Who are our students today?

1
Who are our students today?

• 2 yr and 4 yr students graduate students
• Generation X, Y
• Nontraditional Students
• Distance learners

2
Generation X,Y Students

• Racially/Ethnically diverse
• Technologically comfortable
• Risk-Takers - extreme sports
• Big Consumers ATM and credit cards, pagers,
  cell phones, cars
• Familiar with/prefer fast-moving stimuli
• View themselves as customers to colleges
• Freshmen not always accurate in their assessment
  of academic or psychosocial needs

3
Nontraditional Students

• 1995 44 all UGs 25 years old
• most employed while enrolled
• tremendous diversity in age
• differing reasons for college attendance
• wide range in preparation level
• not as interested in traditional campus activities

4
Distance Learners

• Video, live satellite, computer/internet formats
• Wide range of reasons for enrollment
• mostly nontraditional age
• some reports that women like better, have higher
  retention rates
• we dont yet know a lot about effectiveness of
  distance learning compared to traditional
  classroom

5
Characteristics of UD Undergraduates
6
UD Facts Figures- Fall 2001 http//www.udel.edu
/IR

• 20,949 students
• About half Newark undergrads live in campus
  housing
• 1,049 full-time faculty
• Student faculty ratio of 161
• 122 undergraduate, 75 masters, 34 doctoral
  programs
• 4,079 degrees awarded in 1999-2000
• FY 2000 total operating revenues 487.7 million

7
UD StudentsFall 2001

• 20,949 students
• 16,307 undergrads
• 2,942 graduate students
• 1,700 Continuing Education
• 60 undergrads were nonresidents
• 59 undergrads were women
• Ethnicity for Undergrads
• 87 White 6 Black 7 other
• 36 FT freshmen received some financial aid

8
Fall 2001 Freshmen

• SAT Verbal 571 (Nat. Ave 506)
• SAT Math 588 (Nat. Ave 514)
• 18,209 applicants 3,379 enrolled (35 yield)
• 86-90 return for sophomore year
• 70 graduate in 5 or fewer years
• Many will participate in study abroad, undergrad
  research, honors classes, co-op/internships
• Tuition, fees other expenses 13,124 / 22,214

9
UD Undergraduates

• Would choose UD again
• Above norms on satisfaction with computing,
  library resources, food services
• Some evidence of sophomore/junior slump
  (sophomore classes the most difficult in some
  depts)
• On average study about 15-16 hrs/week
• Many work at least part-time
• 16 participate in Greek organizations
• Anecdotally- nothing to do around here
• Counseling Health Cntr well used, but get
  especially busy near exam times when student
  stress is high after Spring Break for HIV
  testing

10
Fall 2000 Freshman Needs SurveyIRP, 2000

• UD Freshmen said they need help with
• Acquiring knowledge skills for grad school
• Identifying coo-op and internship opportunities
• Expanding their volume of literary works read
• Public speaking
• Synthesizing and applying ideas
• Quantitative and math skills
• Need least help with
• Using computer as learning tool
• Working in groups to solve problems

11
Student EngagementNSSE, Spring 2001

• Compared to national norms
• More UD freshmen seniors use email to
  communicate with instructor
• Fewer freshmen made a class presentation
• Fewer freshmen and seniors work on campus for pay

12
What Do Freshmen Fear the Most???Choose the top
five fears

• Will not have enough money
• Not able to manage time
• Difficulty meeting friends
• I will become depressed
• College will be too difficult
• Trouble with roommate
• I will become homesick
• Trouble understanding professor
• Will be tempted to cheat in class
• I will not appear as sophisticated as other
  freshmen
• I will get lost on such a huge campus

13
What Freshmen Fear Mostfrom Jeweler Gardner,
1987 Gardner, 1992.

• I wont be able to manage time.
• I will become depressed will affect
  performance.
• College will be too difficult.
• Ill be homesick.
• I wont develop good study habits.
• I will have trouble understanding the professor.

14
Undergraduate Behaviorsfrom Bishop, 1992

• Students dont always behave in ways that are
  consistent with their values knowledge
• 40-90 admit academic dishonesty
• Some, but not high community activism
• Majority have consumed alcohol
• Many report feeling depressed
• Many women report negative body image
• Date rape and dating violence are reported

15
Research on Undergraduates from Pascarella
Terenzini, 1991

• Change does occur gains in factual knowledge,
  cognitive skills, values, attitudes, socially,
  morally
• Become better writers, speakers, thinkers
• More culturally and aesthetically aware
• Generally more liberal, sociocentric
• Better self-identity, more comfortable with their
  decisions

16
Characteristics of UD Undergraduates
17
UD Facts Figures- Fall 2001 http//www.udel.edu
/IR

• 20,949 students
• About half Newark undergrads live in campus
  housing
• 1,049 full-time faculty
• Student faculty ratio of 161
• 122 undergraduate, 75 masters, 34 doctoral
  programs
• 4,079 degrees awarded in 1999-2000
• FY 2000 total operating revenues 487.7 million

18
UD Undergraduates

• Would choose UD again
• Above norms on satisfaction with computing,
  library resources, food services
• Some evidence of sophomore/junior slump
  (sophomore classes the most difficult in some
  depts)
• On average study about 15-16 hrs/week
• Many work at least part-time
• 16 participate in Greek organizations
• Anecdotally- nothing to do around here
• Counseling Health Cntr well used, but get
  especially busy near exam times when student
  stress is high after Spring Break for HIV
  testing

19
What do you think undergraduate students expect
of student life professionals???