spring survey of scsu students 2006

Spring Survey of Spring Survey of SCSU studentsSCSU students

20062006

Statement

Methodology

• The SCSU Survey is an ongoing survey research extension of the Social Science Research Institute in the College of Social Sciences at St. Cloud State University.

• The Survey’s faculty directors are Dr. Steve Frank (SCSU Professor of Political Science), Dr. Steven Wagner (SCSU Professor of Political Science) and Dr. Michelle Kukoleca Hammes (SCSU Associate Professor of Political Science).

STUDENT SUPERVISING DIRECTOR

• Ms. Sara Lohrman, 3rd Year Student, Political Science Major, Public Administration minor, Willmar, Minnesota.

STUDENT TECHNICAL CONSULTANT

• Mr. Jason Amunrud, 4th Year Student, Computer Science Major, Shoreview, Minnesota.

SURVEY LAB STUDENT DIRECTORS• Ms. Ngoc Phan, 4th Year Student, Political Science Major,

Sociology Minor, St. Cloud, Minnesota• Ms. Nicole Severson, 4th Year Student, Public Administration

Major, Photo Journalism Minor, Sauk Rapids, Minnesota• Mr. Will Floersheim, 2nd Year Student, Political Science and

Social Studies Education Major, Little Falls, Minnesota• Ms. Elizabeth Walters 4th Year student, Statistics Major,

Spanish Minor Burnsville, Minnesota• Mr. Mathew Bromelkap, 3rd Year student, Political Science

Major, Maple Grove, Minnesota• Ms. Heather Schwebach, 3rd Year Student, Psychology Major,

Management Minor, Lennox, South Dakota • Mr. Tim Ehlinger, 2nd Year Student, Social Studies Education

with Emphasis in Sociology, Avon, Minessota• Ms. Jackie Swanson, 3rd Year Student, Political Science Major,

International Relations minor, Brainerd, MN.• Ms. Brittany Speich, 3rd Year Student, Political Science and

Public Relations, Bayport, MN.

SCSU Survey Lab• The SCSU Survey performs its research in the form

of telephone interviews. • The SCSU Survey operates the CATI Lab in Stewart

Hall 324. The CATI Lab, which stands for Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing Lab, is equipped with 13 interviewer stations.

• The SCSU Survey is licensed to use Sawtooth Software’s Ci3 Questionnaire Authoring Version 4.1, a state-of-the-art windows-based computer-assisted interviewing package. This program allows us to develop virtually any type of questionnaire while at the same time programming edit and consistency checks and other quality control measures to insure the most valid data.

• Calls were made at various times during the week (Monday through Thursday, 4:30 to 9:30) and on Sunday afternoon and evening to maximize contacts and ensure equal opportunities to respond among various demographic groups. The survey was administered from Sunday, April 2 through Tuesday, April 10.

• Several steps were taken to ensure that the telephone sample of SCSU students was representative of the larger student population. The sample was drawn proportional to the currently enrolled student population by the Minnesota State College and University (MnSCU) Regional Center. The sample was comprised of 1,600 currently enrolled students who had a telephone anywhere in the state of Minnesota.

• The calling system maintains full and detailed records, including the number of attempts made to each number and the disposition of each attempt. In order to reach hard-to-get respondents each number was called up to ten times over different days and times and appointments made as necessary to interview the designated respondent at her/his convenience. Initial refusals were contacted and many were converted to completions.

• The sample consists of 502 respondents. In samples of 502 interviews, the sample error due to sampling and other random effects is approximately plus/minus four percent at the 95 percent confidence level. This means that if one were to have drawn 20 samples of the student population and administered the same instrument it would be expected that the overall findings would be greater/lesser than four percent only one time in twenty.

• When analysis is made of sub-samples such as respondents who live in university residence halls, or when the sample is broken down by variables such as gender, the sample error may be larger.

• The demographics such as gender, dorm resident, ethnic status, year of birth, etc. of the sample match known characteristics of the student population very well. Because of this no weighting of the sample was deemed necessary.

• The cooperation rate of the survey was 81 percent. Cooperation rate means that once we reached an eligible respondent, more than eight of ten respondents agreed to participate in the survey.

• The cooperation rate is determined by adding the number of completed interviews (502) to the total number of refusals (118) and dividing the number of completed interview (502) by the sum of the completions and refusals (620).

Greatest Challenge Facing SCSU, Pride & Direction

Heather Schwebach

What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing

the St. Cloud State University Community?

Biggest challenge for Spring 2006 Survey

Don’t know 27% Other 13% Parking 13% Tuition 11% Substance abuse 8% Diversity 6% Overall reputation 3% Image 2% Advising 2% St. Cloud community 2% State financial support 1% SCSU building surplus 1%

Apathy 1% SCSU building surplus 1% Buildings 1% Civility 1% Course major offerings 1% Enrollment growth 1% Facility quality 1% Jobs for graduates 1% Keeping up technology 1% Sports reputation 1% Student quality 1%

Consistent Challenges Facing SCSU

1 2 %1 7 %

1 0 %9 %

1 2 % 1 3 %6 %

2 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6

P a r k in g

D iv e r s i t y

T u i t io n

Source: SCSU Spring Student Survey

Ranking of Top 5 Challenges Facing SCSU

1 3 %1 1 %

3 %6 %

1 6 %1 0 %

3 %1 %

5 %2 %

3 %0 % 1 %3 %4 %

8 %4 %2 %

2 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 6

D i v e r s i t y

P a r k i n g

T u i t i o n

D o n ' t K n o w

O v e r a l l R e p u t a t i o n

I m a g e

S t a t e F i n s u p p o r t

S u b s t a n c e A b u s e

Source: SCSU Spring Student Survey, April 2001, 2002, 2006

Do you always, usually, sometimes, not very often or

never feel proud to be a student at St. Cloud State

University?

36% 35%

2% 2% 2%

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Not very often

Don't know

SCSU Pride

Source: SCSU Spring Student Survey 2006

3 6 %3 2 %

2 8 %2 9 %

3 9 %3 5 %3 5 %3 5 %

3 9 %3 2 %

2 3 %2 5 %3 0 %

2 4 %2 4 %

2 %5 %4 %5 %3 % 2 %1 %1 %1 % 2 % 1 %2 %2 %1 %

2 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 5 2 0 0 6

A l w a y s

U s u a l l y

S o m e t i m e s

N o t v e r y o f t e n

N e v e r

D o n ' t K n o w

SCSU Pride Compared to Past Years

Highlights More persons of color report always feeling

proud to be SCSU students than Caucasians Asians 50% Hispanic 50% African Americans 33% Whites 35%

Males and females views do not differ, they are about the same

48% of international students say they always feel proud to be students at SCSU

Do you think that SCSU is on the right track or do

you think SCSU is going in the wrong direction?

79%83%

75%78%

13%12%

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Right track

Wrong Direction

SCSU On the Right Track or Going the Wrong Direction

Highlights

No difference on and off campus students

No difference due to class standing No difference between international &

US students No difference between

males and females

Feeling Thermometer

Please think of a thermometer that has a range of 0 to 100 degrees. I'd like you to rate your feelings toward some campus figures and other people who are in the news. Ratings on the thermometer between 50 and 100 degrees mean that you feel favorable and warm toward the person. Ratings between 0 and 50 mean that you do not feel too favorable toward the person. If we come to a person whose name you don't recognize, you don't need to rate that person. Just tell me and we will move on to the next one. If you do recognize the name, but do not feel particularly warm or cold toward the person, you would rate the person at the 50-degree mark.

Feeling Thermometer Means 2005 & 2006

58 61 5652

Bush Saigo Student Government

Source: SCSU Survey April 2006 n=502 April 2005 n=503*means based only on those who can rate 2006 n for Bush (490) Saigo (356) Kutcher (134)

Feeling Thermometer % Stating Don’t Know/Can’t Judge Refused

2005 & 2006

Bush Saigo Student Government

20052006

Source: SCSU Survey April 2006 n=502 April 2005 n=503

Some Feeling Thermometer Findings

• In 2001 we asked students to pick the student government president from a list of four names

• 17% were able to identify the president.

• For President Bush there was little difference by ethnic status

• Republican students =65 Democrats=19

• For Student Government President this year, there was little difference in rating by class standing, international student or not, but some gender difference

• Females=57 Males=48

By: Ngoc Phan

Student Governmentand

In-House Elections

Now I have some questions about SCSU's student

government and in-house

elections. In-house elections are the special election of officers

by members of the student

government when there is an unscheduled vacancy.

Are you aware that our current SCSU student government vice president

was elected through an in-house election and not through an election

open to all students?

Yes No DK

Respondents who are unaware outnumber those aware by a

Source: SCSU 2006 Student Survey

magnitude of five

In general, do you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly

disagree with the use of in-house elections?

Agree Disagree DK

15 percentage points

differencebetween agree and disagree

21% don’t know’s

In your opinion, which of the following is the best choice in regards to

in-house elections. Should SCSU Student Government abolish all in-house elections, provide more publicity to students, or do

nothing to change it?

16%12%

abolish publicity nothing DK

Out of the three choices,

more than half

of respondents

preferred the choice of providing

more publicity

Findings:The demographics gender, class, and political party did not have significant

effects on any of the three questions.

Spring 2006 Student Spring 2006 Student Survey: Questions on Survey: Questions on

SmokingSmokingMatt BromelkampMatt Bromelkamp

Do you smoke?Do you smoke?

0102030405060708090

Percent

2006 2003

Students

Should smoking be banned in the Should smoking be banned in the Apocalypse room?Apocalypse room?

Students

Disagree

Should SCSU be a smoke free Should SCSU be a smoke free campus?campus?

4150 50

Percent

2006 2003

Students

AgreeDisagree

Should St. Cloud ban smoking?Should St. Cloud ban smoking?

0102030405060708090

Percent

Students

Ban in Bars &Restaurants

Ban in ONLY bars

Ban in ONLYrestaurants

No ban at all

Compare smoking status to how Compare smoking status to how you feel about the smoking ban in you feel about the smoking ban in

the Apocalypse roomthe Apocalypse room

SmokeSmoke Don’t Don’t smokesmoke

TotalTotal

Agree Agree with banwith ban

67%67% 80%80% 78%78%

Disagree Disagree with banwith ban

33%33% 20%20% 22%22%

Compare smoking status to how Compare smoking status to how you feel about a smoke free you feel about a smoke free

campuscampusSmokeSmoke Don’t Don’t

SmokeSmokeTotalTotal

Agree Agree with with smoke smoke free SCSUfree SCSU

22%22% 67%67% 58%58%

Disagree Disagree with with smoke smoke free SCSUfree SCSU

78%78% 33%33% 42%42%

Compare smoking status to how Compare smoking status to how you feel about banning smoking in you feel about banning smoking in

St. CloudSt. CloudSmokeSmoke Don’t Don’t

SmokeSmokeTotalTotal

Ban in bars Ban in bars and and restaurantsrestaurants

20%20% 47%47% 42%42%

Ban in Ban in bars onlybars only

8%8% 3%3% 4%4%

Ban in Ban in restaurants restaurants onlyonly

38%38% 39%39% 39%39%

No banNo ban 35%35% 11%11% 16%16%

Does living in a residence hall Does living in a residence hall affect if you smoke or not?affect if you smoke or not?

Live in a Live in a dormdorm

Do not Do not live in a live in a dormdorm

TotalTotal

SmokeSmoke 21%21% 8%8% 18%18%

Don’t Don’t smokesmoke

79%79% 93%93% 82%82%

Other findingsOther findings

Other demographics such as gender Other demographics such as gender or class standing didn’t give us a or class standing didn’t give us a good idea of how you would feel good idea of how you would feel about smoking issues or as to about smoking issues or as to whether you smokewhether you smoke

Are intercollegiate athletic events an integral part of college life at St. Cloud State?

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree StronglyDisagree

Source: SCSU Spring Survey of Currently Enrolled Students April, 2006, n=502

The importance of intercollegiate athletics to college students

• 8 in 10 students (83%) at St. Cloud State find intercollegiate athletics to be an integral part of SCSU college life.

• In a national study of college students done for the NCAA in 20041, 87% of students surveyed agreed that attending college or university sporting events was an integral part of college life.

1. 2004 Safe Celebration Study, Data Development Corporation, June 2004, n=986 The survey was conducted for the NCAA, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the TEAM Coalition, and Anheuser-Busch.

Would students drink responsibly if allowed to tailgate at SCSU Intercollegiate athletic events?

22 2928

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree StronglyDisagree

StronglyAgree

Agree Disagree StronglyDisagree

Would allowing tailgating at SCSU increase the probability of inappropriate student actions occurring at events?

Family Friends Other

Would you be most likely to tailgate with friends, family, or somebody other than family or friends?

Source: SCSU Spring Survey of Currently Enrolled Students April, 2006, overall n=502, n seen here =438

Tailgating with Friends

• After excluding 64 students who said they would not tailgate, remaining data indicated that about three quarters of students (73%) would tailgate with their friends at SCSU.

• In a national study of college students done for the NCAA in 20041, 80% of the students surveyed said they would tailgate with their friends.

1. 2004 Safe Celebration Study, Data Development Corporation, June 2004, n=986 The survey was conducted for the NCAA, the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the TEAM Coalition, and Anheuser-Busch.

Yes No

Would you personally like the opportunity to tailgate at SCSU intercollegiate athletic events?

Significant Findings• During a student’s undergraduate career, the further

their class standing (senior vs. sophomore), the less likely they are to find intercollegiate athletic events to be an integral part of college life.

• Females were more likely than males to believe that allowing tailgating would increase the probability of inappropriate student actions occurring during or after events.

• Males, more than females, wanted to have the opportunity to tailgate.

• The higher grade point average a student has, the less likely he/she is to want to have the opportunity to tailgate.

SCSU SURVEY Student Survey

Spring 2006

Elizabeth Walters

Husky Sports Band

Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree that the Husky Sports Band will create a

greater school spirit at athletic events?

0102030405060708090

StronglyDisagree

Disagree Agree StronglyAgree

Don'tKnow

Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree that the Husky Sports Band will generate

greater fan involvement at athletic events?

102030405060708090

StronglyDisagree

Disagree Agree StronglyAgree

Don'tKnow

For you personally, would you attend a higher number, about the same, or a lower number of

athletic events because of the Husky Sports Band?

A HigherNumber

About theSame

A LowerNumber

Don't Know

Do you personally feel that the Husky Sports Band will add excitement to athletic events?

Yes No Don't Know

Summary

• There were no statistically significant relationships between the demographics of age, gender, race, class standing, and living on or off campus.

UND Fighting Sioux Mascot

Sara Lohrman and Brittany Speich

Are you aware that there has been a resolution written to ban the UND Fighting Sioux mascot on the SCSU campus?

50% 49%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

YesNoDon't Know

SCSU Spring Survey of Currently Enrolled Students April, 2006 overall n=502

Significant findings

Students of ethnic background, international students, and nontraditional students were less likely to be aware of the resolution that was written to ban the UND mascot.

Gender, living arrangement, and class standing were not statistically significant findings.

How important is this issue to you, would you say that it is very important, somewhat important, not important, or not at all important?

32% 28%23%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Very ImportantSomewhat ImportantNot ImportantNot at all ImportantDon't Know

The only finding that was statistically significant when running cross tabs was that females found that the issue of the UND mascot was more important to them then males.

All other categories (living arrangement, ethnic status, class standing, domestic/international student, and traditional/non-traditional student) were not statistically significant.

What do you feel should happen, if anything, to the UND Fighting Sioux mascot?

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%Keep it the Same

Change Design

Change MascotAltogetherDon't Know

Other(Volunteered)

Males were more likely than female to want to keep the mascot the same, whereas females were more likely than males to want to change the mascot altogether.

The rest of the demographics run were not statistically significant.

Do you believe that SCSU should have a say in what the UND Fighting Sioux mascot should be?

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

YesNoDon't Know

Significant Findings

Slightly more students of ethnic background and international students don’t know whether SCSU should have a say in what the UND mascot should be than Caucasian students.

The rest of the demographics run were not statistically significant.

2006 Spring Student 2006 Spring Student Survey Survey Racial Perceptions At St. Cloud Racial Perceptions At St. Cloud

State UniversityState University

Tim Ehlinger

Are Students Accepted Are Students Accepted Equally?Equally?

Source: SCSU Spring Survey of Currently Enrolled Students Source: SCSU Spring Survey of Currently Enrolled Students April, 2006 overall n=502 April, 2006 overall n=502

Always Accepted Equally Sometimes AcceptedEqually

Rarely Accepted Equally Don’t Know

2006 Student Survey

1998 Student Survey

Are Students Accepted Are Students Accepted Equally?Equally? Males(42%) were more likely than Males(42%) were more likely than

females(28%) to state that students of females(28%) to state that students of color are always accepted equally to color are always accepted equally to whites.whites.

African Americans were more likely African Americans were more likely than Caucasians to state that students than Caucasians to state that students of color were rarely accepted equally; of color were rarely accepted equally; though our sample of African though our sample of African Americans had a large sample error. Americans had a large sample error.

Representing Race In Representing Race In Class DiscussionClass Discussion

4 00102030405060708090

Agree Neutral Disagree Don't Know

2006 Student Survey

1998 Student Survey

Source: SCSU Spring Survey of Currently Enrolled Students April, 2006 overall n=502

Representing Race In Representing Race In Class DiscussionClass Discussion 6 in 10 freshmen agreed they felt 6 in 10 freshmen agreed they felt

a need to represent their race in a need to represent their race in class discussion whereas only 4 in class discussion whereas only 4 in 10 seniors agreed with this 10 seniors agreed with this statement. statement.

Time SCSU Spends on Time SCSU Spends on RaceRace

102030405060708090

Too MuchTime

The RightAmount

Too LittleTime

Don't Know

2006 StudentSurvey

Source: SCSU Spring Survey of Currently Enrolled Students April, 2006 overall n=502

Time SCSU Spends on Time SCSU Spends on RaceRace Twice as many males felt SCSU spends Twice as many males felt SCSU spends

too much time on race relations as too much time on race relations as females.females.

African Americans students(72%) were African Americans students(72%) were much more likely to state that we do much more likely to state that we do not spend enough time on race as not spend enough time on race as Caucasians students(15%); though Caucasians students(15%); though again our sample of African Americans again our sample of African Americans had a large sample error.had a large sample error.

Student Complaint Student Complaint ProcessProcess

Jackie SwansonJackie Swanson

AndAnd

Nicole SeversonNicole Severson

Are you aware of the Are you aware of the student complaint process?student complaint process?

Yes No Don’tKnow

Don’t Know

Generally speaking, do you Generally speaking, do you know how the student know how the student

complaint process works?complaint process works?

Yes No Don't Know

YesNoDon't Know

How important is it to you to How important is it to you to have a student complaint process, have a student complaint process,

is it very important, somewhat is it very important, somewhat important, somewhat unimportant, important, somewhat unimportant,

or not at all important?or not at all important?

Important Unimportant Don't Know

ImportantUnimportantDon't Know

OUR FINDINGSOUR FINDINGS

•Our most statistically Our most statistically significant finding is that class significant finding is that class standing had the most impact.standing had the most impact.– The longer a person is a student The longer a person is a student

at St. Cloud State, the more at St. Cloud State, the more aware they are of the complaint aware they are of the complaint process.process.

Continued…Continued…

• Another significant finding is that Another significant finding is that students who live off campus students who live off campus believe that the complaint process believe that the complaint process is much more important than those is much more important than those that live on campus.that live on campus.

• GPA, gender and race held no real GPA, gender and race held no real significance.significance.

Gay Marriage

Amendment

Jackie SwansonAnd

Nicole Severson

Do you support or oppose a proposed amendment to the MN state constitution that would prohibit same sex marriage in MN?

Support Oppose DK/Neutral

Support

Oppose

DK/Neutral

Do you support or oppose an amendment to the MN state constitution that would prohibit same

sex marriage in MN and make civil unions or domestic partnerships for unmarried couples

against the law?

Support Oppose DK/Neutral

Support

Oppose

DK/Neutral

Our Findings

• We found that party affiliation and approach to politics did have a very significant effect.

Gay Marriage only…

Support Oppose Neutral

Republican

Democrat

Almost half of Republicans were in favor of an amendment,

whereas 7 out of 10 Democrats opposed.

Marriage and Civil Unions

0102030405060708090

Support Oppose Neutral

Liberal

Moderate

Conservative

Conservatives on campus were split almost 50/50 in regards to a MN constitutional amendment with only 15% maintaining neutral.

1/4th of liberals support an amendment. Whereas those who identified themselves as Liberal 2/3rds were opposed to an amendment.

When we compared gender to peoples stance on a constitutional amendment we found that Men were more apt to support an amendment whereas woman were more likely to be neutral or opposed.

spring survey of scsu students 2006

year student

political science major

scsu survey labthe scsu

computer science major

survey lab student directorsms

enrolled student population

larger student population

student supervising

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