1997 Summary - The Chancellor's Senior Survey on the Undergraduate Experience at UIUC
In 1989, a task force appointed by the chancellor created a questionnaire to be administered to all graduating seniors at UIUC. The results of the survey, the chancellor said, “will be useful in responding to requests for information on how our students feel about the educational experience they have had as undergraduates here and in identifying problems on campus which need our attention.” The survey was administered each year from 1990 to 1993. Due to the consistency of results the survey was not administered again until 1996.
The 1996 survey was modified to include a section of items asking students to assess their entering and exiting abilities. Due to the usefulness of this new section for campus initiatives involved in the assessment of student outcomes the survey was administered again in 1997. The 1997 Senior Survey was sent in March 1997 to all seniors on the May graduation list. Of these 4,257 seniors, 1,552, or approximately 37%, responded. Similar to past years, the respondents were roughly representative of the graduating class by gender, ethnic origin, and academic affiliation as indicated below.
| Percentage of | ||
| Respondents | Seniors | |
| Gender | ||
| Male | 42.3 | 53.2 |
| Female | 57.4 | 46.8 |
| Unknown | 0.3 | 0 |
| Ethnic Origin | ||
| Caucasian | 80.7 | 76.3 |
| Latino | 2.5 | 4.5 |
| African-American | 2.7 | 5 |
| Asian-American | 12 | 13 |
| Native American | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Unknown | 1.6 | 1 |
| College of Graduation | ||
| ACES | 7.6 | 6.9 |
| Applied Life Studies | 3.9 | 4.2 |
| CBA | 17.9 | 15.9 |
| Communications | 3.6 | 3 |
| Education | 3.7 | 3.2 |
| Engineering | 14.9 | 16.1 |
| Fine & Applied Arts | 5.9 | 6.9 |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | 42.3 | 41.7 |
| Veterinary Medicine | 0.5 | 2 |
Care should be taken in interpreting the results of the survey because the small number of respondents in some sub-categories makes the results statistically unreliable. This summary presents highlights of the data following the general order of the survey, a copy of which is attached to this report. A “Comparison to Previous Years” section at the end of the summary presents yearly comparisons of survey results.
Demographics
Survey respondents present a picture of a very traditional student body, with large majorities enrolling as freshmen and completing a bachelor's degree in eight semesters at age 21 or 22. The respondents were 76% Caucasian and
93 % Illinois residents. Approximately 15% more females than males responded to the survey.
Academically, 73% of the respondents self-assessed their grade-point average as between 2.75 and 3.75. Two-thirds of the respondents believed their final GPA was “about right,” whereas 30% thought it was too low. Approximately 57% of the students had only one major at UIUC, while another 33% had two majors (or changed majors once). Approximately 40% of the respondents reported working each semester part-time while another 40% reported working “occasionally” part-time. Approximately 64% of the respondents worked during the summer. For post-graduate plans, about 30% had already acquired full-time employment and 23% had been accepted to graduate/professional school.
First enrolled at UIUC as:
Number of different majors you had while at UIUC:
Number of semesters it took to complete your degree:
Current age:
Gender:
Ethnic origin:
Approximate GPA:
Accuracy of GPA:
Citizenship:
Employment while undergraduate*:
* Totals more than 100% because some students worked both summers and part- or full-time during school year.
Post-graduation plans:
Satisfaction with broad aspects of the undergraduate experience
The survey asked about senior satisfaction in three broad categories, and then, in a brief fourth section, about the overall experience at UIUC. Students were asked to choose from a five-point Likert scale, ranging from one for lowest satisfaction to five for highest satisfaction. The broad categories were:
• Teaching and educational environment included 18 questions on the quality of teaching and facilities, access to courses and faculty, class size, and teachers' evaluation of students.
• Campus environment included 13 questions on racism, sexism, welcome, help, and atmosphere.
• Self-assessment of entering and exiting abilities required students to assess their entering and existing competency levels in 20 abilities, including writing, speaking, organizing time, and using technology.
• Overall undergraduate experience included four questions: satisfaction with the overall educational experience at UIUC, current attitude toward UIUC, attitude toward the respondent's major, and what the respondent would do given the chance to start all over again.
The categories were an organizational device, making it inadvisable to seek generalizations, such as “students were satisfied overall with the campus environment.” Instead, the summary will attempt to point out noteworthy responses to individual questions. Before going into the categories individually, a graphic overview of the average ratings for all teaching, educational, and campus items is presented below.
Teaching and educational environment
Frequency%
| Low | High | ||||||
| Mean | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1 | Quality of teaching by faculty in your major | 3.9 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 52 | 23 |
| 2 | Quality of teaching by faculty outside your major | 3.5 | 1 | 7 | 38 | 47 | 6 |
| 3 | Quality of teaching by TAs | 3.2 | 4 | 14 | 45 | 33 | 5 |
| 4 | Quality of laboratories and classrooms | 3.4 | 3 | 13 | 38 | 37 | 10 |
| 5 | Quality of academic program advising and information | 3 | 12 | 22 | 28 | 26 | 12 |
| 6 | Quality of career advising and information | 3 | 13 | 22 | 29 | 24 | 13 |
| 7 | Access to courses and course sections in major | 4 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 37 | 38 |
| 8 | Access to elective courses and course sections | 3.5 | 5 | 12 | 28 | 38 | 17 |
| 9 | Process of student evaluation of teaching | 3.1 | 8 | 16 | 38 | 31 | 8 |
| 10 | Class size at the 100 and 200 course level | 3.1 | 8 | 20 | 37 | 27 | 8 |
| 11 | Class size at the 300 course level | 4.1 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 42 | 37 |
| 12 | Overall educational philosophy of your major | 3.8 | 3 | 7 | 22 | 44 | 24 |
| 13 | Fairness of student performance evaluation procedures | 3.7 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 51 | 15 |
| 14 | Usefulness of student evaluation procedures assisting students to learn | 3.3 | 4 | 15 | 37 | 37 | 8 |
| 15 | Quantity of faculty office hours | 3.5 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 37 | 17 |
| 16 | Faculty members' presence during posted office hours | 3.9 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 43 | 27 |
| 17 | Accessibility of faculty in general | 3.7 | 2 | 9 | 26 | 42 | 20 |
| 18 | Communication between faculty and students regarding student needs and concerns | 3.5 | 5 | 14 | 31 | 37 | 13 |
For all respondents, the items with the highest satisfaction ratings in this section were:
4.1: Class size at the 300 course level.
4.0: Access to courses and course sections in major.
3.9: Faculty members' presence during posted office hours.
3.9: Quality of teaching by faculty in your major.
For all respondents, the items with the lowest satisfaction ratings in this section were:
3.0: Quality of academic program advising and information.
3.0: Quality of career advising and information.
3.1: Class size at the 100 and 200 course level.
3.1: Process of student evaluation of teaching.
Campus environment
| Low | High | ||||||
| Mean | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 19 | It was easy to meet and get to know other students | 3.7 | 3 | 10 | 24 | 40 | 24 |
| 20 | It was easy to get involved in student groups and activities | 3.9 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 41 | 29 |
| 21 | There was exposure to different student backgrounds and cultures | 3.8 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 37 | 32 |
| 22a. | The classroom environment was free from racist behavior | 3.9 | 3 | 9 | 21 | 35 | 33 |
| 22b. | The classroom environment was free from sexist behavior | 3.7 | 4 | 9 | 24 | 34 | 29 |
| 23a. | The campus environment was free from racism | 2.9 | 15 | 23 | 34 | 20 | 10 |
| 23b. | The campus environment was free from sexism | 3.2 | 9 | 15 | 34 | 28 | 14 |
| 24a. | The University appropriately addressed problems of racism | 3.2 | 9 | 18 | 35 | 26 | 13 |
| 24b. | The University appropriately addressed problems of sexism | 3.4 | 5 | 13 | 35 | 28 | 18 |
| 25 | You felt you were welcome at UIUC | 3.8 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 38 | 29 |
| 26 | You had someone (University employee) that you could go to for help | 3.2 | 13 | 16 | 27 | 25 | 21 |
| 27 | The "University" cared about you | 2.5 | 22 | 26 | 32 | 16 | 4 |
| 28 | You felt safe on campus | 3.3 | 6 | 16 | 33 | 33 | 13 |
For all respondents, the items with the highest satisfaction ratings in this section were:
3.9: The classroom environment was free from racist behavior.
3.9: It was easy to get involved in student groups and activities.
3.8: You felt that you were welcome at UIUC.
3.8: There was exposure to different student backgrounds and cultures.
3.7: It was easy to meet and get to know other students.
For all respondents, the items with the lowest satisfaction ratings in this section were:
2.5: The “University” cared about you.
2.8: The campus environment was free from racism.
There was a noticeable difference between the ratings on the items asking if the classroom was free from racist behavior (3.9) and if the campus was free from racism (2.9). The graphs below show some of the variation by ethnic background on these questions. (Please note, as previously indicated, that survey respondents underrepresented African-American and Hispanic/Latino respondents. The number of respondents by ethnic origin is 1,252 Caucasian, 187 Asian-American, 42 African-American, 38 Hispanic/Latino, and three Native American.)
22a. The classroom environment was free from racist behavior.
23a. The campus environment was free from racism.
24a. The University appropriately addressed problems of racism.
Men and women disagreed about the extent of sexism on campus and the university's attempt to address the problem.
22b. The classroom environment was free from sexist behavior.
23b. The campus environment was free from sexism.
24b. The University appropriately addressed problems of sexism.
Self-assessment of entering and exiting abilities
| Very Weak | Very Strong | Entering capabilities left; exiting capabilities right | Very Weak | Very Strong | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Mean | Mean | ||||||
| Ability to: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||||||
| 2 | 11 | 38 | 34 | 14 | 3.5 | 29. Write effectively | 4.1 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 49 | 32 |
| 3 | 21 | 41 | 27 | 9 | 3.2 | 30. Speak effectively | 4 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 47 | 30 |
| 1 | 13 | 44 | 29 | 13 | 3.4 | 31. Create original ideas and/or products | 4 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 49 | 28 |
| 1 | 7 | 45 | 36 | 12 | 3.5 | 32. Draw conclusions after weighing evidence, facts and ideas | 4.3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 49 | 43 |
| 1 | 9 | 44 | 34 | 12 | 3.5 | 33. Locate, screen, and organize information | 4.3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 47 | 43 |
| 4 | 19 | 36 | 27 | 14 | 3.3 | 34. Understand and appreciate cultural and ethnic differences | 4.1 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 43 | 37 |
| 1 | 5 | 41 | 41 | 13 | 3.6 | 35. Problem solving skills | 4.3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 48 | 42 |
| 2 | 10 | 38 | 33 | 18 | 3.6 | 36. Get along with people whose attitudes and opinions are different from mine | 4.2 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 45 | 40 |
| 6 | 17 | 31 | 25 | 21 | 3.4 | 37. Appreciate fine arts, music, and literature | 4 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 34 | 37 |
| 9 | 32 | 38 | 16 | 5 | 2.7 | 38. Effectively use technology | 4.2 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 42 | 40 |
| 25 | 26 | 29 | 14 | 7 | 2.5 | 39. Communicate in a language other than English | 2.7 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 15 | 12 |
| 4 | 18 | 47 | 25 | 5 | 3.1 | 40. Understand and apply scientific principles | 3.7 | 2 | 10 | 28 | 35 | 25 |
| 4 | 15 | 39 | 31 | 11 | 3.3 | 41. Understand and apply mathematical reasoning | 3.7 | 3 | 9 | 31 | 36 | 22 |
| 1 | 6 | 32 | 40 | 22 | 3.8 | 42. Understand values and ethical standards | 4.3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 45 | 41 |
| 1 | 8 | 40 | 36 | 16 | 3.6 | 43. Work cooperatively in groups | 4.3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 42 | 46 |
| 1 | 8 | 31 | 36 | 24 | 3.7 | 44. Learn on my own | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 35 | 58 |
| 4 | 17 | 37 | 26 | 17 | 3.3 | 45. Organize my time effectively | 4.2 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 38 | 44 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | 46. Demonstrate competency in my chosen field | 4.2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 48 | 37 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | 47. Seek and obtain employment | 4 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 35 | 37 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | 48. Understand the impact of my field on the global/social context | 4.2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 36 | 46 |
The
respondents reported increases in their entering competency levels for
all of the abilities listed. The abilities with the greatest difference
between entering and exiting competency levels were:
+1.5 Effectively use technology (e.g., computers, high tech equipment)
+.8 Speak effectively
+.8 Locate, screen, and organize information
+.8 Understand and appreciate cultural and ethnic differences
+.8 Draw conclusions after weighing evidence, facts, and ideas
+.8 Learn on my own
Overall undergraduate experience
| Frequency % | |||||||
| Low | High | ||||||
| Mean | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 49 | Your major at UIUC | 4 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 38 | 37 |
| 50 | Your TOTAL experience at UIUC | 4.1 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 47 | 33 |
| 51 | Your overall educational experience at UIUC | 4 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 49 | 27 |
| 52. If you could start all over again, would you: | |||||||
| attend UIUC again? | 84% | ||||||
| attend another institution? | 16% | ||||||
| not attend college? | 0% | ||||||
| take same major? | 62% | ||||||
| take a related major? | 21% | ||||||
| take a different major? | 16% |
All of the overall experience items received high satisfaction ratings in this section. There were some variations in the overall quality ratings by ethnic background, as shown in the graphs below. Asian-American and African-American respondents gave slightly lower overall ratings than did other students.
49. Please rate your major at UIUC:
50. Your TOTAL experience at UIUC:
51. Your overall educational experience at UIUC:
52. If you could start all over again, would you ...
attend UIUC again? (percent indicating yes):
attend another institution? (percent indicating yes):
take same major? (percent indicating yes):
Aspects of the university that were most helpful to your pursuit of an education at UIUC
Of the 1,552 graduating seniors responding to the Senior Survey, 1,199 (77%) responded to this item. A summary of their responses is provided below. (One percent represents approximately 12 students.)
| Comment | % of responses |
| Excellence of faculty | 20 |
| Access to personal computers | 17 |
| Facilities/resources | 14 |
| Variety of course offerings | 10 |
| Peers/other students | 10 |
| Library(ies) | 9 |
| Helpfulness/caring of faculty | 8 |
| Extracurricular activities/organizations | 8 |
| Excellence of college/dept./program | 8 |
| Advisors | 8 |
| Vast amount of opportunities | 7 |
| Excellence and helpfulness of TAs | 4 |
| Helpfulness of staff/employees | 4 |
| Accessibility of faculty and/or TAs | 4 |
| Learning independence due to size of UIUC | 4 |
| Good classes | 4 |
| Cultural diversity | 3 |
| Hands-on experiences | 3 |
| (internships, labs, practicums) | 3 |
| Career/College Placement Offices | 3 |
| Reputation of UIUC/program | 3 |
| Financial aid/part-time employment | 2 |
| Undergraduate research | 2 |
| Small classes/upper level classes | 2 |
| Greek system | 2 |
| Interaction with faculty | 2 |
| Competition | 2 |
| Small college/dept./major | 2 |
| Study abroad | 2 |
| Learning environment | 2 |
| Cost | 2 |
Other comments were made by fewer than 2% of those responding to this item.
Aspects of the university that were obstacles to your pursuit of an education at UIUC
Of the 1,552 graduating seniors responding to the Senior Survey, 1,186 (76%) responded to this item. A summary of their responses is provided below. (One percent represents approximately 12 students.)
| Comment | % of responses |
| Classes too large | 16 |
| Poor or non-existent academic advising | 12 |
| University too large/"felt like a number" | 11 |
| Too much bureaucracy and red tape | 9 |
| Poor teaching by professors | 9 |
| Program requirements (courses, GPA, hours) | 7 |
| Unavailability of professors | 7 |
| Difficulty getting into desired courses | 7 |
| Professors not caring/helpful | 7 |
| Poor teaching by TAs | 6 |
| Poor teaching by non-English speaking TAs/Profs. | 5 |
| Emphasis on research at the expense of teaching | 3 |
| Unfair/poor grading | 3 |
| Need more information about UIUC | 2 |
| Problems with transferring to UIUC or another major | 2 |
| Staff not caring/helpful | 2 |
| Problems with administration | 2 |
| High costs/rising tuition | 2 |
| Racism on campus/racial tension | 2 |
| Poor career counseling | 2 |
| Competitiveness | 2 |
| Particular problem courses | 2 |
| Problems with libraries | 2 |
| TAs not caring/helpful | 2 |
| Social life | 2 |
| Poor curriculum/program | 2 |
| Too much work/not enough time | 2 |
Other comments were made by fewer than 2% of those responding to this item.
COMPARISON TO PREVIOUS YEAR - Demographics of Respondents
This section of the report will compare 1997 Senior Survey results to responses recorded in 1990, 1993, and 1996. The 37% response rate in 1997 was higher than the average (approximately 30%) for all previous years. This year there were more African-American and slightly fewer Asian-American and Latino/Hispanic respondents than in past years. Following are some additional differences among respondents in 1990, 1993, 1996 and 1997.
Post-graduate plans:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| Have full-time job | 30.30% | 26.40% | 19.10% | 32.20% |
| Seek full-time job | 30.7 | 30.7 | 34.8 | 28.4 |
| Graduate school | 14.7 | 13.5 | 16 | 14.8 |
| Professional school | 8.6 | 8.9 | 11.4 | 10 |
| Awaiting grad./prof. school | 8.5 | 10.6 | 9.8 | 4.9 |
| Service/volunteer | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Uncertain | 5.9 | 6.1 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
Satisfaction with broad aspects of the undergraduate experience
Following is a listing of item mean scores for common items administered in 1990, 1993, 1996, and 1997. Overall, there is consistency of student responses over time. However, the upward trend for many of the items in 1996 continued in the 1997 data. Eleven of the 28 common items had higher mean ratings in 1997 than in 1996, whereas only five items had lower ratings in 1997. Items with increases are marked with a (+) and items with decreases are marked with a (-).
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| 3.9+ | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 1. Quality of teaching by faculty in your major |
| 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2. Quality of teaching by faculty outside your major |
| 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3. Quality of Teaching by TA's |
| 3.4+ | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 4. Quality of laboratories and classrooms |
| 3 | - | - | - | 5. Quality of academic program advising and information |
| 3 | - | - | - | 6. Quality of career advising and information |
| 4.0- | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 7. Access to course and course sections in major |
| 3.5- | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 8. Access to elective courses and course sections |
| 3.1+ | 3 | 3 | 3.2 | 9. Process of student evaluation of teaching |
| 3.1+ | 3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 10. Class size at the 100 and 200 course level |
| 4.1+ | 4 | 4 | 3.9 | 11. Class size at the 300 course level |
| 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 12. Satisfaction with educational philosophy of major |
| 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 13. Fairness of student performance evaluation |
| 3.3+ | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 14. Usefulness of evaluation procedures to learning |
| 3.5 | 3.5 | - | - | 15. Quantity of faculty office hours |
| 3.9 | 3.9 | - | - | 16. Faculty members' presence during posted office hours |
| 3.7 | 3.6 | - | - | 17. Accessibility of faculty in general |
| 3.4 | - | - | 18. Communication between faculty and students regarding student needs and concerns | |
| 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 19. Easy to meet and get to know other students |
| 3.9+ | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 20. Easy to get involved in student groups, activities |
| 3.8+ | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 21. Exposure to different backgrounds and cultures |
| 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4 | 22a. Classroom environment free from racist behavior |
| 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 22b. Classroom free from sexist behavior |
| 2.9+ | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 23a. Campus environment free from racism |
| 3.2- | 3.3 | 3 | 3 | 23b. Campus environment free from sexism |
| 3.2+ | 3.1 | 3 | 3.2 | 24a. University appropriately addressed racism |
| 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 24b. University appropriately addressed sexism |
| 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 25. Felt that you were welcome at UIUC |
| 3.2- | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 26. Had someone you could go to for help |
| 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 27. "University" cared about you |
| 3.3+ | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 28. You felt safe on campus |
| 4 | 4 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 49. Please rate your major at UIUC |
| 4.1 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 50. Your TOTAL experience at UIUC |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.9 | 51. Your overall educational experience at UIUC |
Student Ratings of Entering and Exiting Abilities
The students' ratings of their exiting abilities are significantly higher than their entering ratings in both years the items were used. The average rating increase across abilities was .7 in both years. The greatest difference in ratings was reported for the ability to “effectively use technology.”
| 1997 | 1996 | ||||||
| Entering | Exiting | Entering | Exiting | ||||
| Rating | Rating | Diff | Rating | Rating | Diff | Ability | |
| 3.5 | 4.1 | .6 | 3.5 | 4.1 | .6 | Write effectively | |
| 3.2 | 4.0 | .8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | .8 | Speak effectively | |
| 3.4 | 4.0 | .6 | 3.5 | 4.0 | .5 | Create original ideas and/or products | |
| 3.5 | 4.3 | .8 | 3.6 | 4.3 | .7 | Draw conclusions after weighing evidence, facts, and ideas | |
| 3.5 | 4.3 | .8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | .8 | Locate, screen, and organize information | |
| 3.3 | 4.1 | .8 | 3.2 | 4.0 | .8 | Understand and appreciate cultural and ethnic differences | |
| 3.6 | 4.3 | .7 | - | - | - | Problem solving skills | |
| 3.6 | 4.2 | .6 | 3.5 | 4.1 | .6 | Get along with people whose attitudes and opinions are different | |
| 3.4 | 4.0 | .6 | 3.4 | 3.9 | .5 | Appreciate fine arts, music, and literature | |
| 2.7 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 1.4 | Effectively use technology | |
| 2.5 | 2.7 | .2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 0 | Communicate in a language other than English | |
| 3.1 | 3.7 | .6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | .6 | Understand and apply scientific principles and methods | |
| 3.3 | 3.7 | .4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | .4 | Understand and apply mathematical reasoning | |
| 3.8 | 4.3 | .5 | - | - | - | Understand values and ethical standards | |
| 3.6 | 4.3 | .7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | .7 | Work cooperatively in groups | |
| 3.7 | 4.5 | .8 | 3.8 | 4.5 | .7 | Learn on my own | |
| 3.3 | 4.2 | .9 | 3.4 | 4.2 | .8 | Organize my time effectively | |
| - | 4.2 | - | - | 4.3 | - | Demonstrate competency in my chosen field | |
| - | 4.0 | - | - | 4.0 | - | Seek and obtain employment | |
| - | 4.2 | - | - | - | - | Understand the impact of my field on the global/societal context |
Satisfaction with the campus environment
The tables below show response pattern changes for respondents with different ethnic backgrounds to several questions regarding racism on campus and in the classroom. The most noticeable differences from past years were the higher ratings given by the African-American respondents.
22a. The classroom environment was free from racist behavior:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| Caucasian | 4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4 |
| Asian-American | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
| African-American | 3.1 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
| Native American | 4 | 3 | - | - |
23a. The campus environment was free from racism:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| Caucasian | 3 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Asian-American | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| African-American | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2 | 2.6 |
| Native American | 2.3 | 3 |
24a. The University appropriately addressed problems of racism:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| Caucasian | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| Asian-American | 2.9 | 3 | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| African-American | 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 3.2 |
| Native American | 2.3 | 1.5 | - | - |
Men and women students continue to differ in their responses to the questions regarding sexism and sexist behavior on campus and in the classroom; however, the gap shortened slightly. In general, women reported more of a problem than did men.
22b. The classroom environment was free from sexist behavior:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| Women | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
| Men | 4 | 4 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
23b. The campus environment was free from sexism:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| Women | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.9 |
| Men | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
24b. The University appropriately addressed problems of sexism:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| Women | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
| Men | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Satisfaction with overall undergraduate experience
The tables below compared student satisfaction ratings by ethnic background and gender. One noticeable difference from 1996, is the higher rating of the African-American respondents to the item rating their “overall educational experience.”.
49. Satisfaction with your major:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| All Respondents | 4 | 4 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Women | 4 | 4 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Men | 4 | 4.1 | 4 | 3.9 |
| Caucasian | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4 |
| Asian-American | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| African-American | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4 | 3.7 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4 | 4 |
| Native American | 4.3 | 4.5 | - | - |
-
50. Satisfaction with TOTAL experience at UIUC:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| All Respondents | 4.1 | 4 | 4 | 3.9 |
| Women | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Men | 4 | 3.9 | 4 | 3.9 |
| Caucasian | 4.1 | 4 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Asian-American | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4 | 3.9 |
| African-American | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.9 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.1 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.6 |
| Native American | 4.3 | 4 | - | - |
51. Satisfaction with overall educational experience at UIUC:
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| All Respondents | 4 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| Women | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3.9 |
| Men | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Caucasian | 4 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| Asian-American | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| African-American | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| Native American | 4.7 | 4.5 | - | - |
52. If you could start over again, would you attend UIUC again?
| 1997 | 1996 | 1993 | 1990 | |
| All Respondents | 84% | 85% | 83% | 85% |
| Women | 84 | 86 | 85 | 88 |
| Men | 83 | 84 | 81 | 83 |
| Caucasian | 86 | 87 | 85 | 86 |
| Asian-American | 74 | 81 | 79 | 79 |
| African-American | 73 | 61 | 58 | 70 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 79 | 80 | 79 | 79 |
| Native American | 100 | 100 | - | - |