First Year Experience (FYE)
Spring 2007 FYE Survey Results
Similar to Spring 2006, far fewer students completed the FYE evaluations than they did in the Fall, resulting in only a 6.6% response rate, compared with a 22.8% return in Fall 2006. While results must be evaluated cautiously, the following trends are still apparent over the four semesters the Western FYE program has been in existence.
- Student motivation to attend WIU and graduate has remained very strong.
- Students continue to be active participants in their FYE classes as these classes continue to be smaller than their other classes and involve more discussion, with faculty encouraging differing viewpoints.
- FYE instructors continue to make students aware of out-of-class activities and frequently attend these activities with their students.
- In line with the marked increase in faculty-student interaction seen in the 2006 NSSE, students continue to report that their FYE instructors care about them as individuals, that they feel comfortable talking to their FYE instructors about academic concerns, and that they know their FYE instructors better than their other WIU instructors.
- The number of students reading the common book (Fast Food Nation in 2005-06 and Class Matters in 2006-07) has continued to increase, however the book(s) continue to see only is limited integration into the FYE classes.
- Peer mentors and residence hall programs continue to be areas of the FYE program that need additional effort to achieve their potential benefit.
Compared to Fall 2006 when progress as reported in 11 of the 12 FYE program goals compared to Fall 2005, the Spring 2006 to Spring 2007 comparison showed a decrease in overall achievement of each of these goals. Most notable declines were in:
- encouraging students to become involved in campus activities (16.2% decline)
- learning to respect the views of others (14.6% decline)
- having a positive impact on relationships with fellow students (12.9% decline)
- having a positive impact on the value of lifelong learning (12.8% decline)
Although the survey response rate was very low, these declines are a cause for potential concern and will need to be monitored closely during the third year of the FYE program in 2007-08.
Below are links to additional Spring 2007 FYE survey findings.
Below are links to previous FYE survey findings.
