Research Briefs from the
Volume 4
Number 2
Department of Planning & Research
Central Piedmont Community College
June 2002
Results from the Spring 2002 Curriculum Student Survey
Central Piedmont Community College periodically surveys its curriculum students to collect information
essential to improving the College’s instructional programs and student/college services. In addition to demographic
data. Students report information about their educational history and goals along with their experiences with CPCC
programs and services.
Researchers selected a randomized cluster sample of curriculum classes (N=411) from
each of five CPCC campuses and the City View Center. Instructors distributed questionnaires
directly to students to be completed during class time.
A total of 2,464 surveys were distributed
in April and 1,187 were returned for a return rate of 48.2%. This return rate is higher than the
previous curriculum student survey done in Spring 2000 reflecting higher participation from
faculty. Consequently, the results can be considered relatively high in validity and reliability.
Of the completed surveys, 456 students were attending classes at the Central Campus,
342 at the South Campus, 190 at the North Campus, 11 at City View, 230 at the Southwest
Campus, 176 at the West Campus and 72 students were taking classes via College Without Walls (CWW).
A separate survey was also developed and distributed (via email) to 1,844 College Without Walls students
from spring 2002 and 362 completed the surveys and submitted responses (return rate = 19.6%). Because
many survey questions on the CWW survey were different, these results will be presented separately at the
end of this Research Brief.

Student Recommendations of CPCC: Over 70% (804) of the student respondents indicated that they
would recommend CPCC without reservation. Another 313 (27.3%) said they would recommend CPCC with
some reservation and 30 (2.6%) said they would not recommend CPCC. Of those surveyed, 97.1% (1,117)
indicated that they were somewhat satisfied, satisfied, or very satisfied with their CPCC experience. Only 2.9%
(N=34) claimed to be dissatisfied.

Overview of Respondent Demographics: In general, demographic information closely matched that
of the entire curriculum student population at CPCC in spring 2002. Student demographics were as follows:

Gender
Survey Respondents
CPCC Spring 2002
Male 556 (47.7%)
Female 610 (52.3%)
Missing 21
6,624 (43.6%)
8,573 (56.4%)
2

Age
<20
21-25
26-30
31-40
41-50
51+
Missing

Ethnicity
Survey Respondents
CPCC Spring 2002
392
291
157
177
110
48
12
2,921 (19.2%)
4,374 (28.8%)
2,178 (14.3%)
3,022 (19.9%)
1,785 (11.7%)
917 ( 6.0%)
Survey Respondents
White
762
Black
276
Asian
47
Hispanic
41
Native American 14
Other
33
Missing
14

(33.4%)
(24.5%)
(13.4%)
(15.1%)
( 9.4%)
( 4.1%)
Language Spoken in the Home
CPCC Spring 2002
(65.0%)
(23.5%)
( 4.0%)
( 3.5%)
( 1.2%)
( 2.8%)
9,357 (61.6%)
3,991 (26.3%)
786 ( 5.2%)
602 ( 4.0%)
70 ( .5%)
391 ( 2.6%)
English
Spanish
Other
1,049 (89.7%)
32 ( 2.7%)
88 7.5%)
A typical student respondent was female, white, under 30 and employed full or part-time
.
Economic Indicators for Students
 Education of Students Prior to Attending CPCC
Students were asked to indicate their level of education prior to attending CPCC. Approximately 3% of
students surveyed were dually or concurrently enrolled high school students. An additional 32.2% had some
college credit when they came to the college and 23.3% had already earned some type of college degree (associate,
bachelors, masters, doctorate) prior to attending CPCC.
Education Level
Less than 12 years
High school diploma/GED
Some college
Associate degree
Bachelors degree
Masters degree
Some graduate school
Doctorate or professional degree
Missing
Number (Percent)
47
(4.0%)
599
(50.7%)
372
(31.5%)
68
( 5.8%)
72
( 6.1%)
6
( .5%)
14
( 1.2%)
4
( .3%)
5
 Education Level of Students' Parents
When asked about the educational level of their parents/guardians, 34.1% of fathers/male guardians and 32.6%
of mothers/female guardians were college graduates or had attended graduate school. The survey also indicated
that 39.9% of fathers/male guardians had never attended college and 39.4% of mothers/female guardians had never
attended college. Number and percent by education levels of both fathers and mothers is as follows:
3
Father/male guardian
Less than 12 years
High school grad/GED
Some college
College graduate
Graduate school/degree
Don’t' know
Missing
150
314
246
234
163
58
22
Mother/female guardian
(12.9%)
(27.0%)
(21.1%)
(20.1%)
(14.0%)
( 5.0%)
121
334
286
275
102
36
33
(10.5%)
(28.9%)
(24.8%)
(23.8%)
( 8.8%)
( 3.1%)
Upon further examination, it was determined that 44.6% of male students were first-generation college
students and 49.5% of female students were first-generation college students. When these were combined, the
survey revealed that:
46.3% of CPCC curriculum students were first-generation college
students (neither parent had graduated from college).
 Current Employment Status
Students were asked about their employment status. It was found that 83.5% of curriculum students worked full
or part time. Numbers and percents by employment category are as follows:
Full time (40 hrs. or more per week)
Part-time (21-39 hrs. per week)
Part-time (less than 20 hrs. per week)
Unemployed
Missing
405
343
177
254
8
(34.4%)
(29.1%)
(15.0%)
(21.5%)
It should be noted that the percentage of students who are unemployed has increased
over the past two years from 16.5% to 21.5%. The percentage of students working
full-time decreased from 47.8% to 34.4%. This can be explained by changes in the economy
in Mecklenburg County.
 Students' Personal Annual Salary
Students were asked to indicate their personal (not household or family) income. It was found that a
greater percentage (54.4%) of CPCC students earn less than $20,000 per year as compared to two years ago
(42% in spring 2000). When compared with data collected in spring 2000, a smaller percentage of students
(16.4%) reported that they earned more than $40,000. The Spring 2000 survey reported that 22.1% earned
more than $40,000. Number and percent by income level are as follows:
Income Level
Less than $ 10,000
$10 - 19,999
$20 - 29,999
$30 - 39,999
$40 - 49,999
More than $50,000
Missing
Number (Percent)
389
(35.0%)
215
(19.4%)
196
(17.7%)
128
(11.5%)
79
( 7.1%)
103
( 9.3%)
77
Leading
Indic ators
4
 Goal in Attending CPCC
Students could select multiple reasons for attending the College. Of those surveyed, 63.1% were
credential-seeking students (intending to obtain a two year degree, certificate or diploma). Responses indicated
that 53.1% of students were transfer students (intending to take classes or complete a degree and transfer to a
four- year school). Responses also indicated that 57.9% of students had job-related goals (to improve jobrelated skills for their current / new job, obtain a degree and enter workforce, improve reading, writing and
math). An additional 18.5% of students indicated they were taking courses for personal interest. Number and
percent by stated goal are as follows:
Goal Statement
Number (Percent)
Obtain 2 yr. degree and enter the workforce
Obtain 2 yr. degree and transfer to a 4 yr. school
Take courses and transfer to a 4 yr. college
Obtain a diploma or certificate
Prepare for a different job
Personal interest/enrichment
Update skills for current job
Improve reading, writing and math skills
Prepare for my first job
385 (32.4%)
333 (28.1%)
295 (24.9%)
193 (16.3%)
151 (12.7%)
147 (12.4%)
119 (10.0%)
60 ( 5.1%)
50 ( 4.2%)
 Location and Time of Classes
Students indicated all the campuses and times when and where they were currently attending classes. It
was found that 38.4% of respondents attended classes at the Central Campus, 28.8% at South, 19.4% at Southwest,
16.0% at North, 14.8% at West and .9% at the City View Center. College Without Walls and off-campus locations
accounted for 6.1% and 1.7% respectively. As campuses are developed, more CPCC students are attending classes
at more than one campus (College Without Walls was counted as a virtual campus.) Number of campuses attended
are as follows:
Number (Percent) of Campuses Attended
729 (78.3%) attend classes at only one campus
211 (17.8%) attend classes at two campuses
34 ( 2.9%) attend classes at three campuses
6 ( .5%) attend classes at four campuses
Responses also indicated that 72.7% of students attended classes during the day, 51.9%
attended at night and 5.9% on the weekend. Of those students, 26.8% were attending both day
and night classes and 1.9% were attending classes at all three times, during the day, night and on
the weekend.
 Factors Influencing the Decision to Attend CPCC.
Students were asked to rate factors they felt were (1) very unimportant, (2) unimportant, (3)
somewhat important, (4) important and (5) very important in their decision to attend CPCC. The factors are ranked
below in order of most importance to least importance:
5
% Scoring Factor as Important
or Very Important
Academic reputation
Academic courses/programs offered
Low tuition costs
Convenient locations
Easy transfer of credits
Class schedules that allow for work
Relevance to job
Small class sizes
Appearance of grounds/facilities
Admission regardless of grades
Availability of financial aid
Availability of job placement/career counseling
Availability of coops, internships, etc.
Accessibility by public transportation
87.6%
84.5%
80.9%
79.7%
78.3%
77.7%
64.1%
59.3%
47.6%
45.0%
41.9%
45.6%
40.5%
18.2%
 Satisfaction with Instructional Elements of the College
Students were asked to rate their satisfaction with various elements of CPCC instruction from (1) very
dissatisfied to (5) very satisfied. The instructional items in terms of percent satisfied are rank ordered as follows:
Quality of instruction
Classroom facilities
Times classes are offered
Campus/site where classes were offered
Availability of instructors
Quality of faculty advisor
Availability of classes
Library resources
% Satisfied
(Somewhat to Very)
Item
Mean
93.5%
93.6%
89.7%
87.2%
91.3%
88.0%
88.3%
88.1%
3.94
3.91
3.82
3.81
3.74
3.68
3.67
3.65
In general, student respondents were satisfied with the instructional elements at CPCC.
 Satisfaction with Student Support Services
Students were asked to rate their satisfaction with student support services from (1) very unsatisfied to (5)
very satisfied. Overall, student respondents were satisfied with service areas at CPCC. Student Services areas
are rank ordered from most satisfied to least satisfied as follows based on mean satisfaction:
Importance of and
Satisfaction
with Services
% scoring Factor as
Important or Very
Important
% Satisfied
(Somewhat to Very)
Mean
Satisfaction
Computer Labs
77.3%
93.2%
4.06
College Webpage
Registration Services
Security
Welcome/Information Center
Records/Transcripts
Testing/Assessment Center
Instructional Labs
Student Career Services
Library
Parking
70.9%
84.9%
79.5%
68.9%
78.5%
82.3%
73.2%
78.6%
77.6%
91.7%
92.6%
92.2%
91.2%
93.5%
92.1%
91.1%
90.5%
90.9%
79.6%
83.3%
3.99
3.98
3.96
3.95
3.90
3.86
3.85
3.81
3.79
3.76
6
Importance of and
Satisfaction
with Services
Student Life Activities
Academic Learning/Tutoring
Telephone Information
Counseling
Financial Aid
Food Service/Vending
Academic Advisement
Bookstore
Fitness/Weight Room
% scoring Factor as
Important or Very
Important
53.3%
59.6%
68.0%
69.9%
64.4%
58.7%
69.8%
76.6%
48.3%
% Satisfied
(Somewhat to Very)
Mean
Satisfaction
86.9%
3.70
89.5%
3.69
3.67
88.2%
85.2%
80.6%
85.3%
84.2%
76.5%
75.1%
3.61
3.59
3.57
3.56
3.41
3.34
 Satisfaction with Areas Considered Most Important to Students
The Current Curriculum Student Survey asked students to make two assessments of college services. First
they were asked to rate the importance of various college services to them as students from (1) unimportant to
(4) very important. This assessment was done to help the College determine its performance gaps between what
students consider important and their satisfaction with those services. If students do not consider a service to be
important, chances are they do not use it and have little or no opinion in regard to satisfaction. The College can
focus on student satisfaction with services students deem most important to them. The following services are
rank ordered in terms of most important to least important to students. The mean satisfaction score for those
students who rated services as important or very important are listed below. Items are rank ordered from
greatest importance to students to least importance to students:
Service
Area
% Ranking Item
Important or Very
Important
Mean
Satisfaction
Score
Registration services
Parking
Bookstore
Security
Computer Labs
Records/Transcripts
College Webpage
Academic Advising
Library
Testing/Assessment Centers
Instructional Labs
Welcome/Information Center
Counseling
Food Service/Vending
Telephone Information
Student Career Services
Financial Aid/Veterans Benefits
Academic Learning/Tutoring
Student Life Activities
Fitness/Weight Room
74.4%
74.1%
68.7%
60.9%
59.1%
58.7%
58.6%
54.6%
54.4%
49.8%
48.2%
46.9%
45.1%
41.7%
41.4%
33.9%
31.7%
30.2%
27.1%
17.6%
4.12
3.90
3.59
4.16
4.28
4.08
4.27
3.76
4.00
4.14
4.11
4.23
3.76
3.79
3.97
4.10
3.86
3.98
4.06
3.69
7
In general, student satisfaction was higher for students for whom services were important than for those for
whom services were not important. Considering only the students for whom services were important, the most
highly rated student service areas in terms of satisfaction are rank ordered as follows:








Computer Labs
The Web Page
Welcome/Information Center
Security
Testing/Assessment
Registration Services
Instructional Labs
Career Services
 Communication of Information to Students
Students were asked to identify important factors associated with the ability to be informed about courses
and programs at CPCC. Not surprisingly, the class schedule and the college catalog topped the list.
% Indicating Important to
Very Important
922 (79.1%)
912 (77.7%)
760 (65.1%)
338 (29.8%)
331 (28.7%)
445 (28.3%)
300 (26.0%)
298 (25.6%)
268 (23.1%)
253 (21.8%)
Schedule of Classes
College Catalog
Internet CPCC Webpage
Articles in the Newspaper
High School Counselor
Circulars Mailed to You
High School Teacher
Newspaper Ads
Television Ads
Radio Ads
 Student Satisfaction by Campus
Students were able to indicate the campus where they attended classes. Many students took classes at more
than one campus so the numbers at each campus do not add to the total (n=1,187). City View and off-campus
were left out of the analysis due to small sample sizes. The demographic profile of student respondents by
campus is as follows:
Central
n=456
Students:
South
n=342
North
n=190
Southwest
n=230
West
n=176
Gender:
Male
38.8%
Female 61.2%
51.9%
48.1%
49.2%
50.8%
63.3%
36.7%
46.8%
53.2%
Age:
< 21
21-30
31-40
41-50
>50
49.7%
28.3%
10.6%
7.9%
3.6%
46.9%
35.3%
5.8%
7.9%
4.2%
19.0%
42.4%
22.6%
13.3%
2.6%
33.1%
35.5%
18.0%
8.7%
4.7%
29.2%
42.0%
16.9%
9.1%
2.7%
8
Students were asked to rate their satisfaction with instructional areas of the college according to a Likerttype scale with (1) indicating very unsatisfied and (5) indicating very satisfied. Means by campus are listed below:
Instructional Area
Central
South
North
Southwest
West
Availability of Classes
Availability of Instructors
Campus/site Where
Classes are Offered
Classroom Facilities
Library Resources
Quality of Faculty
Advisors
Quality of Instruction
Times Classes are Offered
3.61
3.71
3.69
3.78
3.72
3.70
3.48
3.58
3.86
3.86
3.77
3.76
3.81
3.99
4.06
3.62
3.70
3.75
3.45
3.54
3.92
3.54
3.80
4.10
3.67
3.62
3.94
3.82
3.70
3.95
3.88
3.49
3.91
3.75
3.64
3.89
3.64
3.91
4.01
4.03
Overall, students were satisfied with elements of instruction across the campuses. Students were also asked
to rank their satisfaction with various student and campus services. Mean scores by campus are as follows:
Service Area
Central
South
North
Southwest
West
Academic Advising
Learning/Tutoring
Bookstore
Computer Labs
CPCC Webpage
Counseling
Financial Aid
Fitness/Weight Room
Food Services/Vending
Instructional Labs
Parking
Library
Records/Transcripts
Registration Services
Student Life/Activities
Security
Student Career Services
Telephone Information
Testing Center
Welcome Center
3.50
3.78
3.55
4.03
4.04
3.63
3.68
3.53
3.59
3.86
3.28
3.96
3.92
3.93
3.61
3.88
3.88
3.72
3.93
3.99
3.67
3.73
3.81
4.20
4.04
3.72
3.58
3.10
3.65
3.85
3.96
3.81
4.03
4.13
3.84
4.00
3.85
3.65
3.78
4.02
3.17
3.38
3.19
3.82
3.81
3.14
3.25
3.34
3.43
3.53
3.69
3.40
3.61
3.82
3.33
3.68
3.53
3.38
3.66
3.67
3.53
3.59
3.12
3.92
3.93
3.65
3.73
3.35
3.47
3.84
3.87
3.82
3.77
3.92
3.65
3.98
3.72
3.63
3.85
3.90
3.85
3.98
3.03
4.27
4.11
3.82
3.62
3.59
3.78
4.10
4.05
3.78
3.96
4.02
3.95
4.29
3.90
3.90
4.00
4.09
Student satisfaction with services varied slightly across campuses with students at West and South ranking most
areas slightly higher than students at other campuses.
 Interest in Student Life
In order to expand or improve programs and services, student activities staff wanted to ask students about the
types of programs and activities they felt were important. The following percentages are rank-ordered based on
what students felt were most important.
Program Area
Educational Workshops
Leadership Development
Multi-cultural Programs
% Indicating Important to Very Important
54.2%
53.5%
45.0%
9
Program Area
% Indicating Important to Very Important
Community Services
Recreational Activities
Student Clubs and Organizations
Live Music and Entertainment
44.4%
42.3%
40.6%
37.0%
Staff also wanted to know the time of day when students would be most interested in participating in
student activities. The following number and percent indicated a preference for the following days and times.
Weekday Mornings
Weekday Lunchtime
Weekday Afternoons
Weekday Evenings
Weekend Days
Weekend Evenings
214 (18.0%)
278 (23.4%)
229 (19.3%)
296 (24.9%)
313 (26.4%)
167 (14.1%)
Student activities staff also wanted to know the mediums that are the most effective in communicating with
students about programs and services at the various campuses. The following percentages are rank-ordered based on
what students felt were the most important means of communication.
Communication Method
Student Activities
Picnic Tomorrow
% Indicating Important to Very Important
Campus Signs
Classroom Announcements
Word of Mouth
Fliers or Bulletin Boards
The SPARK (student newspaper)
CPCC – TV
54.5%
53.7%
53.7%
50.3%
29.3%
28.2%
Distance Education: Student/College Services, Instructional Elements and
Student Satisfaction
Due to the nature of distance education students, a separate online survey was created and
sent to all College Without Walls Students in online classes during the Spring term, 2002
(N=2,304). Surveys were completed by 362 students resulting in a 16% return rate. Many of the
questions on the survey were the same as those of the Current Curriculum Student Survey and
were asked to determine the relative importance of various student services to distance education
students and their satisfaction with those services. Demographic characteristics of student
respondents are compared to those of all CWW students as follows:

Gender:
Male
Female
CWW
Respondents
77 (22.3%)
269 (77.7%)

Race:
White
African American
Asian
Hispanic
Native American
Other
256 (72.7%)
65 (18.5%)
12 ( 3.4%)
6 ( 1.7%)
3 ( .9%)
10 ( 2.8%)
Spring 2002
CWW Students
800 (33%)
1,627 (67%)
1,689 (69.6%)
565 (23.3%)
75 ( 3.1%)
46 ( 1.9%)
9 ( .4%)
43 ( 1.8%)
10

Age:
< 21
21-30
31-40
41-50
> 50
CWW
Respondents
Spring 2002
CWW Students
50 (17.0%)
60 (20.4%)
106 (36.1%)
62 (21.1%)
16 ( 5.4%)
331 (13.6%)
1,073 (44.3%)
620 (25.5%)
307 (12.6%)
96 ( 3.9%)
Employment Status of Students:
Employed Full-time (40 hrs. or more per week)
Employed Part-time (>20 hours per week)
Employed Part-time (<20 hours per week)
Unemployed
191 (53.8%)
61 (17.2%)
32 ( 9.0%)
71 (20.0%)
Previous Education Level of Student Prior to Attending CPCC
Less than 12 years
2 ( .6%)
High School Diploma/GED
121 (33.7%)
Some College
148 (41.2%)
Associate Degree
33 ( 9.2%)
Bachelors Degree
39 (10.9%)
Some Graduate School
5 ( 1.4%)
Masters Degree
11 ( 3.1%)
Doctorate/Professional Degree
0
Goal in Attending CPCC (students could select more than one answer)
Obtain 2 yr. degree and transfer to a 4 yr. school
143 (39.7%)
Obtain 2 yr. degree and enter the workforce
130 (36.1%)
Take courses and transfer to a 4 yr. College
61 (16.9%)
Personal interest/enrichment
45.(12.5%)
Prepare for a different job
54 (15.0%)
Update skills for current job
58 (16.1%)
Obtain a diploma or certificate
55 (15.3%)
Improve reading, writing and math skills
10 ( 2.8%)
Prepare for first job
5 ( 1.4%)
Distance education students are slightly different than other students at CPCC. CWW students are older,
more are female, fewer are minority, more work fulltime and they were more educated when they came to CPCC.
More CWW students are interested in transferring to a four-year college/university. Almost eighty-seven percent
(86.7%) of CWW students have taken a traditional course (in the classroom) at CPCC.
Distance Education students were asked multiple questions about where and how they use computers for their
CPCC classes. Students indicated the location they used primarily for their distance education courses. Student
results are rank ordered from greatest to least use as follows (students could list more than one location):
Location
Number (percent) indicating primary use
Home
Work
CPCC
Public Library
Friend’s House
Other
334 (92.8%)
96 (26.7%)
76 (21.1%
21 ( 5.8%)
14 ( 3.9%)
5 ( 1.4%)
Students were asked about the type of Internet connection their computer has and about their Email use
with the following results:
11
Type
Dial-up Modem
DSL/Cable/Roadrunner
Don’t know
Number (percent) indicating use
181 (50.8%)
162 (45.5%)
13 (3.7%)
Email Use
Daily
Few times a week
Once or twice a week
Almost never
Never
268 (75.1%)
71 (19.9%)
17 ( 4.8%)
1 ( .3%
0
Use of Instant Messaging
Yes
No
181 (51.1%)
173 (48.9%)
Student Type and Class Selection
Students were asked about their enrollment status (full or part-time) and the time of day they preferred
taking classes. Students were also asked about the preferred method for receiving services. The results were as
follows:
Student Status
Number (percent)
Part-time (3-11 credits per term)
Full-time (12 or more credits per term)
230 (64.6%)
126 (35.4%)
Preferred Time for Taking Classes
Number (percent)
Daytime
Evening
Weekend
160 (45.5%)
171 (48.6%)
21 ( 6.0%)
Preference for Receiving Services
Number (percent)
Everything at a distance (services, advising, instruction)
Student services on campus (instruction at a distance)
Instruction on campus (student services at a distance)
Everything in person
Other
145 (40.3%)
43 (11.9%)
53 (14.7%)
58 (16.1%)
48 (13.3%)
Suggestions made under the “other” category were that students didn’t have to have every
service online but they preferred it that way. Many students said they took a common sense approach
to taking classes online, such as taking the hard courses in a traditional classroom and the easier ones online or
taking their major courses in the traditional classroom and their general education and elective courses online.
Comparing Distance Education Classes to Traditional Classroom Courses
Students were asked about the number of distance education classes they have taken and
if they had taken traditional classroom courses. Results were as follows:
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Number of Distance
Education Classes Taken
Number
(percent)
Have You Taken Traditional
Classroom Courses
1 Class
2 Class
3 Class
4 Class
5 or more Classes
122 (34.4%)
70 (19.7%)
45 (12.7%)
42 (11.8%)
76 (21.4%)
Yes
No
312 (88.4%)
41 (11.6%)
Students were asked to compare their level of satisfaction with distance education courses compared to
traditional classroom courses according to the following scale: (1) very dissatisfied, (2) dissatisfied, (3) somewhat
satisfied, (4) satisfied, (5) very satisfied and (6) no opinion. No opinion answers were treated like missing data and
removed from the analysis. Students compared the following elements of instruction:
Instructional Area
Responsiveness of the instructor to your questions
or needs
Content preparation demonstrated by the instructor
Course materials preparation demonstrated by the
instructor
Course website/classroom preparation demonstrated
by the instructor
Degree to which instructor encouraged/supported
interaction with other students
Productivity of course time
Convenience of testing/assessment methods
Overall learning experience
Distance
Course Mean
Traditional
Course Mean
4.01
4.14
4.25
4.31
4.16
4.32
4.08
4.22
3.90
4.17
4.11
4.17
4.17
4.07
4.03
4.31
Question?
Overall, students were satisfied with elements of instruction in both the traditional classroom and via online
courses. Students were slightly more satisfied with traditional classroom instruction in the areas of instructor
preparation, interaction with other students, responsiveness of instructors and the overall learning experience.
Students were slightly more satisfied with distance education classes in the areas of use of class time and
convenience.
Students were asked to rate their satisfaction with elements of instruction on the same Likert-type scale : (1)
very dissatisfied, (2) dissatisfied, (3) somewhat satisfied, (4) satisfied, (5) very satisfied and (6) not used. “Not
used” answers were treated like missing data and removed from the analysis. Several additional elements of
instruction were assessed for distance education than were for traditional classroom students. The mean scores of
CWW students for instructional areas are rank-ordered from most satisfied to least satisfied as follows:

Satisfaction with Elements of
Instruction:
Quality of instruction
Format in which classes are offered
Library resources
Classroom facilities
% Satisfied
(Somewhat to very)
Item
Mean
97.1%
87.5%
89.1%
90.8%
3.95
3.84
3.78
3.75
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Location for materials pick-up
Availability of instructors
Technical facilities
Times classes are offered
Quality of faculty advisor
Campus/site where classes were offered
Availability of classes
% Satisfied
(Somewhat to very)
Item
Mean
85.5%
92.8%
83.6%
83.3%
83.6%
80.3%
5.7%
3.65
3.64
3.62
3.58
3.45
3.45
3.43
Overall, CWW students were satisfied with elements of instruction. However, with the exception of
"quality of instruction," CWW students ranked elements of instruction slightly lower than did traditional classroom
students.
It is critical that service for College Without Walls students be evaluated since many of them utilize
services on-line or via telephone. Students were asked to rate student/college services according to the same Likerttype scale: : (1) very dissatisfied, (2) dissatisfied, (3) somewhat satisfied, (4) satisfied, (5) very satisfied and (6) not
used. “Not used” answers were treated like missing data and removed from the analysis. Students were also asked
if they used these services “face-to-face” or on campus. The mean scores of CWW students for students/college
service areas are rank-ordered from most satisfied to least satisfied as follows:

Satisfaction with Student Services: % Satisfied
Registration Services
Security/Privacy Issues
Records/Transcripts
CPCC.EDU
On-line Library
Computer Labs
Instructional Labs
Student Career Services
Telephone Information
Testing/Assessment Center
Bookstore
Academic Advising
Financial Aid
Counseling
(somewhat to very)
Item
Mean
Used Service
Face to Face
94.3%
95.1%
95.7%
93.2%
97.4%
97.2%
96.8%
96.0%
91.7%
90.5%
88.1%
78.8%
92.8%
91.7%
4.32
4.32
4.20
4.16
4.09
4.07
3.92
3.81
3.86
3.84
3.66
3.54
3.38
3.29
20 ( 5.7%)
12 ( 3.5%)
34 ( 9.8%)
2 ( .6%)
11 ( 3.1%)
24 ( 6.8%)
23 ( 6.6%)
24 ( 6.9%)
11 ( 3.1%)
24 ( 6.9%)
75 (21.2%)
51 (14.4%)
26 ( 7.5%)
59 (17.0%)
 Potential New Services Available On-line:
Students were also asked if the following services were available online, would you use them. The
following number and percent indicated “yes”:
Tutoring Services
Student Life/Activities
Welcome/Information Center
Other Services
213 (60.7%)
161 (46.5%)
242 (69.5%)
42 (20.8%)
Suggestions for other services to be made available online were: chat rooms with the instructor, chat rooms
with the deans to help improve programs, advisors for online students only, a place to submit questions about
14
college related services (financial aid, advising, records, etc.) and receive prompt answers, bookstore and testing
online.
Overall, College Without Walls students were satisfied with student/college services and they rated
student/college services slightly higher than traditional classroom students.
Results
Overall, students were satisfied with instructional elements of the College and with student/college services.
Since the last curriculum student survey done in spring 2000, several changes in student characteristics have been
observed. Some of the major observations made in this study were:

Approximately 10% of curriculum students use a language other than English in their homes

46.3% of CPCC curriculum students are first-generation college students

22% of students attend classes at more than one campus

The majority of curriculum students are attending to earn a credential (associate degree, certificate or
diploma)

For the most part, students at the South and West Campuses were more satisfied with elements of
instruction and student/college services than students at other campuses.

Curriculum students are getting younger
o 58.2% were under 25 in 2002 compared to 45.2% in 2000

Curriculum students are less employed
o unemployment increased over the past two years from 16.5% 2000 to 21.5% in 2002
o the percentage of students working full-time decreased from 47.8% in 2000 to 34.4% in
2002

Curriculum students earn less money
o The percentage of CPCC students earning less than $20,000 per year increased from 42%
in spring 2000 to 54.4% in 2002

When compared to traditional students, a greater percentage of College Without Walls students are
employed fulltime, have college degrees and are interested in degree programs
The Current Continuing Education Student Survey will be available in July or August
2002.
A complete copy of the survey results may be obtained from the Planning and Research Web
site:
Http://inside.cpcc.edu/planning