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Spacer Report of the Results of the BGSU First Year Student Questionnaire, 2003 Spacer
 

Abstract
Background and Methodology
Enrollment Management-Related Information
Demographic Information
Expectations and Values Information
Summary and Conclusions

ABSTRACT

This report describes the results of the Summer 2003 administration of the BGSU First Year Student Questionnaire (BFYSQ) to new main campus first year students. The BFYSQ is designed to collect enrollment management-related data, demographic data not otherwise collected as a result of BGSU's admission and registration processes, and data on students' values and expectations. Its use supports both assessment and enrollment management activities. Results are used in this report to provide a descriptive profile of the freshman class (serving as a companion report to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions' Freshman Class Profile). BFYSQ data are also maintained in databases within the Office of Institutional Research and are studied as predictors of outcomes such as retention, GPAs, and graduation rates. This report includes a summary and conclusions as well as detailed tabular responses.

BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

The need for assessment and enrollment management-related information about Bowling Green State University's first year students prompted the development of the BGSU First Year Student Questionnaire (BFYSQ) in 1997. The literature on college student learning, development, and persistence clearly shows that students' pre-college characteristics, aspirations, expectations, and values play a crucial role in outcomes such as retention, grades, graduation, and educational and personal gains. Since no single commercially-available questionnaire would provide the data specifically needed by BGSU in a timely and cost effective manner, the BFYSQ was developed by the Office of Institutional Research. The results of the BFYSQ are comparable to those of the ACE/UCLA "Freshman Survey" administered at BGSU between 1973 and 1979 and between 1990 and 1995, and the "BGSU Freshman Survey" administered between 1980 and 1989. The Office of Institutional Research plans to administer the BFYSQ to new freshmen each year before they matriculate. 

All admitted 2003 first time first year freshmen were asked to fill out BFYSQ online. A total of 1,163 questionnaires were received, which represented about 33% of the first time first year freshman class. This rate is much lower than last year's response rate (70%, paper survey). As a result, the questionnaire will return to a printed format for 2004.

To examine how representative the survey respondents were of the entire first year first time freshman class, the demographic characteristics of the 1163 survey respondents were compared to all entering 2003 first year first time freshmen. There is a high degree of race, college, and residential status similarity between the respondents and the population. Female respondents, however, are over represented (71% in survey vs. 58% in population). This limitation and the low response rate require that all results from this survey be interpreted with some caution.

BFYSQ results were analyzed by noting the percentages of participants who provided various responses to each questionnaire item. Percentages may not always sum to 100 due to rounding. Results were also compared with those of previous similar questionnaires. The following pages highlight these findings. 

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT-RELATED INFORMATION

How many other colleges besides BGSU did you apply to?

 

1992

  

2002

  2003
None 29%   25%   27%
1 18%   24%   24%
2 23%   25%   22%
Three or More    31%   26%   27%

How many other colleges besides BGSU admitted you this year? 

 

1992

   2002   2003
None NA   31%   28%
One NA   30%   30%
Two NA   21%   20%
Three or More    NA   19%   22%

Among colleges to attend, was BGSU your . . . 

 

1992

   2002    2003  
First Choice

76%

  77%   82%  
Second Choice

19%

  20%   16%  
Less Than Second Choice 

  5%

  4%   3%  

2003 respondents seemed more likely than the freshmen in 1992 and 2002 to report that BGSU was their first choice to attend.

How important were each of the following in your decision to attend college in general? (Percent "Very Important")

  1992    2002   2003
To Prepare for a Professional Career NA   86%   92%
To Learn More about Things That Interest me   66%   61%   80%
To Gain a General Education and Appreciation of Ideas      54%   47%   71%
To Be Able to Get a Better Job 80%   71%   68%
To Learn More About Other People NA   27%   60%
To Be Able to Make More Money 70%   68%   55%
To Make Me a More Cultured Person 32%   32%   46%
I Wanted to Get Away from Home 20%   30%   37%
To Improve My Reading and Study Skills 32%   24%   36%
My Parents Wanted Me to Go 32%   26%   26%
A Mentor/Role Model Encouraged Me to Go 10%   13%   18%

Compared with the freshmen in 2002 and 1992, 2003 freshmen were less likely to claim that being able to make more money as well as to get a better job were the very important reasons for them to attend college in general. They were, however, more likely than the 2002 and 1992 freshmen to report that preparing for a professional career, learning more about interesting things and other people, gaining a general education and appreciation of ideas, making them a more cultured person, getting away from home, improving their reading and study skills, and a mentor/role model encouraged them to go were the very important reasons for them to attend college in general.

How important were each of the following in your decision to attend BGSU? (Percent "Very Important")

  1992    2002    2003
BGSU graduates get good jobs 37%   48%   72%
BGSU offers unique educational programs         NA   36%   65%
My BGSU visit was pleasant and friendly NA   43%   65%
BGSU¡¯s academic reputation 53%   37%   63%
BGSU's Student Facilities NA   NA   62%
BGSU takes student safety seriously NA   27%   57%
BGSU is in a small and safe community NA   32%   56%
BGSU's graduates gain admission to top graduate/professional school     15%   34%   53%
BGSU has an attractive campus NA   32%   53%
the reputation of BGSU's faculty, staff, and students NA   29%   48%
BGSU's social reputation 28%   31%   44%
I wanted to attend a school of BGSU's size 37%   35%   43%
BGSU's Computer Facilities NA   NA   43%
cost of tuition at BGSU 35%   20%   35%

"BGSU graduates get good jobs", "BGSU offers unique education programs", "my BGSU visit was pleasant and friendly", "BGSU's academic reputation" are the very important reasons for students to choose BGSU. 2003 freshmen were more likely than the 2002 freshmen to consider each item on the table above as the very important reasons to attend BGSU.

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

How many miles from BGSU is your permanent home?

  1992    2002    2003
10 miles or Less   3%   3%   4%
11 to 50 miles 22%   20%   19%
51 to 100 miles 18%   22%   23%
101 to 500 miles 54%   51%   49%
Over 500 miles           3%   4%   5%

What is your best estimate of your parents' income?

  1992    2002    2003
Less than $30,000  20%   7%   17%
$30,000-$49,999 31%   20%   21%
$50,000-$74,999 32%   32%   30%
$75,000-$99,999 10%   20%   15%
$100,000 or More   7%   21%   16%

The percentage of students whose estimated parental income was $75,000 or more increased from 17% in 1992 to 41% in 2002, but decreased to 31% between 2002 and 2003.

How much of your first year's educational expenses do you expect to cover from each of the sources listed below? (Percent $1,500 and Over)

  1992    2002    2003
Parents, relatives, friends 70%   74%   61%
Other College Loan    3%   25%   23%
Savings From Summer Work 12%   23%   22%
Other College Grant/Scholarship   6%   21%   25%
Other Loan   4%   16%   15%
Other Savings   9%   17%   16%
Ford Direct Subsidized Loan NA   11%   16%
College Work Study    3%   10%   13%
Pell Grant   3%   9%   11%
Other Source   1%   8%   8%
Part-Time Job On Campus   3%   7%   8%
Perkins Loan   1%   6%   6%
Part-Time Job Off Campus   1%   5%   8%
Ohio Instructional Grant   NA   4%   7%
Other Private Grant                          2%   3%   3%

How concerned are you about your ability to finance your college education?

  1992    2002    2003
Not at All 27%   28%   21%
Somewhat 56%   54%   54%
Very               17%   18%   25%

How many hours per week during the school year do you plan to be employed?

  1992    2002    2003
None  NA   23%   20%
1 to 9 NA   20%   17%
10 to 19 NA   44%   42%
20 to 39 NA   13%   19%
40 or More      NA   1%   2%

Families were still the major finance source for majority of 2003 freshmen. However, only 61% of 2003 freshman expected their parents, relatives, and friends will pay $1,500 or more of their first year expense, compared with 74% of last year's freshmen. 2003 freshmen were more concerned about their ability to finance their college education than were freshmen in 2002 and in 1992. They were also more likely to work longer hours in order to support themselves.

For each of the following items, please indicate the number of years you participated while in 9th-12th grade (Percent "Two Years or More"):

  1992   2002   2003  

Religious organization

NA   NA   91%  

Athletics

NA   NA   90%  

Community service

NA   NA   88%  

Part-time job

NA   NA   86%  

Band or orchestra

NA   NA   79%  

Academic honor society

NA   NA   79%  

Choir or vocal ensemble

NA   NA   75%  

Theatre

NA   NA   73%  

ROTC                              

NA   NA   58%  

Student council

NA   NA   57%  

Class officer

NA   NA   50%  

Yearbook

NA   NA   49%  

Newspaper

NA   NA   49%  

Debate

NA   NA   36%  

For each of the following items, please indicate your level of involvement while in 9th-12th grade (Percent "Highly Involved"):

  1992    2002    2003  

Part-time job

NA   55%   61%  

Athletics

NA   65%   56%  

Community service

NA   26%   43%  

Religious organization

NA   22%   34%  

Band or orchestra

NA   22%   31%  

Choir or vocal ensemble

NA   19%   27%  

Theatre

NA   16%   24%  

Academic honor society

NA   11%   19%  

Yearbook

NA   10%   17%  

Class officer

NA   10%   15%  

Student council

NA   12%   14%  

Newspaper

NA   7%   12%  

Debate

NA   3%   5%  

ROTC                              

NA   1%   2%  

Fifty percent or more of the 2003 freshmen spent two or more years participating in most of the activities listed on the survey during their high school years, and they seemed more likely to be highly involved with all the activities other than athletics when compared them with 2002 freshmen.

What is the highest level of formal education obtained by your parents?

  Father    Mother
High school graduate 31%   29%
Some college 17%   19%
College degree 27%   28%
Graduate degree           14%   13%

     1992    2002    2003
Mother and father high school or less:
At least one parent a college graduate:
Both parents college graduates:
  NA
NA
NA
  17%
60%
30%
  19%
60%
27%

Your Father's Occupation:

  1992    2002    2003
Business 29%   31%   28%
Other 24%   23%   29%
Skilled trades NA   4%   8%
Engineer 9%   2%   7%

Your Mother's Occupation:

  1992    2002    2003
Other 24%   26%   32%
Business 22%   13%   17%
Teacher or administrator     12%   4%   14%
Nurse 11%   0%   10%

Your Probable Occupation:

  1992    2002    2003
Teacher or administrator      16%   9%   28%
Other 10%   15%   13%
Business