General College Freshman Satisfaction with Their University of Minnesota Experience

Abstract

In spring quarter 1999 the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost conducted a survey of a random sample of university students to assess their satisfaction with various aspects of their University of Minnesota experience. The results of the survey are presented in a report titled The 1999 Student experiences Survey: Students’ Perspectives on Their experiences at the University of Minnesota and Changes Since 1997 (Hendel, 2000). A complete description of the methods used to collect the survey responses is included in that report. The survey asked students to rate their experience on a wide variety of topics - everything from parking to instruction. The respondents included undergraduate and graduate students from the Twin Cities and coordinate campuses. In gathering the data for the survey, the freshmen enrolled in General College were over-sampled. This over-sampling allowed for a separate analysis of GC student satisfaction and comparisons between the satisfaction of first-year GC students and other U of M freshmen. What follows is a description of GC and non-GC freshmen responses to a selection of the survey questions.