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Campus Audit of Civic Engagement 2003-2004
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American
Democracy Project
Brockport’s First-Year Students – A Profile
Office of Research, Analysis & Planning
In the new student orientation of 2003, 930 first-time, full-time students completed the Freshmen Survey (CIRP), which is 89% of the entering Fall 2003, full-time freshmen class of 1046. Of the 930 participants, 60% were women. The average age of the participants was 18. Ninety-nine percent of the respondents graduated high school in 2003. Of the respondents, ninety-three percent were “White/Caucasian”. Seven percent reported have an ethnicity other than “White/Caucasian”, including four percent “African American/Black”. Ninety-two percent of the respondents plan to live in college dormitories during the fall term.
Freshmen’s interest in politics has become an important measure of the survey. Political interest is a collection of items including discussing politics, voted in a student election, influencing the political structure, keeping up to date with political affairs, etc. The percentage of Brockport participants who feel that keeping up to date with political affairs is a “very important” or “essential” life goal rose for the second consecutive year from 26% in 2001 to 27% in 2003. In addition, the percent of Brockport participants who believe that there was “a very good chance” that they would participate in student protest or demonstration also has gone up for the second consecutive year from three percent in 2001 to five percent in 2003. Unlike the recent renewal in political interest among college freshmen nation-wide, the interest in politics for Brockport students has been flat and reflected through several components of it as below:
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The percentage of students who participated in an organized demonstration “frequently or occasionally” dropped from 51% in 2002 to 48% in 2003. The national norm for four-year public college was 50% in both years.
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The percent of students who voted in a student election “frequently or occasionally” decreased from 14% in 2002 to 13% in 2003. It is lower than the national norm of 21% in 2002 and 19% in 2003.
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Other indicators such as influencing the political structure and influencing social values have also decreased since 2002 from 17% and 38% respectively in 2002 to 16% and 36% in 2003, which are lower than the national norms for 2003, 19% and 38% respectively.
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Interestingly, participation in community service as a high school requirement did not increase the likelihood of the participants’ engaging in any political affairs.
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The survey participants have reported more positively on civic engagement activities for the second consecutive year in 2003 though the engagement level is still slightly lower than the national norm under some indicators:
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The percent of participants who think helping others in difficulty is a “very important” or “essential” life goal increased from 59% in 2002 to 60% in 2003.
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The percent of participants who feel becoming a community leader is “very important” or “essential” rose from 23% in 2002 to 24% in 2003, despite an rising proportion of the participants whose high schools do not require community service for graduation.
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The percentage of participants that performed community service as part of a class increasing from 64% in 2002 to 65% in 2003.
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In addition, the percent of participants who believe there is “a very good chance” that they will participate in volunteer or community service work also increased for the second consecutive year from 10% in 2001 to 13% in 2003.
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Other indicators, such as having performed volunteer work in the past year and performed volunteer work six or more hours per week have remained fairly constant over the past two years among Brockport participants.
Fall 2003 entering freshmen class also reported a better average high school GPA and SAT scores than the entering class last year as the academic history measurement. The survey participants reported an overall average GPA of B+ in high school. The average total SAT score was 1092, with an average of 540 on verbal and 552 on math. EOP students reported an averaged GPA of B+, the same average GPA as regularly admitted students.
In preparation for college, 23% of the survey participants had received special tutoring or remedial work in high school. Two-thirds (66%) of the freshmen students expected that they would need assistance or remedial work at Brockport. About one-quarter (22%) expressed needing extra help in mathematics, 11% thought that they would need assistance in science, and nine percent indicated needing assistance in writing. Five percent of the respondents had taken courses for credit at Brockport during or prior to the summer of 2003.
Following the national trend of four-year public colleges, grade inflation carries on while time of studying continuously decreasing. The percentage of survey participants reporting their average high school grade as A- or higher has increased from 13% in 1994 to 40% in 2003. However, as students’ grades have continued to escalate, the amount of studying time has declined. The percent of participants who reported studying six or more hours per week reached a 10-year low to 20% in 2003, down from 26% in 2002 and the 10-year high of 33% in 1998. The nation’s freshmen in the four-year public colleges reported a decrease in studying time (27%), but it was higher than that of the Brockport level. It is also interesting to note that several areas of academic engagement have improved in 2003. The number of participants who reported bored in class dropped from 40% in 2002 to 38% in 2003. Fewer respondents (35%) reported overslept and missed class or an appointment in 2003. It is the lowest percentage in the past three years for Brockport, but higher than the national norms (33%) for the year. The percentage of participants who came to class late decreased to 61% for 2003, which is down from 66% in 2002. Sixty three percent of the nation’s freshmen at four-year public colleges reported being late to class in 2003.
On the subject of college selection, two-thirds of the students (67%) reported that Brockport was their first choice. Other reasons were identified as being very important in influencing students to attend SUNY Brockport such as this college has a good reputation, by 39% of the participants, visit to the campus was credited by 35% of the participants, and this college has low tuition was reported by 30% of the participants. Related to the comment on low tuition, only nine percent reported having a major concern about financing their college education. However, 52% of the respondents believed that there is a very good chance of working to help pay for college expenses.
In response to the question why choose to attend college, 74% participants wanted “to learn more about things that interest me.” More than two-thirds (73%) indicated that they wanted “to get training for a specific career.” Other reasons very important included “to be able to make more money” (72%), “to be able to get a better job” (72%), and “to gain a general education and appreciation of ideas” (60%).
When asked to speculate on their upcoming college experience, 76% of Brockport freshmen reported to have very good chances of “getting a bachelor’s degree.” Sixty four percent of the participants believed that they would “develop close friendships with other students,” as well as 55% who would “socialize with someone from another racial/ethnic group.” In addition, 37% believed that there was very good chance that they would be “satisfied with your college.”
The table attached below details the survey participants’ view on various civic affairs. Please note that this report uses the average percentage for national-wide public 4-year colleges as national norm. For more information about the CIRP Freshman Survey, please visit http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri.html. To request information about Brockport 2003 freshmen, please contact Lillian Zhu, Office of Institutional Research, at lzhu@brockport.edu.
What is your view for the following item? |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
|
| 1. |
There is too much concern in the courts for the rights of criminals |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
6% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
30% |
24% |
28% |
25% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
56% |
59% |
55% |
57% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
8% |
11% |
13% |
13% |
|
| 2. |
Abortion should be legal |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
18% |
17% |
15% |
18% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
18% |
18% |
17% |
17% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
36% |
37% |
36% |
32% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
28% |
28% |
32% |
33% |
|
| 3. |
The death penalty should be abolished |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
27% |
31% |
31% |
31% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
43% |
42% |
41% |
42% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
20% |
17% |
17% |
18% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
10% |
10% |
11% |
10% |
|
| 4. |
Marijuana should be legalized |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
26% |
25% |
28% |
31% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
30% |
29% |
28% |
28% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
34% |
32% |
30% |
29% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
11% |
14% |
14% |
12% |
|
| 5. |
It is important to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
48% |
57% |
51% |
53% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
30% |
26% |
33% |
29% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
14% |
11% |
11% |
11% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
7% |
6% |
6% |
7% |
|
| 6. |
The federal government should do more to control the sale of handguns |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
7% |
7% |
6% |
5% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
15% |
12% |
11% |
12% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
47% |
42% |
40% |
30% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
32% |
38% |
43% |
53% |
|
| 7. |
Racial discrimination is no longer a major problem in America |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
27% |
28% |
32% |
35% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
49% |
50% |
49% |
45% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
21% |
20% |
17% |
18% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
3% |
2% |
2% |
2% |
|
| 8. |
Realistically, an individual can do little to bring about changes in our society |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
24% |
22% |
24% |
29% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
44% |
48% |
47% |
45% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
28% |
26% |
23% |
23% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
4% |
5% |
5% |
3% |
|
| 9. |
Wealthy people should pay a larger share of taxes than they do now |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
8% |
6% |
9% |
10% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
29% |
32% |
29% |
30% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
44% |
45% |
45% |
42% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
19% |
18% |
18% |
18% |
|
| 10. |
Colleges should prohibit racist/sexist speech on campus |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
11% |
10% |
11% |
10% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
27% |
26% |
25% |
27% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
40% |
39% |
37% |
37% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
22% |
24% |
26% |
26% |
|
| 11. |
Same-sex couples should have the right to legal marital status |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
11% |
10% |
10% |
12% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
21% |
18% |
20% |
20% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
37% |
39% |
41% |
38% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
30% |
33% |
29% |
31% |
|
| 12. |
Affirmative action in colleges admissions should be abolished |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
8% |
9% |
7% |
10% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
40% |
43% |
45% |
41% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
33% |
33% |
34% |
34% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
19% |
15% |
14% |
16% |
|
| 13. |
The activities of married women are best confined to the home and family |
||||
| Disagree Strongly |
56% |
57% |
58% |
59% |
|
| Disagree Somewhat |
24% |
24% |
24% |
24% |
|
| Agree Somewhat |
16% |
15% |
13% |
12% |
|
| Agree Strongly |
4% |
4% |
5% |
5% |
