Educating SLU Students toward Personal & Social Responsibility Findings from the Personal and Social Responsibility Institutional Inventory (PSRII) Presentation under the Auspices of Core Commitment’s Grant of AAC&U October 13, 2008

The PSRII Climate measure of individual and group perceptions of the campus environment on 5 dimensions of personal and social responsibility Examines perceptions of students, faculty and staff; explores congruence, dissonance and institutional pervasiveness Survey administration at SLU November 2007

The five dimensions of the PSRII I.Striving for excellence II.Cultivating personal and academic integrity III.Contributing to a larger community IV.Taking seriously the perspective of others V.Refining ethical and moral reasoning

The survey sample

Should these dimensions be a major focus of student development on this campus?

Difference between what is considered “should” and “is” a major focus on campus

Faculty comparison of “should” vs. “is” focus

Entering capacities and growth Across all groups, survey respondents agree that students grow across all dimensions of PSR There is strong disagreement between students and faculty/staff to what extent students already entered with these skills.

Different perceptions about level of development of skills at time of college entry

Taking seriously the perspective of others Generally, area of high congruence + pervasiveness > 80% of all groups agree on the following: campus helps students understand connection between appreciating various opinions/perspectives & being well- informed citizen campus has high expectations regarding students taking seriously the perspective of others, esp. when disagreeing faculty teach about the importance of considering diverse intellectual viewpoints/help students think through new & challenging ideas or perspectives

cont. students are respectful of one another when discussing controversial issues, perspectives, and points of view* campus actively promotes awareness of US and global social, political and economic issues both class room experiences and out-of class activities are powerful learning experiences

Areas of lower pervasiveness In the curriculum/in courses: Percent stating courses/curriculum frequently:studentsfaculty include materials on global, social, political, and economic issuesna51% encourage students to research and explore controversial issues with various perspectives55%53% provide opportunity to further develop students' ethical and moral reasoning capacities39%33%

How students enact personal and social responsibility Percent of students respondingfrequentlynever I have had meaningful discussions about personal and academic integrity with others39%15% I have had meaningful discussions with other students about the need to contribute to the greater good36%13% It is safe to hold unpopular positions (4 pt scale: shown here % agree strongly/% disagree) 30%28%

Declining perceptions of personal & social responsibility from first year to senior year Differences in how the current campus focus is perceived

Differences in the opportunities students see available to them Mean ratings of students First YearSophJuniorSenior This campus actively promotes awareness of U.S. social, political, and economic issues This campus has high expectations for students for taking seriously the perspectives of others Faculty teach about the importance of considering diverse intellectual viewpoints This campus helps students develop their ethical and moral reasoning capacities This campus provides opportunities for students to develop their ethical and moral reasoning with academic work Students are encouraged to take action to promote a more moral and ethical world

Differences in how students rate the climate Mean ratings of students First YearSophJuniorSenior It is safe to hold unpopular positions Students on this campus conduct themselves with respect for others

“It is safe to hold unpopular positions” Responses from students (by class year) and faculty

For more information about the PSRII and Core Commitments