Religion Student Survey Results & the RSC Response
Total Respondents: 42
Question 1:
How satisfied are you with the Religion department’s course offerings?
51% are satisfied or very satisfied
The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question on November
4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Question 2:
How satisfied are you with the time and day that Religion department courses are offered?
55% are satisfied or very satisfied
The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question on November
4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Question 3:
What panel topics most interest you?
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4.
Teaching: Experience, Strategies, & Adjunct Positions
How to get published in Religious Studies
Creating an On-line Academic Presence: Blogs, LinkedIn, e-portfolios…
Trends in Religious Studies
Write-in:
1. Finding fellowships & funding
2. Conference presentation and conference paper writing
3. Completing the PhD Process
4. Something on going on the job market
The RSC will be hosting panels on the most popular topics this year.
Question 4:
What is the most convenient time for you to attend events?
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2.
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5.
Fridays after 1pm
Mondays after 1pm
Mondays after 7pm
Wednesdays after 7pm
Thursdays after 7pm
The RSC will be hosting most events after 1pm on Mondays or Fridays.
Question 5:
What is the best way for RSC to notify you of events and news?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Email
Facebook
Website
Bugle
The RSC currently uses email as its main source of student contact and will continue to
use other means of communication as well. However, the CGU Bugle will no longer be
published soon. We will be sure to post information on Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/groups/religionstudentcouncil/) and our website
(http://www.cgu.edu/pages/10624.asp.)
Question 6:
Are you interested in social events away from campus like camping or Disneyland (not paid
for by the RSC)?
63% No
The RSC will not be hosting this type of event this year.
Question 7:
Do you use the student lounge?
70% No
Main Reasons:
1. I live too far away
2. I prefer to study else where
3. Don’t know where it is or the code
The Religion student lounge is behind the Arts and Humanities building (formally the
IAC) in a converted garage. It has tables, a white board, and a couch for meetings or for
people to study. For the code to enter the door, please email the RSC at rsc@cgu.edu.
Question 8:
Are you interested in becoming more involved with the RSC?
89% No
Main Reasons:
1. Too busy
2. I live too far away
The RSC will be contacting those who left their email address. We welcome anyone else
who would like to be involved. Please email us at rsc@cgu.edu.
Question 8:
What can the RSC do to improve your student experience?
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Free beer one a week ;-)
o I bet you can find that somewhere on campus once a week ;)
Convince professors to offer more morning classes.
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Advocate for getting more RA/TA funding
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Hold more panels on how to get through the program - e.g. how to study for
qualifying exams, how to write the dissertation proposal, when to start preparing
for the job market/building an e-portfolio, etc.
o We will be holding more panels soon!
We all need help finding more money (fellowships, scholarships, funding, etc...).
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
In thinking about a holistic approach to religious studies, I would be interested in
activities that had to do with fitness and working out because that is the area most
lacking in my life as a grad student. The other idea is that I think there should be a
greater emphasis on student teaching. People can be TAs and that is great. But
beyond that, I think there should be some agreement with the undergrad colleges
that every MA and Ph.D. religion student get to teach one undergrad course/one
semester during our graduate career dealing with our interests in one of the
undergrad colleges. I'm not sure how that would happen, but coming from an MA
program at another uni where we had our own undergrad classes to plan for and
teach every trimester both years (granted it was an English program and so there
were a million composition courses to teach) we were there, it feels strange not
automatically given any opportunity to teach in religion for the many years grad
students are at CGU. I think it is one of the most important changes that need to
be made. I mean, student teaching is practically getting an instructor for free.
(You should use that argument). Or maybe the opportunity would just be for Ph.D.
students who are past coursework or ABD. They would have more time anyway
and are the people who need it the most because they will be looking for a job
soon.
o CGU has a Fitness & Wellness club that hosts group workouts throughout
the year. Click here for more information
https://mycampus.cgu.edu/group/fitnessclub/home.
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel about funding and TA
positions on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Continue to make us aware of events and opportunities. Schedule more events for
weekends and evenings. Help improve the number and variety of course
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offerings in the evenings. Help make the program more "friendly" and accessible
for the working professional.
o The RSC tries to accommodate everyone, however it is not always
possible. We are trying to host events at the time most people can come
and record or take notes for those that cannot come.
You are doing great! :)
o Thank you!
Offer more resources for professional development online (for those who don't
live in or around Claremont, but who are still technically in the program).
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Make things accessible for non local students
o The minutes from meetings are available online and programs like
Student-Faculty Forums are recorded or notes are sent out through email
and posted on the website.
Find a dean that is more supportive of the PRT program
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Make the minutes available online.
o They are currently online at: http://www.cgu.edu/pages/10624.asp
Try to get more evening courses for those of us who work.
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Not sure yet
o Let us know when you think of something! rsc@cgu.edu
Sessions with students who have completed the qualifying exam process in the
various programs would be helpful for students who've just started so they can
plan courses and get ahead of the process before completing coursework. A pool
of reading lists in the various programs would be helpful too, if anything as
suggestions for students compiling their own reading lists.
o The RSC is planning on hosting a grad only panel where thesis, quals,
dissertations and other processes can be discussed.
Funding
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Try to increase communication of events over multiple platforms. Emails are
good, but Facebook and other networking options would be beneficial. The more
venues of communication and understanding event details the better.
o We agree! Our Facebook is
https://www.facebook.com/groups/religionstudentcouncil/ and the website
is http://www.cgu.edu/pages/10624.asp.
More fellowship
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Help connect us to the other Religious Studies programs at the 5C's
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o The RSC would love to improve the connection, and are working on ways
to accomplish this goal. If you have specific ideas please email us at
rsc@cgu.edu.
Students who are not near campus are easily forgotten. It would be great if events
were taped and thrown up on a website or something like that at the very least.
And when there are important meetings, it would be nice of those could be put on
the web live with some sort of discussion forum so we could ask questions.
o The minutes from meetings are available online and programs like the
Student-Faculty Forum are recorded or notes are sent out through email
and will be posted on our website. We will be emailing students for
questions prior to the next Student-Faculty Forum.
Create some sort of sense of community within the religion department -including across disciplinary lines. Whatever minor communal aspect there is
tends to be fairly clique-ish.
o The RSC hosts social and academic events throughout the year and we
encourage all departments within religion to attend.
Question 10:
Other comments?
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The times for RELS classes are all at the same time! Please spread them out!!!
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Thanks for asking for suggestions. Doing so is always a good sign of great
leadership.
o Thank you for your support!
You all are awesome. Keep up the good work.
o Thank you for your encouragement!
Thank you for asking.
o It is our pleasure!
I like the consistent emails/Bugle/Facebook notification of events and
workshops/conferences.
o We will keep on it!
Thanks for taking the time to create a survey. Great work!
o Thanks for the encouragement, there will be another next semester!
I am disappointed there are no classes offered on Latino thought/religion at CGU
o We are too. The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address
this question on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
Funding :-)
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.
CGU is a great school, but tuition is too expensive there. How could we
ameliorate this situation?
o The RSC will be asking the Religion faculty panel to address this question
on November 4th at 4pm in Albrecht.