University Park, Pa. -- With the start of another new academic year upon them, Penn State's Board of Trustees was offered a snapshot of the characteristics, values, interests and behaviors of today's Penn State students at the Trustees' meeting on Friday, Sept. 17, on the University Park campus. Vicky Triponey, vice president for student affairs; Philip Burlingame, assistant vice president for student affairs; and Andrea Dowhower, director of student affairs research and assessment, explained how staying closely in touch with today's students helps to shape student affairs programs and services.
Sharing an overview of how Penn State students compare to all undergraduate students in America, Burlingame noted that Penn State has a lower percentage of women (46 percent, compared to 56 percent nationally) and minorities (12 percent, compared to 32 percent nationally) but a higher percentage of full-time students (84 percent, compared to 68 percent) and financial aid recipients (83 percent, compared to 39 percent nationally).
Demographic data about University Park undergraduates reveal that only 5 percent of students are considered adult learners—which is defined as being 24 or older—while 22 percent of the student body are adult learners at other Penn State locations. Additionally, Burlingame reported that 25 percent of University Park students are from out of state, while only 7 percent are non-residents at the University's other locations.
Also integral to the snapshot is that almost half of the student body graduates in four years at University Park, whereas 22 percent graduates in this timeframe at other Penn State campuses. However, those numbers increase to 83 percent and 51 percent, respectively, when looking at the six-year trend. This timeframe provides a more practical measure at a time when students are taking longer than the traditional four years so that they can take advantage of internship or study-abroad opportunities or additional major and minor choices.
Burlingame reported that researchers have referred to the current generation of college students as the "Millennial Generation." These students were born after 1982, and are the most numerous, affluent and ethnically diverse generation in American history, said Burlingame. Among the Millennial Generation's attributes is that of displaying more respect for authority and traditions; consequently, school spirit and programs like homecoming and Greek Week may enjoy an upswing of popularity. Millennials will likely experience women garnering increasingly greater numbers of leadership positions, academic honors and graduate admissions. In addition, it is predicted a more multiethnic student body will seek common ground rather than turning to separatism.
Burlingame noted some interesting contrasts in research about Millennials. While trust of others is expected to decline among this group, some students are predicted to be more interested in civic engagement. Also, trends show an increased interest in faith and spirituality but not a comparable interest in organized religion. Millennials also have a high trust of government and an interest in politics but only a limited interest in voting.
Sharing results of an annual survey conducted by UCLA of more than 275,000 students at approximately 400 colleges, Burlingame said universities are seeing several trends consistent with traits of Millennials among incoming students. For instance, interest in politics is on the rise; participation in community service is increasing; and religious involvement is declining. In addition, raising a family and succeeding financially are rated most highly among life goals for students, and receiving "A" averages in high school is at a record high, although study time remains low. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of students surveyed had some concern about their ability to afford their education.
While Burlingame shared an overview of the general characteristics of the country's incoming college students, Dowhower offered a more detailed look at Penn State students in particular. Highlighting findings from several surveys conducted by the University's Division of Student Affairs—including the 2004 Student Satisfaction Survey and several of the University's Pulse surveys—Dowhower reported that the large majority of Penn State students (86 percent) said they would chose the University again, thereby rating their overall satisfaction with their student experience as very high.
Citing a recent Pulse survey connected to the "We Are" campaign (a student-led initiative to encourage Penn State students to act with greater civility towards campus and community members), Dowhower reported that the majority of students feel freedom of expression is protected (64 percent) and that the well-being of each individual is considered important at Penn State (57 percent).
In keeping with national trends, evidence suggests that Penn State students are engaging more deeply in their academic pursuits. With the majority of students reporting satisfaction with their formal academic experiences (73 percent), quality of teaching (66 percent), quality of courses (67 percent) and opportunity to meet with faculty outside the classroom (70 percent), it is no surprise that most students (68 percent, up from 63 percent in 2002) report not skipping a class in an average week and that the amount of time students spend doing coursework outside of class is steadily increasing, said Dowhower.
Dowhower went on to report that Internet usage also is up among students. "Across the Penn State system, there has been a steady increase in the amount of time spent on the Internet doing class-related work," Dowhower said, citing an increase to just more than seven hours per week (an increase of about one hour from 2002). Non-class-related work such as instant messaging (up to about 10 hours per week from approximately eight hours in 2002) and "surfing the net" (which has seen a small increase from just under seven hours in 2002 to almost eight hours in 2004) are also popular online activities.
More students also are members of a student club or organization (60 percent systemwide and 75 percent at University Park, each up about 5 percent from 2002). Dowhower said that between 2002 and 2004, a higher percentage of students reported improvement in a variety of skills and abilities—such as communication skills, ability to work on group projects and time-management skills—as a result of their participation in a student club or organization.
Dowhower also shared statistical information about the success of the University's Newspaper Readership program, a model that started in spring 1997 as a way to deliver daily newspapers to Penn State students. "Across the Penn State system, 87 percent of students report weekly use of the newspaper readership program," said Dowhower. "With more than 1.8 million papers distributed annually, Penn State has the largest program in the country."
To conclude the panel's remarks, Triponey explained how the Division of Student Affairs uses their research and assessment reports to help make strategic decisions, allocate resources and plan new initiatives. Collecting all data—whether they reflect highlights in student success or barriers that inhibit success—helps administrators provide students with the most ideal experience at Penn State. "We rely on our research and assessment to help us understand the ever-changing student experience," said Triponey.
Due in large part to research findings, Triponey reported, the University will be providing increased student service support at campus/college locations throughout the Commonwealth. Additionally, the University will be re-engaging students to forge stronger relationships with Greek organizations, to foster diversity in the context of all student organizations, and to have meaningful conversations about Penn State's core values through the "We Are" campaign.
For more information about the Division of Student Affairs, visit http://www.sa.psu.edu/