Research & Evaluation

University of California Undergraduate Student Experience Survey (UCUES)

Topical Reports

Student Diversity - This Powerpoint presentation compares perceptions of UCI by aggregated student ethnic category. The groups included are Asian, Minority, Other, and White students. UCUES results discussed include student background, academic engagement, civic engagement, learning gains, personal development, campus climate, and overall satisfaction with UCI. This report was delivered to the UCI Academic Senate Committee on Student Engagement.

Results indicated differences among ethnic groups on academic engagement, civic engagement, campus climate, and overall satisfaction. Black students reported being more actively engaged with faculty and classroom participation, while Asians reported the lowest frequencies in these same two areas. Perceptions regarding campus climate were lowest for Black students. Blacks and Asians were somewhat less satisfied than other groups with their undergraduate experiences overall, while White students seemed somewhat more satisfied than other groups. However, differences between groups were relatively small.

Political Leanings Data - This table and chart compare UCI students and UC average student political affiliation. The information came from identical questions in the UCUES Civic Engagement and Student Development modules (40% of respondents).

Results indicated that UCI students are somewhat less liberal (49%) than the UC average (57%), and that UCI students are slightly more conservative (22%) than the UC average (19%). UCI students are more moderate (29%) than the UC average (24%).

Postgraduation Plans - This report presents postgraduation plans and highest degree planned data for Undecided/Undeclared and all other direct entrants from high school who started at UCI in Fall 2005.

This report reflects long term plans after graduation for first time college entrants during the spring of their first year in college. As might be expected, those students entering UCI as Undecided/Undeclared were less certain of their future plans than were students entering campus with specific majors. Only 52% of Fall 2005 U/U entrants already were committed to attending graduate school in the spring of their first year, as compared to 65% of Fall 2005 first time entrants who began studies with a specific major. Also, 29% of U/U students answered that they had no idea at this point what they would do after graduation, as compared with only 17% of first time entrants who started UCI with a specific major.

Student Engagement and Satisfaction - A series of tables and charts presented to the UCI associate deans for undergraduate education showing overall UCI results from the UCUES upper division core. Table themes included satisfaction with the UCI educational experience, academic program quality, academic engagement, and student skills and proficiencies gains.

Upper division students on average were somewhat satisfied to satisfied both lower and upper division courses, research opportunities and academic enrichment programs, access to faculty outside of class, and the quality of teaching assistant and faculty instruction. Students reported occasional to somewhat often engagement in academic activities such as raising their standards to meet faculty expectations, helping classmates to understand academic material, and working on group projects. Students also reported gains in all academic skills and abilities from when they started at UCI to the time of the UCUES survey, these gains often reaching more than one full level of improvement over time.

Student Affairs Presentation - This Powerpoint presentation was delivered to the UCI Student Affairs senior management group as an overview of the types of UCUES information available to help answer programmatic questions. Areas covered included overall satisfaction with UCI, campus climate, student engagement, student gains, demands on student time, barriers to academic success, perceptions of specific student services, and student evaluation of the Student Affairs web sites.

UCI students expressed nearly the same level of satisfaction as the other UC campuses on average ( 71% satisfied with Social experience, 83% satisfied with Academic experience). UCI students also reported a profound sense of belonging at the campus ( 79% feel they belong at the campus, 81% would reenroll here again, if given the chance to start over). UCI is perceived as a safe campus, and is characterized as friendly and tolerant of diversity. Seventy-five percent of respondents have used Student Housing Services and 70% have used Residential Life Programs. Of those who have used the services, 75% say Student Housing Services are "Good" or "Excellent", and 72% said Residential Life programs are "Good" or "Excellent," both ratings being second-highest of any UC campus.

Division of Undergraduate Education Student Services - This table and series of charts were presented to the DUE managers group to inform them about student perceptions of services offered through the division. Specific student services highlighted in the data were Tutoring, Transfer Student Services, Reentry Student Services, and First Generation Student Services.

Between seventy and eighty percent of respondents rate the DUE student services as "Good" or "Excellent, with all ratings near to or exceeding the UC-wide averages.

Undergraduate Research - This brief report compares undergraduate research participation to the other UC campuses on average. UCI students indicated the most research participation of any UC campus in three of the seven research categories, including student research program courses (34%), independent study courses (30%), and assisting faculty with their research for course credit (25%).

All academic units were reported as having significant enrollment in student research program courses. Biological Sciences, The Arts, Engineering, and Social Ecology were particularly high in the proportions of students enrolled in independent studies. And more than half of Biological Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies students reported assisting faculty in their research activities for course credit.

Irvine Wildcard Results - This series of frequencies tables summarizes results from the UCUES wildcard module. Topics include ownership and use of computers and digital audio devices, use of email, instant messaging and other internet services, the usefulness of technology in UCI courses, student use of UCI libraries, and the utility of UCI"s Student Affairs web sites.

According to survey results, 76% of UCI undergraduates own a laptop computer. 99% use their university email accounts. Almost two-thirds of respondents indicate they are more engaged in courses that require the use of technology than courses that do not. The majority of respondents who have used Student Affairs web sites found them to be at least adequate or as having everything needed. Almost 90% of respondents have gone to the library to study, and 86% have used the library website to find course materials.

Commuter Students Report - The purpose of this report was to present findings about the impact of living on or off campus during the freshman year at UCI. Analysis was conducted under three broad areas: background or entering characteristics, undergraduate experiences, and outcomes (including self-reported learning gains, GPA and one-year retention rates).

Commuter students were more likely to be first-generation and low-income students, both of which have been found to pose a number of challenges to students’ ability to persist to graduation (Strage, 1999). Findings suggest that living on campus, when compared to living off-campus, in the freshman year promotes better social integration, more academic involvement with other students outside of class, better understanding and appreciation of diversity, more satisfaction with their social experiences, and a stronger sense of belonging to the campus.

What UCUES Tells Us About UCI Students - This powerpoint slide show, giving an overview of UCUES 2006 results, was presented to the professional staff in the UCI Dean of Students Office. Significant findings shared include:

Approximately four-fifths of UCI students are satisfied with the academic experience, feel they belong here, and would reenroll at UCI.
They are less satisfied with the social experience and the value per cost of a UCI education.
Freshman and Seniors are significantly more satisfied across all satisfaction items with the exception of reenrolling at UCI.
Students report that UCI is safe, friendly, and tolerant of diversity.
Students’ perception of the campus as friendly declines as they go up in class level.
Freshman are significantly more likely to believe students are respected regardless of religious beliefs while Seniors are least likely to share that view.
About half of all students report gains in self-awareness and understanding, interpersonal skills, and growth in understanding personal social responsibility.
60% of our students have jobs.
UCI students services are well-received, and usually rated at or above UC averages.

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