PROFILE OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS
(1999-2000)
at the University Of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Robert
Mosier, Ph.D., Student Affairs,
University Of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
INTRODUCTION
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify some of the
characteristics that are common to students who attend the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. We wanted to know:
·
What kind of students
attend UWSP
·
Why students choose
UWSP over other schools
·
What students'
expectations are when they come to the University
·
What students' goals
are
·
What incoming
students perceive to be their needs.
Knowing the answers to these questions can help us increase
our students' chances for success, and successful students are more likely to
remain in school until they graduate.
This study presents a profile of the average freshman at
UWSP. We hope the Information will
provide insights helpful to those of us who work with students. Data used in the study came primarily from the following sources:
The
College Student Characteristics Inventory (CSCI)
The College Student Characteristics Inventory provides basic
information about incoming students and their expectations of college
life. The current version of the CSCI
has been given to all UWSP freshman orientation participants from 1979 to
1994. In 1995, 1996, and 1997, 700
questionnaires were given out in a random order to approximately half of the
freshman class. The return rate has
been over 90%. In 1998, 725
questionnaires were given out and 650 were returned. In 1999, 725 questionnaires were given out and 595 were
returned. Prior to that time, a similar
version was given in 1975, 1976, and 1978.
Data
Analysis
Clark Pallen and Judy Slowinski of Administrative
Information Systems were very helpful in the statistical analysis of the data
in this study. Carole Holmes provided a
number of reports and studies to better understand the current freshman
class. Joanna Squire of Residential
Living generated the graphs, as well as provided editing support and document
formatting.
THE UNIVERSITY
CULTURE
The
culture of our University is comprised of its history, traditions,
organizational structures, and the behavior of current students, faculty and
staff.
A
number of forces impact on our University to produce our unique culture. Included among these forces would be our
historical roots, our academic program, a core faculty group, our
administrators, dominant student subcultures, and distinctive values and
beliefs. In addition are the forces
such as customs, stories, rituals, language, and impactful leaders, such as the
Chancellor. Among the distinctive
subcultures on our campus, the administration, the faculty, and students bring
a strong set of beliefs, attitudes and values to our University.
UNDERSTANDING TODAY'S COLLEGE STUDENTS:
THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION
INTRODUCTION
For a number of
reasons, many colleges and universities are currently focused on how to
support first year students in making a
successful transition into their institutions.
Universities are recognizing that many first year students are making
key decisions about their future and, specifically, about whether to continue
in their college or university during their first six weeks after enrollment.
Change and transition
are common experiences for many generations of students. However, the current generation of students
may be experiencing greater rapidity of change in their world than many
previous generations. Levine and
Cureton (1998), when describing
today's college students, view them as existing in a time of profound change
and discontinuity. Change is viewed as
so broad and deep in our society that ordinary cycles have stopped or been
altered. Vaill (1996) describes our current era as a time of
"permanent whitewater," when the one major constant is rapid change. This is occurring in social institutions,
the economy, political institutions, in the field of technology and other
areas.
These same themes are
repeated in a recent work by Strauss and Howe (1997), in which they see a
generational change from our current "Generation X" to the
"Millennial" Generation.
Given the enormity of the current change being experienced, it is not
unexpected that our current students would experience significant stress. Levine and Cureton (1998) report that
current college students are characterized as: tired, frightened, desirous of
security, pragmatic, consumer oriented, career
oriented,
and disenchanted with politics and the nation's social institutions. Many current students view college as a
means to an end, focusing on goals of getting a better job or making more
money, rather than developing a meaningful philosophy of life. They report being confused with the degree
of change occurring in their lives.
They also feel pressure to achieve at a very high rate in terms of
grades, in order to prepare for a vocation.
They focus on the need to have a better paying job as one definition of
a successful career.
With
this increased preoccupation with career success has come greater academic
pressures. As academic pressures mount,
students are finding themselves underprepared for some aspects of college.
CHARACTERISTICS
The "Millennial Generation" has had a number of
names attached to it, including "Generation Y," "Generation X2", "The Baby Boomlet," and the
"Net Generation." This
generation of individuals, born after 1980, includes over 70 million people.
Childhood
The millennials are students who entered childhood as one of
the most overprotected generations in this century, as opposed to the
"Generation X'ers," who were one of the least protected
generations. Millennial movies such as
"Three Men and a Baby," "Baby Boom," and "Raising
Arizona" can be
contrasted with "GenX'er's" movies such as "Breakfast
Club," "St. Elmo's Fire," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off,"
and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
In the middle 1990's, according to Strauss and Howe (1997),
the "millennials" were 10 and 11 year olds and were experiencing the
following:
§
V-Chip proposals to
guard against bad TV.
§
3/4’s of cities had
youth curfews.
§
Ellen Goodman: “If
this is Thursday, it must be curfews.
If this is Friday, it must be school uniforms. V-chips on Monday, no smoking on Tuesday.”
§
Millenials - emerging
as generational public property.
§
Family Values - Dan
Quayle - Clintons
§
Million Man March,
Promise Keepers.
§
Millenials must be
protected from media sex, violence, and profanity.
§
Tipper Gore, William
Medved, and William Bennett - emphasized family morality.
§
Uniform clothing - 31
schools in SC encouraged uniforms.
§
Educational
buzzwords:
§ Collaborative
§ Core Values taught
§ Do good works
§ Meet standards
§ Zero tolerance for
misbehavior
Each
generation has its particular set of cultural icons and touchstones that are
critical to its identity. Today, however, the gap in understanding between
generations increases dramatically as television, films, vocabulary, and
technology adjust the way we perceive and express ideas at an increasingly
rapid rate.
Beloit
College (Beloit, WI) has once again assembled a list of ways in which entering
first-year students (1999-2000) differ in their frame of reference, not only
from their teachers and advisors, but from those just a few years older than
themselves:
§
Most of this year's
students entering college were born in 1981.
§
They are the first
generation to be born into Luvs, Huggies, and Pampers.
§
There has always been
a woman on the Supreme Court, and women have always been traveling into space.
§
They never realized
that for one brief moment, General Alexander Haig was "in charge."
§
They never heard
Walter Cronkite suggest that "That's the way it is."
§
They were born and
grew up with Microsoft, IBM PCs, in-line skates, NutraSweet, fax machines, film
on disks, and unregulated quantities of commercial interruptions on television.
§
Somebody named Dole
has always been running for something.
§
Cats has been on Broadway all their lives.
§
While they all know
her children, they have no idea who "Ma Bell" was.
§
Yugoslavia has never
existed.
§
Jesse Jackson has
always been getting someone out of trouble someplace.
§
Strikes by highly
paid athletes have been a routine part of professional athletics.
§
The moonwalk is a
Michael Jackson dance step, not a Neil Armstrong giant step.
§
Travel to space has
always been accomplished in reusable spacecraft.
§
The year they were
born, reports condemned violence on television and in Hollywood films for
producing the likes of John Hinckley.
§
They have always been
able to get their news from USA Today and CNN.
§
They have spent more
than half their lives with Bart Simpson.
§
They don't understand
why Solidarity is spelled with a capital "S."
§
They don't think
there is anything terribly futuristic about 2001, and were never concerned
about the year 1984.
§
They have no idea how
big a breadbox is.
§
Camelot refers to
King Arthur's seat of government, not John Kennedy's.
§
They have probably
never dialed a phone or opened an icebox.
§
They have never seen
white smoke over the Vatican and do not know its significance.
§
Ketchup has always
been a vegetable.
§
They cannot imagine
waiting a generation to get the dirt on the U.S. President.
§
They felt pretty
special when their elementary school had top-of-the-line Commodore 64s.
§
ET, Gremlins, and The
Hulk provided their Halloween costumes and lunch box themes.
In
this Beloit College list, the latest generation of entering college students is
viewed with a perspective of their own.
The following items relate to their experiences:
§
They can explain the
"cha-ching" thing.
§
They know what a
"burnout" is.
§
They know what
"psych" means.
§
During time in the
arcade, they actually lined up quarters on the top panel of the game to
"reserve" a spot.
§
They know the
profound meaning of "Wax on, Wax off."
§
They know that
another name for a keyboard is a "synthesizer."
§
They can name at
least half of the members of the elite "Brat Pack."
§
They know who Tina
Yothers is.
§
They know who Max
Headroom is.
§
They could
breakdance, or wished they could.
§
They thought that
"transformers" were more than meets the eye.
§
They can, right now,
hum the theme to "Inspector Gadget."
§
They wanted to be on
"Star Search."
§
They HAD to have their
MTV.
§
They hold a special
place in their hearts for "Back to the Future".
§
They thought Molly
Ringwald was REALLY cool.
§
They collected
Garbage Pail Kids.
§
They remember when
ATARI was a state of the art video game system.
§
They own(ed) cassette
singles.
§
They were led to
believe that, in the year 2000, we'd all be living on the moon.
§
They owned pieces of
the Care Bear Glass collection from Pizza Hut.
§
Poltergeist freaked
them out.
§
They had Swatch
Watches.
education as a tool vs. developing
a well-rounded education
With respect to education, the millennial generation
students are quite confident in their abilities. According to the AAHE Bulletin in November, 1998, freshmen had
more confidence in themselves than their abilities might show:
§
41% of freshmen in
1997 rated themselves "above average" writers (compared with 27% in
1966).
§
At the same time,
less than 40% said being "able to write well" was extremely
important.
§
Despite these
attitudes, 29% of all first-time freshmen took at least one remedial course.
§
81% of 4-year
colleges and 100% of public 2-year colleges offered remedial programs in the
fall of 1955.
According to the 1999 Nickelodean/Yankelovich Youth Monitor,
students view education as a means of gaining practical knowledge to support
their potential careers. Students are
concerned with these questions about higher education:
§
Will it make me more
competitive?
§
Will it be a tool for
career growth?
§
Will it help me be
well off financially?
§
Will it give me
knowledge of many subjects?
Paralleling these views, the American Council on Higher
Education survey of entering freshmen compared the number one objective of
freshmen in 1967 with the number one objective in 1996:
§
1967 Number One
answer: "Develop a meaningful
philosophy of life."
§
1996 Number One answer: "To be well off financially."
This is consistent with the results of the fall 1998
freshmen survey by Alexander Astin at the Higher Education Research Institute
of UCLA. The survey reported the
following as reasons for attending college:
§
77% stated: "To
be able to get a better job;"
§
75% stated: "To be able to make more
money;" while
§
62% stated: "To gain a general education and
appreciation of ideas."
These results are consistent with the findings of the
University of Wisconsin System survey of new freshman students.
Another
view of this generation is provided through a recent survey by Northwestern
Mutual Life:
§
Almost 100 percent of
Gen 2001 students believe they will get to where they want to be in life.
§
Technology is cited
most often as the biggest advantage about being a member of Gen 2001, followed
by better career opportunities, and more educational resources and
opportunities.
§
Crime and violence is
cited most often as the biggest disadvantage or special
problem faced by Gen 2001, followed by drugs and AIDS/HIV.
§
When it comes to
values and lifestyle, the majority (85 percent) say there is a difference
between themselves and their parents.
§
Grandparents are
trusted most by Gen 2001, followed by parents; GenXers are trusted the least.
§
Honesty and integrity
are the attributes Gen 2001 students admire most about a person.
§
Moms are most admired
before anyone else, followed by dads.
§
More than 90 percent
say they are satisfied with their physical appearance.
§
Marriage is planned
by 96 percent, at the average age of 26, with 91 percent hoping to have
children - 3 on the average.
§
Almost two-thirds of
Gen 2001 students say it’s their financial responsibility to care for parents
when they become elderly and unable to take care of themselves.
§
More than
three-fourths disagree that money buys happiness.
§
Almost three-fourths
of Gen 2001 students have volunteered in the past year, with most (92 percent)
saying it is likely they will volunteer for a charitable organization in the
future.
§
Almost 90 percent
believe in God; three-fourths believe in life after death; the majority attend
religious services; almost half say religion will be more important in their
future.
§
Regarding careers,
medicine gets the most votes, followed by teaching, business/ marketing and
engineering.
§
Regarding jobs, top
requirements are having idealistic and committed co-workers and doing work that
helps others.
§
Two-income households
are going to be important to 82 percent.
§
Owning a home and
life insurance are the two vehicles sited most often as very important to
financial security.
§
Fifty-six percent say
the country is headed in the right direction; 42 percent say the wrong
direction.
§
Fixing education is a
top concern of 96 percent.
§
Ninety-four percent
intend to vote in elections.
§
Thirty-three percent
say they’re a Democrat, 31 percent say Republican, 24 percent Independent.
§
A majority (55
percent) hold a negative view of the current state of race relations; 43
percent expect things to improve by 2001.
§
Nearly three-fourths
say it’s likely in their lifetime that a person of color will be elected
president; 64 percent think it is likely that a woman will be elected
president.
A
reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Sunday , June 13, 1999)
interviewed five high school senior women who are attending various colleges
this fall to get their perspectives on challenges they may face. These are responses to 2 questions about
difficulties they may encounter as they enter college this fall:
§
Adella: Thinking
whether I made the right choice or not to go to the right school and whether
it’s the right major for me.
§
Sarah: I know what I want to do with my life. And I guess it’s hard when other people
doubt you.
§
Maggie: The toughest thing would be finding
yourself, because to achieve goals I think you really need to look inside
yourself and know yourself so that you can plan your future. And there are so many question marks in my
head right now. It’s so confusing and
annoying… You can never just sit there; there’s always stuff to think about.
§
Ericka: I’m going on my own to Madison and I have to
say goodbye, and can I do that? Can I
say goodbye? That’s what I’m facing
right now. With my friends – that’s
what I’m struggling with right now. You
have to say goodbye to all the friends you’ve made. We’re all going completely different ways. And so now this is a time to say goodbye and
I have to make sure I’m strong enough to do this.
§
Benita: Now I’m expected to make decisions for
myself. I’m so, like, terrified of
that. I’m excited because it’s, like,
something I’ve been looking forward to but at the same time it’s like, how much
can I rely on my parents before they think they’re coddling me? It’s just scary. All of a sudden you turn 18 and it's just like, “oh, by the way,
you’re legal now, so start making your own decisions.” … I don’t feel I’m ready
to break away, even though I want to.
2) Do you think you’re under more pressure
than previous generations?
§
Benita: I think so, because it’s like this is the
last class of the millennium. And
everyone has so many expectations for us.
Everyone’s going to be like, “Show me what you can do. Show me what the century has brought…” Now we have to prove ourselves.
bright college years
Finally, Anne Matthews, in her publication, Bright College Years (1997, Chicago,
IL: University of Chicago Press), offers the following perspective on college
students:
§
In 1941, one in ten
went to college.
§
In 1970, one in four
went to college.
§
At the present, one
high school graduate in two may attempt some form of campus life.
§
29% of today's first
time freshmen require remedial courses usually in math or writing or both.
§
Over one first-year
student in four quits before the sophomore year.
§
Nearly 1/2 of those
who enter college withdraw before finishing.
§
For students fresh
from high schools, parental income is a strong predictor of college
success. (If family earnings are in the
bottom 25 percent, the student has only one in ten changes of earning a
bachelor's degree by age 24.)
§
Viewed as a whole,
the American college population is increasingly female, public, part-time,
local, adult, and in debt. 55% of
current undergraduates are women. 80%
attend public institutions.
§
Just one in five now
fits the traditional profile (attending full-time, living on campus, under 22).
§
Four in five college
students choose schools in their home states.
Influence Of Technology
Undergraduate
perceptions are increasingly image-driven and cybercouched. In an art history discussion section, a
professor waits as twenty students stare at a Ruben's slide (p. 77) :
§
"What's the
story line on this thing? "It doesn't have one. It's a seventeenth-century portrait."
§
"It doesn't move
at all?"
§
"Unfortunately,
no."
§
"But I can't see
things if they don't move."
§
Urgent note to
officers at the University of Montana:
"What looks like an abandoned Cadillac by the art annex is in fact
a student sculpture project. Do not
tow!" (p. 85)
Student Voices
Student Voices: from
a Number of Journals from Writing Classes Across the Country (pp. 50-53):
§
The first violinist
has a smile like a falling star, but she doesn't know I exist.
§
I signed up yesterday
to tutor math in public grade school. I
have zero experience, but the lady said it didn't matter, that mostly they need
to see a responsible man. One kid
called me "Sir" and, like an idiot, I quickly looked behind me for my
dad.
§
I did the personality
test from Cosmo while in the bathroom and all my hall
mates rushed in and read my answers afterwards. It's hard being an intuitive introvert surrounded by heartless
extroverts.
§
It's only November,
but my brain is full.
§
Everything baffles me
now, except engineering, which is definite and invulnerable. I like to think I am a constant surrounded
by variables, but I fear I may be educated here in ways I never imagined.
Letters Of Entering Freshmen To
Their New Advisors
Excerpts
from "Letters of Entering Freshmen to Their New Advisors" (pp.
270-271) :
§
I want to take
physics because of the many interesting real-life applications involved, i.e.
car and plane crashes.
§
All I care about is
water polo. No morning classes, please.
§
Do you have any
courses in social unrest? Please sign
me up for all.
§
I have a wide array
of interests to go with my diverse personality. Should I major in English?
§
I want to experience
a philosophy or a sociology. There are
none in Florida.
§
I don't care what I
take as long as it can be applied to me.
§
I wish to learn
greatness at the university.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 1999 FRESHMAN CLASS OF UWSP AND
ITS RELATIONSHIP TO
THE UNIVERSITY CULTURE
INTERESTS OF FRESHMEN
This report focuses on the attitudes, values, beliefs, and
thoughts of our entering freshman class.
Students bring to us a set of values, past behaviors, attitudes, and
beliefs which they have formulated over a period of time. The attitudes and beliefs of our freshmen
are influenced by our University's culture as well as by their interaction with
other students. Our freshmen form views
of what to learn and how to learn, aspirations and goals, what type of social
interaction is appropriate, how to succeed academically, how to make friends,
and how to be a part of the University experience. By examining the attitudes
and beliefs of our freshmen, a better understanding can be reached with respect
to their reciprocal impact on the University's culture.
Our Entering Freshmen Are
Academically Oriented
95.5% feel that
academic failure would be a great disappointment or nothing worse could happen.
94.3% feel that
making good grades is very important to most important.
94.6% feel that
really learning something at our University is very important to most
important.
81.6% feel that
setting specific educational goals is a high or top priority.
86.8% predict a
grade point average of B or better.
A Number Of Entering Freshmen
Would Like Academic Assistance
53.3% view having
academic counseling available as most or very important.
39.9% view math
skills assistance as most important or very important.
35.3% view study
skills assistance as most important or very important.
31.7% view
writing skills assistance as most important or very important.
18.1% view
reading skills assistance as most important or very important.
The Freshmen Are Interested In
Vocational Planning
70.1% view job
placement services for graduates as very important to most important.
73.3% feel that a
commitment to a chosen career is a top or
high priority.
71.9% view
working toward a vocational decision as a top or high priority.
64.2% view the
development of an awareness of work as a top or high priority.
45.2% view having
vocational counseling available as a top priority or high priority.
Our Freshmen Are Interested In
Their Personal Growth
73.4% view
developing surviving friendships very important to most important.
73.9% view
developing a capacity for self-sufficiency as very important to most important.
72.3% view
developing trusting relationships as very important to most important.
63.5% view
developing respect with parents as a top priority or high priority.
67.4% view
developing skills in working with others as very important or most important.
64.7% view
reducing dependence on parents as very important to most important.
51.0% view
developing sensitivity to others as very important or most important.
50.7%
view developing respect for others'
values as very important to most important.
NEEDS
OF FRESHMEN
Our freshmen are interested in learning about a number of
areas as indicated by their requests for information on the Lifestyle
Assessment Questionnaire. The
results from the 1998-99 freshman class can be compared to:
#
the 1977-1978
freshman class, the 1989-1990 freshman class (Table 1-A),
#
the 1990-1991
freshman class, the 1991-1992 freshman class (Table 1-B),
#
the 1992-1993
freshman class, the 1993-1994 freshman class (Table 1-C),
#
the1994-1995 freshman class, the 1995-1996 freshman class
(Table 1-D),
#
the 1996-1997
freshman class, the 1997-1998 freshman class (Table 1-E).
table
1-a
1977-1978
and 1989-1990 through 1998-1999: topics
in rank order
The
top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1989-90
were: 1st - Exercise
programs; 2nd - Relaxation-stress reduction; 3rd -
Learning skills; 4th - Relationships; 5th - Weight
reduction
TOPICS RANK ORDER
1977-78 TOPICS RANK ORDER 1989-90
Medical emergencies 1 Exercise
programs 1
Educational/vocational 2 Relaxation/stress 2
Goal-setting/planning 3 Learning
skills 3
Exercise programs Relationships 4
Contraception 4 Weight
reduction 5
Vegetarian diets 5.5 Educational/vocational 6
Assertiveness training 5.5 Time management
skills 7
Responsible alcohol use 7 Assertiveness
training 8
Biofeedback for tension 8.33 Test anxiety reduction 9
Headaches Mate
selection 10
Relationships 8.33 Depression 11
Relaxation/stress reduction 8.33 Parenting 12
Mate selection 11 Interpersonal
communication skills 13
Test anxiety reduction 12 Nutrition 14
Venereal disease 13 Marital problems 15
Weight reduction 14 Medical
emergencies 16
Interpersonal communication skills 15 Biofeedback
for tension headaches 17
Breast self-exam 16 Death & dying 18
Overcoming phobias 15 Vegetarian diets 19
Depression 18 Loneliness 20
Automobile safety 19 Stop smoking 21
Parenting 20.33 Spiritual/philosophical
values 22
Stop smoking 20.33 Overcoming phobias 23
Loneliness 20.33 Contraception 24
Spiritual/philosophical values 23.5 Sexual
dysfunction 25
Sexual dysfunction 23.5 Breast self-exam 26
Marital problems 25 Suicide thoughts
or attempts 27
Drug abuse 26 Responsible
alcohol use 28
Suicide thoughts or attempts 27 Venereal disease 29
Automobile
safety 30
Drug
abuse 31
table
1-b
1990-1991
and 1991-1992 through 1998-1999: topics
in rank order
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1990-1991
were:1s - Responsible alcohol use; 2nd- Sexuality; 3rd-Stop
smoking programs; 4th-Nutrition; 5th-Suicide thoughts and
attempts
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1991-1992 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2nd-Educational
career goal setting; 3rd-Weight reduction; 4th-Environmental
issues; 5th-Stress reduction
TOPICS RANK ORDER 1990-91
TOPICS RANK ORDER 1991-92
Responsible alcohol use 1 Exercise
programs 1
Sexuality 2 Educational
career/goal 2
Stop smoking programs 3 Weight
reduction 3
Nutrition 4.5 Environmental
issues 4
Suicide thoughts or attempts 4.5 Stress
reduction 5
Gay Issues 6 Enhancing relationships 6
Financial Management 7 Recreation
and leisure 7
Relaxation 8 Nutrition 8
Divorce 9 Learning
skills 9
Women's issues 10 Relaxation 10
Biofeedback/tension 11 Time
management skills 11
Marital or Couples Problems 12 Financial management 12
Anxiety - speeches, tests, writing 13 Anxiety 13
Men's issues 14 Communication
skills 14
Learning skills 15.5 Self-esteem 15
Self-breast exam 15.5 Depression 16
Assertiveness training 17 Sexuality 17
Educational career goal setting 18.5 Biofeedback 18
Spiritual or philosophical values 18.5 Assertiveness
training 19
Exercise programs 20.33 Marital or couples
problems 20
Parenting skills 20.33 Women's issues 21
Automobile safety 20.33 Overcoming fears 22
Aging 23.5 Spiritual or
philosophical values 23
Alcoholism 23.5 Loneliness 24
Communication skills 25 Medical
emergencies 25
Loneliness 26 Death and
dying 26
Medical emergencies 27 Parenting
skills 27
Depression 28.5 Men's issues 28
Stop
smoking programs 29
Self-breast
exam 31
Responsible
alcohol use 32
Medical
self-care 33
Suicide
thoughts or attempts 34
table
1-c
1992-1993
and 1993-1994 through 1998-1999: topics
in rank order
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1993-1994 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2nd-Enhancing
relationships; 3rd-Educational career goal setting, and tied for 4th-Stress
reduction and nutrition
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1992-1993 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2n
-Educational career goal setting; 3rd-Weight reduction; 4th-Enhancing
relationships; and tied for 5th-Weight reduction and stress
reduction
TOPICS RANK ORDER 1992-93 TOPICS RANK ORDER 1993-94
Exercise programs 1 Exercise programs 1
Educational career goal 2 Enhancing
relationships 2
Weight reduction 3 Educational career
goal 3
Enhancing relationships 4 Weight reduction 4.5
Nutrition 5.5 Stress reduction 4.5
Stress reduction 5.5 Nutrition 6
Environmental issues 7 Environmental
Issues 7
Relaxation 8 Relaxation 8
Time management skills 9 Time-management
skills 9
Recreation and leisure 10 Recreation and
leisure 10
Learning skills 11 Learning skills (i.e., speed reading, comprehension) 11
Anxiety training 11.5 Self-esteem 12
Sexuality 12 Anxiety associated
with public speaking, test writing, etc. 13.5
Communication skills 13 Sexuality 13.5
Depression 14 Communication skills 15
Self-esteem 15 Assertiveness
training 16
Financial management 16.5 Marital or couple
problems 17.3
Assertiveness training 16.5 Financial management 17.3
Marital problems 18 Depression 17.5
Biofeedback for tension headache 19 Women's
Issues 20.5
Stop smoking program 20 Men's Issues 20.5
Overcoming phobias 21 Biofeedback/tension
headache 22
Loneliness 22 Overcoming fears 23
Spiritual/philosophical values 23.5 Stop
smoking programs 24
Women's issues 23.5 Spiritual/philosophical
values 25
Death & dying 25 Loneliness 25
Premenstrual syndrome 26.5 Death and dying 27
Self-testes exam 26.5 Parenting skills 28
Medical emergencies 28 Suicide thoughts or
attempts 29
Men's Issues 29 Premenstrual syndrome 30
Parenting skills 30 Educational career
goal setting/planning 31
Medical self-care 32 Responsible alcohol
use 31
Responsible alcohol use 32 Self-breast exam 32
Self-Breast Exam 33.3 Self-testes exam 33
Gay Issues 33.3 Medical emergencies 33
Substance abuse 33.3 Medical self-care 34
Alcoholism 33.6 Gay issues 34.5
Alcoholism 36
Dental
self-care 37
Automobile
safety 38
Divorce 39
Osteoporosis 40
Aging 41
Substance
abuse 42
table
1-d
1994-1995
and 1995-1996 through 1998-1999: topics
in rank order
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1994-1995 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2nd-Weight
reduction;
3rd-Nutrition;
4th-Educational career goal setting/planning; 5th-Enhancing
relationships
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1995-1996 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2nd-Enhancing
relationships; 3rd-Weight reduction; 4th-Nutrition; and 5th-Stress reduction
TOPICS RANK ORDER 1994-95 TOPICS RANK ORDER 1995-96
Exercise programs 1 Exercise programs 1
Weight reduction 2 Enhancing relationships 2
Nutrition 3 Weight reduction 3.5
Educational career planning 4 Nutrition 3.5
Enhancing relationships 5 Stress reduction 5
Stress reduction 6 Educational career goal
setting/planning 6
Relaxation 7 Relaxation 7
Environmental issues 8 Environmental issues 8
Time management skills 8 Communication skills 9.5
Anxiety associated with public speaking,
test writing, etc. 9.5 Recreation
and leisure 9.5
Recreation and leisure 9.5 Time management skills 11
Learning skills 11 Depression 12.5
Depression 12 Learning skills (i.e., speed reading, comprehension, etc.) 12.5
Financial management 13 Sexuality 14.3
Assertiveness training 14 Financial management 14.3
Communication skills 15.5 Self-esteem 14.3
Self-esteem 15.5 Assertiveness
training (how to say
"no" without feeling guilty) 17
Biofeedback for tension 17 Anxiety
associated with public speaking, test writing,
etc. 18
Sexuality 18 Biofeedback for tension headache
and pain 19.5
Self-testes exam 19 Spiritual or philosophic values 19.5
Marital or couple problems 20 Stop smoking programs 21
Stop smoking programs 21 Death and dying 22
Women's issues 22.5 Overcoming fears (i.e., high places, crowded rooms, etc.) 23
Spiritual/philosophical values 22.5 Loneliness 24
Overcoming fears 24 Women's issues 25
Death and dying 25.5 Marital or couple problems 26.5
Men's issues 25.5 Premenstrual syndrome 26.5
Parenting skills 27 Medical emergencies 28
Premenstrual syndrome 28 Self-breast exam 29
Loneliness 29 Parenting skills 30.25
Responsible alcohol use 29.5 Suicide thoughts or attempts 30.25
Self-breast exam 29.5 Medical self-care 30.25
Medical emergencies 30 Self-testes exam 30.25
Suicide thoughts/attempts 31 Responsible alcohol use 34.5
Substance abuse 32.3 Substance abuse 34.5
Medical self-care 32.3 Men's Issues 36.3
Osteoporosis 32.3 Aging 36.3
Alcoholism 35 Osteoporosis 36.3
Divorce 36 Gay Issues 39.25
Gay issues 37 Divorce 39.25
Automobile safety 38.5 Alcoholism 39.25
Aging 38.5 Dental self-care 39.25
Dental self-care 40 Automobile safety 43
table
1-e
1996-1997
and 1997-1998 through 1998-1999 : topics in rank order
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1996-1997 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2nd-Nutrition; 3rd-
Weight reduction; 4th-Stress reduction; 5th-Relaxation
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1997-1998 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2nd-Weight
reduction; 3rd-Nutrition; 4th-Stress reduction; 5th-Enhancing
relationships
TOPICS RANK ORDER 1996-97 TOPICS
RANK ORDER 1997-98
Exercise programs 1 Exercise programs 1
Nutrition 2 Weight reduction 2
Weight reduction 3 Nutrition 3
Stress reduction 4 Stress reduction 4
Relaxation 5 Enhancing Relationships 5
Enhancing Relationships 6 Relaxation 6
Educational career goal setting/planning 7 Educational career goal
setting/planning 7
Recreation and leisure 8 Time management skills 8
Environmental Issues 9 Learning skills (i.e., speed reading, comprehension, etc.) 9
Anxiety associated with public speaking, test, writing, etc. 10 Recreation
and leisure 10
Time management skills 11.5 Anxiety associated with public
speaking, test, writing, etc. 11
Learning skills (i.e.,
speed reading, comprehension, etc.) 11.5 Environmental
Issues 12
Depression 12 Financial management 13
Biofeedback for tension headache and pain 13 Communication skills 14
Sexuality 14 Assertiveness training (how to say
"no" without
feeling
guilty) 15
Communication skills 15 Self-esteem 16
Assertiveness training (how to say "no" without
feeling guilty)16 Depression
17
Stop smoking programs 17 Stop smoking programs 18.5
Loneliness 18.3 Biofeedback for tension headache and
pain 18.5
Self-esteem 18.3 Loneliness 20
Financial management 18.3 Sexuality 21.5
Marital or couple problems 19 Men's Issues 21.5
Men's Issues 20 Spiritual or philosophic values 23
Overcoming fears (i.e.,
high places, crowded rooms, etc.) 21 Women's
issues 24.5
Spiritual or philosophic values 22 Overcoming fears (i.e.,
high places, crowded rooms, etc.) 24.5
Women's issues 23 Marital or couple problems 26
Self-testes exam 24 Death and dying 27
Death and dying 25 Self-testes exam 28
Premenstrual syndrome 26 Medical emergencies 29
Parenting skills 27 Premenstrual syndrome 30
Self-breast exam 28 Responsible alcohol use 31
Alcoholism 29 Suicide thoughts or attempts 32
Suicide thoughts or attempts 30.5 Self-breast exam 33
Responsible alcohol use 30.5 Medical self-care 34
Dental self-care 31.5 Parenting skills 35
Medical emergencies 31.5 Alcoholism 36
Medical self-care 32 Osteoporosis 37
Substance abuse 33.3 Substance abuse 38
Gay Issues 33.3 Dental self-care 39
Divorce 33.3 Divorce 40.5
Aging 34 Aging 40.5
Automobile safety 35 Automobile safety 42
Osteoporosis 36 Gay Issues 43
TABLE 1-F
1998-1999: TOPICS IN RANK ORDER
The top five topics for information
requests by freshmen in 1998-1999 were: 1st-Exercise programs; 2nd-Weight
reduction; 3rd-Enhancing relationships; 4th- Stress
reduction; 5th-Nutrition
RANK ORDER TOPIC RESPONSES % OF TOTAL
1. Exercise programs 177 36.6%
2. Weight reduction 137 28.3%
3. Enhancing relationships 112 23.1%
4. Stress reduction 102 21.1%
5. Nutrition 99 20.5%
6. Educational career goal setting/planning 89 18.4%
7. Relaxation 88 18.2%
8. Learning skills (i.e,
speed reading, comprehension, etc.) 62 12.8%
9. Time-management skills 56 11.6%
10. Recreation and leisure 56 11.6%
11. Depression 51 10.5%
12. Communication skills 51 10.1%
13. Environmental issues 47
9.7%
14. Stop-smoking programs 42
8.7%
15. Financial management 42
8.7%
16. Sexuality 40
8.3%
17. Assertiveness training (how
to say "no" without feeling guilty) 39 8.1%
18. Men's issues 36
7.4%
19. Anxiety associated with public speaking, tests, writing,
etc. 34 7.0%
20. Loneliness 33
6.8%
21. Self-esteem 30
6.2%
22. Spiritual or philosophic values 29
6.0%
23. Biofeedback for tension headache and pain 29
6.0%
24. Overcoming fears (i.e,
high places, crowded rooms, etc.) 27 5.6%
25. Marital or couple problems 25
5.2%
26. Women's issues 25
5.2%
27. Responsible alcohol use 24
5.0%
28. Medical emergencies 17 3.5%
29. Death and dying 15
3.1%
30. Alcoholism 14
2.9%
31. Parenting skills 13
2.7%
32. Self-testes exam 12
2.5%
33. Premenstrual syndrome 11
2.3%
34. Self-breast exam 10
2.1%
35. Suicide thoughts or attempts 9
1.9%
36. Aging 9
1.9%
37. Osteoporosis 9
1.9%
38. Gay issues 6
1.2%
39. Substance abuse 5
1.0%
40. Divorce 5
1.0%
41. Dental self-care 5
1.0%
42. Medical self-care 4
0.8%
43. Automobile safety 2
0.4%
OBJECTIVES OF
COLLEGE FRESHMEN
Examining the major
priorities of freshmen can be helpful in better understanding their needs. In the following table, a comparison of
objectives considered essential or very important to 1988 UWSP freshmen and
seven national samples of freshmen is listed
TABLE 2
OBJECTIVES OF COLLEGE FRESHMEN: A
COMPARISON OF 1988 UWSP FRESHMEN AND SEVEN NATIONAL SAMPLES OF FRESHMEN
|
Objectives
of College Freshmen (considered essential or very
important) |