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BONNER FOUNDATION STUDENT IMPACT RESEARCH
MEMORANDUM ON MID-POINT IMPACT SURVEY (MIS)
2008-2009
Submitted October, 2009 by
Dr. Cheryl Keen, Bonner Scholar Program Senior Researcher,
and Justin Keen, graduate student, University of Dayton, College Student Affairs
BACKGROUND ON THE RESEARCH EFFORT
Since 1998, three surveys have been completed annually or biannually by hundreds of
Bonner Scholars on all the two dozen Bonner Scholar campuses. Results of several of these
surveys are available at on the Bonner website. The three surveys are:
1. An Incoming Student Survey (ISS) which seeks to clarify the profiles of incoming
students on each campus, attending to demographic questions, past service experience,
areas in which the BSP aims to engender growth, and the outlook and expectations
students bring with them into the BSP.
2. A Midpoint Impact Survey (MIS) gauges impact of the first two years of Bonner
participation, including the summer of service experience, while yielding a view of the
program from those who are in the midst of their Bonner involvement.
3. The Graduating Student Impact Survey (GSIS) gathers data on the full four-year
impact of the program. This survey focuses both on impact and introduces questions
regarding outlook and plans beyond college.
The key findings from these surveys have been documented in two peer-reviewed articles by
Cheryl Keen and Kelly Hall, found in the reference list of this article and on the website just
mentioned.:
Survey efforts paused between 2004 and 2008. This 2008-2009 midpoint survey
represents a return to biannual administration of surveys. The last administration of the Midpoint
survey was in 2002-2003. Entering students will be surveyed in even numbered years and
surveyed again in their junior and senior years for the purpose of doing longitudinal work with
the same population of Scholars; the class that enters in the fall of 2010 will be surveyed again as
juniors in the fall of 2013 and as seniors in the spring of 2015. The third year students surveyed
for this report will be surveyed again as seniors in the spring of 2010.
RESULTS OF THE 2008-2009 MIDPOINT IMPACT SURVEY (MIS)
For this report we have analyzed data from the completed surveys of 264 Bonner
Scholars with third year (Junior) status at 23 undergraduate institutions, representing 81% of the
junior Bonner Scholars in 2008-2009. Two campus programs did not participate this year. The
report is divided into the following sections:
I.
II.
III.
Kinds of Service Involvement
Summer of Service
Commitment to Service and the BSP
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IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
Academic and Co-Curricular Gains
Personal Gains Resulting from Participation in the BSP
Priorities During College
Caveats
Most surveys were completed in November and December of 2008 (during the first
semester or quarter of the junior year) but some were administered in the next semester to
include Scholars who were away from campus in the fall in semester abroad programs or co-op
and internship placements.
One difficulty in comparing the findings of this survey with past years is that, since our
last collection of data, three campuses no longer participate in the Bonner Scholar Program and
there are three new campuses. This report includes selective comparison of these Midpoint
results with data from the 2004 Graduating Senior Surveys and the 2004 Incoming Student
Surveys. (The students completing this Midpoint survey would have been entering students in
2006, when we were not administering the entering student survey, therefore no direct
comparison with incoming freshman data is available.)
Included in this survey are 20 campuses that always participated in previous surveys. They
are: Berea, Berry, Carson-Newman, Concord, Davidson, Earlham, Guilford, Emory & Henry,
Mars Hill, Maryville, Morehouse, Oberlin, Rhodes, Spelman, Union, and Warren Wilson,
Waynesburg, West Virginia Wesleyan, and Wolford. Three campuses are new participants:
Allegheny, Center, Stetson. All were Bonner Leader campuses in previous years and had strong
Bonner programs in place at the time of this survey. Campuses no longer participating in the
Bonner Scholar program are Antioch, College of the Ozarks, and Hood, Because the three
missing colleges’ survey results were outliers in responses to some of the survey questions,
comparisons with past years’ survey responses may not be valid. However, there is little
variation in responses compared to the last available data in 2002.
Of the 264 Bonner Scholars who completed this survey, 59% of respondents
identified themselves as female and 41% as male. 56% identified themselves as Caucasian, 30%
as African-American /black, 10% Asian/Pacific Islanders, 5% as Native American/Aleut or
Aboriginal peoples, and 4% as Hispanic or Latino..
73% of them entered the BSP as freshmen (compared to 75% six years ago), 10% as
sophomores, and 16% as juniors. The responses of the juniors who had entered the program just
a few months earlier are rarely distinguishable from those who have been in the program for one
or two years, therefore we haven’t reported their answers separately. It seems that just a few
months in the program leads the recent replacement Bonners to have perceptions about the
impact of the program which are similar to those of students with a longer span of formal
involvement. Scholars filling spots in the program also were likely selected because they match
the Bonner profile. We had anticipated that the largest implication for entering the program in
the sophomore or junior year would have been in not having had a chance to do a summer of
service. However, almost half indicated they had done a summer of service; 47% of the 41 most
recent replacement Bonners had already done a summer of service, compared to 98% of those
who entered as freshmen and 84% of those who entered as sophomores.
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The strongest differences in the perception of the replacement Bonners, differences that
are still small, are that replacement Bonners tend to find studying to be more important and
spend more hours studying and slightly fewer hours doing service. Those who have done a
summer of service (more often those in program for longer time), are more likely to feel “very
positive” about the BSP overall (64% vs. 51%).
A notably high percentage of juniors, 80%, voted in the last election. Of the 91% who
reported a major or intended field of study, they were: 28% pre-professional, 27% social sciences, 17%
humanities, 14% sciences, and 5% arts. This represents a 19% increase in voting rates since the last
Midpoint survey.
Some of the biggest changes in responses since the last Midpoint survey in 2002 are marked in
red in the charts.
I. Kinds of Service Involvement
Bonner Scholars are often involved in more than one kind of service and their service
projects often span several areas of public need. When asked what was the focus of any
community service they had done in the last year, most reported they had worked with children.
National Campus Compact surveys report a similar phenomena.
Table 1 Focus of Service
89% Working with Children
78% Tutoring
68% Poverty Issues
66% Civic Engagement
45% Health
41% Environmental Work
33% Working with Elderly
14% Public Safety
33% Other
II. Summer of Service
All but 11% of the Scholars hadn’t done a summer of service yet, most likely because
they had became Bonners during the third year of college. Fifty-eight percent had already done
two summers of service, while 10% had done only one following their freshman year and 20%
had done only one following their sophomore year. Scholars’ home community was the location
for at least one summer of service for 61% of the Scholars, 30% did service nationally, 26% did
service in the community surrounding their campus, 20% did service internationally (an increase
of 2% over the last time two times the survey was administered), and 15% did service on
campus. (Note students checked more than one answer.)
Overall, 69% indicated that the summer of service had a greater impact on them,
compared to their Bonner service during the school year, with 39% feeling it had a significantly
greater positive impact and 29% feeling it had a somewhat greater impact. 85% of those who did
their service internationally felt it had more impact, while 72% of those who did their service in
the U.S. felt that way. When asked to reflect on the impact their summer of service had on the
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community they were serving relative the impact of their school year service, overall 25% felt it
has the same impact and 64.4% felt it had somewhat or significantly greater impact.
Note: This Midpoint survey did not include questions about the most important forms of
reflection. Therefore, responses to the two previous years’ survey questions regarding the
summer of service and reflection are included here. They rated journaling more highly here than
during the school year. The Directors report that the quality of reflective journals after an
intensive summer of service was much higher than during the school year. However, 87% said
they have not yet had enough time to integrate their summer of service.. All but 21% would have
liked opportunities to tie their summer of service in with their major, suggesting an unfulfilled
opportunity for service-learning. And all but 19% would have welcomed an opportunity to tie
their summer of service in with career exploration.
III. Commitment to Service and the BSP
Most of the junior Scholars (86%) were positive or very positive about the BSP,
compared to 96% of 2004 seniors. Nine percent were neutral, and 5% report a negative attitude
toward the program. Of those who had done a summer of service, 77% felt positive or very
positive about their experience. “Very strong” identification with the program was reported by
57%, 36% identified somewhat with the program, 5% very little, and 1% reported identifying not
at all. (It’s important to remember that 15% of the Scholars had just joined the program during
their junior year.)
The financial aspect of the BSP is critical in Scholars’ perception of what maintains their
involvement in service. 84% reported that they would not have participated in as much
community service without the BSP, 78% indicated that they would have done less service and
spent the time earning money, and 16% would have done no service and spent the time earning
money. Only 17% indicated that they would have participated in less service and not spent more
time earning money. This figure is up 10% since the last survey in 2002.
IV. Academic and Co-Curricular Gains
Of the third year respondents, 94% reported being involved in other campus
organizations, with 78% of them holding leadership positions on campus outside of the BSP,
up from 70% six years ago. This figure on leadership positions is comparable to graduating
seniors’ responses: 84% in 2004, 80% in 2000, 75% in 1999. This suggests that Bonner Scholars
quickly rise to leadership positions on campus, perhaps because of the support and skill
development they receive in the BSP.
Students at both midpoint and at graduation reported that their Bonner participation has
positively or very positively affected their development of interpersonal skills and
communication skills. The data suggests these skills are perceived to grow by the end of the
senior year.
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Table 2: BSP Affected Development of Interpersonal and Communication Skills (positively or
very positively)
skills needed to do
effective service
listening carefully
to others
Understanding a
person of a
different
background
helping groups
overcome
differences of
opinion
Midpoint 2008
Midpoint 2002
Midpoint 2001
Senior 2004
Senior 2003
89%
91%
87%
98%
94%
86%
83%
83%
93%
82%
86%
84%
84%
96%
89%
72%
67%
68%
86%
81%
Looking at the skill set outlined above from the viewpoint of civil discourse, one might
make a case as well that by their third year, Bonner Scholars attribute significant gains in core
skills of citizenship to the BSP. Skills that seem to be more firmly consolidated over the junior
and senior year are the ability to listen carefully to others and to understand of a person of a
different background. The biggest increase since the last Midpoint survey is a 5% increase in
“helping groups overcome differences of opinion.”
In the past we have asked Scholars about their GPA and found they perceived no effect
on their GPA from Bonner service work.
When asked to rate the relative importance of aspects of college life, the students at the
Midpoint, like seniors, rate studying and doing homework as more important than doing
service (91% felt studying and doing homework is “very” or ”most important” compared to 77%
who rated community service that way). The last Midpoint survey results also indicated studying
and doing homework was more important than doing service, as have all senior surveys. In all
years, doing community service rank above social life and extracurricular activities.
We continue to see that a majority of the Bonner Scholars desire greater connection
between Bonner service and course work. 64% of the 2008 juniors shared this desire, an identical
number to the 2004 juniors.
V. Personal Gains Resulting from Participation in the BSP
The“opportunity. to serve people from different cultural, racial, ability, language or
socioeconomic backgrounds” continued to be most strongly agreed upon aspect of the BSP. In
regression analyses of past surveys, this aspect of the program was found to be significantly
related to the development of students across their college years. (This research is documented in
articles listed in the references.)
The following percentages of students agreed or strongly agreed that the BSP has
provided them with opportunities, in ranked order.
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Table 3: Opportunities Provided by BSP (agree or strongly agree on Midpoint Surveys)
2008
89%
2002
87%
2001
92%
2000
91%
opportunity to work at service sites
with staff from different cultural,
racial, ability, language or
socioeconomic backgrounds
86%
78%
79%
85%
understanding of community
surrounding your college
access to support back on campus
good orientation to community service
opportunities
Support at your site
opportunity within BSP meetings and
retreats to gain new und. across
boundaries of culture, race, class &
gender
good orientation for new students to
program requirements
opportunity to understand root causes
of social justice issues
82%
82%
82%
84%
80%
79%
84%
83%
73%
84%
74%
76%
76%
75%
68%
72%
63%
71%
63%
68%
74%
76%
80%
76%
72%
68%
63%
64%
opportunity to serve people from
different cultural, racial, ability,
language or socioeconomic
backgrounds
There was an increase in the importance of “support at your site” and “the opportunity to
understand root causes of social justice issues”, which are marked in red. Robert Hackett, Vice
President of the Bonner Foundation suggested this could be explained by the maturing of the
program, which has put more resources in these areas – more educational efforts at sites for
students and better partnerships. Program directors have been asked to insure higher levels of
service by students. Site based teams and reducing the number of sites has increased the quality
of service.
VI. Priorities During College
When asked to evaluate the importance of aspects of the college experience for them
personally, the following were identified by juniors, listed in order of priority as “very
important” or “most important”. The results from the last two senior surveys are included for
comparison. (See Table 4.) Overall almost every activity seems more important than it has been
in past years and use of the internet has increased. One might wonder where the time comes to
be engaged in these important activities! Perhaps the internet allows them to act on other
important activities at the same time and students are getting better at multi-tasking? Or they are
sleeping less?
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Table 4: Importance of Aspects of the College Experience on Midpoint Surveys (very and most
important)
studying and
doing homework
2008
Midpoint
91%
2002
Midpoint
88%
community
77%
75%
service w/in &
outside BSP
social life
63%
56%
campus
54%
51%
activities, clubs
and groups
faith dev. and
49%
49%
religious
activities
using the
49%
35%*
internet, email,
instant
messaging and
phone*
athletics or
39%
36%
exercising
on and off
32%
37%
campus jobs (not
BSP)
watching TV
9%
11%
*question used to be worded “using the internet”
2001
Midpoint
83%
2000
Midpoint
88%
Senior
2004
85%
Senior
2003
86%
75%
78%
81%
82%
49%
47%
56%
54%
64%
56%
62%
57%
49%
54%
51%
54%
28%*
24%*
48%
41%
34%
38%
39%
39%
36%
29%
38%
35%
The juniors have similar priorities as the 2004 graduating class regarding studying,
student clubs, service, and using the internet. Notable increases in importance since the last
Midpoint survey six years ago are using the internet and social life. It’s possible that students’
social life is increasing due to web-based social networking.
The following percentages of Midpoint Bonners estimated they spent more than 16 hours
per week on the following aspects of college life. (See Table 5.) The responses to the senior
surveys are included for comparison. Most notable is that half as many juniors are working at
other jobs 16+ hours a week in comparison to the last two classes of seniors.
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Table 5: 16+ Hours Spent Weekly on Activities
Midpoint Surveys:
2008
2002
Midpoint Midpoint
Studying
26%
28%
using the internet,
13%
instant messaging, or
on the phone
2001
Midpoint
25%
2000
Midpoint
26%
Seniors
2004
31%
20%
Seniors
2003
24%
5%
social life on campus
12%
11%
8%
6%
13%
11%
on campus or off
campus jobs
8%
11%
12%
9%
17%
14%
Athletics or
exercising
community service
w/in & outside BSP
5%
9%
9%
7%
10%
8%
Campus activities and
student clubs
3%
3%
The following percentages of midway Bonners estimated they spent 11 hours per week or more
on the following aspects of college life. (See Table 6.)We see a persistent investment in studying
over service and less paid work among the juniors.
Table 6: 11+ Hours Spent Weekly on Activities, Midpoint Survey
2008
2002
2001
Midpoint
Midpoint Midpoint
Studying
50%
47%
48%
community service w/in &
33.3%
37%
38%
outside BSP
2000
Midpoint
51%
40%
using the internet, instant
messaging, or on the phone
32.6%
11%
10%
11%
social life on campus
26%
27%
22%
19%
on campus or off campus
jobs
16%
22%
19%
24%
athletics or exercising
Campus activities and
student clubs
Preparation or Planning for
Community Service
Religous Activities
Watching TV
14.3%
12.8%
10%
8%
11%
10%
15%
9%
6%
5%
6^
8%
8.4%
8%
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Reflection is essential to service-learning. But what kind of reflection do students perceive is
most valuable? (See Table 7) The following percentage of the Bonners at midpoint and the seniors
indicated they agreed or strongly agreed that these aspects of their college experiences helped them
understand their service experiences. Dialogue with people served remains most important for both
juniors and seniors. For the first time, informal discussions with other students was more important than
discussions with other Bonners. Might this be because campus cultures are becoming more generally
enriched with discussion about community service and civic engagement? At the same time, dialogue
with other adults has dropped in importance, including faculty, site supervisors, and program staff.
Table 7: Reflection Activities Helped Scholars Understand their Bonner Experiences (agreed or strongly
agreed)
2008
2002
2001
2000
Senior
Senior
Midpoint
Midpoint
Midpoint
Midpoint
2004
2003
dialogue with people 85%
83%
87%
83%
93%
92%
they served
informal discussions 72%
79%
79%
79%
87%
82%
with other Bonners
informal discussions 77%
73%
73%
76%
77%
80%
with other students
discussions with
faculty
one-on-ones with
Bonner staff
66%
75%
54%
47%
63%
63%
64%
73%
66%
68%
77%
79%
organized Bonner
retreats, conferences,
etc. (wording is new
this year)
63%
One-on-ones with
community service
site supervisor or
staff
60%
72%
72%
71%
70%
82%
In general, surrounded as they are by the people they serve and other Bonners, they seem to be
taking good advantage of these dialogical opportunities. Remembering that students are spending
more hours on the internet, one might surmises that dialogical needs are being met by this new
web-based exchange, or hours for other kinds of conversation are briefer.
The strongest response was to the power of dialogue with people they served, confirming
again the Common Fire (Daloz, Keen, Keen & Parks, 1996) findings that engaging deeply with
people across borders of difference has a powerful, maturational effect. Secondly, 72% of juniors
value the informal discussions they have with other Bonners, supporting the notion of designing
communities of dialogue among students who serve, a basic premise of the Bonner Foundation
FIPSE replication project.
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VII. Caveats
In looking at this data, it is important to remember that surveys allow us to draw limited
conclusions. Because the data is self-reported, and because we are not looking for internal
inconsistencies in how each individual reports on her or his perceptions, we are unable to
determine how authentically each student responded or ways in which the survey may fail to
provide scope for him or her to report on the deeper meanings of the BSP experience. Our
concern about this limitation is lessened because the questions on this survey have been informed
by in-depth focus groups with students on several campuses and because interpretation of the
data will be informed by local program administrators’ familiarity with their program delivery.
In addition, there is confirming triangulation on many questions; when asked related questions
on different sections of the survey, they tend to respond similarly.
A key use of such surveys lies in comparing responses over time or between or among
groups. The wide difference in responses by students on the two dozen campuses suggest to us
that not all of our questions mean the same to students on different campuses. In particular, we
note that the BSP appears to have less impact on students on some campuses (notably the
HBCUs) because their students often come from families and communities that have already
impressed the same developmental goals upon them.
Some of our questions allow us to compare graduating Bonner Scholars to students
surveyed in other survey efforts, such as by the Higher Education Research Institute. In this
survey we used some of these questions, however, the HERI survey is not administered to
college juniors, so we don’t have a national data for more direct comparison of our results.
References
Daloz, L., Keen, C., Keen, J. & Parks, S. (1996). Common Fire: Leading Lives of Commitment
in a Complex World. Boston: Beacon Press.
Keen, C. & Hall, K. (2009).Engaging with difference matters: Longitudinal college outcomes of
25 co-curricular service-learning programs. Journal of Higher Education.
Keen, C. & Hall, K. (Nov, 2009). Post-graduation service and civic outcomes for high financial
need students of a multi-campus, co-curricular service-learning college program, Journal of
College and Character. X, 2.