NC State University



A Profile of Entering First-Year Students
1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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A Profile of Entering First-Year Students
1995

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Overview

This report presents a profile of the 1995 entering First-Year students at NC State. It is based on responses to a survey given during each of the summer orientation sessions, and represents 76.4% of the 1995 First-Year class. Students entering in all programs, including the Agricultural Institute and the First Year College, were included. No significant differences by gender, ethnicity, or college/school were observed between the sample obtained and the population of entering First-Year students. Thus, the results may be regarded as broadly representative of the 1995 class. However, significant differences by gender, ethnicity, and/or college/school were found for many of the questions.

The 1995 First-Year class differed somewhat from the 1994 class. The percentage of females rose from 39.1% in 1994 to 42.1% in 1995. The percentage of African-Americans rose from 11.1% in 1994 to 12.8% in 1995, but the percentage of Other Minorities stayed the same (6.8%). Enrollment (for four-year students only), SAT scores, and High School grade point averages remained fairly close to 1994 averages. The Academic Index rose from 2.73 in 1994 to 2.93 in 1995.

Factors which most strongly influenced this year's new students to attend NC State included academic reputation, availability of program, facilities and resources available, and level of support for intended major. Almost one-third of new students report that they will be receiving need-based financial aid, and over half of the students did not plan to work during their first academic year.

In general, female and African-American respondents rated most of the undergraduate education goals held by NC State as higher in importance than did their comparison groups. Overall, students reported that diversity-related goals are very important, yet rated their current level of development in these goals lower than for many of the other goals.

Office of Institutional Planning and Research would like to thank the Office of New Student Orientation and First Year Experience, and especially Dr. Roger Callanan, for assistance with the administration of this survey.

Marketing Research

Educational Intent

Goals for Undergraduate Preparation

From a list of knowledge, skills, and personal development goals held by NC State, First-Year students were asked to indicate their current level of development and the importance of each goal to them at the time of the survey. The goals were divided into three areas: general education, personal development, and world view.

General Education

Personal Development

World View

Interests and Background

Student Affairs Programs and Activities

Financial Aid

Parent/Guardian Education

Employment During First Academic Year

Dependent Child

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INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY

This report presents a profile of the 1995 entering First-Year students at NC State. It is based on responses to a survey given during each of the summer orientation sessions. Students entering in all programs, including the Agricultural Institute and the First Year College, were included.

The total number of First-Year students who attended these orientation sessions was 3,382. A total of 2,788 usable surveys was analyzed, which represents 76.4% of the registered First-Year students for the fall 1995 semester. No significant differences by gender (Chi-sq. 0.0129, df=1, p<.01), by ethnicity (Chi-sq. 0.0454, df=2, p<.01), or by academic unit (Chi-sq. 1.486, df=10, p<.01) were observed between the sample obtained (survey respondents) and the population of registered students.

The 1995 survey included new questions on students' decision to attend NC State and other educational intents. Additionally, the instrument was expanded to include items from the former Student Activities Data Form, in order to provide data on interest in and potential usage of programs and activities. A copy of the survey instrument is included in the Appendix.

Summary statistics were calculated for the group as a whole and by gender, ethnicity, and academic unit (college/school). Tests of significance (Chi-square for frequency data, t-tests for gender means, and ANOVA for ethnicity means) were performed on all items. Selected items were also analyzed for significance by academic unit. The nine sections of the report are outlined below.

Section I Demographics of the First-Year Class and Survey Respondents

Presents overall demographic profiles of the 1995 First-Year class and survey respondents.

Section II Marketing Research

Presents information pertaining to First-Year students' experiences with the application process and those factors found to be influential in the decision to attend NC State (questions 1-5).

Section III Educational Intent and Interests

Reports responses to several questions dealing with educational intent and interests (questions 6-11, question 19).

Section IV General Education Goals

Provides ratings of current level of development and importance at the time of the survey of twelve goals for general education specified by NC State (question 18).

Section V Personal Development Goals

Provides ratings of current level of development and importance at the time of the survey of sixteen goals related to student personal development (question 18).

Section VI World View Goals

Provides ratings of current level of development and importance at the time of the survey of seven goals related to student world view (question 18).

Section VII Co-Curricular Interests

Presents responses to questions dealing with interest in co-curricular programs and activities (questions 12-17).

Section VIII Background Information

Reports background information on areas such as financial aid received, households, employment plans, and other personal information (questions 20-31).

Section IX Academic Unit Analysis

This section provides responses to selected questions by First-Year students enrolling in each of NC State's eleven colleges and schools.

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SECTION I

DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE FIRST-YEAR CLASS AND SURVEY RESPONDENTS

This section presents the demographic breakdown of the 1995 First-Year class and of the survey respondents by gender, ethnicity, and academic unit. The First-Year class of 1995 numbered 3,528 four-year enrollees plus 119 enrollees in the Agricultural Institute (two-year program) for a total for this report of 3,647 fall enrollees. The total number of usable surveys was 2,788. Demographics by gender and ethnic group are listed in Table 1.

The breakdown of the First-Year class by gender was: 42.1% female and 57.9% male; and by ethnicity was: 80.4% White, 12.8% African-American, and 6.8% Other Minorities. The breakdown of survey respondents by gender was: 42.7% female and 57.3% male; and by ethnicity was: 81.0% White, 12.6% African-American, and 6.4% Other Minorities.


Table 1: Demographics of First-Year Class and Survey Respondents
First-Year Class
Survey Respondents
Ethnic Group
Female
Male
Total
Female
Male
Total

African-American
254
7.0%
213
5.8%
467
12.8%
200
7.2%
152
5.4%
352
12.6%

Asian
68
1.9%
78
2.1%
146
4.0%
54
1.9%
67
2.4%
121
4.3%

Hispanic
18
0.5%
26
0.7%
44
1.2%
13
0.5%
16
0.6%
29
1.1%

International
9
0.3%
16
0.4%
25
0.7%
0
0.0%
2
0.1%
2
0.1%

Native American
12
0.3%
23
0.6%
35
0.9%
9
0.3%
16
0.6%
25
0.9%

White
1,176
32.3%
1,754
48.1%
2,930
80.4%
913
32.7%
1,346
48.3%
2,259
81.0%

Total
1,537
42.1%
2,110
57.9%
3,647
100.0%
1,189
42.7%
1,599
57.3%
2,788
100.0%

Classifications by academic unit are presented in Table 2. The eleven units are: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Bachelor's (CALS), Agricultural Institute - Two-Year (AG.IN.), School of Design (DSGN), College of Education and Psychology (ED/PSY), College of Engineering (ENGIN), First Year College (FYC), College of Forest Resources (FOR), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), College of Management (MGT), College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS), and College of Textiles (TEX). The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is divided into those students in the Bachelor's program and those in the Agricultural Institute (Two-Year). The largest percentage of students is in the College of Engineering.

Table 2: Classifications by Academic Unit
Academic Unit
First-Year Class
Survey Respondents
Agriculture and Life Sciences (Bachelor's)
698
19.1%
570
20.4%
Design
93
2.6%
45
1.6%
Education and Psychology
107
2.9%
84
3.0%
Engineering
960
26.3%
790
28.3%
First Year College
715
19.6%
506
18.1%
Forest Resources
117
3.2%
90
3.2%
Humanities and Social Sciences
293
8.0%
242
8.7%
Management
254
7.0%
192
6.9%
Physical and Mathematical Sciences
152
4.2%
114
4.1%
Textiles
139
3.8%
105
3.8%
Subtotal
3,528
96.7%
2,738
98.1%
Agricultural Institute (Two-Year)
119
3.3%
50
1.8%
Total
3,647
100.0%
2,788
100.0%
NOTE: Textile Engineering Undesignated is included in the College of Engineering for enrollment and in the College of Textiles for statistics.

Statistics for Fall 1995 First-Year bachelor's students are shown in Table 3. The mean total SAT for all students was 1,061, with the highest SAT scores in the School of Design and College of Engineering. Design students had the highest Admissions Index (AI) and High School grade point average (HSGPA).

Table 3: Fall 1995 First-Year Bachelor's Students Statistics by Academic Unit

Academic Unit
# and % Reporting SAT

SAT Math
SAT Verbal

SAT Total

AI

HSGPA
Agriculture and Life Sciences (Bachelor's)
698
19.8%

551

488

1,039

2.92

3.57

Design
92
2.6%

606

533

1,139

3.14

3.79

Education and Psychology
107
3.0%

556

492

1,048

3.02

3.68

Engineering
911
25.9%

625

513

1,138

3.10

3.77

First Year College
715
20.3%

541

471

1,012

2.74

3.33

Forest Resources
116
3.3%

566

472

1,038

2.85

3.50
Humanities and Social Sciences
291
8.3%

524

498

1,022

2.79

3.39

Management
254
7.2%

548

467

1,015

2.82

3.44
Physical and Mathematical Sciences
152
4.3%

589

494

1,083

3.00

3.63

Textiles
183
5.2%

564

481

1,045

2.96

3.64

Overall

3,519

570

491

1,061

2.93

3.56
NOTE: Textile Engineering Undesignated is included in the College of Engineering for enrollment and in the College of Textiles for statistics.

The overall HSGPA has remained fairly steady over the last three years, at 3.53 in 1993, 3.51 in 1994, and 3.56 in 1995. The overall AI increased from 2.73 in 1994 to 2.93 in 1995. A mixed trend exists over the past five years for overall SAT Total scores (see Chart 3).

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SECTION II

MARKETING RESEARCH

This section presents information pertaining to First-Year students' experiences with the application process and those factors found to be influential in the decision to attend NC State.

Applications

One-fourth of the respondents indicated that they applied only to NC State (see Table 4). Another one-forth applied to only one other school besides NC State. Significant differences by gender (p<0.001) and by ethnicity (p<0.01) were found. A larger percentage of males (30%) than females (20%) applied only to NC State. A larger percentage of African-Americans (16%) applied to five or more schools (including NC State) than did other students (12% White, 12% Other Minorities).

Analysis by Academic Unit revealed significant differences (p<0.001). First-Year students in Engineering, Textiles, and Agriculture and Life Sciences were more likely than students in the other colleges/schools to have only applied to NC State. Almost half (49%) of the First Year College students applied to one or two other schools besides NC State.

Table 4: Number of Colleges Applied To This Year
Number of colleges applied to this year (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
One
25.5
20.0
29.7
16.8
27.4
19.5
Two
25.3
23.3
26.8
27.5
24.9
27.0
Three
21.7
23.4
20.5
24.0
21.3
22.4
Four
15.1
17.5
13.2
16.2
14.6
19.0
Five or more
12.3
15.8
9.7
15.6
11.9
12.1
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.01

Factors Influencing Attendance Decision

First-Year students were asked to indicate the extent that any of seventeen listed factors influenced their decision to attend NC State. The scale used was: 5 = Very Strong Influence, 4 = Strong Influence, 3 = Moderate Influence, 2 = Weak Influence, and 1 = Very Weak Influence. The means and standard deviations for each factor, ranked from highest to lowest means for the total group, is listed in Table 5.

Academic reputation was rated as having the strongest influence on First-Year students' decision to attend NC State. Other strong influences were: availability of program, facilities and resources available, and level of support for intended major. Females rated many of the factors as having a significantly stronger influence than did males, including academic reputation (p<0.05) and availability of program (p<0.01).

Many factors were rated significantly different by the three ethnic groups. African-American respondents felt academic reputation was a significantly (p<0.001) stronger factor that did Whites or Other Minorities. Additionally, African-Americans felt facilities and resources available was a significantly (p<0.05) stronger factor than did Whites. African-Americans felt scholarships and financial aid was a significantly (p<0.001) stronger factor than did Other Minorities, who felt it was a significantly (p<0.001) stronger factor than did Whites. Minorities other than African-Americans rated cost to be a more significant (p<0.001) factor in their decision to attend NC State than did the other ethnic groups.

Respondents were given a choice to list any other factor that they felt had an influence on their decision to attend NC State. The overall mean for this group was 4.24 (SD = 1.23), which ranked as the strongest influence of all the factor choices. Factors listed in the other category by a number of respondents included: sports or athletics, family connections (alumni, tradition, worked at NC State), friends attending or in the area, only school applied to or at which accepted, diversity issues (support for African-American students, student diversity), and the Vet School. Additionally, several students listed the University Scholars Program, Teaching Fellows Scholarship, cheerleading, and the new Undesignated program (First Year College) as factors.

Significant differences were found by academic unit for all factors except attendance at a college fair (see Table 6). The breakdown of factors having the strongest influence by unit was: academic reputation: Engineering, Education/Psychology, Management, and First Year College; availability of program: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Agricultural Institute, Forest Resources, Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Textiles, and Design (tied with level of support for intended major and recommended by friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc.); and location: Humanities and Social Sciences.

Table 5: Factors Influencing Decision to Attend NC State

Mean and Standard Deviation

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Academic reputation
4.06
4.10*
4.02
4.32***
4.02
4.02
0.83
0.82
0.83
0.77
0.83
0.84
Availability of program
3.92
3.98**
3.87
4.00
3.90
3.92
1.05
1.02
1.06
1.01
1.06
1.01
Facilities and resources available
3.89
3.92
3.86
4.05**
3.86^
3.91
0.95
0.96
0.94
0.97
0.94
0.97
Level of support for intended major
3.82
3.81
3.83
3.92
3.81
3.82
1.07
1.08
1.07
1.09
1.07
1.10
Location
3.61
3.73***
3.51
3.71
3.58^
3.78*
1.10
1.07
1.12
1.09
1.11
1.10
Cost
3.32
3.33
3.32
3.17
3.32
3.61***
1.21
1.23
1.19
1.22
1.21
1.10
Recommended by friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc.
3.31
3.37*
3.26
3.11^
3.34*
3.28
1.22
1.22
1.22
1.30
1.20
1.22
Campus visit prior to orientation
3.11
3.23***
3.02
3.35***
3.09
2.95
1.17
1.18
1.15
1.12
1.17
1.15
Contact with a current student
3.10
3.29***
2.97
3.20
3.09
3.08
1.22
1.20
1.21
1.24
1.22
1.19
Extracurricular opportunities
2.93
2.96
2.90
3.22***
2.89
2.90
1.17
1.18
1.16
1.22
1.16
1.17
Scholarships/financial aid available
2.88
3.00***
2.78
3.51***
2.73***
3.13***
1.32
1.33
1.30
1.32
1.29
1.21
Size
2.87
2.97***
2.79
3.09***
2.82^
2.96
1.11
1.11
1.11
1.14
1.10
1.14
Publications from NC State
2.48
2.60***
2.39
2.89***
2.42
2.53
1.11
1.13
1.08
1.13
1.09
1.11
Contact with a school official
2.44
2.52*
2.39
2.83***
2.37
2.53
1.18
1.19
1.16
1.21
1.16
1.19
Number of hours transferred/credited
2.35
2.45**
2.26
2.65
2.26***
2.65
1.07
1.11
1.03
1.03
1.05
1.12
Attendance at a College Fair
2.26
2.36**
2.18
2.62***
2.20
2.24
1.13
1.17
1.09
1.26
1.10
1.12
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05 ; ^ = category compared to for significance

Table 6: Factors Influencing Decision to Attend NC State - by Academic Unit
Mean and Standard Deviation
All

CALS

AG.IN.

ENGIN

FOR

PAMS

TEX
Academic reputation
4.06***
4.05
3.92
4.19
4.01
3.97
4.21
0.83
0.77
0.97
0.79
0.91
0.95
0.79
Availability of program
3.92***
4.08
4.38
4.07
4.25
4.10
4.29
1.05
0.97
0.78
1.01
0.88
1.01
0.98
Facilities and resources available
3.89***
3.97
4.00
3.99
4.08
3.92
4.21
0.95
0.94
1.06
0.91
0.82
0.94
0.93
Level of support for intended major
3.82***
3.95
4.28
4.07
4.19
3.78
4.13
1.07
0.97
0.80
0.98
0.82
1.18
1.00
Location
3.61***
3.61
3.64
3.44
3.31
3.73
3.55
1.10
1.12
1.24
1.10
1.18
1.03
1.03
Cost
3.32***
3.34
3.19
3.45
3.07
3.55
3.23
1.21
1.15
1.16
1.21
1.20
1.11
1.17
Recommended by friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc.
3.31***
3.26
4.13
3.21
3.47
3.39
3.63
1.22
1.28
0.92
1.19
1.13
1.27
1.00
Campus visit prior to orientation
3.11***
3.11
3.64
2.93
3.19
3.26
3.48
1.17
1.21
1.21
1.13
0.96
1.23
1.03
Contact with a current student
3.10***
3.17
3.74
2.89
3.07
2.85
3.25
1.22
1.23
1.04
1.18
1.18
1.31
1.23
Extracurricular opportunities
2.93**
2.93
3.15
2.78
2.86
2.86
2.92
1.17
1.19
1.11
1.13
1.28
1.20
1.11
Scholarships/financial aid available
2.88***
2.88
3.44
2.69
3.51
3.03
3.09
1.32
1.22
1.35
1.27
1.31
1.39
1.25
Size
2.87***
2.88
3.09
2.69
2.68
2.79
2.95
1.11
1.10
1.25
1.07
1.08
1.05
1.09
Publications from NC State
2.48*
2.55
3.05
2.39
2.47
2.52
2.56
1.11
1.10
1.22
1.10
1.09
1.23
1.04
Contact with a school official
2.44***
2.45
3.15
2.20
2.69
2.87
2.93
1.18
1.17
1.29
1.07
1.14
1.32
1.17
Number of hours transferred/credited
2.35**
2.50
2.96
2.23
2.26
2.61
2.51
1.07
1.15
1.20
1.02
0.94
1.12
0.92
Attendance at a College Fair
2.26
2.25
2.86
2.20
2.31
2.24
2.51
1.13
1.12
1.33
1.08
1.22
1.24
1.11
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05

Table 6: (continued)

Mean and Standard Deviation
All

DSGN

ED/PSY

CHASS

MGT

FYC
Academic reputation
4.06***
3.96
3.90
3.84
4.09
3.98
0.83
0.95
0.79
0.87
0.77
0.86
Availability of program
3.92***
4.42
3.66
3.46
3.74
3.54
1.05
0.94
1.14
1.02
0.94
1.12
Facilities and resources available
3.89***
4.07
3.72
3.64
3.84
3.67
0.95
0.86
0.95
0.99
0.91
0.98
Level of support for intended major
3.82***
4.42
3.51
3.14
3.59
3.48
1.07
0.84
1.10
1.03
0.97
1.20
Location
3.61***
3.64
3.85
3.86
3.78
3.67
1.10
0.99
0.96
1.09
0.99
1.13
Cost
3.32***
3.12
3.68
3.30
3.33
3.09
1.21
1.35
1.12
1.23
1.25
1.23
Recommended by friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc.
3.31***

4.42

3.48

3.28

3.33

3.28
1.22
0.94
1.20
1.24
1.21
1.22
Campus visit prior to orientation
3.11***
3.17
3.42
3.29
3.30
3.01
1.17
1.10
1.18
1.15
1.19
1.16
Contact with a current student
3.10***
3.03
3.45
3.37
3.25
3.09
1.22
1.19
1.13
1.21
1.18
1.22
Extracurricular opportunities
2.93**
2.86
2.85
3.15
3.15
3.00
1.17
1.24
1.20
1.16
1.15
1.19
Scholarships/financial aid available
2.88***
2.44
3.61
3.05
2.87
2.74
1.32
1.34
1.28
1.35
1.33
1.37
Size
2.87***
2.95
3.06
3.05
3.09
2.92
1.11
1.30
1.02
1.15
1.17
1.14
Publications from NC State
2.48*
2.13
2.53
2.53
2.50
2.46
1.11
1.04
1.11
1.09
1.12
1.10
Contact with a school official
2.44***
2.43
2.46
2.49
2.52
2.38
1.18
1.43
1.21
1.22
1.18
1.14
Number of hours transferred/credited
2.35**
2.35
1.86
2.29
2.15
2.34
1.07
1.31
0.76
1.16
0.92
1.03
Attendance at a College Fair
2.26
2.06
2.36
2.27
2.26
2.20
1.13
1.09
1.06
1.20
1.22
1.08
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05

After having rated the individual importance of factors affecting their decision to attend NC State, First-Year students were then asked to pick the single most influential factor in that decision. The factors are listed, in order from decreasing percentage chosen, in Table 7. The highest percentage chose academic reputation (24%), followed by availability of program (18%) and level of support for intended major (14%).

Significant differences by gender (p<0.001) were found, with 13% of females choosing location (compared to 9% of males), but 15% of males choosing level of support for intended major (compared to 12% of females).

Academic reputation was chosen as the single most influential factor by the highest percentage of all three ethnic groups. However, some significant differences by ethnicity (p<0.001) were found. For instance, a lesser percentage of African-Americans (11%) than Whites (20%) or Other Minorities (18%) chose availability of program, and a larger percentage of African-Americans (10%) than Whites (3%) or Other Minorities (5%) chose scholarships/financial aid available.

Table 7: Single Most Influential Factor Influencing Decision to Attend NC State

Single most influential factor (%)

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Academic reputation
23.8
23.2
24.3
32.5
22.4
24.4
Availability of program
18.4
18.6
18.2
11.1
19.5
17.6
Level of support for my intended major


13.6

11.8

15.0

12.3

14.0


11.9
Location
10.6
12.5
9.2
8.8
10.7
12.5
Cost
6.5
5.8
7.0
3.8
6.6
10.8
Recommended by friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc.
5.6

5.1

6.0

4.1

6.0

4.5
Facilities and resources available
5.1
4.1
5.9
4.1
5.4
3.4
Scholarships/financial aid available
4.1
5.2
3.4
9.6
3.3
4.5
Other
3.2
3.7
2.9
3.2
3.3
2.3
Campus visit prior to orientation
3.1
4.0
2.5
2.3
3.3
2.3
Contact with a current student
2.4
2.8
2.1
2.0
2.4
3.4
Extracurricular opportunities
1.1
1.0
1.2
2.6
0.9
0.6
Size
0.9
0.6
1.1
0.3
0.9
1.1
Contact with a school official
0.7
0.8
0.7
1.5
0.7
0.0
Number of hours transferred/credited

0.3

0.1

0.4

0.6

0.3

0.0
Publications from NC State
0.3
0.5
0.1
0.6
0.2
0.6
Attendance at a College Fair
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.6
0.1
0.0
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Table 8 lists the percentages of the top two single most influential factors chosen by the respondents in each academic unit. Academic reputation was one of the top two influential factors for ten of the eleven colleges/schools in the decision to attend NC State. Significant differences (p<0.001) by unit were found.

Table 8: Top Two Factors Influencing Decision to Attend NC State - by Academic Unit
Single most influential factor (%)
All

CALS

AG.IN.

ENGIN

FOR

PAMS

TEX
Academic reputation
23.8
19.6
15.9
25.6
15.6
24.6
16.7
Availability of program
18.4
26.9
34.1
27.8
21.1
28.4
Level of support for my intended major

13.6
21.8
Location
10.6
Scholarships/financial aid available

4.1
15.6

Single most influential factor (%)
All

DSGN

ED/PSY

CHASS

MGT

FYC
Academic reputation
23.8
22.6
27.9
28.8
26.4
Availability of program
18.4
36.4
Level of support for my intended major

13.6
27.3
Location
10.6
17.9
20.7
14.7
15.0
Scholarships/financial aid available

4.1
Academic Unit: p<0.001

Phone call after applying

First-Year students were asked whether they received phone calls from NC State representatives after applying for admission. The results are presented in Table 9. Twenty-two percent reported receiving a call from a faculty or staff member, 18% from a current student, and 11% from a graduate. There were significant (p<0.05) differences within the ethnic groups. Only 16% of Other Minorities received a call from faculty/staff, whereas 22% of Whites and 27% of African-Americans received such a call. Additionally, more Whites received calls from students and graduates than did the other two ethnic groups.

Sixty-two percent of the First-Year respondents who received a phone call reported that the personal contact was a positive factor in their decision to enroll at NC State (see Table 10). However, significantly (p<0.001) less males (57%) than females (69%) felt it was a positive factor.

Table 9: Phone Call After Applying
Received call from after applying (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Faculty/Staff Member
22.0
21.2
22.6
27.0
21.7
15.8
Current Student
17.5
16.5
18.3
13.6
18.4
13.6
Graduate
10.9
10.8
11.1
8.8
11.6
6.2
Ethnicity: p<0.05

Table 10: Phone Call a Positive Factor in Enrollment Decision
Personal contact of phone call a positive factor in decision to enroll (%)

All


Female


Male

African- American


White

Other Minorities
Yes
62.3
69.1
57.4
67.7
61.9
53.2
No
16.3
11.9
19.3
13.8
16.8
14.9
Not sure
21.5
19.0
23.2
18.5
21.4
31.9
Gender: p<0.001

Significant differences (p<0.001) by academic unit were found for students receiving phone calls after applying for admission. Seventy-three percent of Physical and Mathematical Sciences students and 50% of Management students received a call from a faculty or staff member, whereas 35% or less of the students in the other units received such a call. The highest percentage of students receiving a phone call from a student were in Textiles (34%), with all other units less than 25%. The only unit where more than 20% of the students received a call from a graduate was Textiles (22%).

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SECTION III

EDUCATIONAL INTENT AND INTERESTS

This section reports responses to several questions dealing with educational intent and interests.

College major

Seventy-three percent of new First-Year students reported being certain or very certain of their college major (see Table 11). Significant differences (p<0.05) by ethnicity were found. More Whites (5%) and Other Minorities (5%) were very uncertain as compared to African-Americans (1%).

Table 11: Certainty of College Major
Certainty of college major (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Very uncertain
4.6
5.2
4.1
1.4
5.0
5.1
Uncertain
22.8
22.0
23.3
20.2
23.0
24.3
Certain
44.2
42.8
45.2
44.7
44.3
41.2
Very certain
28.5
30.0
27.4
33.6
27.6
29.4
Ethnicity: p<0.05

Intent

As reported in Table 12, the primary goal or objective for First-Year students attending NC State is to obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for further schooling (54%) or to obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for career (32%). Significant differences were found for both gender (p<0.001) and ethnicity (p<0.01). More females (64%) than males (46%) are preparing for further schooling, while more Whites (11%) than African-Americans (6%) and Other Minorities (5%) intend to pursue a bachelor's degree or certificate only.

Students were given a chance to list any other goal or objective that they felt was their primary reason for attending NC State. Responses listed by several students include: to take classes in order to transfer, to learn/improve knowledge and skills, and to get a two-year degree.

Table 12: Primary Goal/Objective for Attending
Primary goal or objective for attending NC State (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Bachelor's degree as preparation for further schooling

53.7

64.0

46.1

57.3

52.7

59.7
Bachelor's degree as preparation for career

32.1

25.3

37.1

32.3

32.2

30.1
Bachelor's degree or certificate only

9.6

6.9

11.5

5.5

10.6

4.5
Improve for current profession
2.1
1.4
2.6
4.0
1.8
2.3
Other
1.9
1.9
1.9
0.6
2.0
2.8
Courses for personal interest
0.6
0.3
0.8
0.3
0.7
0.6
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.01

Educational Aspirations

The data in Table 13 reveal that twenty-eight percent of the respondents plan to only complete a bachelor's degree, while 38% plan to complete a master's degree. A significant (p<0.001) difference by gender was found, with more males (34%) than females (20%) stopping with a bachelor's degree but more females (41%) than males (26%) planning to continue on for a doctoral or other professional degree. Significant differences (p<0.001) by ethnicity were also found. In comparison, Whites were more likely to stop with a bachelor's degree, but African-Americans and Other Minorities were more likely to intend further study for a doctoral or other professional degree.

Table 13: Highest Level of Education Planned
Highest level of education plan to complete (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Certificate
1.5
0.3
2.3
0.3
1.7
0.0
Bachelor's degree
28.2
20.3
34.0
20.4
29.7
23.8
Master's degree
38.3
38.9
37.9
39.7
38.3
36.0
Doctoral degree
17.2
17.8
16.7
25.9
15.5
20.9
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
6.3
10.2
3.4
3.8
6.5
7.6
Other professional degree
8.6
12.5
5.8
9.9
8.2
11.6
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Time to Degree Completion

Two-thirds (67%) of First-Year students plan to complete their bachelor's degree in 4 years and 16% plan to take 5 years (see Table 14). Significant differences (p<0.001) were found for both gender and ethnicity. More females (74%) than males (62%) plan to only take 4 years, while more males (30%) than females (20%) plan to take between 4 and 5 years. More African-Americans (37%) than Whites (24%) or Other Minorities (21%) plan to take between 4 and 5 years to complete their bachelor's degree.

Table 14: Intended Length of Time to Completion
Intended length of time to complete bachelor's degree (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Less than 4 years
3.2
3.0
3.3
1.7
3.2
6.3
4 years
67.4
74.4
62.2
57.8
68.9
67.6
4 1/2 years
9.3
7.6
10.5
15.5
8.3
9.1
5 years
16.3
11.9
19.6
21.3
16.0
11.4
5 1/2 years
0.8
0.4
1.1
1.7
0.7
0.6
6 or more years
1.0
0.9
1.1
1.4
0.9
1.7
Will not complete Bachelor's
2.0
1.7
2.2
0.6
2.1
3.4
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Enrollment

First-Year students responses to two questions about their enrollment plans are presented in Tables 15 and 16. Seventy-one percent of respondents plan to enroll in 15 or more credit hours of classes their first semester. Significant differences (p<0.001) by ethnicity were found. More African-Americans (44%) than Whites (26%) or Other Minorities (29%) plan to enroll only in 12-14 credit hours of classes.

Only 12% of respondents plan to take the majority of their courses in late afternoon and evening hours. Significantly more males (13%) than females (10%), and more Other Minorities (18%) than African-Americans (11%) and Whites (11%) will take the majority of their courses in late afternoon and evening hours.

Table 15: First Semester Enrollment
First semester enrollment status (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
15 credit hours of classes or more
70.9

69.4

72.0

55.3

73.5

69.5
12-14 credit hours of classes
28.5
29.9
27.6
44.4
26.0
29.3
Less than 12 credit hours of classes
0.5

0.7

0.4

0.3

0.5

1.2
Ethnicity: p<0.001

Table 16: Courses in Late Afternoon/Evening
Take a majority of courses in late afternoon/evening (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Yes
11.5
9.8
12.8
10.8
11.2
17.5
Gender: p<0.05; Ethnicity: p<0.05

Foreign Language

First-Year students were asked if they planned to study a foreign language beyond the minimum requirements for their major, and if so which language. The data in Table 17 reveal that fifty-five percent who will continue foreign language study plan to take Spanish, and 22% plan to take French. Significant differences by gender (p<0.001) and ethnicity (p<0.001) were found.

Table 17: Foreign Language
Foreign language will study beyond minimum major requirement (%)

All


Female


Male

African- American


White

Other Minorities
Spanish
55.1
53.7
56.3
61.8
55.1
41.6
French
21.8
26.7
17.8
24.4
21.1
24.8
Other
9.0
9.4
8.7
5.5
9.2
13.6
German
7.6
5.8
9.1
2.8
8.7
5.6
Japanese
4.4
2.5
5.9
5.5
3.9
6.4
Chinese
1.2
1.1
1.2
0.0
0.7
8.0
Russian
0.9
0.6
1.2
0.0
1.2
0.0
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.001

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SECTION IV

GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS

This section provides First-Year students' ratings of twelve goals for general education specified by NC State. Respondents were asked their current level of development in these goals as well as the importance of each goal to them at the time of the survey.

The means and standard deviations for level of development, ranked from highest to lowest means for the total group, are displayed in Table 18. The rating scale used was: 5 = Very High, 4 = High, 3 = Average, 2 = Low, and 1 = Very Low. The general education goals in which First-Year students indicated the highest current level of development were: acquiring a broad general education, developing good listening skills, ability to apply mathematics skills, and ability to plan and carry out projects independently.

Significant differences by gender were found on development ratings for all goals except ability to critically analyze events, information and ideas. Males tended to rate their level of development on technical and scientific goals higher than did females. Significant differences by ethnicity were found for three-fourths of the goals. In particular, African-Americans rated their level of development on computer skills higher than Other Minorities, who in turn rated their level of development higher than did Whites.

The means and standard deviations for goal importance, ranked from highest to lowest means for the total group, are displayed in Table 19. The rating scale used was: 5 = Very Important, 4 = Important, 3 = Moderately Important, 2 = Of Limited Importance, and 1 = Not Important. The goals First-Year students indicated were most important to them were: ability to apply mathematics skills, ability to communicate ideas in writing, and understanding diverse cultures and values.

Significant differences by gender were found on importance rating for all goals, with females rating all goals higher than males except for acquiring a broad general education. Significant differences by ethnicity were found for all goals except acquiring a broad general education. In general, African-Americans tended to rate these goals as more important than the other ethnic groups did. In particular, African-Americans rated developing good reading comprehension skills higher in importance than did Other Minorities, who in turn rated this goal higher than Whites. Also, African-Americans rated ability to communicate ideas in writing and developing good listening skills as more important than did Whites.

A comparison between the importance of these goals and the perceived current level of development in these areas revealed several interesting findings. Consistency of high importance and high level of development was reported in the goal of ability to apply mathematics skills. A particular finding of note concerned the goal of understanding diverse cultures and values. While First-Year students considered this a highly important goal, their reported current level of development was one of the lowest for these general education goals.

Table 18: Current Level of Development of General Education Goals

Mean and Standard Deviation

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Acquiring a broad general education
3.80
3.86***
3.75
3.94
3.77***
3.89
0.78
0.76
0.79
0.84
0.76
0.84
Developing good listening skills
3.69
3.84***
3.58
3.90***
3.66
3.71
0.83
0.80
0.84
0.87
0.82
0.85
Ability to apply mathematics skills
3.68
3.55
3.78***
3.62
3.68
3.83*
0.92
0.92
0.92
0.94
0.92
0.99
Ability to plan and carry out projects independently
3.67
3.77***
3.60
3.67
3.66
3.75
0.85
0.84
0.85
0.91
0.84
0.86
Understanding how science and technology influence everyday life
3.60

3.43

3.72***

3.60

3.59

3.71
0.87
0.88
0.84
0.94
0.86
0.89
Ability to critically analyze events, information and ideas
3.49
3.52
3.47
3.54
3.49
3.42
0.80
0.79
0.81
0.86
0.79
0.86
Ability to communicate ideas orally
3.39
3.44*
3.36
3.52*
3.38
3.31^
0.93
0.93
0.93
1.02
0.92
0.91
Developing good reading comprehension skills
3.39
3.50***
3.31
3.58***
3.36
3.37
0.91
0.89
0.92
0.94
0.90
0.94
Ability to communicate ideas in writing
3.38
3.54***
3.25
3.56***
3.35
3.37
0.89
0.87
0.88
0.89
0.88
0.94
Ability to apply scientific principles
3.36
3.20
3.48***
3.31
3.37
3.39
0.88
0.88
0.87
0.92
0.88
0.87
Understanding diverse cultures and values
3.26
3.51***
3.07
3.78
3.13***
3.79
0.99
0.93
0.99
0.96
0.96
0.98
Developing computer skills
3.20
3.10
3.27***
3.55***
3.13***
3.33***
1.01
0.95
1.04
1.00
1.00
1.04
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05 ; ^ = category compared to for significance

Table 19: Importance of General Education Goals

Mean and Standard Deviation

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Ability to apply mathematics skills
4.64
4.75***
4.56
4.81***
4.61
4.66
0.66
0.55
0.71
0.54
0.66
0.71
Ability to communicate ideas in writing
4.46
4.50*
4.43
4.62***
4.43^
4.52
0.75
0.71
0.78
0.66
0.77
0.75
Understanding diverse cultures and values
4.44
4.57***
4.35
4.71***
4.40
4.50
0.75
0.66
0.80
0.62
0.75
0.79
Ability to critically analyze events, information and ideas
4.39
4.47***
4.34
4.59***
4.37
4.31
0.80
0.74
0.83
0.68
0.80
0.88
Understanding how science and technology influence everyday life
4.34

4.48***

4.24

4.55***

4.31

4.38
0.83
0.74
0.88
0.73
0.84
0.83
Developing computer skills
4.34
4.45***
4.26
4.58***
4.31
4.32
0.79
0.72
0.84
0.67
0.80
0.83
Developing good listening skills
4.33
4.46***
4.23
4.44*
4.31^
4.38
0.80
0.73
0.84
0.78
0.81
0.78
Ability to apply scientific principles
4.25
4.39***
4.15
4.52***
4.20
4.33
0.89
0.80
0.95
0.72
0.91
0.90
Ability to communicate ideas orally
4.09
4.15***
4.04
4.27***
4.06
4.10
0.87
0.84
0.89
0.86
0.87
0.88
Acquiring a broad general education
3.99
3.89
4.06***
4.08
3.97
4.09
0.96
1.00
0.92
0.97
0.96
0.96
Ability to plan and carry out projects independently
3.87
4.09***
3.70
4.14***
3.82
3.89
0.98
0.85
1.04
0.94
0.98
0.95
Developing good reading comprehension skills
3.73
4.08***
3.46
4.41***
3.59***
4.09***
1.14
0.98
1.18
0.82
1.14
1.02
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05 ; ^ = category compared to for significance

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SECTION V

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS

This section provides First-Year students' ratings of sixteen goals related to student personal development. Respondents were asked their current level of development in these goals as well as the importance of each goal to them at the time of the survey.

The means and standard deviations for level of development, ranked from highest to lowest means for the total group, are displayed in Table 20. The rating scale used was: 5 = Very High, 4 = High, 3 = Average, 2 = Low, and 1 = Very Low. The personal development goals in which First-Year students indicated their highest current level of development were: taking responsibility for my own behavior and viewing learning as a lifelong process.

Significant differences by gender were found on development ratings for all goals except realizing my potential for success and developing a commitment to personal health and fitness. Females rated their level of development higher than males in all remaining areas except for handling stress and having self-confidence. Significant differences by ethnicity were found for all goals except developing a commitment to personal health and fitness. African-Americans rated three of the remaining goals higher than Whites, and the rest of the areas higher than both Whites and Other Minorities. In particular, African-Americans rated their level of development in taking responsibility for my own behavior higher than did Other Minorities, who in turn rated it higher than did Whites.

The means and standard deviations for goal importance, ranked from highest to lowest means for the total group, are displayed in Table 21. The rating scale used was: 5 = Very Important, 4 = Important, 3 = Moderately Important, 2 = Of Limited Importance, and 1 = Not Important. The personal development goals First-Year students indicated were most important to them were: viewing learning as a lifelong process, developing a commitment to personal health and fitness, and having self-confidence.

Significant differences by gender were found on importance rating for all goals. Females rated all goals except two - realizing my potential for success and clarifying personal identity - as more important than males did. Significant differences by ethnicity were found for all goals except taking responsibility for my own behavior. African-Americans rated many of the remaining goals higher than both Whites and Other Minorities. Interestingly, four goals were rated as more important by African-Americans than by Other Minorities and by Other Minorities as more important than Whites: managing my time, having self-discipline, coping with change, and handling stress.

A comparison between the importance of these goals and the perceived current level of development in these areas revealed several interesting findings. Consistency of high importance and high level of development was reported in the goal of viewing learning as a lifelong process. First-Year students felt it was highly important to develop a commitment to personal health and fitness, yet rated their current level of development in this area in the lower third of these personal development goals.

Table 20: Current Level of Development of Personal Development Goals

Mean and Standard Deviation

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Taking responsibility for my own behavior
4.30
4.44***
4.19
4.56***
4.25***
4.37***
0.74
0.67
0.77
0.66
0.74
0.74
Viewing learning as a lifelong process
4.06
4.21***
3.94
4.27***
4.03
4.06
0.83
0.78
0.84
0.78
0.82
0.91
Being independent and self-reliant
3.97
4.04***
3.91
4.14***
3.94
3.99
0.85
0.85
0.85
0.87
0.84
0.92
Ability to function as part of a team
3.93
4.03***
3.86
4.23***
3.90
3.84
0.86
0.82
0.88
0.86
0.85
0.84
Understanding my own abilities and interests
3.87
3.96***
3.80
4.05***
3.85
3.75
0.83
0.82
0.84
0.92
0.82
0.81
Recognizing and acting upon ethical principles
3.82
3.99***
3.70
3.99***
3.79^
3.88
0.88
0.82
0.90
0.89
0.88
0.86
Having self-discipline
3.80
3.90***
3.72
4.11***
3.74
3.87
0.95
0.93
0.96
0.91
0.95
1.01
Realizing my potential for success
3.74
3.75
3.73
4.11***
3.69
3.66
0.88
0.89
0.88
0.89
0.86
0.97
Clarifying personal identity
3.73
3.83***
3.65
4.09***
3.66
3.78
0.88
0.87
0.89
0.89
0.87
0.90
Having self-confidence
3.68
3.63
3.71*
4.13***
3.62
3.54
0.96
1.00
0.94
0.97
0.94
1.01
Coping with change
3.63
3.68*
3.60
3.78**
3.61^
3.67
0.91
0.91
0.91
0.91
0.91
0.92
Developing a commitment to personal health and fitness
3.61
3.61
3.61
3.64
3.61
3.54
0.98
0.98
0.98
1.09
0.95
1.09
Improving leadership and management skills
3.52
3.58**
3.48
3.69***
3.50
3.43
0.87
0.85
0.87
0.92
0.85
0.90
Handling stress
3.49
3.36
3.59***
3.66**
3.46^
3.53
0.94
0.93
0.94
1.06
0.93
0.88
Managing my time
3.32
3.42***
3.24
3.47**
3.30
3.25
0.99
0.97
1.00
1.07
0.98
1.05
Being involved with public and community affairs
3.18
3.39***
3.02
3.34**
3.16
3.14
1.00
0.96
1.00
1.14
0.97
1.05
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05 ; ^ = category compared to for significance

Table 21: Importance of Personal Development Goals

Mean and Standard Deviation

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Viewing learning as a lifelong process
4.61
4.73***
4.51
4.81***
4.57
4.64
0.67
0.54
0.74
0.49
0.68
0.74
Developing a commitment to personal health and fitness
4.60
4.72***
4.51
4.79***
4.57
4.62
0.67
0.54
0.73
0.50
0.68
0.67
Having self-confidence
4.60
4.69***
4.52
4.76***
4.57
4.60
0.68
0.59
0.74
0.55
0.69
0.78
Being involved with public and community affairs
4.55
4.71***
4.43
4.67**
4.53^
4.59
0.71
0.56
0.78
0.68
0.71
0.78
Understanding my own abilities and interests
4.48
4.63***
4.36
4.65***
4.45
4.51
0.75
0.62
0.82
0.62
0.77
0.76
Recognizing and acting upon ethical principles
4.45
4.57***
4.37
4.74***
4.40
4.50
0.75
0.64
0.81
0.56
0.76
0.75
Taking responsibility for my own behavior
4.36
4.50***
4.27
4.45
4.34
4.45
0.83
0.74
0.87
0.81
0.83
0.83
Improving leadership and management skills
4.29
4.50***
4.14
4.59***
4.24
4.36
0.86
0.70
0.93
0.71
0.87
0.89
Ability to function as part of a team
4.28
4.47***
4.14
4.53***
4.24
4.33
0.83
0.69
0.90
0.64
0.85
0.86
Managing my time
4.07
4.31***
3.89
4.42***
4.01***
4.27***
0.90
0.76
0.96
0.78
0.91
0.82
Having self-discipline
4.04
4.28***
3.86
4.60***
3.94***
4.36***
0.96
0.79
1.04
0.62
0.98
0.89
Coping with change
3.71
3.91***
3.56
4.20***
3.61***
4.03***
0.92
0.85
0.94
0.88
0.89
0.89
Handling stress
3.70
3.86***
3.57
4.08***
3.62***
3.91***
0.92
0.85
0.95
0.81
0.92
0.92
Realizing my potential for success
3.34
3.27
3.39***
3.55***
3.31
3.29
0.84
0.78
0.88
0.92
0.82
0.87
Being independent and self-reliant
3.32
3.53***
3.16
3.48*
3.29^
3.32
1.10
1.03
1.13
1.15
1.09
1.17
Clarifying personal identity
3.26
3.18
3.32***
3.46***
3.24
3.17
0.88
0.83
0.91
0.94
0.87
0.93
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05 ; ^ = category compared to for significance

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SECTION VI

WORLD VIEW GOALS

This section provides First-Year students' ratings of seven goals related to student world view. Respondents were asked their current level of development in these goals as well as the importance of each goal to them at the time of the survey.

The means and standard deviations for level of development, ranked from highest to lowest means for the total group, are displayed in Table 22. The rating scale used was: 5 = Very High, 4 = High, 3 = Average, 2 = Low, and 1 = Very Low. The world view goals in which First-Year students indicated their highest current level of development were: understanding issues and problems facing the world, advancing my appreciation of the arts, music and literature, and being able to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds.

Significant differences by gender were found on development rating for all goals. Females rated their level of development on five of the seven goals higher than did males. Males rated their level of development of valuing gender equity and valuing racial equity higher than did females. Significant differences by ethnicity were also found for all goals. Three goals were rated higher by African-Americans than by Other Minorities, and higher by Other Minorities than by Whites: advancing my appreciation of the arts, music and literature; having a tolerance for different points of view; and understanding the present as it relates to historical events/processes. White students rated their development in being able to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds lower than did the other ethnic groups.

The means and standard deviations for goal importance, ranked from highest to lowest means for the total group, are displayed in Table 23. The rating scale used was: 5 = Very Important, 4 = Important, 3 = Moderately Important, 2 = Of Limited Importance, and 1 = Not Important. The world view goals which First-Year students indicated were most important to them were: valuing gender equity, valuing racial equity, and having a tolerance for different points of view.

Significant differences by gender were found on importance rating for all goals, with females rating all as more important than males. Significant differences by ethnicity were found for all goals. Four goals were rated as more important by African-Americans than by Other Minorities, and as more important by Other Minorities than by Whites: valuing gender equity, valuing racial equity, having a tolerance for different points of view, and being able to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds. African-Americans rated the other three goals as more important than did both other ethnic groups.

An important disparity from the comparison of current level of development in and importance of these goals is worth noting. First-Year students rated the three diversity-related goals (valuing gender equity, valuing racial equity, and having a tolerance for different points of view) as the highest in importance, yet rated their current level of development in these areas as lower than most other world view goals.

Table 22: Current Level of Development of World View Goals

Mean and Standard Deviation

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Understanding issues and problems facing the world
4.43
4.57***
4.33
4.72***
4.38
4.50
0.79
0.68
0.84
0.54
0.80
0.83
Advancing my appreciation of the arts, music and literature
4.36
4.49***
4.25
4.63***
4.31***
4.44***
0.81
0.71
0.86
0.64
0.83
0.75
Being able to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds
4.34

4.49***

4.24

4.58

4.29***

4.52
0.80
0.72
0.84
0.67
0.81
0.71
Valuing gender equity
4.32
4.27
4.35*
4.54***
4.28
4.38
0.84
0.86
0.83
0.72
0.85
0.94
Having a tolerance for different points of view
4.24
4.38***
4.14
4.62***
4.17***
4.44***
0.83
0.72
0.89
0.61
0.84
0.80
Valuing racial equity
4.11
4.03
4.16***
4.27***
4.08^
4.16
0.93
0.97
0.89
0.86
0.92
1.04
Understanding the present as it relates to historical events/processes
4.10

4.32***

3.93

4.44***

4.03***

4.24***
0.91
0.78
0.96
0.79
0.92
0.83
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05 ; ^ = category compared to for significance

Table 23: Importance of World View Goals

Mean and Standard Deviation

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Valuing gender equity
4.34
4.59***
4.14
4.73***
4.27***
4.42***
0.93
0.71
1.02
0.60
0.96
0.86
Valuing racial equity
4.34
4.60***
4.13
4.82***
4.25***
4.53***
0.96
0.73
1.06
0.48
1.00
0.82
Having a tolerance for different points of view
4.31
4.54***
4.14
4.58***
4.27***
4.42***
0.85
0.67
0.93
0.64
0.87
0.82
Being able to interact and work with people from diverse backgrounds
4.28

4.51***

4.10

4.67***

4.21***

4.47***
0.88
0.75
0.93
0.60
0.89
0.87
Understanding issues and problems facing the world
4.10
4.23***
3.99
4.33***
4.06
4.11
0.89
0.81
0.93
0.83
0.88
1.01
Understanding the present as it relates to historical events/processes
3.80

3.89***

3.73

4.19***

3.74

3.81
0.98
0.92
1.02
0.90
0.97
1.05
Advancing my appreciation of the arts, music and literature
3.69
3.96***
3.48
3.93***
3.65
3.72
1.14
1.00
1.20
1.12
1.14
1.13
***p< 0.001 **p< 0.01 *p< 0.05 ; ^ = category compared to for significance

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SECTION VII

CO-CURRICULAR INTERESTS

This section presents responses to questions dealing with interest in co-curricular programs and activities.

Student Affairs

First-Year students were asked to indicate their interest in 26 NC State programs and activities. Additionally, they were asked whether they wanted their name provided to the University office in charge of the programs and activities in which they expressed an interest.

The data in Table 24 reveal that ninety-one percent of the respondents gave permission to release their names. However, significantly (p<0.001) more males (11%) than females (5%) requested that their names not be forwarded.

Table 25 presents the percentage of respondents interested in each program or activity, in decreasing percentage order. The highest percentage of respondents were interested in the following programs or activities: Intramurals (58%), Social Fraternity/Sorority (41%), Outdoor Adventures (39%), Fitness (35%), and Co-Op Program (34%). There were significant differences (p<0.01 or greater) by gender for every program/activity except Music Minor. In general, males reported higher interest in sports-related activities and females were more interested than males in most of the other programs.

Varying significant differences (p<0.05 or greater) by ethnicity were observed. Generally, less African-Americans were interested in some of the sports-related activities but more interested in Social Fraternity/Sorority activities, Student Government, Healthy Lifestyle Issues, and diversity-related programs than comparison groups. Whites were less interested in Student Publications, the Leadership Development Program, and Performing Dance Ensembles than comparison groups. Other Minorities were more interested in Volunteer Services and international-related activities than comparison groups. There were no significant differences by ethnicity for Music Minor, Fitness, Indoor Recreation, Crafts Program. Theater, and Performing Arts Selection/Booking.

Table 24: Permission to Provide Name
Provide my name for programs/ activities interested in (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Yes
91.2
94.7
88.6
94.0
90.6
93.1
No
8.8
5.3
11.4
6.0
9.4
6.9
Gender: p<0.001

Table 25: Interest in Program or Activity
Interest in program or activity (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Intramurals
58.2
40.2
71.6
44.9
60.9
50.8
Social Fraternity/Sorority
40.6
48.4
34.8
61.6
38.1
31.6
Outdoor Adventures
39.4
35.4
42.4
7.4
44.9
32.8
Fitness
34.7
57.1
18.1
35.8
34.2
39.0
Co-Op Program
33.5
30.4
35.9
35.2
32.6
41.8
Volunteer Services
25.9
41.5
14.3
33.0
23.5
42.9
Club Sports
22.1
15.0
27.4
9.4
24.0
23.2
Indoor Recreation
21.9
17.7
25.0
18.5
22.1
26.0
Student Government
19.9
26.0
15.4
31.8
18.1
19.2
Study Abroad/National Student Exchange
18.2

27.9

10.9

12.8

18.5

24.9
Informal Recreation
16.1
10.6
20.1
4.5
18.0
14.7
Student Publications
14.9
20.4
10.9
21.6
13.5
19.8
Leadership Development Program
14.1

17.2

11.8

21.9

12.5

19.2
African-American Programs
11.6
15.9
8.4
88.4
0.5
0.6
Healthy Lifestyles Issues
10.3
16.1
5.9
17.0
9.1
11.3
Theater
10.3
14.8
6.9
9.7
10.5
8.5
Music Minor
7.8
7.9
7.8
7.1
8.1
5.6
International Student Programs
7.1
10.3
4.7
5.4
6.2
20.9
College Bowl
7.1
4.9
8.8
9.7
6.6
9.6
Gender Issues
6.3
12.4
1.8
12.8
5.2
7.9
ROTC
6.3
3.5
8.4
8.8
5.7
9.0
Programs/Services for Children/Families
5.6

10.3

2.1

11.9

4.4

7.9
Performing Dance Ensembles
4.8

10.6

0.4

11.9

3.5

6.8
Crafts Program
4.7
8.4
1.9
5.4
4.5
6.2
Art Gallery Selection/Exhibition
4.5
5.7
3.6
2.3
4.6
7.3
Performing Arts Selection/Booking
3.4

4.9

2.3

3.7

3.3

4.0

ROTC

First-Year students were asked two questions about ROTC participation. Responses are presented in Tables 26 and 27. Only 2% of respondents indicated they had any ROTC training prior to College. Significant differences (p<0.01) by both gender and ethnicity were observed, with less females and Whites having had training.

Only 6% of respondents plan to enroll in ROTC at NC State. Again, significant differences (p<0.001) by both gender and ethnicity were observed, with less females and Whites planning to enroll.

Table 26: ROTC Training Received
Highest level of ROTC training received (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
None
97.5
98.7
96.7
94.6
98.1
95.7
High School ROTC
2.4
1.3
3.3
5.4
1.8
4.3
College ROTC
0.0
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
Gender: p<0.01; Ethnicity: p<0.01

Table 27: Enrollment in ROTC

Plan to enroll in ROTC (%)

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Yes
5.8
3.8
7.4
9.9
5.0
9.0
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Religion

First-Year students were asked to choose their religious preference from a list of 13 choices. The data in Table 28 reveal that the highest percentage of students chose Baptist (32%), followed by Methodist (16%) and Other (15%). Significant differences (p<0.001) by ethnicity were found.

Table 28: Religious Preference

Religious preference (%)

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Baptist
32.1
31.2
32.7
54.8
29.6
18.6
Methodist
16.0
15.2
16.6
9.6
18.0
2.9
Other
15.0
16.3
14.1
13.0
14.0
32.6
No preference
14.3
14.6
14.0
10.7
14.0
24.4
Catholic
11.5
11.8
11.3
3.5
12.7
12.2
Episcopal
4.0
4.6
3.4
0.6
4.7
1.7
Lutheran
3.4
3.2
3.6
0.6
3.8
4.1
Disciples of Christ
1.4
1.5
1.3
5.5
0.9
0.6
Jewish
0.8
0.6
1.0
0.3
0.9
0.0
Latter-Day Saints
0.5
0.3
0.6
0.0
0.5
1.2
Moravian
0.5
0.3
0.6
0.0
0.6
0.0
Unitarian
0.3
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.0
Islamic
0.3
0.1
0.4
1.2
0.0
1.7
Ethnicity: p<0.001

Musical Instruments

First-Year students were asked to indicate if they played any of a list of10 instruments. Only a small percentage of students responded 'yes' to these questions (see Table 29). The highest percentage responded that they played the Malletts/Percussion (3%). Significant differences were found by gender (p<0.05) for Upright Double Bass, Violin, Oboe, Timpani, and Malletts/Percussion. A significant difference by ethnicity (p<0.05) was found for Violin.

Table 29: Instrument Played

Play instrument (%)

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Malletts/Percussion
3.0
1.8
3.9
2.3
3.1
2.8
Violin
1.4
2.2
0.8
2.0
1.2
3.4
French Horn
1.1
1.2
1.1
1.4
1.2
0.0
Timpani
1.1
0.3
1.7
0.0
1.3
1.1
Upright Double Bass
0.7
0.1
1.1
0.3
0.8
0.0
Cello
0.5
0.6
0.4
0.3
0.5
0.6
Bagpipes
0.5
0.3
0.6
0.0
0.6
0.0
Oboe
0.4
0.7
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.0
Viola
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.0
0.3
0.6
Bassoon
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.0
0.4
0.0

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SECTION VIII

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This section reports background information on areas such as financial aid received, households, employment plans, and other personal information.

Financial Aid

The percentages of respondents who indicated that they will be receiving various types of financial aid are presented in Table 30. Thirty-two percent of the respondents indicated they will receive need-based financial aid, with 25% receiving academic-based financial aid. Significant differences (p<0.05) by gender were found, with more females (28%) than males (23%) receiving academic-based aid. Several significant differences (p<0.001) by ethnicity were found. A larger percentage of African-Americans than the other ethnic groups reported they will be receiving academic-based and other types of aid, while a much smaller percentage of Whites than the other ethnic groups reported receiving need-based financial aid.

Table 30: Financial Aid

Financial aid receiving (%)

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Financial need
31.9
32.1
31.7
56.5
27.0
45.2
Academic
25.2
27.6
23.4
33.0
23.8
27.1
Other
10.5
10.9
10.1
15.6
9.8
8.5
Athletic-based
2.4
2.2
2.6
2.6
2.6
0.6
Gender: p<0. 05; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Parent/Guardian Information

First-Year students were asked three questions about their parents/guardians. Fifty-seven percent reported their parent/guardian's pre-tax income was within a $30,001 - $75,000 income range (see Table 31). Significant differences (p<0.01) by gender were found, with more females (19%) than males (14%) coming from households with an income $30,000 or less. Significant differences (p<0.001) by ethnicity were also found, with Whites more likely than the other ethnic groups to come from households with an income of more than $60,000.

Tables 32 and 33 provide the responses to questions on education levels for father/male guardian and mother/female guardian. Seventy-five percent reported that their father/male guardian had at least some college, while 72% reported that their mother/female guardian had at least some college. A significant difference (p<0.05) by gender was found, with more males than females indicating their father/male guardian had 3-4 years of college (including a bachelor's degree). Also, a significant difference (p<0.001) by ethnicity was found. More Whites than the other ethnic groups indicated that both their parents/guardians had 3-6 years of college (including Bachelor's or Master's degrees).

Table 31: Parent/Guardian Income

Parent/Guardian income (%)

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
$10,000 or less
1.5
2.6
0.8
8.6
0.3
3.7
$10,001 - $20,000
5.2
5.8
4.7
17.1
3.1
8.6
$20,001 - $30,000
9.4
10.2
8.8
21.2
6.9
19.1
$30,001 - $40,000
12.7
11.6
13.5
13.7
12.1
18.5
$40,001 - $50,000
12.1
11.9
12.3
12.0
12.0
14.2
$50,001 - $60,000
16.6
15.2
17.7
11.0
17.6
15.4
$60,001 - $75,000
15.5
14.3
16.4
8.6
17.3
6.2
$75,001 - $100,000
13.7
14.9
12.8
4.8
15.5
7.4
More than $100,000
13.2
13.5
13.1
3.1
15.2
6.8
Gender: p<0. 01; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Table 32: Father/Male Guardian Education
Father/Male Guardian education (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Eighth grade or less
0.6
0.6
0.6
0.3
0.5
2.3
Some high school
2.7
2.7
2.7
7.1
1.8
6.4
High school graduate
22.0
22.7
21.5
34.6
20.2
22.1
1-2 yrs college
18.4
18.4
18.3
24.7
17.6
16.3
3-4 yrs college
34.6
31.4
36.9
24.4
37.0
22.7
5-6 yrs college
13.3
14.4
12.6
5.6
14.2
17.4
>6 yrs college
8.4
9.8
7.3
3.4
8.8
12.8
Gender: p<0.05; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Table 33: Mother/Female Guardian Education
Mother/Female Guardian education (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Eighth grade or less
0.4
0.3
0.4
0.3
0.0
5.3
Some high school
1.5
2.1
1.1
5.0
0.6
6.5
High school graduate
26.5
25.5
27.2
29.3
25.8
30.0
1-2 yrs college
25.4
27.2
24.1
30.8
25.1
18.8
3-4 yrs college
31.4
29.1
33.0
22.6
33.2
24.7
5-6 yrs college
12.0
12.8
11.5
11.1
12.2
11.8
>6 yrs college
2.7
2.8
2.7
0.9
3.0
2.9
Ethnicity: p<0.001


Employment Plans

First-Year students were asked two questions about their employment plans. The data in Table 34 reveal that fifty-nine percent of respondents did not plan to work during their first academic year. Significant differences by gender (p<0.001) and ethnicity (p<0.01) were found. More females (43%) than males (39%) plan to work. Less than half of Whites (40%) and African-Americans (44%) plan to work, while more than half of Other Minorities (54%) plan to work.

Forty-three percent of respondents plan to seek employment in North Carolina after graduation, and 40% did not plan to limit their employment location (see Table 35). Significant differences by gender (p<0.001) were found, with more females (16%) than males (11%) limiting their search to the USA, but more males (42%) than females (38%) not limiting their location. Significant differences by ethnicity (p<0.001) were also found. White students were more likely to limit their search to North Carolina (45%) than were African-Americans or Other Minorities (both 34%).

Table 34: Employment Plans During Academic Year
Employment during academic year (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
20 or more hrs/wk
5.1
4.7
5.4
6.9
4.8
5.9
11-19 hrs/wk
13.2
12.1
14.1
12.7
12.8
20.1
1-10 hrs/wk
22.9
26.7
20.0
24.5
22.2
28.4
Do not plan to work
58.8
56.6
60.5
55.9
60.3
45.6
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.01

Table 35: Employment After Graduation
Where plan to seek employment after graduation (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
In North Carolina
43.1
42.2
43.8
34.2
45.1
33.7
Outside NC but in USA
13.1
15.5
11.3
20.0
12.3
10.1
Outside the USA
1.6
1.7
1.4
1.5
1.5
2.4
Anywhere
40.3
37.6
42.3
41.8
39.2
51.5
Will not seek employment
2.0
2.9
1.2
2.4
1.9
2.4
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Household Information

Information about the number in First-Year students' households is presented in Tables 36 and 37. Sixty-one percent of respondents were from households of four or more persons supported by their parents or guardians. A significant difference (p<0.001) by ethnicity was found, with more African-American students reporting being from this size of household than Whites or Other Minorities.

Sixty-nine percent of First-Year students were the only dependent in their family enrolled in college at the time of the survey. However, a significant difference (p<0.001) by ethnicity was found, with more Other Minorities reporting having other dependents in their household in college than did Whites or African-Americans.

Table 36: Number Supported in Household
Number supported in household (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
One
4.1
3.7
4.3
7.6
3.6
3.4
Two
11.6
11.2
12.0
21.2
9.9
14.9
Three
23.7
25.4
22.4
27.6
23.8
14.3
Four
40.0
39.3
40.5
26.8
42.1
39.4
Five or more
20.6
20.3
20.8
16.8
20.6
28.0
Ethnicity: p<0.001

Table 37: Number of Other Dependents in College
Number of other dependents in college (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
None
68.8
68.6
68.9
71.0
69.1
60.1
1
26.2
26.7
25.7
21.9
26.7
27.7
2
4.2
4.2
4.2
5.2
3.6
9.8
3 or more
0.9
0.5
1.2
1.9
0.6
2.3
Ethnicity: p<0.001


Home Community

Responses to a question about type of home community are presented in Table 38. One-fourth of First-Year students reported that they lived in a small town (20,000 or less) during high school, and slightly more than one-fourth reported being from a moderate-sized city (20,001 - 60,000). Both gender and ethnicity were found to have a significant difference (p<0.001). More males (22%) than females (17%) were from rural areas, while less Other Minorities (9%) were from rural areas than were African-Americans (21%) or Whites (20%).

Table 38: Area Lived in During High School
Area lived in during high school (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Rural area
19.6
16.7
21.8
20.5
20.3
9.2
Small town
24.9
25.8
24.3
24.0
25.5
19.5
Moderate city
27.9
29.7
26.6
27.9
27.2
37.4
Large city
12.1
13.8
10.9
16.6
11.2
14.9
Urban area
15.4
14.0
16.4
11.0
15.7
19.0
Gender: p<0.001; Ethnicity: p<0.001

Personal Information

First-Year students were asked two questions about dependent children. Almost all (98%) reported having no dependent children (see Table 39). However, significant differences by gender (p<0.05) and ethnicity (p<0.001) were found. Four percent of females reported having dependent children, as compared to two percent of males. Six percent of African-Americans reported having dependent children, while only 2 percent of Whites and Other Minorities did.

Of the 67 students who responded that they had dependent children, very few answered the question concerning those children's ages. The number of those respondents who indicated having a dependent child in each of five age categories is listed in Table 40.

Students were asked to indicate if they had any of seven listed disabilities. Only a small number of students responded to this question, and the percentages are presented in Table 41.

Table 39: Number of Dependent Children
Number of dependent children (%)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
None
97.5
96.4
98.4
94.0
98.0
97.6
1
0.9
1.2
0.7
3.0
0.6
0.6
2
1.0
1.6
0.7
1.8
1.0
0.6
3 or more
0.5
0.9
0.3
1.2
0.4
1.2
Gender: p<0.05; Ethnicity: p<0.001


Table 40: Number Indicating Age of Dependent Children
Ages of dependent children (Number)
All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Infant
15
10
5
10
5
0
Pre-school
1
0
1
1
0
0
Elementary school
1
1
0
0
1
0
Secondary
5
4
1
0
5
0
18 yrs. and older
5
4
1
1
4
0

Table 41: Disability

Disability (%)

All

Female

Male
African- American

White
Other Minorities
Other
2.4
1.9
2.8
2.6
2.2
4.5
LD/ADD
1.3
0.8
1.6
0.9
1.4
0.6
Legally Blind
1.1
1.5
0.8
0.6
1.0
2.8
Psychological
0.5
0.6
0.4
0.3
0.4
1.7
Hard of Hearing/Deaf
0.2
0.3
0.1
0.6
0.2
0.0
Mobility Impairment
0.2
0.3
0.2
0.3
0.2
0.0
Traumatic Head Injury
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.2
0.0

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SECTION IX

ACADEMIC UNIT ANALYSIS

NC State's undergraduate offerings are divided into eleven academic units: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Bachelor's (CALS), Agricultural Institute - Two-Year (AG.IN.), School of Design (DSGN), College of Education and Psychology (ED/PSY), College of Engineering (ENGIN), First Year College (FYC), College of Forest Resources (FOR), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), College of Management (MGT), College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS), and College of Textiles (TEX). This section provides responses to selected questions by First-Year students enrolling in each of these areas. Additional responses for the Marketing Research questions are found in Section II.

Academic Unit Summary:

The percentage of respondents in each academic unit who are certain (very certain or certain) of their college major is presented in Chart 7. The breakdown of the first-semester employment plans of First-Year students, by academic unit, is shown in Chart 8.



College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - Bachelor's (CALS)

Agricultural Institute - Two-Year (AG.IN.)


School of Design (DSGN)



College of Education and Psychology (ED/PSY)


College of Engineering (ENGIN)

First Year College (FYC)

College of Forest Resources (FOR)


College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS)

College of Management (MGT)

College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS)


College of Textiles (TEX)

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