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Student Focus Group Report Background Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) administered
the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) during the Fall
2002 Semester. It provided insight into the level of undergraduate student
satisfaction with a range of college experiences and the level of importance
students assign to each of them. The SSI was based on a sample of 1,848
students or about 17 percent of the undergraduate student population.
Although the SSI revealed areas in which students were quite satisfied,
other areas indicated challenges. Using the SSI results for direction,
focus groups were implemented to enrich our understanding of student
experiences at IPFW. Objectives The purpose of the focus groups was to engage students in a
dynamic conversation about their needs and preferences in the following
general areas:
An additional, specific question was posed in response to relatively
low scores on the SSI related to academic advising:
Method Working with Chris Douse (Assistant Director, Multicultural
Services), Palermo Galindo (Advisor, Multicultural Services), Don Kreitzer
(Organizational Leadership and Supervision), and Robin Newman (Center
for Women and Returning Adults), the following student focus groups
were identified:
Each student received a light meal during the session and $5.00
for participating (funding was provided by the Office of the Vice Chancellor
of Academic Affairs). In addition, they qualified for a raffle of a
$100 gift certificate for IPFW’s Follett’s bookstore (funding was provided
by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs). The focus groups were moderated by Linda L. Hite, Ph.D., Associate
Professor of Organizational Leadership and Supervision. Audiotapes were
made and used to supplement session notes. The transcripts were analyzed
by Hite and Erin J. Frew, Ph.D., Director of Assessment. Demographics Thirty students participated in the focus groups of which 14
were male and 16 female. Six were 20 years of age and younger, 11 were
21-25, 5 were 26-30, 4 were 31-35, 1 was 36-40, 1 was 41-45, and 2 were
46 and older. Fifteen students identified themselves at Caucasian/White,
7 as African American/Black, 4 as Hispanic/Latin American, 1 as Asian/Pacific
Islander, and 1 as “human race.” Summary of Themes The following summarizes the major themes uncovered through
open-ended inquiry (the full transcripts are attached): What do you like
about IPFW? Flexible faculty Practitioners as faculty Commuter campus Quality education Convenient proximity of campus Smaller classes Applied nature of learning Co-op experience valuable ACCESS Course offering/availability Internet classes English classes OLS classes Communication teachers Exposure to different people Writing/tutoring centers CASA Reasonable in-state tuition English teachers make sure you can apply knowledge/skills Group work in classes Free admission to athletic events Campus events Freshman success class Access to computers Out-of-class testing options Field trips (good learning experiences) Good SPEA professor
What do you dislike
about IPFW? Parking inadequate Course scheduling postpones graduation Inconvenient course scheduling Not enough activities Spending resources on “dorms” rather than existing facilities and equipment Effects of commuter students on creating campus climate Difficulty
uploading Short-staffed Outdated in-class examples Some professors are not committed to teaching or IPFW Tests are too difficult Some faculty do not encourage students Workload in courses Unrealistic performance expectations Not enough financial aid Too little advertising for CASA and writing center; students need support to seek help Lack of student-helpers for FAFSA and other forms Too little interactive teaching Need to create classroom community Class notes should be made available Use PowerPoint slides change too fast in some classes Memorization instead of application in classes Test material not covered well in some classes No extra-credit on grading in a course Not enough ways to demonstrate class knowledge; no homework, no quizzes, just tests. Some teachers are too busy Math placement tests need a “don’t know” option to avoid guessing & incorrect placement Some faculty are not helpful when you need extra help Need to offer a library tour in the freshman success class Need quicker turn-around time for DDS for students Adult students need computer training Courses that try to weed-out students Lack of flexibility in summer schedules (need more classes offered at different times) Boring classes Some professors don’t explain things well and don’t provide examples Unclear grading criteria Some degree programs not offered Hard to get internships
What are your impressions
of academic advising? Advisors not available Advisors are available Convenience of on-line registration Better knowledge course substitutes needed by advisors Some advisors uninformed of courses applicable to degree Need to update bingo sheets and the websites Misinformation about courses toward major and graduation target date Professors need to be more careful when advising Professors need training in advising Students should be trained in tracking courses and requirements toward graduation First-year students need additional help Advisors are helpful Advisors and professors should collaborate to help students who aren’t doing well Workshops and MCS provide good advising Career advisors need a good idea of students’ skills Students, advisors and instructors should be more culturally aware Consider having more professional advisors rather than faculty advisors Advisors should get to know students so they can be more effective Need to ensure consistency in advising when a new advisor is assigned Need more advisors so they can spend more time advising Need more African American and international advisors Multilingual
advisors needed
How are students
treated at IPFW? Some professors are too busy Approachable, friendly, respectful faculty English professors are helpful Some professors talk down to students Some professors embarrass students in class Hostile, authoritarian teaching is not a proper learning environment Instructors need to learn to deal with different students, learning styles and cultures Some professors need to build communication skills Some professors don’t greet students outside the classroom (ignore them) Course activities/assignments should emulate a diverse culture in class and out Diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, and religion should be assimilated into course content Students are frustrated with financial aid, bursar’s office Student Life office decisions don’t involve students Students are treated as adults Most secretaries
are helpful
What do you like
about being an IPFW student? Mr. Wartell is involved in campus and interested in students People are helpful Having classes with traditional students is enriching (for returning adults) Offices in convenient location Professors are usually available during office hours Professors are accessible Develop friendships Library and computer lab have late hours SAB activities
What do you dislike
about being an IPFW student? There are no social “internets” on campus Not enough gender and cultural diversity No minorities are represented in advertising for IPFW Many instructors do not interact with students outside of class Athletes need more flexibility in attendance policies Athletic department should communicate with teachers No community environment Texts are expensive and not always used OASIS should be clearer about fees when students register Takes too long to receive resident status Parking restrictions should be labeled better, can’t see paint when it snows Shouldn’t allow smoking so close to the exterior doors Attendance policies in classes Need more classes designed for returning adults Need more diversity Need better emergency funding for adults Need on-campus child care facility Need more diversity among faculty BCC is not treated fairly by Student Life or LRC Some teachers overlook minorities Need to advertise events more effectively Financial
aid and bursar’s office aren’t always helpful Discussion The following is not a comprehensive discussion of all comments
made during the focus group sessions. Instead, it represents a topical
organization of some of the highlights. Faculty are, of course, a salient component of students’ experience
at IPFW; consequently, students offered a number of comments about them
and their teaching styles. Perceptions of faculty ranged from their
being helpful to unhelpful and friendly to unfriendly. Students value
the experience and applied knowledge of faculty who are also practitioners.
Students indicated that some faculty are busy, making it difficult to
arrange for help outside the classroom. Focus group participants would
like faculty to be more involved with students outside of the classroom. Several pedagogical issues surfaced in the groups, including
the desire to have class notes (e.g., PowerPoint) made available electronically
so that students can focus more on listening and participating in class
and less on taking down notes. They also discussed reducing the “workload”
of classes, implementing interactive teaching/learning methods, and
providing additional or different forms of testing that call on evidence
of higher-order learning (e.g., analysis, synthesis) rather than those
depending exclusively on recall (e.g., multiple choice). Students appreciate
thorough explanations of concepts during lecture and current, concrete,
relevant examples of material covered in the curriculum. They would
like more extra-credit opportunities and more internships and cooperative
education experiences. IPFW services such as the Center for Academic Support and Advancement
(CASA), tutoring services, and the writing center were consistently
highly praised. Students recommended additional advertising and promotion
of these services to increase student use. Participants recommended
including a library tour in conjunction with the freshman success class.
Students expressed concern about the services provided by the office
of Financial Aid and those of the Bursar’s office. They suggested that
a group of students might be trained in completing financial aid forms
and that in turn those students could provide assistance to other students
and respond to their questions. Focus group participants were concerned about gender, ethnic,
and cultural diversity at IPFW. Diversity among faculty, students, and
interestingly, among academic advisors is important to students. Students
would like the curriculum, including course assignments and activities,
to reflect a diverse culture. They also believe that minorities are
underrepresented in IPFW advertising. Accurate advising is of utmost importance for students. Errors
in advising delay graduation and result in additional expenditures of
time and money. But students also want advisors to have a more personal
sense of who they are, their strengths, interests, skills, and needs.
Students recognize that they likewise play a role in advising and would
like better training in tracking their completed courses and the requirements
for graduation. They recommended that advisors and professors work closely
to help students, especially first-year students, when they are struggling.
Again, students would appreciate more diversity among advisors. Conclusion These focus group data are helpful to gain some perspective
on the SSI results. Although IPFW participants focused predominantly
on things they would like to see changed rather than on positive factors,
this is not uncommon in open discussion settings like focus groups.
When asked about satisfaction, respondents often think of a best-case
scenario. If that “best-case” is not met, then satisfaction is not complete.
Nevertheless, many of the points that surfaced during the discussions
are worthy of review and consideration because they enhance and perhaps
balance the quantitative data from the SSI. Together, the SSI and focus
group data should be useful as the university strives to better serve
students. |