|
Abstract
Background and Methodology
Results:
Enrollment Information
Academic,
Social, and Financial Information
Perceptions
of the Institution
Educational
and Personal Gains
Satisfaction
with BGSU
Emphasis
Further
Education Plans
Comments
and Suggestions
Summary and Conclusions
BGSQ Item Responses
ABSTRACT
This report describes the results of the
Summer 2002, Fall 2002, and Spring 2003 administrations of the BGSU Graduating Senior
Questionnaire (BGSQ). The BGSQ is designed to collect data on graduating
seniors' academic and social experiences at BGSU, their perceptions of the
institution, their educational and personal gains, and their satisfaction
with the programs and services provided by BGSU. Additional information
such as graduates' college expenses, years of enrollment at BGSU, and
their further education plans are also collected. The results of this
report may be used to evaluate and improve the quality of BGSU's
undergraduate education as well as the social and academic environment of
the institution.
BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY
The need for information about graduating
seniors' academic and social experiences at BGSU, their perceptions of the
institution, educational and personal gains, satisfaction with programs
and services, and their further education plans, prompted the development
of the BGSU Graduating Senior Questionnaire (BGSQ) in Spring 2000. The
literature on college student learning, development, and persistence
clearly shows that these traits play a crucial role in student outcomes.
Since no single commercially-available questionnaire would provide the
data specifically needed by BGSU in a timely and cost effective manner,
the BGSQ was developed by the Office of Institutional Research and
reviewed by a wide audience.
All seniors who registered for 2002-2003 graduation were asked to fill out the BGSQ
on-line. Six hundred and fifty-six surveys were back, resulting in a
21% (656/3104) response rate. This rate is lower than the one in 2000-2001 (24%) and 2001-2002 (32%).
To examine how representative the survey
respondents were of the entire graduating class, the demographic
characteristics of the 656 survey respondents were compared to all Summer
2002, Fall 2002, and Spring 2003 graduating seniors. There was a
high degree of race similarity between the respondents and the population. The largest difference was the under-representation of students who graduated from BGSU in more than 4
years. Fifty-six percent of the participants reported that they graduated
from BGSU in four or fewer years. This rate is much higher than
the average Baccalaureate degree four-year graduation rate at BGSU, which
was 30.0% for 1998-2002, 33.3% for 1997-2001,
and 29.3% for 1996-2000. The proportion of men respondents
(33%) was also lower than in the population (40%).
While respondents in College of Business Administration were over-represented (20% in survey vs. 16% in population),
respondents in College of Arts and Science were under-represented(38% in survey vs. 41% in population). These
limitations and the low response rate require that all results from
this survey be interpreted with some caution.
BGSQ 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. The following pages highlight these
results. In addition, group differences (female vs. male, minority
graduates vs. European-American graduates, and college vs. college) were
investigated and significant differences are noted where they occurred.
ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
How many years will you have been enrolled at BGSU by the time you
graduate?
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| less than four /td>
| 21% |
17% |
22% |
| four |
44% |
46% |
34% |
| between four and five |
29% |
29% |
35% |
| more than five |
6% |
8% |
9% |
If it has taken you more than four years to graduate, please indicate whether the following
were reasons for extending your enrollment. (Percent Responding "Major"
Reason)
| |
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| I changed majors |
33% |
32% |
33% |
| I worked while enrolled |
20% |
25% |
24% |
| The classes that I needed were not offered when I needed to take
them |
17% |
18% |
19% |
| I transferred to BGSU and needed different courses |
12% |
15% |
18% |
| I was involved in coop/internships |
16% |
15% |
17% |
| I received poor academic advising |
14% |
13% |
14% |
| My major takes more than four years to complete |
10% |
12% |
14% |
| I dropped one or more classes because I was dissatisfied with the quality of instruction |
9% | 10% |
12% |
| I was undecided about a major when I started |
21% |
16% |
11% |
| I chose not to enroll for one or more semesters |
10% |
9% |
10% |
| I attended part-time |
11% |
8% |
10% |
| I had family responsibilities while enrolled |
9% |
9% |
9% |
| I had problems with the academic requirements for my major |
5% |
5% |
9% |
| I had a double major |
12% |
10% |
8% |
| I commuted while enrolled |
6% |
7% |
7% |
| I wanted to maintain or improve my grades |
5% |
6% |
7% |
| I had financial problems |
6% |
5% |
6% |
| I took classes unrelated to my major due to personal interest |
4% |
7% |
5% |
| I wanted to have some free time |
5% |
4% |
5% |
| I did not spend enough time studying |
4% |
2% |
4% |
| I had to take developmental classes |
1% |
1% |
2% |
Like the respondents in 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, more than
half of the respondents in 2002-2003 reported that they graduated from
BGSU in four or less than four years. This rate is much higher than the
average baccalaureate degree four-year graduation rate at BGSU, which is
33.0% for 1998-2002, 33.3% for 1997-2001, and 29.3% for 1996-2000. "I
changed majors" and "I worked while enrolled" were the major reasons more
often cited by those who took more than four years to graduate.
During the past three year more
students have reported that "I transferred to BGSU and needed different
courses", "my major takes more than four years to complete",
"I dropped one or more classes because I was dissatisfied with the
quality of instruction", "I had problems with the academic requirements
for my major" were the major reasons for them to extend
their undergraduate study. At the same time, fewer students have claimed
"I was undecided about a major when I started" and "I had a double major"
as the major factors for them to take more than four years to graduate.
Differences Between Groups in 2002-2003. Minority
respondents were more likely than European-American respondents to cite "I
received poor academic advising", "My major takes more than four yeas to
complete", "I wanted to maintain or improve my grades", and "I had a
double major" as the major reasons to extend their undergraduate study.
European-American respondents, on the other hand, were more likely than
their counterparts to cite "I worked while enrolled" and "I chose
not to enroll for one or more semesters" as the major reasons for them to
take more than four years to graduate. While males were more likely to
declare "I worked while enrolled" as the main reason for extending their
undergraduate study, females were more likely to claim "I changed majors"
as the main reason to take more than four years to graduate.
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences
were most likely to report that they get their bachelor's degree in four years or less among the
students in six colleges. Students in the College of Education and Human Development,
the College of Musical Arts, and
the College of Technology were more likely than the
students in the College of Arts and Sciences,
the College of Business Administration,
and the College of Health and Human Services to report "My major takes more than
four years to complete" as the major reason for them to expend their
undergraduate study. Students in the College of Health and Human Services and
the College of Technology were more likely than the students in other colleges to
claim "The classes that I needed were not offered when I needed to take them" as
the main reason for them to take more than four years to graduate.
Students in the College of Technology
were most likely to cite "I worked while enrolled", "I commuted while enrolled",
"I attended part-time", and "I was involved in cooperative
education/internships" as the major reasons for extending their study. Musical
Arts graduates were most likely to cite "I had to
take developmental classes" as the major reason for extending their
undergraduate study. Respondents in the College of Health and Human Services
were most likely to claim "I transferred to BGSU and needed different courses"
and "I had problems with the academic requirements for my major" as the
major reasons for them to take more than four years to graduate.
ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION
During your enrollment at BGSU, about
how many years did you ...
|
1 Year or more |
None |
| live in a campus residence hall or house |
78% |
22% |
| live in an apartment or
house near campus |
81% |
19% |
| live at least 5 miles
away from BGSU & commute |
31% |
69% |
The majority of the 2002-2003 survey respondents indicated
that they were living on campus or near campus during their college years. Minority graduates,
when compared with European-American graduates, were more likely to spend three or more years living on campus.
Male graduates were more likely than female graduates to spent three or more years living in an apartment or
house near campus. Among the graduates in six colleges, Technology
graduates were most likely to live at least five miles away from BGSU and
commute.
How many times have you changed your major?
| |
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| None |
55% |
51% |
50% |
| 1 |
30% |
34% |
34% |
| 2 |
10% |
10% |
8% |
| 3 or more |
4% |
6% |
8% |
Half of the 2002-2003 survey respondents changed their major at least once during their BGSU years.
Females were more likely to change their majors than were males. Musical
Arts graduates were least likely to change their
majors among the graduates in six colleges.
While enrolled at BGSU, did you ever
... (Percent Responding "Yes")
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| work at a job off
campus |
74% |
73% |
72% |
| participate in
volunteer/service work |
66% |
71% |
65% |
| work at a job on
campus |
57% |
57% |
56% |
| participate in an
internship or co-op |
53% |
54% |
55% |
| participate in a
social club, fraternity, or sorority |
50% |
55% |
54% |
| serve as an officer
in a social club, fraternity/sorority |
33% |
38% |
34% |
| participate in a
professional or student government organization |
27% |
26% |
23% |
| participate in
varsity/intercollegiate athletics |
19% |
17% |
15% |
Like the graduates in 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, most
of the 2002-2003 graduates worked at a job either on or off campus while they studied at
BGSU. They were more likely to be involved with volunteer/service work, an internship or co-op, and
a social club/fraternity/sorority than to participate in varsity/intercollegiate athletics and in a professional or
student government organization.
Differences
Between Groups in 2002-2003.
Female graduates were less likely to work at a job off campus than were male graduates.
They were, however, more likely than males to serve as an officer in a social club,
fraternity or sorority, participate in volunteer/service work
and in a professional or student government organization. While European-American
graduates were more likely to work at a job off campus, minority graduates were more likely to
work on a job on campus. They were also more likely than European-American
graduates to participate and serve as
an officer in a social club, fraternity or sorority.
Among the graduates in six colleges,
Musical Arts graduates were most likely to participate and serve as a
officer in a social club, fraternity or sorority. Technology
graduates were most likely to participate in
an internship or co-op. Graduates in the Colleges of Heath & Human
Services and Musical Arts were more likely than the graduates in other
colleges to participate in volunteer or service work.
On average, per year, how much of your
educational expenses did you cover from each of the sources listed below ?
(Percent $1,500 and Over)
| |
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| Parents, relatives, friends |
58% |
57% |
57% |
| Other
college loan |
22% |
23% |
30% |
| Other college grants/scholarships |
21% |
24% |
26% |
| Savings from summer work |
25% |
24% |
25% |
| Ford Direct Loan |
31% |
25% |
22% |
| Off campus jobs |
12% |
16% |
19% |
| Perkins
Loan |
11% |
11% |
14% |
| Other
savings |
10% |
11% |
12% |
| Pell
Grant |
6% |
8% |
11% |
| Other
loan |
5% |
9% |
11% |
| On
campus jobs |
5% |
6% |
8% |
| Ohio
Instructional Grant |
2% |
3% |
7% |
| Other
than listed |
5% |
6% |
6% |
| Other
private grant |
2% |
4% |
4% |
Family, other college
loans/grants/scholarships, savings from summer work, and
the Ford Direct Loan were the sources of financial
support most often cited by BGSU graduates. Students
got more support from all the sources listed on the survey except from
family, savings from summer work, and the Ford Direct Loan for the past
three years.
Differences
Between Groups in 2002-2003. Female graduates were more likely than male
graduates to have other college grants/scholarships and
other loan to support themselves. Minority graduates were more
likely than European-American graduates to get
support from the Pell Grant, Ohio Instructional Grant, Perkins Loan,
other private grants, and other college
grants/scholarships. Among the students in six
colleges, Technology graduates were least
likely to get support from their parents, relatives,
and friends.
How much will you owe in student loans
when you graduate?
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| Nothing |
38% |
39% |
36% |
| Less than $5,000 |
8% |
6% |
7% |
| $5,000 - $9,999 |
9% |
7% |
8% |
| $10,000 - $14,999 |
15% |
12% |
15% |
| $15,000 - $19,999 |
15% |
14% |
16% |
| $20,000 or more |
15% |
22% |
18% |
Over sixty percent of the
respondents owe some amount of student loans by the time they graduated from
BGSU.
PERCEPTIONS OF THE INSTITUTION
Looking back at your overall
experience at BGSU, to what extent would you agree with the following?
(Percent Responding "Agree" or "Strongly Agree")
|
2000-01 |
2001-02 |
2002-03 |
| I have participated in class discussions |
95% |
97% |
97% |
| I have developed close personal relationships with other students at BGSU |
95% |
95% |
96% |
| Most faculty at BGSU are friendly and helpful |
95% |
95% |
95% |
| I have met with a
faculty member outside of class to talk about questions/concerns over my class work. |
94% |
94% |
95% |
| Most other
students at BGSU are friendly and helpful |
94% |
92% |
92% |
| It has been easy
for me to get to know other students |
86% |
89% |
88% |
| I have talked
about my career plans with a BGSU faculty or staff member |
84% |
87% |
87% |
| Most faculty and
staff at BGSU seem generally interested in students |
89% |
87% |
86% |
| Most offices and
staff at BGSU are friendly and helpful |
87% |
87% |
86% |
| Most faculty at
BGSU are good teachers |
83% |
82% |
83% |
| I have
participated in study groups |
68% |
74% |
77% |
| I have developed a
close personal relationship with at least one faculty or staff member at BGSU |
72% |
72% |
76% |
| Most of my classes
at BGSU seem relevant and applicable to my future |
77% |
73% |
72% |
| Most students at BGSU have
values similar to my own |
68% |
69% |
71% |
| I have become
involved with activities on campus |
69% |
70% |
68% |
| I have become involved with
student organizations |
62% |
64% |
62% |
| I have attended cultural events
on campus |
53% |
58% |
60% |
| I have talked about personal
problems with a BGSU faculty or staff member |
39% |
45% |
46% |
The majority of the respondents over
the past three years agreed or strongly agreed with most of the items listed in the survey.
Differences Between
Groups in 2002-2003. Female
respondents were more likely
than male respondents to agree that
most faculty at BGSU are good teachers. They were
also more likely than males to be involved with student organizations,
and attend cultural events/activities on campus.
Minority graduates were more likely than
European-American graduates to
participate in study groups, be involved with student organizations, cultural events
and activities on campus. European-American
graduates, on the other hand, were more likely than minority graduates to agree that
"most students at BGSU have values similar to my own".
Among the graduates in six colleges, Musical Arts graduates
tended to be most actively involved with
student organizations, campus activities and cultural events. They
were also most likely to agree that "I have developed a close personal
relationship with at least one faculty or staff member at BGSU,"
and " I have talked about personal
problems with a BGSU faculty or staff member." They were,
however, least likely to agree that "most
students at BGSU have values similar to my own."
Graduates in the College
of Health and Human Services were most likely to agree that
most faculty at BGSU are good teachers and
that most
of their classes at BGSU seem relevant and applicable to their future.
EDUCATIONAL AND PERSONAL GAINS
For each of the following
items, please indicate how much you feel you have gained as a result
of your BGSU
education? (Percent Responding "Very Much" or "Quite
a Bit")
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| being
open to new ideas |
71% |
72% |
77% |
| understanding
my own abilities, interests, and values |
64% |
73% |
74% |
| making
connections between the classes I have taken |
65% |
71% |
74% |
| developing knowledge and skills applicable to a career |
74% |
75% |
73% |
| making
informed judgments |
62% |
71% |
72% |
| relating to others |
62% |
70% |
71% |
| thinking
critically |
70% |
70% |
71% |
making
connections between things I have learned in class
and other experiences in my life |
61% |
69% |
71% |
| writing effectively |
66% |
69% |
69% |
| using
computers |
66% |
69% |
67% |
| developing
a better understanding of my career goals |
61% |
67% |
67% |
| speaking
effectively |
56% |
65% |
67% |
| solving
problems |
59% |
65% |
62% |
| being
prepared for further education |
53% |
58% |
59% |
understanding
cultural, racial, and gender differences and how
they relate to me, my field of study, and my
future career |
53% |
53% |
54% |
Most of the respondents in past three
years felt that they made gains towards various educational and
personal goals. Compared with respondents in 2000-2001, 5% or more of the respondents
between 2001 and 2003 have reported that they gained quite a bit or very much in
understanding their own abilities/interests/values, making connections between the classes
their have taken as well as things they have learned in class and
other experiences in their life, making informed judgments, relating to others, speaking effectively, developing a better
understanding of their career goals, and being prepared for further education. Compared with
respondents in previous two years, respondents in 2002-2003 were more
likely to claim that they gained quite a bit or very much in being
open to new ideas as a result of their BGSU education.
Differences
Between Groups in 2002-2003. European-American graduates were more likely than minority graduates
to indicate that they gained very much or quite a bit in
writing effectively, relating to others, and being open to new ideas.
Respondents in the College of Business Administration,
the College of
Technology, and the College of Education and Human Development were more
likely than the respondents in other three colleges to report that
they gained quit a bit or very much in using computers. Respondents in Education and Human Development
were most likely to say that they gained a lot in speaking effectively.
Respondents in the College of Health and Human
Services were most likely to claim that they
gained a lot in understanding cultural, racial, and gender
differences, and being prepared for further education. While
respondents in Musical Arts were most likely to report that they
gained a lot in developing a better understanding of their career
goals, they were least likely to say that they gained a lot in writing
effectively, making connections between the classes they have taken as
well as between things they have learned in class and other
experiences in their life. Arts
and Sciences respondents were least likely to report that they gained
quit a bit or very much in developing knowledge and skills applicable
to a career as a result of their BGSU education.
SATISFACTION WITH BGSU
Looking back at your
overall experience at BGSU, how satisfied were you with ... (Percent
Responding "Very Satisfied" or "Satisfied")
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| library
resources |
95% |
95% |
94% |
|
the
overall quality of instruction |
94% |
94% |
93% |
|
class
size |
94% |
91% |
93% |
| BGSU
overall |
96% |
94% |
92% |
| ease
of access to instructors |
92% |
93% |
92% |
| residence
halls |
87% |
88% |
87% |
| feedback
on assignments |
87% |
86% |
87% |
| places
to study |
85% |
86% |
87% |
|
computer
resources |
86% |
87% |
85% |
| the
condition of buildings |
82% |
83% |
83% |
|
racial
and ethnic diversity |
77% |
79% |
77% |
| financial
aid |
75% |
81% |
76% |
| career
services |
78% |
72% |
75% |
| campus
dining services |
77% |
69% |
73% |
|
concern for me as an individual |
70% |
68% |
71% |
| helpfulness
in preparing for further education |
72% |
68% |
68% |
| the
availability of classes at times I needed them |
67% |
63% |
60% |
| the
overall quality of academic advising |
60% |
62% |
60% |
| helpfulness
in preparing for employment |
69% |
61% |
60% |
| service to commuters |
60% |
60% |
59% |
The majority of BGSU graduates
were satisfied or very satisfied with all of the aspects of their
educational and social experiences listed in the survey. Although improvement
occurred in the areas
of career services and campus dining services between 2001-2002
and 2002-2003, the satisfaction scores
of the two areas were
still lower in 2002-2003
than were the scores in 2000-2001.
Students' satisfaction
with financial aid in 2002-2003 is also lower than in 2001-2002.
Furthermore, students' satisfaction
with
"the availability of classes
at times I needed them" and "helpfulness
in preparing for employment" decreased
from 67%/69% in 2000-2001 to 60% in 2002-2003. Differences
Between Groups in 2002-2003. Female respondents were more satisfied
than male respondents with campus dining
services and career services.
Minority graduates were more satisfied with career services than were European-American graduates, but
less satisfied with the ease of access to
instructors, helpfulness in preparing for further education,
feedback on assignments, campus dining services, residence halls,
services to commuters, and racial/ethnic diversity of BGSU
Among the graduates in six colleges, Health and Human Services
graduates were most satisfied with the availability of classes at
times they needed them. Technology graduates were most satisfied with
the overall quality of academic advising and campus dining services. Arts and Sciences graduates were least satisfied with helpfulness in
preparing for employment as well as racial and ethnic diversity of
BGSU. Musical Arts graduates were least satisfied with feedback on assignments, residence halls, and helpfulness in preparing for further
education.
Compared with graduates in other colleges, graduates in
the College of Education and Human Development
and the College of
Health and Human Services were more satisfied with
"concerning for me as an individual";
Musical Arts and Education and Human Development graduates were
more satisfied with career services; and
graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences
as well as Musical Arts were less satisfied with places to study
and financial aid.
EMPHASIS
For each of the
following items, please indicate how much emphasis you feel BGSU
should place in each area?
|
About
the Right
Emphasis
|
|
Need
to
Emphasize
More |
2000-
2001 |
2001-
2002 |
2002-
2003 |
2000-
2001 |
2001-
2002 |
2002-
2003 |
| 56% |
56% |
49% |
developing
knowledge and skills applicable to a career |
42% |
43% |
51% |
| 55% |
56% |
53% |
developing
a better understanding of my career goals |
43% |
43% |
47% |
| 56% |
55% |
54% |
being
prepared for further education |
43% |
44% |
46% |
| 60% |
56% |
55% |
making
connections between the classes I have taken |
38% |
43% |
44% |
| 57% |
57% |
57% |
speaking
effectively |
40% |
42% |
42% |
| 58% |
57% |
58% |
making
connections between things I have learned in class
and other experiences in my life |
39% |
42% |
41% |
| 58% |
59% |
59% |
using
computers |
40% |
40% |
39% |
| 67% |
62% |
59% |
writing
effectively |
32% |
37% |
39% |
| 66% |
61% |
62% |
thinking
critically |
32% |
38% |
36% |
| 69% |
66% |
62% |
being
open to new ideas |
28% |
32% |
36% |
| 71% |
69% |
64% |
making
informed judgements |
28% |
31% |
35% |
| 53% |
57% |
56% |
understanding
cultural/racial/gender differences and how
they
relate to me, my field of study, and my future career |
37% |
34% |
34% |
| 65% |
67% |
70% |
solving
problems |
33% |
32% |
30% |
| 74% |
72% |
74% |
understanding
my own abilities, interests, and values |
24% |
26% |
24% |
| 76% |
77% |
74% |
relating
to others |
22% |
21% |
24% |
Fifty
percent or more of the respondents felt
that BGSU had given the right emphasis in most of the survey
items. Helping students to prepare for their career as well as
their further education seem to be the areas BGSU could emphasize
more in the future.
Differences
Between Groups
in 2002-2003.
Female respondents were more likely than male respondents to
indicate that BGSU should more heavily emphasize understanding cultural/racial/gender differences and how they relate to
them, their field of study, and their future career.
Male respondents, on the other hand, were more
likely than females to indicate that BGSU should more heavily
emphasize thinking critically and solving problems. Minority graduates were more likely
than European-American graduates to report that BGSU should more heavily emphasize
speaking effectively, being open to new ideas,
relating to others, and understanding cultural/racial/gender differences, and how they relate to them,
their field of study, and their future career.
Compared with graduates in other
colleges, Technology, Arts and Sciences, and
Musical Arts graduates were more likely
to cite "developing a better understanding of my career goals" as
an area BGSU could emphasize more. Graduates in
the College of Arts and
Sciences, the College of Business Administration, and
the College of
Musical Arts were more likely to say BGSU should
emphasize more thinking critically and making connections between things they have learned in
class and other experiences in their life. Arts and Sciences and
Musical Arts graduates were also more likely than the graduates in
other colleges to report that BGSU should emphasize more being
open to new ideas and developing knowledge and skills applicable
to a career.
Musical Arts graduates were most likely to indicate that BGSU should emphasize more
"solving problems", "making informed judgments", "making
connections between the classes I have taken", "speaking
effectively", "relating to others", "being prepared for further
education", and "understanding cultural, racial, and gender
differences and how they relate to me, my field of study, and my
future career" among the graduates in six colleges.
FURTHER EDUCATION PLANS
Which best describes
your plans for further education after graduation?
|
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
2002-2003 |
| plan to earn a
Master's or doctoral degree |
61% |
56% |
57% |
| unsure of future
education plans |
21% |
24% |
22% |
| no plans for
further college-level education |
9% |
11% |
12% |
| plan to earn a
medical, law, or other professional degree |
6% |
5% |
5% |
| plan to complete
more courses, but not towards a degree |
2% |
3% |
3% |
| plan to
earn another Bachelor's Degree |
1% |
1% |
2% |
More than sixty percent of the respondents planed to earn a higher
degree other than a bachelors after they graduated from BGSU.
Females and respondents in the College of
Musical Arts and the College of
Education and Human Development were more likely than males and
respondents in other colleges to pursue a Master's
or doctoral degree in
the future. While minority respondents were more
likely to plan to earn a medical, law, or other professional degree
after they graduated from BGSU, European American respondents were
more likely be unsure of their future education plans.
COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Some students wrote comments and suggestions on the
survey. The results are shown below.
| SUBJECT |
TOTAL |
|
the experience at BGSU was a
good/great/wonderful one. Go Falcons! |
77 |
| the faculty at BGSU
were caring, helpful and more than available to answer questions or
concerns. |
23 |
| improving the advising
system and the quality of advisors |
18 |
| offering more classes/majors/degrees |
11 |
| improving the structure/quality of some
classes (100 and 200 level) and academic programs |
11 |
| BGSU should focus more on job
placement, career and graduate school preparations |
10 |
| more parking spaces available |
9 |
| improving services of some
offices |
5 |
| improving faculty/student
relations, increasing the availability of teachers outside of class |
4 |
| improving the services of
the financial aid office |
4 |
| improving the quality of
faculty in some departments |
4 |
| more attention is needed for
transfer students |
3 |
| more attention is needed for
commuters |
3 |
| increasing the diversity of
some academic programs |
3 |
| The experience with BGSU was
disappointing |
3 |
| BGSU should pay more
attention to students |
3 |
| improving the dinning
services and food payment system |
3 |
| improving the diversity of
student body |
3 |
| improving the service of
the Business College |
2 |
| improving the service of
the Bursar's Office |
2 |
| BGSU should increase its
academic standards |
2 |
| creating a place for
off-campus students to study 24/7 |
1 |
| had a good experience with
long distance learning |
1 |
| BGSU should emphasize more
critical and analytical thinking |
1 |
| improving the service of
the Registration and Records Office |
1 |
| improving the computer lab in
the library |
1 |
| the best experience in BG was
to participating in the National Student Exchange program |
1 |
| improving the placement
testing system |
1 |
| improving the grading system |
1 |
| office staff was friendly and
helpful |
1 |
| Arts and Sciences and Social
Work advisors were very helpful |
1 |
| study environment in some
dorms was terrible |
1 |
| wishing to see more computer
labs open 24 hours a day |
1 |
| some buildings such as
University Hall, Hanna, and Mosely Hall need to be fixed |
1 |
| the new student organizations
didn't get as much funding as they needed |
1 |
| to get more teachers who want
to teach, not just do research |
1 |
| faculty need to understand
there are differences between traditional and non-traditional students |
1 |
| BGSU should focus more on
real educational values instead of marketing slogans. |
1 |
| BGSU should learn more about
what the Walt Disney Word College Program offers to the students
instead of seeing and hearing all the negative stuff about the
program. |
1 |
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The BGSU Graduating Senior Questionnaire (BGSQ)
was designed to gather information about graduating seniors' undergraduate
experiences at BGSU. The 2002-2003 survey results indicate that the majority of
graduating seniors lived on campus or near campus during their college
years and most of them worked while they enrolled at BGSU. Besides
studying and working, 65% of them participated in
volunteer or service work and over half of them participated in an
internship or co-op and in a social club, fraternity or sorority.
Family, other college loans/grants/scholarships,
savings from summer work, and the Ford
Direct Loan were the sources of financial
support most often cited by BGSU graduates for the past three years. More
than 60% of the graduating seniors had some amount of student debt by the time they
graduated.
Half of the 2002-2003
graduates changed their major at least once at BGSU.
"I changed my major" and "I worked while enrolled" were the most often given
reasons for them to take more than four years to graduate. Over 60% of the 2002-2003
graduates planed to earn a Master's degree or higher after graduation.
Most of the 2002-2003graduates had good perceptions of BGSU, and felt they
gained very much or quite a bit on all the items of students' educational
and personal development listed in the survey. In addition, 2002-2003 graduates
were more likely than the graduates in 2000-2001 and in
2001-2002 to claim
that they gained a lot in being open
to new ideas as a result of their BGSU education. "I had a
good/great/wonderful experience at BGSU" was the comment mentioned by the
largest number of 2002-2003 graduates.
The majority of the BGSU graduates were satisfied or very satisfied
with all of the aspects of their educational and social experiences listed
in the survey, especially with library resources, the overall quality of
instruction, class size,
ease of access to instructors, and BGSU
overall. Improvements were seen in the areas of career
services and campus dining services between 2002 and 2003. The
satisfaction scores in these two areas, however, were still lower in
recent years than were the scores in 2000-2001. Graduates in 2002-2003
were aslo less likely to be satisfied
with the financial aid they received at BGSU than were
the graduates in 2001-2002. More efforts are needed to increase the
availability of classes at times students need them, and to help them in
preparing for employment and further education.
The major limitations of this study were the low response rate
(22%)
for the questionnaire and the under-representation of males and respondents
who graduated from BGSU in more than four years. These limitations require
that the results from this survey be interpreted with some caution.
The Office of Institutional Research welcomes feedback concerning
this and other studies and how they can continue to be improved.
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