Preliminary Analysis of the 2013
Canadian Graduate and Professional
Student Survey (CGPSS)
- York University Results
Richard Smith
Acting Director
Office of Institutional Research and Analysis
September 2013
Introduction
• York participated in the Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (CGPSS)
since 2005.
• CGPSS is used by Ontario universities as part of the Multi-Year Accountability Agreement
(MYAA) accountability framework.
• Data for this report are sourced from York’s 2013 survey results.
• Indicators are benchmarked against the results from York’s 2010 survey, as well as the
2013 results for Ontario and Canada.
2
Response rates
0.5
46.6%
0.45
42.1%
0.4
Response rate
0.35
39.8%
36.2%
34.2%
30.6%
0.3
0.25
34.3%
York
24.1%
Ontario
21.6%
0.2
Canada
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
2013
2010
2007
Year
3
Distribution of respondents by discipline
Respondents
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Business & Management
160
180
155
118
Fine Arts
111
Political Science
Miscellaneous
110
101
Psychology
Environmental sciences
99
59
Education
Social Work
54
52
Sociology
50
Physical Education
Nursing
47
Physics
45
Legal Studies
44
42
Biology/Botany
History
39
Foreign Languages/Literature
37
Media/Communications
Master
PhD
36
33
Economics
32
French/English
Geography
30
Mathematics
30
Chemistry
26
22
Anthropology/Archaeology
Computer/Info Science
19
Other Health Sciences
14
5
Philosophy
Electrical/Computer Engineering
140
1
4
Overall indicators of satisfaction
• The following questions are selected to reveal areas of focus for enhancing graduate student
satisfaction.
• Part I:
1. If you were to start your graduate/professional career again, would you select this same
university?
2. If you were to start your graduate/professional career again, would you select the same field of
study?
3. Would you recommend this university to someone considering your program?
4. Would you recommend this university to someone in another field?
5. If you were to start your graduate career again, would you select the same faculty supervisor?
• Part II:
1. Overall, how would you rate the quality of your academic experience at this university?
2. Overall, how would you rate the quality of your student life experience at this university?
3. Overall, how would you rate the quality of your graduate/professional program at this university?
4. Overall, how would you rate the quality of your overall experience at this university?
5
Satisfaction with program, quality of interactions,
coursework and obstacles to academic progress
• Part III: Rate the following dimensions of your program
1. The intellectual quality of the faculty
2. The intellectual quality of my fellow students
3. The relationship between faculty and graduate students
4. Overall quality of graduate level teaching by faculty
5. Advice on the availability of financial support
6. Quality of academic advising and guidance
7. Helpfulness of staff members in my program
8. Availability of area courses I needed to complete my program
9. Quality of instruction in my courses
10. Relationship of program content to my research/professional goals
11. Opportunities for student collaboration or teamwork
12. Opportunities to take coursework outside my own department
13. Opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary work
14. Amount of coursework
• Part IV: Rate the extent to which the following factors are an obstacle to your academic progress
1. Work/financial commitments
2. Family obligations
3. Availability of faculty
4. Program structure or requirements
5. Course scheduling
6. Immigration laws or regulations
6
4. Your overall
experience at this
university?
3. Your
graduate/profession 2. Your student life
al program at this
experience at this
university?
university?
1. Your academic
experience at this
university?
General assessment
Poor
Fair
1
2
Mean Scores
Good
Very good
3
4
York 2013
3.62
Ontario 2013
3.78*
Canada 2013
3.77*
York 2010
Ontario 2013
2.86
2.97*
3.32*
Canada 2013
3.36*
York 2013
3.53
York 2010
3.61
Ontario 2013
3.66*
Canada 2013
3.65*
York 2013
York 2010
3.31
3.39
Ontario 2013
3.61*
Canada 2013
3.64*
*Difference in means significant at 5% level.
5
3.59
York 2010
York 2013
Excellent
7
5. If you were to
2. If you were to
start your
start your
1. If you were to
graduate career
graduate/
start your
again, would you
3. Would you
professional
graduate/
select the
4. Would you recommend this career again,
professional
same faculty recommend this
university to
would
career again,
you select the
supervisor?
university to
someone
would
you select this
(Long Stream
someone in considering your same field of
program?
only)
another field?
study?
same university?
General satisfaction
Mean Scores
Definitely not
1
York 2013
York 2010
Ontario 2013
Canada 2013
York 2013
York 2010
*Difference in means significant at 5% level.
Probably not
2
Maybe
3
Probably
4
York 2013
York 2010
Ontario 2013
3.88*
Canada 2013
3.88*
York 2013
York 2013
York 2010
Definitely
5
3.64
3.75*
4.16
York 2010
4.28*
Ontario 2013
4.21
Canada 2013
4.21
3.87
3.96
Ontario 2013
4.04*
Canada 2013
4.04*
3.40
3.49*
3.77*
3.80*
4.13
4.05
Ontario 2013
4.09
Canada 2013
4.07
8
Satisfaction with program, quality of interactions and
coursework – part 1
Mean Scores
3. The
4. Overall quality
relationship
5. Advice on the of graduate level between faculty
availability of
teaching by
and graduate
financial support
faculty
students
2. The
intellectual
quality of my
fellow students
1. The
intellectual
quality of the
faculty
Poor
1
Fair
2
Good
3
Very good
4
Excellent
5
York 2013
4.17
York 2010
4.17
Ontario 2013
4.20
Canada 2013
4.15
York 2013
3.75
York 2010
3.70
Ontario 2013
3.79
Canada 2013
3.74
York 2013
3.48
York 2010
3.58*
Ontario 2013
3.68*
Canada 2013
3.71*
York 2013
3.60
York 2010
3.69*
Ontario 2013
3.62
Canada 2013
3.63
York 2013
York 2010
Ontario 2013
Canada 2013
*Difference in means significant at 5% level.
2.76
2.78
2.87*
2.91*
9
10. Relationship
8. Availability of
of program
area courses I
content to my
9. Quality of
needed to
7. Helpfulness of
research/professi instruction in my complete my staff members in
onal goals
courses
program
my program
6. Quality of
academic
advising and
guidance
Satisfaction with program, quality of interactions and
coursework – part 2
Poor
Fair
1
2
York 2013
York 2010
Mean Scores
Good
Very good
3
4
3.08
3.29*
Canada 2013
3.28*
York 2013
3.75
York 2010
3.56*
Ontario 2013
3.78
Canada 2013
York 2010
3.73
3.18
3.21
Ontario 2013
3.31*
Canada 2013
3.30*
York 2013
3.64
York 2010
3.68
Ontario 2013
3.60
Canada 2013
3.61
York 2013
York 2010
3.37
3.53*
Ontario 2013
3.48*
Canada 2013
3.47*
*Difference in means significant at 5% level.
5
3.16
Ontario 2013
York 2013
Excellent
10
Satisfaction with program, quality of interactions and
coursework – part 3
Mean Scores
13. Opportunities to
engage in
interdisciplinary work
12. Opportunities to
take coursework
11. Opportunities for
outside my own
student collaboration
department
or teamwork
Poor
1
York 2013
Good
3
Very good
4
3.42*
Canada 2013
3.45*
3.16
York 2010
3.30*
Ontario 2013
3.06*
Canada 2013
3.06*
York 2013
3.25
York 2010
Ontario 2013
Canada 2013
York 2010
Ontario 2013
Canada 2013
*Difference in means significant at 5% level.
5
3.28*
Ontario 2013
York 2013
Excellent
3.15
York 2010
York 2013
14. Amount of
coursework
Fair
2
3.38*
3.15*
3.11*
3.34
3.43*
3.36
3.39*
11
Obstacles to academic progress
Mean Scores
Immigration
laws or
regulations
Program
Course
structure or Availability of
scheduling requirements
faculty
Family
Work/financial
obligations commitments
Not an obstacle
1
A minor obstacle
2
York 2013
2.24
Ontario 2013
2.04*
Canada 2013
2.05*
York 2013
1.84
York 2010
1.78
Ontario 2013
1.65*
Canada 2013
1.64*
York 2013
1.58
York 2010
1.55
Ontario 2013
1.45*
Canada 2013
1.45*
York 2013
1.65
York 2010
1.59
Ontario 2013
1.61*
Canada 2013
1.60*
York 2013
1.56
York 2010
1.56
Ontario 2013
1.53
Canada 2013
1.51*
York 2010
Ontario 2013
Canada 2013
3
2.19
York 2010
York 2013
A major obstacle
1.10
1.12
1.17*
1.21*
*Difference in means significant at 5% level.
12