Q2S Survey Kelsie Miller Vice President for Academic Affairs Associated Students of Central Washington University Board of Directors

Creation of Survey Objective task force of students in association with the Student Academic Senate (SAS) Brian Davis Robert Moser David Sturgell Expansion of research that SAS conducted Spring 2013 Background Research Eastern Washington University Study: Quarter to Semester Conversion, 2009 Explained premise of survey Basic facts on both Semester and Quarter systems Provided source for students who wished to view EWU study Qualtrics

Distribution of Survey CPORT Communication Sent to 10,332 students All active CWU students, including all Campuses Resent once to students who had not interacted with Advertising Publicity center Tabling in SURC All communications from BOD regarding survey neutral, designed to not influence outcome Results Goal: 10% of students to take survey 1,765 total student responses 17.08% student body responded- exceeded original goal Margin of Error 2.12%, According to American Research Group.com

Question 1: Enrollment Status

Figure 2: Depicts the responses of surveyed students in percentages. Out of 1761 student responses.

Q3: Continued…Why? Preferred quarters because: Classes Greater variety of class options Easier scheduling, more flexibility Focus on fewer classes at a time More frequent class meetings Smaller class size Less commitment for classes students are unhappy in quicker pace/greater intensity Shorter classes means less "burn out" “Breathe between courses" Financial reasons Refund checks more frequent Payments spread out Beneficial for summer jobs Transfer students- easier for students from community colleges Improves time management Graduate faster Preferred semesters because: Increased: Instructional time In-depth learning Quality of relationships with professors Comprehension Retention of information Use of textbook Classes: More time to recover from bad start More classes at a time Steady pace Greater time to complete assignments Less rushed/stressful less repetition of classes Fewer general education classes Easier to settle into routine January term useful Semester schedule similar to more schools

ASCWU-BOD Pros & Cons Pro More time for students to fully comprehend the material in a longer period of time. Semesters allow for easier transferring of credits from other colleges. Converting to Semesters would allow students more time to improve grades. Could potentially save costs over the long term. Con Possibility of being in class a longer period of time, with a professor whom you disagree with. Quarter systems allow for more class variety. Students who are enrolled in CWU now feel that conversion will lead to a longer graduation time. Large upfront costs associated with conversion. Students voiced concerns regarding a change to their summer schedule.

ASCWU-BOD Recommendation Given the overwhelming student response against semester conversion, the ASCWU-BOD recommends that the Faculty Senate not move forward with any proposal to pursue conversion at Central Washington University. It is our firm belief that the responses gathered in this survey accurately reflect how the student population feels on this topic. We also believe that due to the high response rate and unbiased nature of the survey, these results are not an anomaly or a concerted effort by a small and passionate minority to oppose conversion. We appreciate the efforts of the Faculty Senate to include us in this process, and are confident that the concerns of the student body will be taken seriously as the Senate decides how to proceed on this issue.