2017 Your First College Year Survey

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Published September 2015

Your First College Year survey was sent to all freshman students in the Spring 2017. These students are currently sophomores. The response rate was 6.2% of the 2016 entering freshman class and the data should be interpreted with caution. However, Illinois responses represented 16% of all the respondents to the survey nationally.

Diversity Pulse

Illinois students rate themselves as somewhat strong or a major strength in the following areas related to diversity:

How would you rate yourself on ability to see the world from someone else's perspective?
  • Males 75.4%
  • Females 69.5%
  • All 71.5%
How would you rate yourself on tolerance of others with different beliefs?
  • Males 76.9%
  • Females 80.2%
  • All 79.0%
How would you rate yourself on openness to having my own views challenged?
  • Males 69.7%
  • Females 67.2%
  • All 68.1%
How would you rate your ability to discuss and negotiate controversial issues?
  • Males 73.0%
  • Females 63.9%
  • All 67.0%
How would you rate your ability to work cooperatively with diverse people?
  • Males 77.0%
  • Females 82.8%
  • All 80.8%

Illinois students reported that they occasionally or frequently do the following:

Since entering this college have you socialized with someone of another sexual orientation?
  • Males 74.6%
  • Females 82.6%
  • All 79.9%

Illinois students reported that they often or very often engaged in the following:

To what extent have you experienced dining or sharing a meal with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 61.3%
  • Females 54.3%
  • All 56.7%
To what extent have you experienced meaningful and honest discussions about race/ethnic relations outside of class with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 39.6%
  • Females 42.5%
  • All 56.7%
To what extent have you experienced sharing personal feelings and problems with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 41.8%
  • Females 44.2%
  • All 43.4%
To what extent have you studied or prepared for class with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 56.8%
  • Females 53.1%
  • All 54.4%
To what extent have you experienced intellectual discussions outside of class with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 46.8%
  • Females 46.9%
  • All 46.9%
To what extent have you socialized or partied with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 52.3%
  • Females 51.0%
  • All 51.4%

Illinois students reported that the following were very important or essential:

How important is it to you personally to help promote racial understanding?
  • Males 26.6%
  • Females 49.7%
  • All 41.6%
How important is it to you personally to improve your understanding of other countries and cultures?
  • Males 52.3%
  • Females 65.8%
  • All 61.0%

Over half of Illinois students reported that they never or seldom have experienced the following:

To what extent have you experienced tense, somewhat hostile interactions with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 52.3%
  • Females 55.6%
  • All 54.4%
To what extent have you experienced guarded, cautious interactions with students from a different racial/ethnic group?
  • Males 70.3%
  • Females 76.2%
  • All 24.3%
To what extent have you experienced feeling insulted or threatened because of your race/ethnicity?
  • Males 75.5%
  • Females 76.5%
  • All 76.1%
To what extent have you felt ignored or invisible because of your race/ethnicity?
  • Males 73.0%
  • Females 72.1%
  • All 72.4%

For the first time sexual orientation was asked in the survey.

What is your sexual orientation?
Male
  • Heterosexual 92.9%
  • Gay 3.5%
  • Lesbian 0.0%
  • Bisexual 2.8%
  • Queer 0.7%
  • Other 0.0%
Female
  • Heterosexual 86.8%
  • Gay 0.0%
  • Lesbian 1.1%
  • Bisexual 9.2%
  • Queer 0.4%
  • Other 2.6%
Total
  • Heterosexual 88.9%
  • Gay 1.2%
  • Lesbian 0.7%
  • Bisexual 7.0%
  • Queer 0.5%
  • Other 1.7%

Survey Satisfaction

The majority of students reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the following:

General education and core curriculum courses
  • Males 65.0%
  • Females 74.8%
  • All 71.5%
Overall academic experience
  • Males 74.0%
  • Females 73.5%
  • All 73.7%
Library resources
  • Males 79.3%
  • Females 81.9%
  • All 81.0%
Classroom facilities
  • Males 59.3%
  • Females 64.1%
  • All 62.5%
Computer facilities/labs
  • Males 74.0%
  • Females 72.2%
  • All 72.8%
Laboratory facilities and equipment
  • Males 72.1%
  • Females 61.2%
  • All 64.9%
Technology resources
  • Males 74.0%
  • Females 69.6%
  • All 71.1%
Academic advising
  • Males 74.8%
  • Females 71.8%
  • All 72.9%
Opportunities for community service
  • Males 45.9%
  • Females 53.6%
  • All 51.0%
Amount of contact with faculty
  • Males 64.3%
  • Females 65.6%
  • All 65.1%
Ability to find a faculty or staff mentor
  • Males 68.1%
  • Females 73.6%
  • All 71.7%
Gender diversity
  • Males 68.8%
  • Females 72.4%
  • All 71.1%
Class size
  • Males 61.1%
  • Females 64.5%
  • All 63.3%
Relevance of coursework to everyday life
  • Males 45.1%
  • Females 56.5%
  • All 52.5%
Relevance of coursework to future career plans
  • Males 58.4%
  • Females 60.5%
  • All 59.8%
Overall quality of instruction
  • Males 77.0%
  • Females 77.6%
  • All 77.4%
Respect for the expression of diverse beliefs
  • Males 74.1%
  • Females 82.4%
  • All 79.5%
Availability of campus social activities
  • Males 78.8%
  • Females 81.9%
  • All 80.8%
Overall sense of community among students
  • Males 71.7%
  • Females 73.5%
  • All 72.8%
Overall college experience
  • Males 80.5%
  • Females 72.5%
  • All 75.3%
Administrative response to incidents of campus emergencies
  • Males 75.2%
  • Females 68.1%
  • All 70.6%
Administrative response to incidents of discrimination
  • Males 55.8%
  • Females 49.5%
  • All 51.7%

The majority of students couldn't rate, were neutral or satisfied with the following:

Student housing
  • Males 65.6%
  • Females 64.1%
  • All 64.6%
Financial aid office
  • Males 74.0%
  • Females 80.2%
  • All 78.1%
Financial aid packet
  • Males 64.2%
  • Females 71.6%
  • All 69.1%
Student health services
  • Males 76.4%
  • Females 71.7%
  • All 73.3%
Student psychological services
  • Males 70.8%
  • Females 64.4%
  • All 66.6%
Orientation for new students
  • Males 89.2%
  • Females 82.2%
  • All 84.6%
First-year programs
  • Males 77.0%
  • Females 74.3%
  • All 75.2%
Administrative response to sexual assaults
  • Males 64.6%
  • Females 57.6%
  • All 60.1%
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