FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Choosing the University of
Saskatchewan
Final Report
Prepared for David Hannah, Associate Vice-President, Student and Enrolment
Services (SESD) by the Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment.
A study conducted by the Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment (IPA)
in collaboration with Louise Alexitch, Department of Psychology
February 2011
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Introduction
Enrolment at Canada’s post-secondary institutions is becoming a very competitive arena. Institutions
from all over the country are competing with each other in attracting Canada’s university bound youth.
This competition has extended itself to the international market as well, where institutions are
increasing their presence in key markets, such as China and India. The University of Saskatchewan has
always been successful in attracting students from Saskatchewan. In fact, it has historically been the
case that the vast majority of our undergraduate population hails from Saskatchewan (over 75% in the
last five years)1. But as that segment of our population declines in number, the university must look to
other sources of potential students – namely out-of-province, international and Aboriginal students.
Aboriginal students are a population that has traditionally been underrepresented in post-secondary
education but that unlike the non-Aboriginal population of Saskatchewan, is growing at a significant
rate2.
Purpose
In the fall of 2009, Student and Enrolment Services Division (SESD) commissioned a study to examine the
motivating factors of out-of-province, international and Aboriginal students in choosing to attend the
University of Saskatchewan. This study was conducted by the Office of Institutional Planning and
Assessment (IPA) in conjunction with Louise Alexitch, faculty in the Department of Psychology whose
research interests lie in the area of the transition experiences of minority groups on campus.
The study consisted of two parts, the first an on-line survey and the second a series of focus groups. The
results presented in this section of the report are those pertaining to the on-line survey.
Methodology
An e-mail invitation to complete an on-line survey on reasons for attending the University of
Saskatchewan was sent to a selection of out-of-province, international, and Aboriginal students as well
as a randomly selected group of undergraduate students (Saskatchewan residents) who acted as a
control group. The criterion for these groups was as follows:




1
Out-of-province – all undergraduate students enrolled in their first year in a direct entry college
International – all undergraduate students
Aboriginal – all undergraduate students
Control – a random sample of undergraduate students who did not meet the criteria for the other
three groups (i.e., non-Aboriginal students from Saskatchewan)
Source: Office of Institutional Statistics and Analytics, University of Saskatchewan. www.usask.ca/isa
It is estimated that by 2017, the number of young Aboriginal adults (20 to 29) may almost double from 18% in
2006 to 30% - Statistics Canada 2006
2
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
The on-line survey was available for a two-week period from Monday, November 23rd to Sunday,
December 6th, 2009. The following table outlines the response rate of the four participant groups.
Group
Respondents
Response Rate
Out-of-province
94
22%
Aboriginal
152
10%
International
98
13%
Control
178
24%
TOTAL
522
15%
Note: Figures show the number and percentage of respondents by participant group.
All participants, regardless of population were asked to complete the same survey (see Appendix A). The
survey asked questions on why respondents chose to attend university (in general), why they chose the
U of S, experiences at the U of S, adjustment to university life, academic preparation, non-academic
responsibilities and demands, and finally demographics.
Major Findings
Reasons for Attending University
Respondents were provided with a list of potential reasons for pursuing a post-secondary education at a
university and asked to indicate all the reasons that applied. While the order differed among the four
groups, the top two reasons were fairly consistent – “To learn and gain knowledge” and “To get an
interesting and satisfying career”. See Appendix B, Table 1 for a full listing of reasons and responses
from each group of students.
Respondents were then asked to indicate which reason, of all that applied to them, was the most
important in deciding to pursue a post-secondary education at a university. Again, “To get an interesting
and satisfying career” and “To learn and gain knowledge” featured prominently.
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Group
To get an interesting &
satisfying career
To learn and gain
knowledge
To have a better life
Out-of-province
33%
13.8%
14.9%
Aboriginal
22%
12.8%
12.1%
International
16.1%
24.1%
11.5%
Control
27.3%
16.3%
9.9%
Note: Figures show the percentage of respondents who cited this reason as the most important reason for choosing to attend a university.
Reasons for Attending the University of Saskatchewan
Similar to the previous section, respondents were provided with a list of reasons for choosing to attend
the University of Saskatchewan and asked to indicate all the reasons that applied to them. They were
then asked to identify the most important reason for choosing the U of S.
Not surprisingly, students in the control group and Aboriginal students listed “Location is close to my
home/community” as the most important reason for choosing the U of S. Out-of-province students and
international students chose “Has good academic programs” as their top reason. However, good
academic programs were of importance to all respondents; as the Aboriginal and control group
respondents identified this as their second most important reason for choosing the U of S. International
students also identified “Cost of living in Saskatoon is less than other cities” as an important reason for
attending the U of S. See Appendix B, Table 2 for a full listing of responses.
Group
Close to home
Has good
academic
programs
Has specific
academic programs
Cost of living in
Saskatoon is less than
other cities
Out-of-province
9%
32%
17%
3%
Aboriginal
44%
13%
6%
2%
International
5%
16%
13%
6%
Control
40%
10%
7%
1%
Note: Figures show the percentage of respondents who cited this reason as the most important reason for choosing to attend the U of S.
This section of the survey also included a set of questions examining application trends and intentions to
complete a degree at the U of S. The majority of respondents in the control and Aboriginal groups
indicated that they had only applied to the U of S (74% and 82% respectively) whereas 50% of
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
international students and 60% from the out-of-province group had applied to other institutions.
Interestingly, of the 60% of out-of-province students who had applied to other institutions, 92% of these
respondents had been accepted to other institutions, in some cases they had received three or more
acceptance letters, yet they still chose to attend the U of S. See Appendix B, Table 3 for a complete
listing of responses.
The majority of students in all four groups plan to complete a degree at the U of S (ranging from 74% for
International students and 92% for Aboriginal students). Of the respondents who do not plan to
complete a degree at the U of S, “I am not sure what my educational goals or interests are at this time”
was the top cited reason for the control (63%), Aboriginal (67%) and out-of-province group (50%), but
“Using courses here for transfer to another university” was the main reason for international
respondents (39%). See Appendix B, Table 4 for a complete listing of responses.
Experiences at the University of Saskatchewan
In the next section of the survey, respondents were asked to rate their agreement on a series of
statements pertaining to positive and negative experiences at the U of S. There were a total of 36
statements divided into the areas of academic, social, cultural and general experiences (See Appendix B,
Tables 5: A, B, C, and D and Table 6 for complete results). Overall, respondents’ experiences were quite
positive in all areas.
Academic Experiences
The Academic Experiences graph depicts the
percentage of respondents who either ‘somewhat
agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with four select
statements in the area of academic experiences:




The quality of teaching is excellent
Professors are interested in meeting the learning
needs of all students
The quality of academic programs at the U of S is
excellent
Professors usually provide useful feedback to
students concerning their academic work
Academic Experiences
100%
(% of Positive ratings)
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Teaching Learning Programs Feedback
Needs
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Social Experiences
The statements pertaining to social experiences
tapped into the extent to which respondents were
socially integrated at the U of S. Again, students
responded favourably, though not as favourably as
with their academic experiences. The Social
Experiences graph depicts the percentage of
respondents who either ‘somewhat agreed’ or
‘strongly agreed’ with four select statements in this
area:




Social Experiences
(% of Positive ratings)
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
It has been easy for me to make friends at the U
of S
I feel as if no one cares about me personally on
this campus (NOTE: stated negatively)
Other students have positively influenced my
personal growth and values
I am satisfied with my social life at the U of S
0%
Friends
Cares *
Growth Social Life
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
* This question was worded negatively. Therefore low numbers
are better than high numbers. In this case, 13-22% of the
respondents reported they DID NOT feel that nobody cares
about them personally which means that 78-87% of the
respondents DID feel that someone cares about them.
Cultural Experiences
Given that two of the four groups in this study could be characterized as culturally distinct, it was
important to examine the cultural experiences of students in addition to their academic and social
experiences. The Cultural Experiences graph depicts the percentage of respondents who either
‘somewhat agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ with four select statements in the area of cultural experiences:
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S




Cultural Experiences
Most students are welcoming to people from all
cultures
I have heard negative statements made about
Aboriginal students (NOTE: stated negatively)
When on campus I interact only with students from
my own culture or community (NOTE: stated
negatively)
The U of S values students from all cultures
Of note, the international students were significantly
less likely to agree with the statement “The U of S values
students from all cultures”, than was the control group
(See Appendix B, Tables 6 for complete results).
(% of Positive ratings)
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Welcoming Aboriginal * Interact *
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Values
* This question was worded negatively. Therefore low numbers
are better than high numbers.
General Experiences
Finally, students were asked to rate their agreement on a series of statements pertaining to their
general experience. These statements dealt with the general U of S environment including ease of
finding information and the extent to which students
General Experiences
have formed relationships with faculty and staff. The
(% of Positive ratings)
General Experiences graph depicts the percentage of
100%
respondents who either ‘somewhat agreed’ or
90%
80%
‘strongly agreed’ with four select statements in the
70%
area of general experiences:
60%




It is easy to get information about academic
programs available at the U of S
I would recommend the U of S to others
I have been singled out in class and treated
differently than other students (NOTE: stated
negatively)
There is nobody here that would listen to me or
help me if I had an academic problem (NOTE:
stated negatively)
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
* This question was worded negatively. Therefore low numbers
are better than high numbers.
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Aboriginal respondents were significantly more likely to agree to the statements “The programs and
courses available at the U of S meet my career goals” and “I know an academic advisor who understands
me and is sensitive to my needs”, than were the control group (See Appendix B, Tables 6 for complete
results).
The next questions in this section asked students the frequency with which they participated in a variety
of on-campus events. International students were more likely than the other groups to attend campus
cultural events and special campus lectures while the control and out-of-province groups were more
likely to attend Huskies home games. The following table depicts the percentages of respondents who
said they “sometimes” or “often” attended or participated in the following events. See Appendix B,
Table 7 for a complete listing of results.
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Campus social events
60%
57%
56%
65%
Special lectures
36%
54%
65%
51%
Cultural events
14%
39%
67%
19%
Huskie games
73%
42%
47%
62%
Discipline-related societies
22%
26%
29%
32%
Student government
8%
30%
20%
31%
Cultural student societies
5%
12%
29%
5%
Recreational/sport programs
61%
49%
47%
55%
Volunteer
25%
26%
39%
23%
Social activist associations
10%
15%
18%
7%
Attended..
Participated in…
Note: Figures show the percentage of respondents who participated in a variety of on-campus events at the U of S.
Adjustment to University Life
Adjusting to university life is a good indicator of how well a student has made the transition to university
and is often an indicator of a student’s eventual success. Respondents were asked to rate their
agreement with 15 statements pertaining to transitioning to university life. While responses show that
all groups were adjusting to university life, the international group tended to have a more difficult
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
adjustment. The Adjustment to University graph
depicts the percentage of respondents who
indicated they “somewhat agreed” or “strongly
agreed” with the following four statements.
Adjustment to University
(% of Positive Ratings)
100%
80%




I see myself as part of the U of S community
I feel that my ethnicity or culture is not
compatible with most other students at the
university (NOTE: stated negatively)
I have heard faculty or staff make negative
comments about my culture or ethnic
group (NOTE: stated negatively)
As an ethnic or cultural minority, I feel as if I
belong on this campus
60%
40%
20%
0%
Community Compatible * Comments *
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Belong
* This question was worded negatively. Therefore low numbers are
better than high numbers.
Compared to those in the control group, international respondents were significantly more likely to
agree to the following statements:







I feel that I have to change myself in order to fit in at the U of S
I try not to show parts of me that are based on my cultural background or ethnicity
I often have to change myself depending on the culture of the person that I’m with on campus
I feel that my ethnicity or culture is not compatible with most other students at the university
I have heard faculty or staff make negative comments about my culture or ethnic group
I have heard students make negative comments about my culture or ethnic group
I feel that my language and/or appearance make it hard for me to fit in with other students
Compared to the control group, Aboriginal respondents were also more likely to agree with the
following two statements:


I feel that my ethnicity or culture is not compatible with most other students at the university
I have heard students make negative comments about my culture or ethnic group
See Appendix B, Table 8: A, B, C, and D, and Table 9 for a complete listing of results.
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Academic Preparation for University
This section of the survey inquired about students’ academic preparation.
Students in all four groups identified that their previous education had prepared them completely or at
least somewhat for taking university classes (ranging from 55% for the control group to 81% for the
International students). When asked about preparation in specific areas, the four groups were fairly
distinct in their responses. The Aboriginal and control groups were more likely to indicate that their
previous education did not prepare them for a variety of skills, especially ‘managing workloads’, ‘study
skills’ and ‘taking notes’. Given that most international students have English as a second language, it is
not surprising that ‘writing term papers’ was the area in which they indicated feeling not prepared by
their previous education (46%). Further, 52% of Aboriginal respondents also reported feeling not
prepared in this area.
The following table depicts the percentage of students who indicated that their previous education did
not do an adequate job of preparing them in the specified areas. See Appendix B, Table 10 and 11 for
complete results.
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Workload
31%
60%
29%
58%
Notes
32%
53%
19%
58%
Studying
31%
53%
9%
57%
Papers
42%
52%
46%
41%
Library
44%
43%
44%
41%
Note: Figures show the percentage of respondents who indicated their previous schooling DID NOT prepare them for specific academic tasks.
Non-Academic Responsibilities and Demands
The next section of the survey asked students about the non-academic pressures that may be impacting
their academic work, such as funding, childcare and health related problems.
When it came to funding their education, the four groups were similar in reporting that their main
sources of funding were 1) employment during the summer months, 2) parents or relatives and 3)
personal savings (with the exception of the Aboriginal group who listed First Nations post-secondary
student support program as a significant source of funding). Differences were seen, however, in the
proportion of respondents for each funding category. For instance, 70% of international respondents
relied on funds from parents or relatives – their main source of funding – compared to 31% in the
Aboriginal group (4th source of funding). Employment during the summer was the main source of
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
funding for the Aboriginal group (50%) and control group (67%) but only 19% of international
respondents relied on this source of funding, yet it was also their second main source of funding. See
Appendix B, Table 13 for a complete listing of results.
Group
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Summer Employment
63%
50%
19%
67%
Parents
65%
31%
70%
59%
Savings
57%
36%
17%
43%
Note: Figures show the key sources of funding identified by the different respondent groups.
The majority of respondents in all groups (56-74%) were not employed at the time of the survey. Of
those who were employed, 44% of out-of-province and 30% from the control and Aboriginal groups
indicated that they worked 15-25 hours per week. As well, with the exception of the international group,
the majority indicated that their work for pay did in some way interfere with their academic work. See
Appendix B, Table 14 for complete results.
While the vast majority of respondents were not the primary caregiver for children under the age of 16,
the Aboriginal group was significantly more likely to have young children (17%) than were the other
three groups (1-2%). Of those few respondents who did have children, the majority had one child (60%).
Furthermore, while a fifth of respondents indicated
Percentage Who Had Experienced
that childcare had not interfered with their
a Personal Problem
academic work, 84% indicated that it had
100%
interfered. See Appendix B, Table 15 for a complete
listing of results.
80%
Finally, while at least 25% of the respondents said
that they had experienced a personal or nonacademic problem that had affected their academic
work, Aboriginal students were the most likely to
report this. For many respondents it was a familyrelated crisis, a physical or mental health issue or
financial crisis. See Appendix B, Table 16 for a
complete listing of results.
60%
40%
20%
0%
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Background and Demographics
The majority of respondents were single females aged 20-23. Over half (54%) from the international
group identified themselves as visible minorities, followed by 17% for the out-of-province group and 7%
for the control group.
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International respondents were more likely to hail from large communities (500,000 and above)
whereas respondents in the control group were split between communities of less than 5,000 and
between 100,000 to 500,000. More Aboriginal respondents came from communities of less than 5,000
whereas out-of-province respondents came from communities of varying sizes.
The majority of respondents in the out-of-province, Aboriginal and control groups were born in Canada
while the majority of international respondents had been living in Canada for less than five years.
The following tables show the variation in the highest level of education obtained by the respondents’
parents by respondent group.
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Did not finish high
school
14%
23%
9%
15%
Graduated from
high school
16%
25%
18%
22%
Attended college
or university but
did not finish
9%
4%
3%
12%
College diploma
18%
20%
12%
17%
Completed
Bachelor Degree
29%
12%
40%
16%
Completed
Master’s degree
4%
4%
10%
6%
Completed a
Ph.D. degree
1%
0
0
3%
Completed a
professional
degree
7%
2%
7%
7%
Don’t know/ not
sure
2%
11%
0
4%
Father’s Education
Note: Figures show the highest level of education received by students’ fathers in the different groups.
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
Did not finish high
school
5%
18%
12%
3%
Graduated from
high school
30%
22%
28%
27%
Attended college
or university but
did not finish
2%
11%
3%
6%
College diploma
18%
20%
20%
24%
Completed
Bachelor Degree
29%
18%
24%
24%
Completed
Master’s degree
4%
5%
3%
9%
Completed a
Ph.D. degree
0
1%
1%
1%
Completed a
professional
degree
3%
2%
5%
5%
Don’t know/ not
sure
8%
3%
3%
2%
Mother’s Education
Note: Figures show the highest level of education received by students’ mothers in the different groups.
Finally, respondents were asked if any of their family
members had or were currently attending the
University of Saskatchewan. Not surprisingly,
students in the control group had the highest level
of agreement. See Appendix B, Table 17 for a
complete listing of responses.
Percentage Who Have (Had) Family
Attending the U of S
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Out-of-province
Aboriginal
International
Control
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
Conclusion
The purpose of this study was to examine the motivating factors of out-of-province, international, and
Aboriginal students in choosing to attend the University of Saskatchewan.
Out-of-province students reported they were motivated to attend university “to get an interesting and
satisfying career”. Further they reported they were attending the University of Saskatchewan because it
“has good academic programs”. On average, out-of-province students reported the lowest positive
ratings compared to the other groups (international, Aboriginal, and control groups) on cultural and
general experiences and tied for the lowest on academic and social experiences. Among the groups,
they were most likely to attend Huskies games and to participate in recreational/sports programs. They
were least likely to attend cultural events, special lectures, and to participate in student government
and discipline-related societies. Out-of-province students reported the second highest level of
agreement that they saw themselves as part of the U of S community. Along with international students,
they were the most likely to report their prior education did not prepare them for using the library and
to report their parents as their main source of funding. They were the least likely group to report they
had experienced a personal problem that had affected their academic work.
Aboriginal students reported they were motivated to attend university “to get an interesting and
satisfying career” and the University of Saskatchewan because it “is close to home”. On average,
Aboriginal students reported the highest positive ratings on social, cultural, and general experiences and
tied international students for the highest positive ratings on academic experiences. About half or more
of Aboriginal students reported attending campus social events, special lectures, and participating in
recreational/sports programs. Compared to the other groups, they were least likely to attend Huskie
games. Aboriginal students reported the highest level of agreement that they saw themselves as a part
of the U of S community and 70% reported that they felt they belonged on campus. Among the groups,
Aboriginal students were most likely to report their prior education did not prepare them for the
workload and for writing papers. Aboriginal students were the most likely to be a caregiver of children
under 16 years of age and half reported summer employment as their main source of funding. They
were also the most likely group to report they had experienced a personal or non-academic problem
that affected their academic work.
International respondents reported they were motivated to attend university “to learn and gain
knowledge”. They attended the University of Saskatchewan because it “has good academic programs”.
On average, international students tied with Aboriginal students in reporting the highest level of positive
ratings with academic experiences. They had the second highest level of positive ratings for general
experiences and tied with the control group for the second highest ratings with cultural experiences.
However, international students were also tied with the out-of-province and control groups for the least
positive ratings on social experiences. Among the groups, international students were most likely to
attend cultural events and special lectures and to participate in cultural student societies, social activist
FINAL REPORT: CHOOSI NG THE U OF S
associations, and to volunteer. They were least likely to attend campus social events and to participate
in recreational/sport programs. They were also the least likely to agree that they felt a part of the
campus community and 52% reported they felt like they belonged on campus. International students
(along with out-of-province students) were the most likely to report their prior education did not
prepare them for using the library. Recognizing that English is a second language for many international
students, it isn’t surprising that many feel their prior education also did not prepare them for writing
papers. Compared to the other groups, international students were the most likely to report their
parents as their main source of funding. They were the second most likely group to report they had
experienced a personal problem that had affected their academic work.
The control group reported they were motivated to attend university “to get an interesting and
satisfying career”. Further they reported they were attending the University of Saskatchewan because it
was “close to home”. On average, the control group tied for the lowest level of positive ratings for
academic and social experiences and had the second lowest positive ratings for general experiences. On
the other hand, they tied with international students for the second highest level of positive ratings for
cultural experiences. Among the groups, the control group was most likely to attend campus social
events and to participate in discipline-related societies and student government. They were least likely
to participate in social activist associations and to volunteer. The control group reported the second
lowest level of agreement that they felt a part of the campus community. Among the groups, they felt
their prior education prepared them the least for note taking and studying and were the most likely to
report summer employment as their main source of funding for their university education. They were
the second least likely group to report they had experienced a personal problem that had affected their
academic work.