UCUES 2006

The UCUES was a web-based survey conducted during Spring 2006, and hosted by UC Berkeley on behalf of all nine UC undergraduate campuses. All undergraduate students aged 18 and over, who were enrolled at the University of California undergraduate campuses during Spring 2006 were invited via email to participate in the UCUES.

Of the 19,687 eligible UC Irvine undergraduates, 9,430 responded (48%). This was the highest response rate in the UC system, where there were 58,047 respondents out of 153,173 students invited to participate in the survey (38%).

The UCUES 2006 was divided into six segments:

1. The core questions, which all participants were asked to complete,
2. Five thematic modules, each assigned to 20% of respondents,
3. Academic experience, asking about curriculum and academic experiences,
4. Civic engagement, covering public participation and issues awareness,
5. Student development, reviewing student goals, growth, and campus climate,
6. Student services, gathering use patterns and opinions about campus support offerings, and
7. Irvine wild card module, asking about information technology use.

General Information

Summary UCUES Results

Student Level UCUES Reports

Academic Unit UCUES Reports

Topical UCUES Reports

Links to Other UCUES Websites

General Information

UCI UCUES Data Access and Use Agreement

Administrators and researchers are encouraged to make use of the UCUEs 2006 data. In an effort ot ensure data confidentiality and integrity, this form must be completed, submitted and approved prior to release of the UCUES data.

Survey Instrument

This is the final version of the UCUES 2006 Core component, Academic Experience module, Civic Engagement module, Student Development module, and the Student Services module.

Request for Extension of UCI IRB Approval, 05-01-07 to 04-30-08

Approval form that allows continued use of the UCUES 2006 data through April 30, 2008.

Original UCI IRB Approval Cover/Application

Notice of Intent to Rely on Another UC IRB Approval

UC Berkeley Original 2006 IRB Protocol Narrative

IRB protocol used jointly by all UC campuses for the 2006 UCUES. This marks the first time an all-UC IRB protocol has been utilized.

Survey Participation Enhancement Strategies

This brief report describes the outreach and communication efforts implemented by the Office of research & Evaluation which boosted response rates.

Response Rates

This report summarizes UC Irvine UCUES response rates by demographic category.

Summary UCUES Results

UCI campus total UCUES response frequencies are displayed in the reports listed in this section. Results are disaggregated by student level to reflect differences in response patterns for freshmen and sophomores (lower division students) and for juniors and seniors (upper division students).

Core

Questions from this section of the survey were asked of all students. Topics include general questions about time allocation, academic and personal development, academic engagement, plans and aspirations, overall satisfaction, evaluation of the educational experience (lower division), evaluation of the major (upper division), and student background.

• Lower Division Core
• Upper Division Core

Academic Experience

A randomly selected 20% sample of respondents were asked questions in this module. Topics covered here include the experience and importance of being enrolled in a research university, involvement in academic programs, participation in classes, obstacles to academic success, and summer sessions experiences.

• Lower Division Experience
• Upper Division Experience

Civic Engagement

A different randomly selected 20% sample of respondents were given the questions in this module. Topics included extracurricular activities, engagement in community service, news and information sources used, and questions about political engagement.

• Lower Division Civic Engagement
• Upper Division Civic Engagement

Student Development

A different 20% random sample of respondents saw the questions in this module. Topics were comprised of questions about parental involvement in college, goals and aspirations, personal growth and development, time allocation, obstacles and support for academic success, perceptions and campus climate, and personal observations.

• Lower Division Student Development
• Upper Division Student Development

Student Services

Another 20% random sample of respondents received this module. Nineteen student services were reviewed in this module, ranging from the Career Center to Child Care to the Registrar's Office. Specific questions included experiences with each service, the importance of the service, how the service could better serve student needs, and, if the service was not used, why not.

• Lower Division Student Services
• Upper Division Student Services

Irvine Wildcard Module

Another 20% random sample of respondents received this module. Nineteen student services were reviewed in this module, ranging from the Career Center to Child Care to the Registrar's Office. Specific questions included experiences with each service, the importance of the service, how the service could better serve student needs, and, if the service was not used, why not.

• Lower Division Irvine Wildcard
• Upper Division Irvine Wildcard

Student Level UCUES Reports

The Freshman Experience

This Powerpoint presentation reports on the first year UCI experiences of Fall 2005 direct entrants from high school. It specifically compares and contrasts Undecided/Undeclared entrants to all other first year students. Topics include college goals, time allocation, academic experiences, learning gains achieved, obstacles to academic success, observations about the research university, participation in extracurricular activities, and overall satisfaction with UCI.

Sophomore Slump

Research suggests that the second year of college is the most stressful, with more demands made upon students and fewer available support mechanisms and new opportunities remaining to explore the college environment. This report and its attendant Powerpoint presentation compare the perceptions of first-year and second-year direct entrants from high school on overall satisfaction, campus climate, academic engagement, time allocation, academic program quality, and extracurricular involvement. The results of this study present evidence from several outcomes supporting a "sophomore slump" among UCI students.

Direct Entrants versus Transfer Students

This report compares perceptions of UCI between Fall 2003 direct entrants from high school who have reached junior standing and Fall 2005 new transfer students who entered UCI as juniors. UCUES topics reviewed include student background characteristics, academic engagement, civic engagement, and overall satisfaction with UCI. In addition, data on recent years honors conferred at graduation are discussed.

Results indicate that transfer students are more academically engaged, spend more time on classes and studying outside of class, but are less likely to be civically engaged than are direct entrants. Also, transfers report more satisfaction with their UCI grade point averages and the UCI academic experience than do direct entrants, but transfers are less satisfied with the social experience at UCI than are direct entrants.

Demographics of UCI Respondents

This series of tables summarizes demographics for UCI UCUES respondents and nonrespondents.

Results indicate that transfer students are more academically engaged, spend more time on classes and studying outside of class, but are less likely to be civically engaged than are direct entrants. Also, transfers report more satisfaction with their UCI grade point averages and the UCI academic experience than do direct entrants, but transfers are less satisfied with the social experience at UCI than are direct entrants.

Academic Unit UCUES Reports

School of Biological Sciences

Compares UCUES upper division core results between Biological Sciences students and all other UCI upper division students. Topics reviewed include satisfaction with teaching, advising and curriculum, academic challenge, academic engagement, participation in undergraduate research, self-reported learning gains, and overall satisfaction with UCI. This report was used as background data in the School of Biological Sciences academic program review.

Henry Samueli School of Engineering

This Powerpoint presentation was delivered to key Engineering faculty as an aid to their preparation for the ABET academic program review. UCUES areas covered included skills and proficiencies gains, academic engagement, satisfaction with academic advising, instruction, and courses in the major, and overall satisfaction with UCI.

The Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science

This report compares upper division UCUES core results for ICS majors and all other UCI upper division students. Areas covered included academic program quality issues, academic engagement, skills and proficiencies gains, time allocation, aspirations and plans, evaluation of the major, and overall satisfaction with UCI.

School of Physical Sciences

Compares upper division core results obtained from Physical Sciences majors and all other UCI upper division students. Categories discussed include satisfaction with the major, academic challenge, academic engagement, learning gains achieved, and overall satisfaction with UCI. This report was used as background information in support of the School of Physical Sciences academic program review.

Topical UCUES Reports

Student Diversity

This Powerpoint presentation compares perceptions of UCI by aggregated student ethnic category. The groups included are Asian, Minority, Other, and White students. UCUES results discussed include student background, academic engagement, civic engagement, learning gains, personal development, campus climate, and overall satisfaction with UCI. This report was delivered to the UCI Academic Senate Committee on Student Engagement.

Results indicated differences among ethnic groups on academic engagement, civic engagement, campus climate, and overall satisfaction. Black students reported being more actively engaged with faculty and classroom participation, while Asians reported the lowest frequencies in these same two areas. Perceptions regarding campus climate were lowest for Black students. Blacks and Asians were somewhat less satisfied than other groups with their undergraduate experiences overall, while White students seemed somewhat more satisfied than other groups. However, differences between groups were relatively small.

Political Leanings Data

This table and chart compare UCI students and UC average student political affiliation. The information came from identical questions in the UCUES Civic Engagement and Student Development modules (40% of respondents).

Results indicated that UCI students are somewhat less liberal (49%) than the UC average (57%), and that UCI students are slightly more conservative (22%) than the UC average (19%). UCI students are more moderate (29%) than the UC average (24%).

Postgraduation Plans

This report presents postgraduation plans and highest degree planned data for Undecided/Undeclared and all other direct entrants from high school who started at UCI in Fall 2005.

This report reflects long term plans after graduation for first time college entrants during the spring of their first year in college. As might be expected, those students entering UCI as Undecided/Undeclared were less certain of their future plans than were students entering campus with specific majors. Only 52% of Fall 2005 U/U entrants already were committed to attending graduate school in the spring of their first year, as compared to 65% of Fall 2005 first time entrants who began studies with a specific major. Also, 29% of U/U students answered that they had no idea at this point what they would do after graduation, as compared with only 17% of first time entrants who started UCI with a specific major.

Student Engagement and Satisfaction

A series of tables and charts presented to the UCI associate deans for undergraduate education showing overall UCI results from the UCUES upper division core. Table themes included satisfaction with the UCI educational experience, academic program quality, academic engagement, and student skills and proficiencies gains.

Upper division students on average were somewhat satisfied to satisfied both lower and upper division courses, research opportunities and academic enrichment programs, access to faculty outside of class, and the quality of teaching assistant and faculty instruction. Students reported occasional to somewhat often engagement in academic activities such as raising their standards to meet faculty expectations, helping classmates to understand academic material, and working on group projects. Students also reported gains in all academic skills and abilities from when they started at UCI to the time of the UCUES survey, these gains often reaching more than one full level of improvement over time.

Student Affairs Presentation

This Powerpoint presentation was delivered to the UCI Student Affairs senior management group as an overview of the types of UCUES information available to help answer programmatic questions. Areas covered included overall satisfaction with UCI, campus climate, student engagement, student gains, demands on student time, barriers to academic success, perceptions of specific student services, and student evaluation of the Student Affairs web sites.

UCI students expressed nearly the same level of satisfaction as the other UC campuses on average ( 71% satisfied with Social experience, 83% satisfied with Academic experience). UCI students also reported a profound sense of belonging at the campus ( 79% feel they belong at the campus, 81% would reenroll here again, if given the chance to start over). UCI is perceived as a safe campus, and is characterized as friendly and tolerant of diversity. Seventy-five percent of respondents have used Student Housing Services and 70% have used Residential Life Programs. Of those who have used the services, 75% say Student Housing Services are "Good" or "Excellent", and 72% said Residential Life programs are "Good" or "Excellent," both ratings being second-highest of any UC campus.

Division of Undergraduate Education Student Services

This table and series of charts were presented to the DUE managers group to inform them about student perceptions of services offered through the division. Specific student services highlighted in the data were Tutoring, Transfer Student Services, Reentry Student Services, and First Generation Student Services.

Between seventy and eighty percent of respondents rate the DUE student services as "Good" or "Excellent, with all ratings near to or exceeding the UC-wide averages.

Undergraduate Research

This brief report compares undergraduate research participation to the other UC campuses on average. UCI students indicated the most research participation of any UC campus in three of the seven research categories, including student research program courses (34%), independent study courses (30%), and assisting faculty with their research for course credit (25%).

All academic units were reported as having significant enrollment in student research program courses. Biological Sciences, The Arts, Engineering, and Social Ecology were particularly high in the proportions of students enrolled in independent studies. And more than half of Biological Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies students reported assisting faculty in their research activities for course credit.

Irvine Wildcard Results

This series of frequencies tables summarizes results from the UCUES wildcard module. Topics include ownership and use of computers and digital audio devices, use of email, instant messaging and other internet services, the usefulness of technology in UCI courses, student use of UCI libraries, and the utility of UCI"s Student Affairs web sites.

According to survey results, 76% of UCI undergraduates own a laptop computer. 99% use their university email accounts. Almost two-thirds of respondents indicate they are more engaged in courses that require the use of technology than courses that do not. The majority of respondents who have used Student Affairs web sites found them to be at least adequate or as having everything needed. Almost 90% of respondents have gone to the library to study, and 86% have used the library website to find course materials.

Commuter Students Report

The purpose of this report was to present findings about the impact of living on or off campus during the freshman year at UCI. Analysis was conducted under three broad areas: background or entering characteristics, undergraduate experiences, and outcomes (including self-reported learning gains, GPA and one-year retention rates).

Commuter students were more likely to be first-generation and low-income students, both of which have been found to pose a number of challenges to students? ability to persist to graduation (Strage, 1999). Findings suggest that living on campus, when compared to living off-campus, in the freshman year promotes better social integration, more academic involvement with other students outside of class, better understanding and appreciation of diversity, more satisfaction with their social experiences, and a stronger sense of belonging to the campus.

What UCUES Tells Us About UCI Students

This powerpoint slide show, giving an overview of UCUES 2006 results, was presented to the professional staff in the UCI Dean of Students Office. Significant findings shared include:

• Approximately four-fifths of UCI students are satisfied with the academic experience, feel they belong here, and would reenroll at UCI.
• They are less satisfied with the social experience and the value per cost of a UCI education.
• Freshman and Seniors are significantly more satisfied across all satisfaction items with the exception of reenrolling at UCI.
• Students report that UCI is safe, friendly, and tolerant of diversity.
• Students? perception of the campus as friendly declines as they go up in class level.
• Freshman are significantly more likely to believe students are respected regardless of religious beliefs while Seniors are least likely to share that view.
• About half of all students report gains in self-awareness and understanding, interpersonal skills, and growth in understanding personal social responsibility.
• 60% of our students have jobs.
• UCI students services are well-received, and usually rated at or above UC averages.

Links

Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE)

CSHE/Student Experiences in the Research University (SERU)

CSHE/UCUES 2006

University of California Office of the President UCUES Website

UCOP UCUES Press Release

Last Updated: 11/3/2009