UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 23, Page 1
March 9, 1995
Study aims to learn more about student population

     Take a snapshot of someone, and you've captured a single moment.
Take a series of pictures over time, and you can get a more detailed
perspective.
     The second approach is being taken by Karen Bauer, assistant
director of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, in an
ambitious long-term research project following a group of University
students over a period of several years.
     According to Bauer, this longitudinal study-from the first days
of New Student Orientation to Commencement ceremonies, and possibly
beyond as alumni-is designed to provide greater insight into the
increasing diversity of a changing college student population
reflected in areas of age, race, gender and interests.
     "It is critical," she said, "that we have a better understanding
of who our students are, what level of abilities they have when they
enter, the values, attitudes and aspirations they hold and their
intentions for the future."
     While it is relatively easy to develop and administer a survey
that will measure any group's attitude at a particular period of time,
Bauer explained that it is more time-consuming and complex to maintain
contact with a group, survey it several times and determine changes in
the members' attitudes over the period of several years. Such a study
is referred to as a longitudinal survey.
     During the 1993-94 academic year, University staff in the Office
of Institutional Research and Planning began administering a study
with freshmen in the Class of 1997.
     According to Bauer, the first survey gathered information on each
participating student's personal values and attitudes and individual
expectations about the University before even getting into the
classroom or residence hall.
     The 75-question survey, administered in the summer during New
Student Orientation to more than 3,000 students, covered a wide range
of issues. Students were asked how well they thought high school had
prepared them for college, their personal expectations for college and
what issues were important to them as individuals.
     In the spring of 1994, just before the completion of their first
year on campus, a second survey with different questions was
administered to 1,700 of the students who had responded to this first
survey. In addition, some respondents were asked to participate in
small-group discussions to get a better understanding of their college
experiences during that first year.
     As participants continue through the longitudinal survey process,
Bauer explained, some of the questions are asked each time and some
are different. Changes in attitudes and skill development can be
monitored when the same questions are asked each year.
     Initial inquiries regarding knowledge of the campus, issues of
long-range educational goals and concerns over social contacts are
replaced with questions that gauge a student's level of satisfaction
with classes, recreational opportunities and faculty accessibility.
     "The benefits from such a longitudinal study are great," Bauer
explained. "In following the same students from matriculation through
graduation, we can chart academic and social development on the same
students from year to year."
     According to Bauer, the expectations are that the initial
interest in activities and friends, indicated by respondents who are
freshmen and sophomores will shift to career and graduate school
issues as they enter their junior and senior years. There also is a
difference in academic or cognitive skill development. While younger
students generally focus on fact finding and memorization, older
students develop the ability to organize and synthesize material,
analyze problems and use reasoning and problem-solving skills.
     Bauer said she also is gathering information from a second cohort
of student members of the Class of 1998. The two cohorts, running
simultaneously for several years, will provide a wealth of knowledge
that will prove useful for administrators, faculty and students.
     "If we have a better understanding of who our students are, what
their needs are and how they change," Bauer said, "we will have a
better chance to meet their academic, social and developmental needs.
All of us change and mature as we get older, but we can help our
students through these changes, hopefully in a better way, if we know
who they are, their expectations for college and what they need."
     The information gained from the surveys, Bauer said, can be
applied in the classroom, advisement, residence life, in counseling
programs and in determining recreational and cultural offerings.
     Bauer admitted that the idea of a longitudinal study is not new.
She emphasized, however, that they are rare. Usually, surveys are
administered on a one-time basis. This one-time approach gives a
"snapshot" of information at one point in time. While a snapshot
offers great information, a study that measures growth and change over
time can be much more informative.
     The University's commitment- though more involved, costly and
logistically complex-is among the very few conducted at educational
institutions.
     Although it will take at least six years to determine the final
results, Bauer said, the information will benefit those on campus who
work with the student body and also be of use to student members of
future classes.
                                                         -Ed Okonowicz