What Students Want

 

Report on the Student Preferences Survey

 

University of Hawai’i at Hilo

 

Summer 2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Report is available for download at

http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~iro/policy/index.htm

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 

The UHH Student Preferences Survey arose out of a question as to whether or not continuing UHH students would support raising lower division tuition to the level of upper division tuition in the Fall of 2003, if they could see some tangible results in areas they wanted to see improved.  The survey was designed to solicit whether or not students would support such a tuition increase, and what kind of improvements they would like to see on campus to make that increase “worth their while.”

 

An online survey instrument, “University of Hawai’i at Hilo Student Preferences Survey” was developed by the UHH IRO in consultation with several other offices on campus.  Content of the survey was derived from the UHH draft strategic plan, as well as student open-ended comments from an earlier survey on the strategic plan, and student comments from a March, 2002 open forum on student success.

 

Student email addresses were accessed for continuing UHH students who had already registered for Fall 2002 and an invitation was sent to all students who had valid email addresses (approximately 1000 students).  Two follow-up reminder emails were also sent.  Students were asked to give their student numbers (Social Security Numbers) at the beginning of the survey administration so the IRO could verify valid responses and delete duplicate responses.  When the file cleaning was finished, 215 valid responses remained.

 

The survey consisted of thirty-nine preference items where students were asked to indicate the extent to which they supported a given improvement.  They could choose one of the following answers:

 

            Oppose

            No Improvement Needed

            Improvement desirable, but not if tradeoffs are required

            Improvement desirable, even if some resources need to be diverted

            Strongly support:  willing to tolerate noticeable tradeoffs in other areas

            No opinion

 

In order to facilitate judging which items were most strongly supported by students, a preference scale was developed which gave 0 points to “Oppose,” “No improvement needed,” and “No opinion;” 1 point to “Improvement desirable, but not if tradeoffs are required; 2 points to “Improvement desirable, even if some resources need to be diverted,” and 3 points to “Strongly support: willing to tolerate noticeable tradeoffs in other areas.”

 

 

 

Strongest student preferences were determined by highest average preference scores.  Preferences are reported not only for all respondents, but also for some important student segments on campus, such as students who live on campus, mainland students, Hawai’i residents, traditional and non-traditional students, etc.  

 

The possible improvements students were asked to rate according to the extent of their support were as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Findings

 

Do students support raising lower division tuition to the upper division level?

 

Yes.  Two-thirds (67%) of the student respondents—all of whom are continuing students--somewhat or strongly support raising lower division tuition to the level of upper division tuition in the fall of 2003---if the tuition raise is used to fund improvements that are important to them.

 

 

 

 

 

What do our students want to see in the way of improvements?

 

A preference index, which gives a weighted score to each category according to how much the student was willing to give up to get the improvement, was used to determine which improvements got the strongest student support.  The scale is as follows:

 

1 = Improvement desirable, but not if tradeoffs are required;

2 = Improvement desirable, even if some resources need to be diverted; and

3 = Strongly support: willing to tolerate noticeable tradeoffs in other areas.

 

Two thirds of the improvements most strongly supported by students are focused on the quality of teaching and learning and on breadth of offerings.  Students want more internship and service learning opportunities and more opportunities to be involved in faculty research.  They want a wider variety of classes, more graduate degrees, more sections of popular and required classes and more majors.  They are behind giving faculty the kind of support that will encourage innovative and enthusiastic teaching in all classes and they want to increase the impact of student evaluations of professors.  The student services they want most to improve are student employment opportunities, services for graduate and professional school placement and entrance test preparation, and career development and job placement services.

 

The most strongly supported improvement, however, is introducing competition to bring book prices down.  For many students, high book prices are a continuing irritant at UH Hilo and therefore a leverage point for making gains in student good will.  As a public institution, perhaps UH Hilo should look into the costs and benefits of offering books at cost to UH students.  One student suggested that buy-back refunds on used books were too low.  The institution cannot gain if students feel they being taken advantage of.  The University of Puget Sound, a private institution where tuition is somewhere between sixteen and twenty thousand per year, offers delicious dining hall food at very reasonable prices, deliberately, I would guess, to foster student good will.  In order of strongest student support, the top twelve suggested improvements are…

 

 

 

The following tables and charts show categorical percentages for the improvements rated highest by students.

 

UH Hilo students are in almost unanimous agreement that book prices should come down, even if it involves moving resources from a different area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Different Strokes for Different Folks?

 

Even though UH Hilo is a small university, it serves a wide variety of students.  US News and World Report noted that UH Hilo is one of the most diverse baccalaureate liberal arts colleges in the nation.  UH Hilo takes pride in its diversity and its ability to serve the needs of a wide variety of students.  For that reason, it is important to consider the preferences of students from various perspectives:  class level, on or off campus residence, division or college, place of origin, gender, ethnicity and whether or not a students are traditional or non-traditional.  Given that, there is remarkable agreement among various student groups on campus as to how UH Hilo’s resources should be directed for improvement.

 

Class level

 

 

Top Preferences by Class Level

(All Means Available in Appendix A)

Freshmen

(n = 8)
Sophomores

(n = 39)

Juniors

(n = 67)

Seniors

(n = 98)

1)       Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.5)

2)       Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.38)

Increase the number of majors (2.38)

3)       Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.25)

4)       Offer more graduate degrees (1.88)

Expand professional services to students to include medical attention for athletes, counseling for drug addiction, date-rape/domestic violence, etc. (1.88)

Better, more accessible, career development and job placement services (1.88)

1)       Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.62)

2)       Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.26)

3)       Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.21)

4)       Improve student employment opportunities (2.18)

5)       Provide a wider variety of classes (1.97)

1)       Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.64)

2)       Provide a wider variety of classes (2.43)

3)       Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.28)

4)       Offer more graduate degrees (2.21)

5)       Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.10)

1)       Offer more graduate degrees (2.45)

2)       Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.34)

3)       Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.28)

4)       Provide a wider variety of classes (2.23)

5)       Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.12).

 

 

 

 

The eight freshmen in the continuing student sample included three preferences in their top five which were not in the top five of respondents of other class levels:  increasing the number of majors (mean of 2.38, compared to 1.87 for sophomores, 1.96 for juniors and 1.81 for seniors); expanding services to students to include medical attention for athletes, counseling for drug addiction, date-rape/domestic violence, etc. (mean of 1.88, compared to 1.46 for sophomores, 1.39 for juniors, and 1.32 for seniors); and better, more accessible, career development and job placement services (mean of 1.88, compared to 1.77 for sophomores, 1.81 for juniors and 1.77 for seniors) .

 

The sophomores in the sample seem more concerned with student employment than the other class levels (mean of 2.18, compared to 1.75 for freshmen, 1.88 for juniors and 1.63 for seniors), including it in their top five, where the other class levels did not.

 

Although freshmen included providing more sections of popular/required classes in their top five, they did not include providing a wider variety of classes, which became more strongly supported by sophomores and juniors.  Seniors, though also supportive of a wider variety of classes (and more sections of popular/required classes), advanced the offering more graduate degrees to the top of their preference list. 

 

Although some of the preference options shift in their importance as our students move through the classes toward their degree, the issue of expensive books and the desire for more internship/service learning opportunities maintain pretty much the same importance through the four class levels. 

 

I believe discontinuing the difference in tuition between sophomore and junior class level will encourage more students to continue at UHH until they earn a degree.  Perhaps giving all rising sophomores a book coupon (i.e. $100 discount on books first semester of their junior year) might be an increased incentive for sophomores to continue at UH Hilo rather than transferring to another school—an incentive which would get an immediate return on investment through increased tuition revenues –without incurring other costs, as there is ample room in upper-division classes for more students.

 

Putting additional emphasis and resources into creating meaningful internships and service learning opportunities would also be a high leverage investment which may encourage students to consider completing their educations at UH Hilo.

 

Another strategy to encourage students to stay at UH Hilo until they earn a degree would be to insure that they get the classes they need to graduate in a reasonable period of time.  This could be done by creating two- and perhaps three-year schedules and creating offerings the second year based on the needs of matriculating students (those who have declared majors).  Such classes can be filled through targeted marketing to transfer students between the time they are initiated to serve our continuing students and the time they are actually offered.  If students have their schedules set out for them in advance, and know they will be guaranteed places in the classes they need, they will have a stronger incentive to stay at UH Hilo.  Longer-term class planning would also enable UH Hilo to provide offerings in a more cost-efficient manner.  If students are guaranteed needed classes, they will feel better served and more secure.  If more sections are filled to capacity, it will give UH Hilo the resources to offer a wider-variety of classes.

 

Place of Origin/Citizenship

 

Place of Origin/Citizenship

(All Means Available in Appendix A)

U.S. Citizen from Hawai’i

(n = 127)

 

U.S. Citizen from the Continental U.S. or Alaska

(n = 58)

International Student or Permanent Resident of the U.S. (n = 30)

1.       Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.53)

2.       Offer more graduate degrees (2.24)

3.       Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.20)

4.       Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.15)

5.       Provide necessary support to faculty to encourage innovative and enthusiastic teaching in all classes (2.13)

6.       Increase the number of majors (1.99)

1.       Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.40)

2.       Provide a wider variety of classes (2.34)

3.       Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.33)

4.       Offer more graduate degrees (2.14)

5.       Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.10)

6.       Provide more opportunities for students to be involved in faculty research (2.07)

1.       Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.6)

2.       Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.43)

3.       Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.20)

4.       Offer more graduate degrees (2.07)

Provide a wider variety of classes (2.07)

5.       Increase the number of majors (2.03)

6.       Provide better services for graduate/professional school placement and entrance test preparation (2.00)

 

 

All three of these student groups agree that introducing competition to bring book prices down is the most desirable improvement that could be made at UH Hilo, then we begin to see a few differences.

 

Offering more graduate degrees is important to all groups, but most import to U.S. citizens from Hawai’i (mean of 2.24), followed by mainland students (2.14) and then international students or permanent residents (2.07).  It makes sense for Hawaiian residents to want more graduate degrees, as it may be more difficult for them than for the other two groups to travel to another school.  What is surprising, however, is that offering more graduate degrees is in the top four for the two other groups as well.

 

All three groups find providing more internship/service learning opportunities to be very important, mainland students seeing them as slightly more important than both Hawaiian and international/permanent resident students.

 

Providing more sections of popular/required classes is also similarly important for all three groups.  Hawaiian and international/permanent resident students have increasing the number of majors in their top six choices, while this is a lot less important to mainland students (mean of 1.55), who probably use majors offered as part of their choice criteria for coming to UH Hilo in the first place. 

 

Providing the necessary support to faculty to encourage innovative and enthusiastic teaching in all classes gets very strong support (2.13) from Hawaiian residents, whereas it is not so important to mainland (mean of 1.55) or international/permanent resident students (mean of 1.4).

 

Providing more opportunities for students to be involved in faculty research is most important to mainland students (mean of 2.07), followed by International/permanent resident students (mean of 1.93).  It is perceived as not nearly as important by Hawaiian resident students (mean of 1.5).

 

Finally, providing better services for graduate/professional school placement and entrance test preparation is seen as being more important by international/permanent resident students (mean of 2.0) than for Hawaiian residents (mean of 1.76) or mainland students (1.74).

 

Students who live on campus

 

Twenty-eight of the continuing student respondents said they would be living in an on-campus residence hall Fall Semester 2002.  The improvements this important segment of UHH students strongly support are…

 

1)     Introduce competition to bring book prices down (mean of 2.29)

2)     Provide better and more on-campus housing facilities (2.24)

3)     Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.14)

4)     Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.07)

5)     Provide more physical education/recreation opportunities that take advantage of Hawai'i’i’s natural resources, such as scuba, boating, etc. (2.04)

6)     Improve student employment opportunities (1.96)

Provide more transportation for residential students to destinations in Hilo (1.96)

7)     Provide a wider variety of classes (1.93)

 

Residential students share the concerns of other students on campus, but obviously have needs related to their residential status that other students do not.  If UH Hilo wants to recruit and retain more residential students, we simply will have to provide better and more on-campus housing facilities, provide more physical education/recreation opportunities for residents that take advantage of Hawai’i’s natural environment, and provide more transportation for residential students to destinations in Hilo.  Also, because residential students often do not have transportation of their own, on-campus student employment opportunities may be more important than for some other groups.  Again, doing something about the book issue, providing more internships and service learning opportunities and providing a wider variety of classes will also serve and support this group of students.

Agriculture Students

 

There were only seven of these folks, but here are the improvements they supported most strongly:

 

1)     Better, more accessible, career development and job placement services (mean of 2.57)

Provide necessary support to faculty to encourage innovative and enthusiastic teaching in all classes (2.57)

2)     Offer more graduate degrees (2.43)

3)     Expand professional services to students to include medical attention for athletes, counseling for drug addiction, date-rape/domestic violence, etc. (2.28)

Provide better services for graduate/professional school placement and entrance test preparation (2.28)

Increase the number of majors (2.28)

4)     Provide a wider variety of classes (2.14)

5)     Improve laboratory facilities and equipment (2.0)

 

Natural Science Students (except for Nursing)

 

There were 61 respondents in this group.  The improvements most strongly supported by this group included…

 

1)     Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.28)

Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.28)

2)     Provide better training in information technology and the use of computers for all students (2.23)**

3)     Offer more graduate degrees (2.10)

4)     Improve laboratory facilities and equipment (2.08)

5)     Provide a wider variety of classes (1.89)

6)     Improve student employment opportunities (1.82)

7)     Provide more sections of popular/required classes (1.80)

 

 

**Natural Science majors want more computer training

Humanities Students

 

Thirty-three (33) continuing students majoring in the Humanities responded to the questionnaire.  Their preferences are…

 

1)     Provide a wider variety of classes (2.55)

2)     Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.36)

3)     Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.27)

4)     Offer more graduate degrees (2.15)

5)     Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.09)

6)     Provide necessary support to faculty to encourage innovative and enthusiastic teaching in all classes (1.85)

7)     Improve student employment opportunities (1.82)

 

Social Science Students (Including 3 Education Students)

 

There were 54 Social Science majors in the survey sample.

 

1)     Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.54)

2)     Offer more graduate degrees (2.46)

3)     Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.39)

4)     Provide a wider variety of classes (2.35)

5)     Increase the number of majors (2.20)

6)     Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.17)

7)     Provide better services for graduate/professional school placement and entrance test preparation (2.07)

 

Business and Economics Students

 

Thirty-seven (37) of the survey respondents were Business and Economics majors.  They gave nine items ratings of over 2.0…

 

1)     Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.76)

2)     Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.46)

3)     Provide more internship/service learning opportunities (2.38)

4)     Provide a wider variety of classes (2.32)

5)     Increase the number of majors (2.22)

6)     Better, more accessible, career development and job placement services (2.16)

7)     Offer more graduate degrees (2.11)

8)     Improve student employment opportunities (2.08)

9)     Increase the impact of student evaluations of professors (2.05)

 

 

Nursing Students

 

Twelve nursing students were included in the survey sample.  Their preferences are…

 

1)     Introduce competition to bring book prices down (2.91)

2)     Provide necessary support to faculty to encourage innovative and enthusiastic teaching in all classes (2.64)

3)     Provide more sections of popular/required classes (2.27)

4)     Provide bett