Texas Christian University STUDENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY Undergraduate Students Only Office of Quality Enhancement Preliminary Results Fall 2020 (Sept. 22, 2020) As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, TCU, like most universities across the country, struggled to resume ‘normal’ activities during the fall 2020 semester. The university welcomed students back to campus with adaptations in both the living and learning environment with the intention of minimizing the spread of the virus among all community members. This report provides preliminary results of a survey designed to evaluate how students are experiencing this new environment. The results presented here pertain to undergraduate students only and focus primarily on the academic experience. Once the survey has closed a full report will be disseminated. Methodology All students were sent an invitation to participate in the survey. This included 1515 graduate students and 9654 undergraduate students. Students received the initial survey invitation on September 16, 2020. A reminder email invitation was sent to students who had not responded to the initial invitation on September 21, 2020. The final reminder is scheduled for September 25th with the survey scheduled to close at midnight on September 27th. Results To date (September 22, 2020) 1061 undergraduate students have responded to the survey for an 11% response rate. Of these 1061 students who have initiated the survey, 659 of the students completed the survey for a 62.1% completion rate. A minimal sample size of 567 is required to generalize the results to the undergraduate population as a whole. The following pages present the preliminary results of the survey. Q1. Where are you currently residing? Count Percent 566 53.35% In Fort Worth, on campus 407 38.36% In Fort Worth, off campus 69 6.50% Not in Fort Worth 19 1.79% Other (Please specify) 1061 Respondents The ‘Other’ responses are primarily international students from Vietnam, India, Panama, and Nicaragua. Q2. What is your classification? Count Percent 302 28.46% First Year 254 23.94% Sophomore 257 24.22% Junior 223 21.02% Senior 25 2.36% Fifth Year Senior 0 0.00% Graduate Student 1061 Respondents Q3. Please select the racial identity with which you most identify: Count Percent 2 0.19% American Native 45 4.24% Asian 41 3.86% Black 95 8.95% Hispanic 29 2.73% Multi-Ethnic 2 0.19% Pacific Islander 790 74.46% White 46 4.34% Prefer Not to Say 11 1.04% Other 1061 Respondents Racial identity results mirror the TCU student population. Q4. Please select the gender identity with which you most identify: Count Percent 727 68.52% Female 307 28.93% Male 6 0.57% Non-Binary 1 0.09% Trans 16 1.51% Prefer Not to Say 4 0.38% Other 1061 Respondents Gender identity results indicate that the survey sample is skewed more heavily female than the TCU student population. Q6. Approximately what percent of your classes are currently online? Count Percent 3 0.30% 0% 9 0.91% 10% 20 2.02% 20% 18 1.82% 30% 32 3.24% 40% 58 5.87% 50% 63 6.38% 60% 72 7.29% 70% 171 17.31% 80% 151 15.28% 90% 391 39.57% 100% 988 Respondents 72.2% of undergraduates have at least 80% of their classes online. 14.1% of undergraduates have 50% or fewer classes online. Q8. How satisfied are you with the percent of classes you have that are online? Count Percent 227 22.98% Not at all satisfied 248 25.10% Moderately dissatisfied 198 20.04% Neutral 206 20.85% Moderately satisfied 109 11.03% Totally satisfied 988 Respondents 48.1% of undergraduate students are dissatisfied with the number of classes they have online compared to 31.9% who are satisfied with the number of online classes. Isolating on those students who had at least half their classes online, 49.3% of undergraduate students are dissatisfied with the number of classes they have online compared to 30.9% who are satisfied with the number of online classes. Q9. How satisfied are you with the quality of instruction in your online classes? Count Percent 102 10.32% Not at all satisfied 269 27.23% Moderately dissatisfied 193 19.53% Neutral 317 32.09% Moderately satisfied 107 10.83% Totally satisfied 988 Respondents 37.6% of undergraduate students are dissatisfied with the quality of instruction in their online classes compared to 42.9% who are satisfied with the quality of instruction in their online classes. Q10. How satisfied are you with the amount/quality of interactions with other students in your online classes? Count Percent 274 27.73% Not at all satisfied 285 28.85% Moderately dissatisfied 206 20.85% Neutral 159 16.09% Moderately satisfied 64 6.48% Totally satisfied 988 Respondents The disconnect seems to come with the amount and quality of their interactions with their classmates. 56.6% of the students are dissatisfied with the quality and amount of interactions with their classmates while only 22.6% of them are satisfied with the quality and amount of these interactions. Q11. How would you describe your overall online class experience? Count Percent 113 11.44% Very poor 260 26.32% Poor 343 34.72% Fair 214 21.66% Good 58 5.87% Excellent 988 Respondents When asked to evaluate their overall online class experience, 37.8% rated their experience as either “Poor” or “Very Poor.” 27.5% rated their experience as either “Good” or “Excellent.” The majority of students rated their experience as “Fair” (34.7%). Q12. How does the amount of work in your online classes compare to the amount of work in the in-person classes you have had? Count Percent 344 38.70% Way more work in online classes 270 30.37% A bit more work in online classes 213 23.96% About the same amount of work 54 6.07% A bit less work in online classes 8 0.90% Way less work in online classes 889 Respondents When asked about the amount of work in their online courses compared to their in-person classes, the majority of students cited “Way more work” (38.7%). 69.1% responded that their online classes involved more work than their in-person classes. Only 24% responded that the amount of work was comparable while 7% said that there was actually less work. When asked about what they liked about their online classes students overwhelmingly cited convenience. When asked what they liked least about their online classes, students cited group projects, breakout rooms, and discussion threads. Group projects were difficult to organize. Breakout rooms were frustrating because students didn’t interact, often keeping their picture up instead of turning on the camera. Students saw discussion threads as busywork-something to do just to meet the requirement. A frequent comment also cited was that students felt like they were ‘teaching themselves.’ Many students also did not prefer the flipped classroom style of learning. Q23. How satisfied are you with the programming that has been provided so far this semester in the areas listed below? - Programs associated with my college Count Percent 141 19.48% Not At All Satisfied 163 22.51% Minimally Satisfied 160 22.10% Moderately Satisfied 86 11.88% Mostly Satisfied 46 6.35% Totally Satisfied 128 17.68% Not Applicable 724 Respondents The concept of having programs associated with individual colleges to address student engagement has been met with mixed reviews. 19.5% of students responded that they were ‘Not at all satisfied’ with these programs. Only 18.2% were “Mostly” or “Totally Satisfied.” Q37. How has your ability to pay for school been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? Count Percent 120 16.78% A lot more difficult 251 35.10% Somewhat more difficult 321 44.90% No significant change 17 2.38% Somewhat less difficult 6 0.84% A lot less difficult 715 Respondents Students’ ability to pay for college has been affected, with 51.9% of students responding that it is more difficult to pay for college because of COVID. Q38. In the past 2 months how often did you reduce the amount you ate or skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food? Count Percent 26 3.64% A great deal 62 8.67% A moderate amount 95 13.29% Occasionally 141 19.72% Rarely 391 54.69% Never 715 Respondents One-quarter (25.6%) of undergraduate students said that they at least occasionally experienced food insecurities. Q40. Please rate the degree to which you have experienced each of the following in the past 2 months because of or related to COVID-19: - Increased Anxiety Count Percent 345 49.22% Great deal 204 29.10% Somewhat 99 14.12% A little bit 53 7.56% Not at all 701 Respondents Over three-quarters (78.3%) of undergraduate students reported that they had experienced a noticeable increase in anxiety since the beginning of classes due to COVID-19. Q41. Please rate the degree to which you have experienced each of the following in the past 2 months because of or related to COVID-19: - Increased Depression Count Percent 194 27.67% Great deal 183 26.11% Somewhat 148 21.11% A little bit 176 25.11% Not at all 701 Respondents Over half (53.8%) of undergraduate students reported that they had experienced a noticeable increase in depression since the beginning of classes due to COVID-19. Q69. Over the past two weeks, on average, how much have you been concerned with the following? - Personally contracting COVID-19 Count Percent 216 32.34% Not concerned at all 153 22.90% Slightly concerned 127 19.01% Moderately concerned 78 11.68% Very concerned 94 14.07% Extremely concerned 668 Respondents The majority of students (55.2%) are either “Slightly” or “Not at all concerned” about contracting the virus themselves. Q70. Over the past two weeks, on average, how much have you been concerned with the following? - People you care about contracting COVID-19 Count Percent 68 10.18% Not concerned at all 130 19.46% Slightly concerned 152 22.75% Moderately concerned 145 21.71% Very concerned 173 25.90% Extremely concerned 668 Respondents However, they were more concerned about people they cared about contracting the virus. 70.4% of students were at least “Moderately concerned” about people they cared about. Q71. Over the past two weeks, on average, how much have you been concerned with the following? - TCU shifting to totally online classes Count Percent 153 22.90% Not concerned at all Q71. Over the past two weeks, on average, how much have you been concerned with the following? - TCU shifting to totally online classes Count Percent 74 11.08% Slightly concerned 119 17.81% Moderately concerned 106 15.87% Very concerned 216 32.34% Extremely concerned 668 Respondents Students were concerned about TCU shifting to totally online classes. Two-thirds (66.0%) of them were at least “Moderately concerned” about a return to totally online classes. Q72. Over the past two weeks, on average, how much have you been concerned with the following? - TCU sending students home before the end of the semester Count Percent 123 18.41% Not concerned at all 75 11.23% Slightly concerned 111 16.62% Moderately concerned 110 16.47% Very concerned 249 37.28% Extremely concerned 668 Respondents Students were even more concerned about TCU sending students home. 70.4% of them were at least “Moderately concerned” about our sending students home before the end of the semester. Q91. How would you describe your overall experience at TCU so far this semester? Count Percent 76 11.53% Very poor 135 20.49% Poor 209 31.71% Fair 186 28.22% Good 53 8.04% Excellent 659 Respondents Overall, Students were fairly even divided in their evaluation of their overall TCU experience. 32% rated their experience as either “Poor” or “Very Poor;” 32% rated their experience as “Fair;” and, 36% rated their experience as either “Good” or “Excellent.”