When in doubt get some numbers...
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 16:17:00 -0700 (PDT)
To: Faculty Senate 1997-98
Subject: 2020 survey
Below are the results of the poll that WSU conducted for the 2020
Commission in June and July of 1998. After an initial set of questions,
the survey focused on questions grouped within larger topics: "Purposes",
"Beliefs", "Solutions", "Reasons for college cost increases", "Opinion",
and "Ways to increase access".
The results are based upon 404 respondents, who answered the questions in
telephone interviews.
All responses are expressed in percentages, according the categories for
each section. HE = Higher Education
SURVEY RESULTS:
Concern for HE future (very concerned, some concern, some unconcern, very
unconcerned):
very concerned, 31%
some concern, 49%
some unconcern, 18%
very unconcerned, 2%
Highest tax priorities:
K-12, 52.7%
Health, 11.6%
Higher ed., 8.5%
Environment, 8%
Tax cuts, 7.8%
Welfare, 3.6%
Natural resources, 1.8%
Prisons, 1%
Lowest tax priorities
Prisons, 35.4%
Tax cuts, 26.2%
Welfare, 16.7%
Environment, 5.6%
Natural resources, 2.9%
K-12, 2.1%
Higher ed., 1.9%
Health, 1.3%
Purposes of higher education (very important, somewhat important, somewhat
unimportant, very unimportant)
Problem-solving skills 71.4, 24.4, 3, 1.2
Develop state economy 34, 50.9, 11.3, 3.8
Advancing knowledge 69.7, 28.1, 1.7, 0.5
Lower-income group opport. 69.3, 25.6, 4.3, 0.8
Minority group opportunities 52.3, 34.6, 9.6, 3.5
` Respect for diversity 47.4, 36, 11.9, 4.7
Perform basic research 42.7, 49.5, 6.6, 1.3
Provide continuing educ. 53.3, 39.9, 5.3, 1.5
Marketable skills 78.7, 18.6, 2, 0.7
Beliefs (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly
disagree):
All qualified citizens have right to
attend, regardless of income 62.4, 22.8, 8.7, 6.2
H.Ed. should be accountable to
public and emplyer needs 40.9, 40.6, 14.7, 3.8
Most who want to go to college
can now do so 23.7, 30.5, 26.7, 19.1
Many who want to go to college
now cannot do so 43.7, 34.1, 15.2, 7.5
General questions
Household members who want to go
to college now but cannot Yes, 19.6; No, 80.4
Reason can't go to college: cost Yes, 84.4; No, 15.2
More difficult to go to college in future,
10 years out, than now
More, 55; same, 31.9; less, 13.1
Solutions (strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, strongly
oppose)
Increase class size 5.9, 29, 38.2, 26.9
Reduce number of classes 6.4, 14.5, 32.9, 46.2
Use technology to increase
access 57.8, 32.3, 6.6, 3.3
Reduce administrators 34.4, 33.8, 17.3, 14.5
Professors teach more classes 27.6, 31.9, 24.1, 16.5
Cut programs 27.8, 35, 23.2, 14
Raise tuition and fees 4.3, 18.3, 31, 46.4
Limit admissions 3.6, 13.5, 32.6, 50.4
Raise taxes 8.8, 35, 21.2, 35
Have Comm. colleges raise
part of budget through
local sources 46.6, 45.9, 3.9, 3.6
Shift funds from other areas
of govt. to HEd. 44, 39.3, 10.5, 6.3
Reasons for cost increases (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat
disagree, strongly disagree)
State rules and regulations 26, 43.9, 24.2, 6
Price of everything is up 38.2, 48.4, 8.4, 5
Too much spent on buildings/
grounds 19.4, 34.9, 32.1, 13.6
State cutbacks in funding
for HE 39.8, 45.5, 8.1, 6.6
Professors paid too much 9.8, 19.3, 43.5, 27.4
Professors don't teach enough 24.2, 38.4, 25.9, 11.4
Administrators paid too much 38.9, 38.5, 18.5, 4.1
Too much unnecessary research 22.3, 36.6, 29, 12.1
Too much spent on other things,
not enough on HE 45.3, 38.4, 13.3, 2.9
Opinion (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly
disagree)
Costs shouldn't keep students
out 66.9, 26.1, 5, 2
Students would appreciate
college more if they had
to pay for it 31.6, 41.3, 14.4, 12.7
Students take too long to
get through college 18.3, 33, 30.5, 18.3
Too many are in college
instead of learning trades 12.3, 29.2, 26,9, 31.6
Students have to borrow too
much for college 49, 34.4, 11.2, 5.5
Employers insist on college
graduates when others
could do 36.5, 37.1, 18.7, 7.7
Higher education is an
investment that contributes
to economic well-being of
all people of the state 64.3, 30.9, 2.2, 2.5
Higher education mostly benefits
graduates and people that
work 12.6, 27.4, 37.4, 25.6
Should funds go to institutions or directly to students?
to institutions, 41.4%
to students, 42.5%
something else, 16%
Ways to increase access (strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose,
strongly favor):
Provide training at job sites 50.5, 38.4, 7.8, 3.3
Use technology 55.1, 37.6, 5.3, 2
Create more voc-tech
institutes 32.9, 51.2, 12.9, 3.1
Create small town higher
ed. centers 44.6, 44.1, 9, 2.3
Increase enrollments on
main campuses 11.1, 39.9, 36.6, 12.5
Increase late evening courses 59.2, 38.5, 1.5, 0.8
Limit out-of-state students 19.5, 27.8, 34, 18.7
Build new main and branch
campuses 21.8, 39.6, 26.6, 12
Contract with private colleges 26.4, 54.9, 12.6, 6
Spend less time on research
and more on teaching 28.1, 44.8, 19.9, 7.4
Certify learning obtained
in other ways 47.6, 43.8, 6.6, 2
Are you likely to enroll in higher education in the next five years
very likely, 22.8%
somewhat likely, 22.8%
somewhat unlikely, 15.1%
very unlikely, 39.2%
Most likely program to enroll in:
Master's, 28.2
Bachelor, 24.7
Associate degree, 16.5
Professional degree, 14.7
certificate, 12.9
Doctoral degree, 2.9
Most likely manner to enroll:
Combination, 53.2
Evenings/weekends, 40.1
Regular day, 19.8
Other way, 4.4
Expect to pay for college with
personal funds, 74%
SFA/grants, 65.8
part-time employment, 63.8
employer funds, 53.5
work-study, 53.5
loans, 51.7
family, 30.4
other, 18.1
Willingness to accept distance education via technology:
very willing, 38.9%
somewhat willing, 38.4
somewhat unwilling, 9.7
very unwilling, 13
Willing to enroll if limited to distance education via technology:
more likely, 24%
less likely, 31.7
no difference, 44.3
What should students' share of higher education cost?
more of the cost, 18.1%
less of the cost, 23.6
about as now, 58.4
Opinion on future changes (very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat
unlikely, very unlikely)
virtual universities 34.4, 42.5, 16, 7.1
competencies instead of grades
and credits 18.1, 46.9, 27.2, 7.9
local HE centers in most
communities 21.4, 49.7, 21.9, 7
student vouchers 15.3, 46.3, 26.7, 11.7
education on the Internet 65.5, 29.7, 3.6, 1.3
college classes in high school 57.2, 35.8, 6, 1
continuing education through
life 59.9, 36,2, 3.2, 0.7
more on-the-job training 50.2, 41, 6.2, 2.5
Demographics
Sex Male, 40.8%; Female, 59.2%
Education
some college, 32.3%
bachelor degree, 23.3
HS/GED, 20.5
master's degree, 8.8
associate degree, 8.3
some HS, 3
doctoral/prof degree, 2.6
elementary school, 0.5
Work status
FT employed, 54%
retired, 16.7
PT employed, 12.4
FT home, 7.73
other, 5.2
no work, 2.75
Ethnicity
Euro-Am., 84.3%
multi-Am., 4.5
Asian-Am., 3
African-Am., 2.54
Hispanic-Am., 2.3
other, 2.3
Native Am., 1
Income
over 70K, 23%
20-30K, 15.9
30-40K, 14.5
40-50K, 12.1
50-60K, 11.5
10-20K, 9.4
less than 10K, 7.4
60-70K, 6