aware that any of these services were offered
Other
Response Count
303
255
183
163
96
95
56
55
33
17
13
37
Response Percent
48%
41%
29%
26%
15%
15%
9%
9%
5%
3%
2%
6%
Students were able to choose more than one answer option so response percentages will total
over 100%. The three most frequently used support services were the same top three found in
the fall 2013 survey, with the Math Center a close fourth.
Question on ST-100
Q. 19 Were you enrolled in ST-100 (Introduction to College Life) this semester?
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
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Response Count
36
591
627
Response Percent
5.7%
94.3%
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Questions on Academy Sponsored Events
Q. 20 Have you attended any Academy sponsored events? (These events DO NOT include
Freshmen First or the orientation.)
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
Response Count
575
52
627
Response Percent
91.7%
8.3%
100.0%
Very few respondents attended an academy sponsored event (8.3 percent). This was lower than
the percent responding “yes” in the fall 2013 survey (11.8 percent). The 575 respondents who
had not attended an academy sponsored event at the time of the survey were asked their reason
for not attending.
Q. 21 Why have you not attended any Academy sponsored events? Please select all that
apply.
Answer Options
I was not aware of the event
No time/too busy
Class schedule conflict or I needed to spend my
time on school-work
Work schedule conflict
I was not interested in any events
I did not know the location of the event
Health or family issues
Response Count
204
189
170
Response Percent
32.4%
30.0%
27.0%
109
93
34
22
17.3%
14.8%
5.4%
3.5%
The three most frequent reasons for not attending academy sponsored events were not being
aware of the event (32.4 percent) not having enough time (30 percent) and having a class or
work-schedule conflict (27 percent).
Q. 22 How many Academy sponsored events did you attend?
Events Attended
1
2
3
4 or more
Total Answered
Page 10
Response Count
33
13
4
2
52
Response Percent
63.5%
25.0%
7.7%
3.8%
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Q. 24 Open-Ended Question: “What types of events would you suggest we offer in the future?”
Response Category
Count
Academics/Career
172
Career, job fair & internships
66
Involving a specific major (e.g., business, nursing)
34
Academic theme, tutoring
25
About majors in general
18
Technology/science themed
15
Nutrition/health themes
9
Field trips
5
Entertainment
97
Sports, games, competitions
55
A concert, music
22
Events with food
12
Entertainment/fun
8
Socializing
A mixer, socializing
91
31
A dance
24
Fundraisers, charitable events
17
Party
13
Religious/Holiday
6
Arts/Culture
53
Involving the arts, theater, film
29
Cultural, multi-cultural events
16
Talent show/student performance
8
Student Support/Orientation
49
Orientation/get to know more about QCC
14
Advisement topics
12
Financial aid, money themed
10
Information on transfer
Basic education (e.g., time manage)
8
5
Other
I don’t know
155
Satisfied with events we have offered
21
Uncategorized responses
20
Not interested in events
5
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
428 respondents suggested one or more academy sponsored events for future offerings. A
qualitative analysis was conducted on the responses and common themes were grouped to form
response categories. The 48 responses that were unintelligible were eliminated from the analysis
and counts. The table above shows the counts of responses for each category. Clearly, themes
involving jobs/occupations and academics were most frequent.
Questions on Navigating through College Procedures
Q. 25 I had difficulty navigating through college procedures at QCC during my first
semester.
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
Response Count
537
88
625
Response Percent
85.9%
14.1%
100.0%
One of the overarching goals of the Queensborough Academies is to enhance the ability of
Freshmen to navigate through college procedures during their first semester. Fourteen percent of
the respondents indicated that they had difficulty, up from 7.6% in the fall 2013 survey.
For the 88 students who responded that they had difficulty navigating through college procedures
at QCC during their first semester, there was an open-ended question asking them to describe
how they had difficulty. A qualitative analysis was performed on the responses to this follow-up
question in order to form response categories. A sorted categorized listing of the intelligible
responses is found in table 2. Several student responses included more than one way in which
they had difficulty and several responses did not address the question.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Table 2. Response to “Please describe how you had difficulty navigating through college
procedures at QCC during your first semester.”
How they had difficulty navigating
Locations of buildings/classes
Technology difficulties
Newness/adjusting
Too much to manage/overwhelmed
Much to learn
Confused
Academic difficulties
Financial aid, making payments
Don’t know where/who to go to
Count
18
15
12
5
5
4
4
4
1
Difficulties with the use of technologies (e.g., keeping track of emails, logging into CUNYfirst,
managing multiple passwords) were one of the most frequent types of difficulties reported.
More reported difficulties with technologies than in the fall 2013 survey (15 compared to eight.)
Questions 25 and 26 were followed by a series of questions asked to determine how particular
orientation events and support services may have helped students during their first semester. The
responses to these questions (i.e., Q. 27 and Q. 28) were only analyzed for the students who
attended a particular event/orientation or interacted with their advisers, in order to allow for more
clear interpretations of the survey results. For example, within these analyses, only the responses
of the 392 students who indicated that they met with their adviser at least once were considered
for the question on how interacting with Academy Advisers resulted in better navigation through
college procedures. The responses of those who did not meet with their adviser were not
included in the analysis. This methodology was also used for the other orientations/events and
ST-100 in the analyses for Questions 27 and 28.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Q. 27 As a result of the following, I have become better at navigating through college
procedures at QCC.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Attending ST-100 Classes (N = 584)
Strongly Disagree
48%
40%
Attending Freshmen First (N = 326)
27%
51%
Interacting with Academy Advisers (N = 375)
29%
48%
Attending the orientation (N = 442)
29%
46%
Not Applicable
8%
20%
19%
22%
Eighty-eight percent agreed or strongly agreed that attending ST-100 classes helped them to
navigate through their first semester, with an unusually large 48 percent responding with
“Strongly Agree”. Agreement was fairly strong for the orientations and advisers and there were
more responses of “neutral” by comparison to those for ST-100. Overall, compared to the fall
2013 results, agreement rates were somewhat higher and there were fewer respondents who were
in disagreement. The higher agreement rates may seem to contrast with the results from question
25 showing a larger proportion responding that they had difficulty navigating through college
procedures. Question 27 addresses how students became better at navigating because of
help/preparation from various sources, which is different from how well they navigated. It is
possible that compared to fall 2013, in fall 2014 it was more difficult to navigate through
procedures and at the same time, students found efforts to help them to be more successful.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Questions on Connection to the College Community
Q. 28 As a result of the following, I feel more connected to the college community.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Attending Freshmen First (N = 324)
Interacting with Academy Advisers (N = 380)
Attending the orientation (N = 442)
Disagree
25%
29%
24%
Strongly Disagree
Not Applicable
49%
44%
46%
24%
21%
26%
4%
Participating in Academy Sponsored Events (N = 48)
33%
35%
19%
6%
The orientation events (the orientation and Freshmen First) and interactions with the Academy
Advisers were all associated with agreement levels of feelings of connectedness to the college
community ranging from 70 to 74 percent. For those who participated in academy sponsored
events the agreement level was slightly lower, 68 percent. This percentage in agreement was
much greater than those from the fall 2013 survey (only 42 percent). Overall, compared to the
fall 2013 survey respondents, a greater proportion of respondents were in agreement that both
orientation events and the academy sponsored events helped them to feel more connected to
QCC in fall 2014.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Q. 32 I feel that I am now a part of the QCC community.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
2%
I feel that I am now a part of the QCC
Community (N = 619)
23%
54%
21%
This was a new question added to the fall 2014 survey with a purpose to gauge students’ overall
feeling of connectedness to the QCC community. A substantial majority of respondents, 77
percent, indicated they feel they are a part of the QCC community.
Attitude Towards Queensborough Community College
Figure 3. Respondents’ General Attitude towards Queensborough Community College
At present, my general attitude toward
Queensborough Community College is ...
3.2%
Negative¹
27.8%
Positive
Strongly positive
69.0%
¹ Includes three responses of “strongly negative”.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
A total of 622 students responded to this question. Only three students had a strongly negative
attitude. By contrast, 27.8 percent of respondents reported a strongly positive attitude towards
the College.
Q. 31 Please explain why you have a negative attitude towards Queensborough
Community College.
Among the 20 students who reported a negative attitude towards QCC, responses to this question
fell into several categories.
Table 3. Response Categories and Counts
Response Category
Complaint about people (mostly professors)
Blames self
Transportation
Class Schedule
Count
9
4
3
3
One student explained feeling “neutral” rather than negative. Since there were only 20
responses, little can be extrapolated based on these findings.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Changes from Fall 2013
Table 4 provides a comparison between the overarching/global results of the fall 2013 and fall
2014 FES. This table includes three sections which show the differences in
participation/attendance rates, the rates for improved navigation through college procedures and
feelings of connectedness, respectively. Within table 4 and figures 5 & 6, the agreement rating
outcomes were calculated only from the respondents who attended a particular event/orientation
or interacted with their advisers, in order to allow for more clear interpretations of the survey
results.
Table 4. Comparison of Survey Responses to Overarching Academies Goals between Fall
2013 and Fall 2014 FES Responses
a. Percentage of survey respondents participating, attending or interacting.
The orientation*
Freshmen First
Academy Advisers
ST-100
Academy Sp. Events
Fall 2013
N
%
514
75%
600
88%
358
53%
657
97%
80
12%
Fall 2014
N
%
457
73%
338
54%
392
63%
591
94%
52
8%
Difference
% point
-2% points
-34% points
+10% points
-3% points
-4% points
b. Percentage in agreement with “As a result of the following, I have become
better at navigating through college procedures at QCC.”
Fall 2013
Fall 2014
Difference
N
%
N
%
% point
The orientation*
507
75%
442
75%
Same
Freshmen First
591
71%
326
78%
+7% points
Academy Advisers
358
75%
375
77%
+2% points
ST-100
656
82%
584
88%
+6% points
Academy Sp. Events
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
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Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
c. Percentage in agreement with, “As a result of the following, I feel more
connected to the college community."
Fall 2013
Fall 2014
Difference
N
%
N
%
% point
The orientation*
507
60%
442
70%
+10% points
Freshmen First
590
59%
324
74%
+15% points
Academy Advisers
358
73%
380
73%
Same
ST-100
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
N.A.
Academy Sp. Events
79
42%
48
68%
+26% points
* In fall 2013 College 101 was the approximate equivalent event to the orientation in 2014.
Table 4 a. shows how in general, participation in the orientations has decreased somewhat in fall
2014, with the exception that more interacted with their advisers. The attendance at Freshmen
First was much lower among the respondents in fall 2014. On the other hand, fall 2014 freshmen
agreed at a higher rate than fall 2013 freshmen that Freshmen First and ST-100 helped them to
navigate through QCC’s procedures and - especially - that they feel more connected to the
college community as a result of the orientations. Improved feelings of connectedness were
particularly notable with the academy sponsored events, although the number responding was
only 48. Overall, the results shown in table 4 provide some evidence of improvements in
orientations and student support, and in helping freshmen to feel more connected to the college.
The data in table 4 showing comparisons between the overarching/global results of the fall 2013
and fall 2014 FES are also shown in figures 4 to 6.
Figure 4. Comparison of findings between fall 2013 and fall 2014 FES results:
participation/attendance/interaction rates.
Percentage of Survey Respondents
Participating, Attending or Interacting
Fall 2013
75% 73%
Fall 2014
97% 94%
88%
54%
53%
63%
12% 8%
The
Orientation
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Freshmen
First
Academy
Advisers
ST-100
Academy
Sp. Events
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Figure 5. Comparison of findings between fall 2013 and fall 2014 FES results: navigating
through college procedures at QCC.
Percentage in Agreement with "As a result of the
following, I have become better at navigating through
procedures at QCC"
Fall 2013
75% 75%
The Orientation
71%
78%
Freshmen First
Fall 2014
77%
75%
Academy
Advisers
82%
88%
ST-100
Figure 6. Comparison of findings between fall 2013 and fall 2014 FES results: feelings of
connectedness.
Percentage in Agreement with, "As a result of the
following, I feel more connected to the
college community"
Fall 2013
74%
70%
60%
Fall 2014
73%
73%
68%
59%
42%
The Orientation
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Freshmen First
Academy
Advisers
Academy Sp.
Events
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Summary
This summary is organized by grouping the findings by activity (e.g., Freshmen First, Academy
Advisers) followed by a summary of global findings. The phrase “were in agreement” is used to
describe responses which were either in agreement or strong agreement to a statement.
The Orientation
Among the survey respondents, 72.5 percent attended the orientation. The most frequent reason
for non-attendance was not being aware of the event (32.9 percent of the non-attendees)
compared to 58.2 percent of non-attendees in the fall 2013 survey. This indicates that
communication of the event may have improved recently. Of survey respondents who attended,
most (72 percent) were in agreement that the orientation prepared them to start college and made
them more aware of their academy (78 percent). Seventy-five percent of the college orientation
attendees were in agreement that they became better at navigating through college procedures as
a result of attending the orientation and 70 percent were in agreement that it helped them to feel
more connected to the college community. This agreement level increased by 10 percentage
points from last year’s survey (when 60 percent were in agreement).
Freshmen First
Among the survey respondents, 54 percent attended Freshmen First. Attendance of survey
respondents was higher last year (88 percent). Compared to last year’s survey responses, “lack
of awareness” was a more frequent (30.3 percent versus 7.4 percent) reason for non-attendance.
Over 78 percent of the attendees were in agreement that at Freshmen First, they learned about
support services and the majors that are a part of their academy. Seventy-four percent were in
agreement that they felt more connected to their academy, up from 59% as seen in figure 6.
Interaction with Academy Advisers
Among the survey respondents, 62 percent indicated that they had interacted with their Academy
Adviser at least once since the start of the semester. This percentage improved from the 53
percent who had reported this in the fall 2013 survey. Those who did not interact with their
adviser did so because either they did not know who the adviser was (34.9 percent) or because
they “did not need help” (31.5 percent). In the fall 2013 survey, a higher percentage of freshmen
who did not interact with their adviser (40.4 percent) did not know who their adviser was. This
change for the better provides some evidence of improvement in adviser familiarity.
The most frequently reported topics discussed with advisers during the semester were “My
current class schedule” (at 40.3 percent) and “My major” (at 36.8 percent). Eleven percent of
respondents indicated that their adviser did not refer them to support services when needed, a
surprising increase over the 4 percent of respondents to the fall 2013 survey. Among the survey
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
respondents, the Financial Aid Office was the support service office most frequently visited,
followed by the Writing Center. Seventy-seven percent of respondents who interacted with the
advisers at least once since the start of the semester agreed that this interaction helped them
navigate through college procedures (up from 75 percent in fall 2013), and seventy-three percent
agreed it made them feel more connected with the college community (same as in fall 2013). As
stated in the Queensborough Academies Protocol, two of the desired outcomes of the
Queensborough Academies are to enhance incoming students’ acquisition of knowledge about
the College and to increase student connectedness to the college community. The findings
provide some evidence that the efforts of the Academy Advisers are helping the College to meet
these two objectives of the Academies.
ST-100 Courses
Among the survey respondents, 94.3 percent enrolled in ST-100. Eighty-eight percent of ST-100
attendees were in agreement that this class helped them to navigate through college procedures
(up from 82 percent in fall 2013.)
Academy Sponsored Events
Attendance at the Academy Sponsored events was quite low (8.3 percent1), and lower than
reported in the previous survey (11.8 percent), but a greater proportion (68 percent) of those who
attended agreed that their attendance led to feeling more connected to the college community,
compared to 42 percent in fall 2013. Among the 575 respondents who did not attend any
academy sponsored events, the majority (52 percent) indicated they had inadequate free time or a
work schedule conflict; 41 percent indicated they were not aware of the event or were lacking
information about the event time or location, and sixteen percent stated that they were
uninterested in any events.
Global Outcomes
A large majority, 85.9% of respondents indicated that they did not have difficulty navigating
through college procedures during the semester. Among those who had difficulty (88
respondents) many reported that they needed to know more information about the college (e.g.,
locations of buildings) and many expressed feeling overwhelmed and that they had much to
1
The finding that 8.3 percent responded that they attended an event cannot be interpreted to
mean that only 8.3 percent attended events during the semester because the survey began on
October 21. Survey respondents may have attended an event(s) after they completed the survey.
About half of the respondents completed the survey after the middle of November.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
learn. This finding raised the question of whether they attended the orientations. Among these
88 who reported having difficulty navigating, 70.5 percent attended the orientation and 60.2
percent attended Freshmen First. These rates are about the same and higher than the average
participation rates, so it appears that they attended the orientations fairly well.
Table 5 provides an overview of the agreement ratings for statements of how the orientations,
events and Academy Advisers helped students to navigate through college procedures and how
they helped them to become more connected with the college community. These ratings are for
statements which were developed to assess two of the Queensborough Academies objectives.
Table 5. Summary of Utilization and Agreement Ratings for Orientations, Events and
Academy Advisers.
Percentage of survey respondents participating,
attending or interacting.
Percentage in agreement with “As a result of
the following, I have become better at
navigating through college procedures at QCC.”
Percentage in agreement with, “As a result of
the following, I feel more connected to the
college community."
The
Orientation
Freshmen
First
Academy
Advisers
ST-100
Academy
Sp. Events
73%
54%
63%
94%
8%
75%
78%
77%
88%
N.A.
70%
74%
73%
N.A.
68%
“In agreement” includes ratings of “agree” and “strongly agree” and percentages are rounded.
According to the survey feedback, attending ST-100 was rated the most effective orientation to
help students with navigating through college procedures (88 percent). Attending Freshmen
First and meeting with Academy Advisers were most effective in making students feel more
connected to the College (74 percent and 73 percent respectively.)
Survey respondents provided very positive responses about their general attitude towards QCC.
Ninety-seven percent had a positive or strongly positive attitude towards QCC. It should be
noted that these ratings were obtained during the time period after midterms and through the
final exams period, as opposed to the relatively less-challenging start of the semester. Only 3.2
percent responded that they had a negative attitude.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Conclusions
Three of the outcomes specified within the Queensborough Academies Protocol 2013-2016 are
to increase (1) student knowledge of the College, (2) student connectivity to the College and (3)
connectivity to their Academy. The findings from the First Semester Freshmen Experience
Survey provide evidence that these outcomes are being met. The orientation is designed to
prepare freshmen for their first semester. Survey results showed that a solid majority of
respondents were in agreement that the orientation helped to prepare them to start college and
made them more aware of their Academy. A great majority of respondents attributed the
Freshmen First orientation to their learning about support services, learning about the majors that
are a part of their Academy and feeling more connected to their Academy. A large majority of
survey respondents were in agreement that interactions with their advisers and attending
Freshmen First resulted in their feeling more connected to the college community. An
overarching purpose of the orientation, Freshmen First, ST-100, and the efforts of the Academy
Advisers is to provide information to freshmen so that they could successfully navigate through
college procedures during their first semester. The survey results showed that a great majority of
respondents felt that they were able to navigate through college procedures and that the
orientation, Freshmen First, the advisers and ST-100 (especially), were instrumental in helping
them. Comparisons of results between the fall 2013 and fall 2014 FES revealed that more
students were in agreement that they were better able to navigate through procedures at the
college because of ST-100 and Freshmen First; however, more respondents reported having
difficulty with procedures in general.
A solid majority of freshmen responded that they felt more connected to the college community
as a result of participation in the orientations (i.e., the orientation and Freshman First) and
interactions with the Academy Advisers. One of the most pronounced differences in the survey
response patterns between the fall 2013 and fall 2014 Freshmen Experience Surveys (FES) is
that many more freshmen agreed that they felt connected to the college as a result of both
orientations. These findings provide some evidence of increased effectiveness of the efforts
made to foster feelings of connectivity.
A long-term institutional objective of the Queensborough Academies is to increase student
satisfaction. The results of the FES provided evidence that students were satisfied with QCC.
The vast majority of respondents indicated that they have a positive or strongly positive attitude
towards QCC.
The next step in the surveying cycle will include an administration of the same survey in fall
2015. The results of this survey, in light of the results of the 2013 and 2014 surveys will allow
for an analysis of trends in various outcomes.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Appendix 1. Comparison of Fall 2013 and Fall 2014 Survey Results
The Orientation (College 101)
Did you attend the orientation* prior to the start of the semester?
Answer Options
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
No
168
24.6%
173
27.5%
Yes
514
75.4%
457
72.5%
Total Answered
681
100.0%
630
100.0%
* In fall 2013 College 101 was the approximate equivalent event to the orientation in 2014.
Please explain why you have not attended the orientation.*
Answer Options
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
I was not aware of it
102
58.2%
57
32.9%
Work schedule conflict
6
3.3%
46
26.6%
I was out of town
3
1.7%
33
19.1%
Health or family issues
6
3.2%
11
6.4%
It did not seem important to me
19
10.7%
5
2.9%
Other
40
22.8%
21
12.1%
Total Answered
176
100.0%
173
100.0%
* In fall 2013 College 101 was the approximate equivalent event to the orientation in 2014.
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Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
The orientation* made me more aware that I am a part of an academy.
Agreement
Those in agreement (strongly agree + agree)
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
416
81%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
356
78%
After attending the orientation*, I felt better prepared to start college.
Agreement
Those in agreement (strongly agree + agree)
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
420
81%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
328
72%
* In fall 2013 College 101 was the approximate equivalent event to the orientation in 2014.
Freshmen First
I have attended Freshmen First (The Freshmen First event is the fall semester
kickoff/welcome on August 25).
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
81
600
681
11.9%
88.1%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
290
338
628
46.2%
53.8%
100.0%
Why did you not attend the Freshmen First Orientation?
Answer Options
Work schedule conflict
I was not aware of it
I was out of town
It did not seem important to me
Health or family issues
Other
Total Answered
Page 26
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
18
7
21
15
7
23
91
20.1%
7.4%
23.1%
16.1%
7.8%
25.5%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
97
88
54
18
7
26
290
33.4%
30.3%
18.6%
6.2%
2.4%
9.0%
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
By attending Freshmen First, I learned about the support services available to
students.
Agreement
Those in agreement (strongly agree + agree)
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
494
83%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
270
80%
At Freshmen First, I learned more about the majors that are part of my
Academy.
Agreement
Those in agreement (strongly agree + agree)
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
464
78%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
267
79%
Attending Freshmen First made me feel more connected to my Academy.
Agreement
Those in agreement (strongly agree + agree)
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
415
69%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
233
69%
How often did you interact with your Academy Adviser since the start of the
semester?
Answer Options
1 to 2 times
3 to 4 times
More than 4 times
Not at all
Total Answered
Page 27
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
277
60
21
317
675
41.0%
8.9%
3.2%
47.0%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
323
55
14
235
627
51.5%
8.8%
2.2%
37.5%
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Please explain why you have not interacted with your Academy Adviser.
Answer Options
I did not know who my Academy Adviser is
I did not need help
I did not have time/too busy
I did not know where to go
Other
Total
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
128
103
29
18
39
317
40.4%
32.5%
9.2%
5.8%
12.2%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
82
74
30
14
35
235
34.9%
31.5%
12.8%
6.0%
14.9%
100.0%
My Academy Adviser referred me to support services (e.g., the financial aid
department, tutoring, counseling, etc.) “when” I needed assistance.
Answer Options
I have not needed assistance
No
Yes
Total Answered
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
88
14
256
358
24.5%
4.0%
71.5%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
126
43
222
391
32.2%
11.0%
56.8%
100.0%
Were you enrolled in ST-100 (Introduction to College Life) this semester?
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
Page 28
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
18
657
675
2.7%
97.3%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
36
591
627
5.7%
94.3%
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment
Results from the Fall 2014 Freshman Experience Survey
September 25, 2015
Questions on Navigating through College Procedures
I had difficulty navigating through college procedures at QCC during my first
semester.
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
624
51
675
92.4
7.6%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
537
88
625
85.9%
14.1%
100%
Questions on Academy Sponsored Events
Have you attended any Academy sponsored events?
Answer Options
No
Yes
Total Answered
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
595
80
675
88.2%
11.8%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
575
52
627
91.7%
8.3%
100.0%
How many Academy sponsored events did you attend?
Answer Options
1
2
3
4 or more
Total
Fall 2013
Response Response
Count
Percent
70
6
4
0
80
87.6%
7.2%
4.6%
0.6%
100.0%
Fall 2014
Response Response
Count
Percent
34
13
4
2
53
64.2%
24.5%
7.5%
3.8%
100.0%
At present, my general attitude towards Queensborough Community College is …
Fall 2013
Fall 2014
Answer Options
Response Response Response Response
Count
Percent
Count
Percent
Strongly Positive
Positive
Negative
Strongly Negative
Total
Page 29
181
475
13
1
670
27.1%
70.8%
1.9%
0.2%
100.0%
173
429
17
3
622
27.8%
69%
2.7%
0.5%
100.0%
Office of Institutional Research and Assessment