North Carolina State University
2010 Campus Climate Survey
Introduction, Research Methods, and Response Rates
Introduction
The 2010 Campus Climate Survey (CCS) was administered in the fall of 2010 by NC State's Office of Institutional Planning and Research office (UPA) in collaboration with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The overall research design and questionnaires were modeled after the 2004 Campus Climate Survey. The purpose of the survey was to collect information and opinions from undergraduate and graduate students about the campus climate to better enable academic and non-academic units across campus assess and improve the climate for all students, and to help in our efforts to enhance all students' understanding of and appreciation for global perspectives.
Topics covered in the survey include satisfaction with various aspects of being an NC State student, interactions with others on campus, participation in multicultural activities, and perceptions about the role of diversity in higher education. The survey also asks respondents to reflect on experiences that have shaped their attitudes about diversity, and for their perceptions of how supportive the campus environment is for diversity in general and for specific traditionally underrepresented groups in particular. The survey included a wide range of demographic questions, allowing results to be broken out not just by, for example, gender and race/ethnicity, but also by sexual orientation, disability status, age (traditional versus 'nontraditional'), socio-economic status, first-generation student versus non-first generation, and U.S. versus international residency status.
Survey Administration
Separate questionnaires were developed for undergraduate and graduate students, with slight differences in questions and question wording where necessary. The surveys were comprehensive and therefore long, consisting of about 200 closed-end and 6 open-end questions. To ease respondent burden, the survey was divided into eight topical sections. Respondents could submit part of the survey, leave and return at a later date to the section at which they left off.
The survey population consisted of all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in at least one face-to-face course in the 2010 fall semester. No sampling was done. The final population included a total of 28,245 students (22,050 undergradate and 6,795 graduate).
The CCS was available online from October 20 through November 17. On October 20 all students in the survey population were sent an email from NC State Chancellor Woodson, the Student Body President, and the President of the University Graduate Student Association inviting them to participate in the survey. Up to three follow-up reminders were emailed from UPA to non-respondents. In addition, the survey was promoted through flyers posted around campus and on electronic message boards in various locations on campus (e.g., DH Hill Library, Talley Student Center). Copies all all materials are available in Appendix A.
To access the secure survey, students were required to go through the Office of Information Technology's authenication process (i.e., enter their Unity ID and password). In addition to controlling access to the survey, this allowed UPA to send follow-up reminders to only non-respondents. The survey and all results, however, are confidential
Response Rates and Demographic Profile of Respondents
Undergraduate Students
Table 1 presents the response rate overall and by gender, race/ethnicity1, age, residence status, academic class, and academic college for undergraduate students. The response rate for undergraduate students was 15.0 percent (3,307 of 22,050) with a margin of sampling error of ±1.4 percentage points. There are no significant differences between the undergraduate population and survey respondents in terms of race/ethnicity and residency status. Female students are overrepresented among survey respondents, making up 43.1 percent of the undergraduate population and 54.5 of survey respondents. Traditional aged students (18-27) are slightly underrepresented among survey respondents (96.1% of population vs. 95.3% of respondents). Freshmen are slightly overrepresented and juniors are slightly underrepresented among survey respondents. Students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences were slightly overrepresented, while those in the College of Management were slightly underrepresented. For all other colleges, population and respondent proportions are comparable.
Graduate Students
Table 2 presents the overall response rate for graduate students, as well as response rates by gender, race/ethnicity1, age, residency status, and academic college. Of the 6,795 graduate students in the survey population, 1,388 submitted the survey for a response rate of 20.4% with a margin of sampling error of ±2.1 percentage points. There are no significant differences between the graduate student population and survey respondents in terms of race/ethnicity, age, and residency status. Females are slightly overrepresented among survey respondents, making up 46.6 percent of the survey population and 53.5 percent of respondents. Students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are slightly overrepresented among survey respondents, while those in the College of Management are slightly underrepresented. All other colleges are well represented among survey respondents.
A complete demographic profile of survey respondents is in Appendix B. Specifically, 2-way crosstabulation tables are provided for each combination of gender, race/ethnicity, age, residency status, academic class, and academic college of respondents.
Table 1: Response Rate and Margin of Sampling Error (Undergraduate Students)| Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| Overall | 22,050 | 100.0% | 3,307 | 100.0% | 15.0% | ±1.4 |
| Gender | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Female | 9,497 | 43.1% | 1,801 | 54.5% | 19.0% | ±1.9 |
| .....Male | 12,553 | 56.9% | 1,506 | 45.5% | 12.0% | ±2.2 |
| Race/Ethnicity | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Asian Amer | 1,164 | 5.3% | 148 | 4.5% | 12.7% | ±7.0 |
| .....Black / AfrAmer | 1,811 | 8.2% | 248 | 7.5% | 13.7% | ±5.4 |
| .....Hispanic | 704 | 3.2% | 111 | 3.4% | 15.8% | ±7.8 |
| .....White | 16,906 | 76.7% | 2,570 | 77.7% | 15.2% | ±1.6 |
| .....Other / Unknown | 1,465 | 6.6% | 230 | 7.0% | 15.7% | ±5.4 |
| Age | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Traditional (18-27) | 21,192 | 96.1% | 3,152 | 95.3% | 14.9% | ±1.5 |
| .....Non-Traditional (>27) | 858 | 3.9% | 155 | 4.7% | 18.1% | ±6.4 |
| Residence | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....U.S. resident | 21,720 | 98.5% | 3,270 | 98.9% | 15.1% | ±1.5 |
| .....International student | 330 | 1.5% | 37 | 1.1% | 11.2% | ±14.3 |
| Academic Class | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Freshman | 5,315 | 24.1% | 904 | 27.3% | 17.0% | ±2.7 |
| .....Sophomore | 4,861 | 22.0% | 734 | 22.2% | 15.1% | ±3.1 |
| .....Junior | 5,362 | 24.3% | 739 | 22.3% | 13.8% | ±3.1 |
| .....Senior | 6,512 | 29.5% | 930 | 28.1% | 14.3% | ±2.8 |
| Academic College | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Agriculture and Life Sciences | 4,793 | 21.7% | 736 | 22.3% | 15.4% | ±3.1 |
| .....Design | 489 | 2.2% | 64 | 1.9% | 13.1% | ±10.6 |
| .....Education | 819 | 3.7% | 117 | 3.5% | 14.3% | ±7.8 |
| .....Engineering | 5,459 | 24.8% | 847 | 25.6% | 15.5% | ±2.8 |
| .....Natural Resources | 1,234 | 5.6% | 159 | 4.8% | 12.9% | ±6.8 |
| .....Humanities and Social Sciences | 3,874 | 17.6% | 658 | 19.9% | 17.0% | ±3.2 |
| .....Physical and Mathematical Sciences | 816 | 3.7% | 150 | 4.5% | 18.4% | ±6.5 |
| .....Textiles | 870 | 3.9% | 113 | 3.4% | 13.0% | ±8.0 |
| .....Management | 2,399 | 10.9% | 279 | 8.4% | 11.6% | ±5.2 |
| .....First Year College | 1,296 | 5.9% | 184 | 5.6% | 14.2% | ±6.2 |
| .....Student Affairs | 1 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | NA |
| Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| Overall | 6,795 | 100.0% | 1,388 | 100.0% | 20.4% | ±2.1 |
| Gender | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Female | 3,169 | 46.6% | 742 | 53.5% | 23.4% | ±2.8 |
| .....Male | 3,626 | 53.4% | 646 | 46.5% | 17.8% | ±3.2 |
| Race/Ethnicity | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Asian Amer | 215 | 3.2% | 32 | 2.3% | 14.9% | ±14.7 |
| .....Black / AfrAmer | 436 | 6.4% | 86 | 6.2% | 19.7% | ±8.5 |
| .....Hispanic | 154 | 2.3% | 30 | 2.2% | 19.5% | ±14.4 |
| .....White | 3,798 | 55.9% | 797 | 57.4% | 21.0% | ±2.7 |
| .....Other / Unknown | 2,192 | 32.3% | 443 | 31.9% | 20.2% | ±3.7 |
| Age | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Traditional (20-35) | 5,885 | 86.6% | 1,218 | 87.8% | 20.7% | ±2.2 |
| .....Non-Traditional (>35) | 910 | 13.4% | 170 | 12.2% | 18.7% | ±6.1 |
| Residence | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....U.S. resident | 4,769 | 70.2% | 971 | 70.0% | 20.4% | ±2.5 |
| .....International student | 2,026 | 29.8% | 417 | 30.0% | 20.6% | ±3.8 |
| Academic College | Survey Population | Survey Respondents | Response Rate |
Margin of Sampling Error |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % | N | % | |||
| .....Agriculture and Life Sciences | 844 | 12.4% | 193 | 13.9% | 22.9% | ±5.4 |
| .....Design | 253 | 3.7% | 42 | 3.0% | 16.6% | ±12.6 |
| .....Education | 770 | 11.3% | 151 | 10.9% | 19.6% | ±6.4 |
| .....Engineering | 2,004 | 29.5% | 416 | 30.0% | 20.8% | ±3.8 |
| .....Natural Resources | 234 | 3.4% | 61 | 4.4% | 26.1% | ±9.3 |
| .....Humanities and Social Sciences | 880 | 13.0% | 190 | 13.7% | 21.6% | ±5.6 |
| .....Physical and Mathematical Sciences | 702 | 10.3% | 141 | 10.2% | 20.1% | ±6.6 |
| .....Textiles | 171 | 2.5% | 41 | 3.0% | 24.0% | ±11.6 |
| .....Veterinary Medicine | 387 | 5.7% | 70 | 5.0% | 18.1% | ±9.6 |
| .....Management | 509 | 7.5% | 82 | 5.9% | 16.1% | ±9.1 |
| .....Provost | 37 | 0.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | NA |
| .....Graduate School | 2 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | NA |
| .....Registration and Records* | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | 0.1% | 50.0% | ±49.0 |
Analyses
The data obtained from survey respondents were analyzed using standard statistical methods. Tables presenting results overall and by academic college and demographic profile are available via the 2010 Campus Climate Survey Table of Contents. Subgroup analyses consist of crosstabulations of survey items by academic college, academic class, gender, race/ethnicity, residency, socioeconomic background, college generation, sexual orientation, disability status, and age. Statistically significant differences between subgroups are noted with a asterick (*).
Endnotes:1. Population and respondent race/ethnicity presented in Tables 1 and 2 is based on official university records. (back)
For more information on the 2010 Campus Climate Survey
contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey
Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919)
515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu
Posted: January, 2011