Looking at the Past, Shaping the Future: Getting to Know Our Students for the Past 40 Years NASPA/ACPA 2007 Conference Orlando, FL  April 2, 2007 Sylvia HurtadoJohn H. Pryor Director Higher Education Research Institute Cooperative Institutional Research Program Higher Education Research Institute University of California at Los Angeles

Introduction Unprecedented increase in enrollment Baccalaureate degree as a minimum and essential credential for many employers Enrollment predicted to increase through 2015 Women’s movement and civil rights movement sought to decrease inequities and enhance diversity Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Introduction Are our institutions: –Achieving educational equity? –Meeting student’s needs and aspirations? –Developing the values, skills, and knowledge for an increasingly complex and global society?

Cooperative Institutional Research Program Longitudinal Research Program Launched in 1966 Hundred’s of articles in professional journals and books written using CIRP data Astin’s “Theory of Involvement”

Higher Education Research Institute CIRP Cooperative Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey YFCYCSS Faculty Survey Funded Research Atlantic Philanthropies Templeton Foundation National Institutes of Health

Forty Years of Trend Data ,865 respondents 251 Colleges and Universities 271,441 respondents 393 Colleges and Universities Total over 40 years: 8,319,318 students 1,201 colleges and universities

CIRP Freshman Survey Trends Major Findings in the Report –Demographics and Implications for a Diverse Society –Access and Affordability –Preparation for College –Technology –Politics and Discourse –Values –Conclusion and Implications

Demographic Changes

Increased racial ethnic diversity Women have become a stable majority Older students More students reporting learning disabilities Parents more affluent Parents less likely to live together

Preparation for a Diverse Society

CIRP Research Reports

College Choice

College Choice: Applications Increase

CIRP Freshman Survey Trends 2006 – 67.3% attending first choice 1976 (77.3%) 1986 (70.7%) 1996 (71.5%)

Affordability

Parental Income –Rising faster in the group of parents of college students than the national average In 1975, parental income of students was 46% above national In 2005, parental income of students was 60% above national –Rising faster for parents of students in public universities Family income of students at privates rose 15.7% Family income of students at publics rose 17.1% –Fewer students have major concerns about financing their education (11.6%, down from 19.1% in 1995)

Preparation for College

Since 1982, completion of recommended levels increased (National Commission on Excellence) Most increases in meeting recommended levels of course work were in the first decade Still improvement needed in: –Biology (46.8%) –Physical Science (59.9%) –Computer Science (61.6%)

Preparation for College Academic Preparation –Student Perception of Necessary Remedial Work in College Dropped from 1971 to 1979, but remains fairly stable since then –Will need remedial work in College? 24.1% Math 10.9% Science 9.4% English –Gaps by Racial/Ethnic Group have closed but remain

Preparation for College Academic Habits and Experiences –More were late to class in High School 48.2% in % in % in 2006

Fewer Students Studying 6+ Hours a Week as High School Seniors

Preparation for College Academic Habits and Experiences –Declining interaction with High-School Teachers

Technology

Use a personal computer –23.5% in 1985 –85.8% in 2005 Used Internet for homework

Technology Frequent Use of the Internet for Homework as High-School Senior

Social and Political Views

Political Ideology

Political Views

Shifting views on abortion, gay rights, legalization of marijuana, and using affirmative action in college admissions Driving this change has been differential changes among conservatives and liberals

Political Views Politics –Greater differences between students –Also disagree if Colleges have the right to ban extreme speakers: –Overall agreement has increased: 24.1% agree in 1986 to 40.5% in 2006 Conservatives: 55.1% agree Liberals: 28.5% agree

Values

Are students more: –apathetic? –materialistic? Why Go To College –Greatest Changes To make more money –49.9% in 1976 –64.9% in 1985 –69.0% in 2006 To prepare for graduate/professional school –34.9% in 1971 –57.7% in 2006

Values Student Interest in Quality of Life issues –Upward social mobility lessened –Culture emphasizes quick paths to wealth High corporate salaries Dot.com State lotteries –Financial considerations such as College –Altruism in helping others

CIRP Freshman Survey Trends

Implications for Student Affairs and College Educators Educating students about diversity, promoting civil discourse, and skills for handling conflict are more important today –Co-curricular programming examples –Staff training

Implications for Student Affairs and College Educators Reports for special tutoring or remediation have not declined among entering freshmen. How will we meet their needs? –Placement tests, advising, early warning systems, more advising –Supplemental education in living learning programs –High school and college partnerships examples

Implications for Student Affairs and College Educators Technology progress means keeping up with modes of communication and student learning (e.g.evaluating sources of information).

Implications for Student Affairs and College Educators Students want a better quality of life and are altruistic –Millennial generation has received much criticism but many of the trends preceded them, starting in the 1980s. –Service opportunities with time for students to reflect on values –Encourage the development of responsible citizenship

Implications for Student Affairs and College Educators Access and Affordability: Balancing the market perspective with broader goals of higher education –Enable more low and middle income students to make good choices –Work collaboratively with colleges that have capacity, joint agreements –Using broad definition of talent and multiple ways of assessing it in admissions

For More Information To order “The American Freshman: Forty Year Trends,” or for more information Go to the HERI booth or use our website: 40 year trends institutional report for each school that has participated in the 2006 data collection and has at least 5 years of data