Graduating seniors and eligible sophomores at all sixteen University of North Carolina institutions were surveyed in the spring semester of 1998. (Sophomores eligible for the survey had completed 45-59 hours, with at least 30 at their current institution.) The surveys asked students about different areas of their undergraduate experience:

• Faculty contributions to students' education,
• The academic environment at their institution,
• Academic services outside the classroom, such as library and computer facilities,
• Non-academic services,
• College contribution to their knowledge, skills, and personal development (Senior only).

This report is a compilation of comparisons between:

• NC State's results and results from UNC-CH and the other 14 UNC institutions (combined), and
• Sophomore and senior responses on questions that were similar in the two surveys.

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• Response rates: In each of the three campus groups (NC State, UNC-CH, and the other 14 UNC institutions [combined]), more than half of the graduating seniors and eligible sophomores completed the surveys. Slightly over half of NC State's graduating seniors and almost two thirds of the sophomores responded.
• Faculty contributions: NC State students' mean ratings of faculty contributions to their educational experience are generally higher than those of UNC-CH students, but consistently lower than the means at the other 14 UNC campuses (combined). Seniors' mean ratings are consistently higher than sophomores'.
• Academic environment: Students at NC State and UNC-CH give high average ratings for intellectual environment, compared to most other UNC campuses. Seniors' and sophomores' means are similar. NC State graduating seniors' mean rating for the overall quality of instruction is below the means from seniors at UNC-CH and the other 14 UNC institutions (combined). NC State sophomores are more than twice as likely than those of the non-Research I campuses to report that classes are too large, and more likely than sophomores at most other campuses to report difficulty with an instructor's spoken English.
• Academic services outside the classroom: Senior's and sophomore's mean ratings of academic advising, library services, technology services, and career related services are similar. On average, NC State sophomores are more satisfied with career related services and library and technical (computing) services than are students at most other UNC campuses, except for training in how to use the library and the availability of computing help from technical staff. On average, NC State sophomores are generally less satisfied than those at most other campuses with freshman orientation, the campus bookstore, and labs and tutoring in reading, writing, and study skills. NC State graduating seniors are generally more satisfied with career-related and employment search assistance services than are students at UNC-CH and the other 14 UNC institutions (combined). However, they are less satisfied with academic advising services than are students at the non-Research I campuses.
• Non-academic services: There are few systematic differences among the three campus groups in the way sophomores or graduating seniors rate non-academic services. NC State sophomores generally give higher ratings than UNC-CH sophomores to non-academic services, but lower ratings to opportunities for non-academic activities and leadership development.
• Seniors' knowledge, skills, and personal development: NC State ranks among the highest of UNC campuses in seniors' ratings of the university's contribution to their development of math, science and computer skills, but among the lowest for areas related to personal development.
• Seniors' post-graduation plans: About half of the seniors in each of the three campus groups plan to work full-time after graduation. Another 20% or so plan full- or part-time graduate study.
• Comparisons with 1996 survey findings: The only area for which NC State saw noticeable change in its rating relative to other campuses was with seniors' rating of the campuses' contribution to the development of comprehension skills, moving from having the 12^th highest mean in 1996 to 7^th in 1998.

There are three sets of tables: sophomore survey results, senior survey results, and differences between sophomore and senior results for questions that occurred on both surveys. Within each set of tables, results are grouped into sections that present data for one area of student experience. Most questions were scored on a four-point scale (1=poor, 2=fair= 3=good, 4=excellent). Tables for the sophomore and senior survey show, for each question,

• the mean ratings given by NC State respondents, by UNC-CH respondents, and by respondents from the other 14 UNC institutions (combined), and
• the ranks of NC State's and UNC-CH's means when compared with the means from the other UNC institutions (1=the highest mean rating for that question, 16=the lowest mean rating).

Where a mean rating is not appropriate (e.g.: Do you plan to complete your degree at your current institution? Yes/No/Not sure), the tables indicate the percents giving certain answers.

Tables comparing sophomore and senior results show, for each question, the difference between the sophomore and senior means for NC State respondents, for UNC-CH respondents, and for respondents from the other 14 UNC institutions (combined).

When reviewing a table, look for patterns within related sets of items. Each table begins with a brief description of major patterns. Such consistencies among items are usually more important for understanding the data than are the sizes of the differences between individual pairs of ratings or ranks. In general terms, differences of less than .1 between mean scores in the data reported here are not statistically significant. And, while some individual small differences might be statistically significant, they may not be substantively meaningful. However, when even relatively small differences yield consistent patterns within a similar series of questions, the results are potentially more telling.

NC State's response rate ranks ninth among the sixteen institutions, even though it is higher than the combined rate for the fourteen non-Research I campuses. This indicates a wide range of rates among the non-Research I campuses, with eight of them at least slightly higher than NC State's 65%.

Students were asked to evaluate how well faculty on their campus contributed in each of eight areas, as well as to give an overall evaluation of their instructors.

• NC State students' average ratings of faculty contributions to their educational experience are generally higher than UNC-CH students' ratings, but
• NC State and UNC-CH averages are almost always lower than those from the other 14 UNC campuses (combined).

Students rated the intellectual environment, the overall quality of instruction, and the overall education they felt they were receiving at their campus. They were also asked whether they planned to complete their degree there, and whether they would choose that campus again.

• NC State and UNC-CH students' mean ratings of their campus's general intellectual environment are higher than those of students at the other 14 campuses (combined), but
• NC State's mean is lower than UNC-CH's on all three questions.

• Scale used was 1=very weak, 2=weak, 3=average, 4=strong, 5=very strong

• In all three groups, almost all respondents plan to complete their degree at their current campus, but only about three-quarters would choose that campus again if they were starting over.

• Sophomores at NC State and UNC-CH are more likely than those at the other 14 campuses (combined) to report classes that are too large to learn effectively.
• NC State students are more likely than those at UNC-CH or at the other 14 UNC campuses (combined) to report having had difficulty understanding an instructor's spoken English.

Students were asked about seven categories of services: orientation, advising, labs and tutoring services, the library, access to and help with technology, career-related services, and the bookstore.

• NC State students' mean ratings of various aspects of orientation are consistently lower than those of students at the non-Research I campuses (combined), but are equal to or higher than ratings given by UNC-CH students.

• NC State sophomores' mean ratings of academic advising are similar to those of the 14 non-Research campuses, and they are more positive than UNC-CH student's ratings, which consistently rank the lowest of all 16 campuses.

• Except in mathematics, NC State sophomores' mean ratings of the labs and tutoring services were lower than those of students at UNC-CH and at the other 14 campuses (combined). However, mean ratings of services overall were similar across all three groups.

• Sophomores' mean rating of the library services at NC State and UNC-CH rank among the top three of all UNC campuses, except for training to use the library.

• Technology (computer) services at NC State received either the first or second highest mean ratings of all UNC institutions for three out of the five different services asked about, as well as for technology services overall. The one technology service for which NC State does not fare well relative to UNC-CH and the non-Research I campuses is "access to trained staff for help."

• NC State sophomores' mean rating for all career related services asked about are slightly above those of students at UNC-CH and at the other 14 campuses (combined).

• NC State's bookstore received a lower mean rating than UNC-CH's or the bookstore at the other 14 campuses (combined) received.

Students were asked to rate service and staff responsiveness in seven different areas: registration, financial aid, food service, health service, business services/cashier, and residence life. In addition, they rated and their opportunities for extra-curricular activities, community service, and to develop leadership skills. Students were also asked whether their campus takes sufficient steps to assure their physical safety.

• Mean ratings for service are generally similar at NC State and the 14 non-Research I campuses, with both reporting higher mean ratings than UNC-CH.
• There are no consistent patterns among the three groups (NC State, UNC-CH, and the other 14 campuses combined) in the mean ratings for staff responsiveness.

Staff Responsiveness	NC State	UNC-CH	All other 14 UNC Institutions		NC State	UNC-CH
	Mean	Mean	Mean		Rank	Rank
Registration Process	2.85	2.44	2.86		10	14
Financial Aid Services	2.72	2.85	2.70		8	4
Food Services	2.37	2.43	2.63		10	8
Health Services	2.92	2.86	2.96		6	8
Counseling (not career)	2.97	2.83	3.05		10	13
Bus Services/Cashier	2.82	2.87	2.91		10	9
Residence Life Programs	2.74	2.89	2.81		10	6

• NC State ranks lower than UNC-CH on mean ratings of opportunities for non-academic activities and on community service projects, and lower than the non-Research campuses (combined) on opportunities for community service projects and to develop leadership skills.

• About three-quarters of the students feel that their campus has taken sufficient steps to ensure their physical safety.

• NC State has one of the lowest response rates of all 16 UNC campuses to the Graduating Senior survey.

Students were asked to evaluate how well faculty on their campus contributed in each of eight areas, as well as for an overall evaluation of their instructors.

• With a few exceptions, NC State seniors' average ratings of faculty contributions to their educational experience are similar to UNC-CH students' ratings, but
• NC State and UNC-CH averages are almost always slightly lower than those from the non-Research I campuses (combined).

The students rated the intellectual environment, the overall quality of instruction both in specifically to their major as well as more generally, and the overall education they were receiving at their campus. They were also asked whether they would choose their campus again if they could start over.

• NC State and UNC-CH seniors' mean ratings of their campus's general intellectual environment are higher than those of the other 14 campuses (combined), but
• overall quality of instruction was rated lower by graduating seniors at NC State than by seniors at UNC-CH and the other 14 UNC institutions (combined).

• Graduating seniors at NC State and UNC-CH are more likely than seniors at the non-Research I institutions to say they would choose their institution again if they could start over.

Students were asked about five different categories of service: advising, the library, access to and help with technology, career-related services, and employment search assistance.

• NC State's and the non-Research I campuses (combined) mean ratings of academic advising services, which are similar to each other, are consistently higher than those of UNC-CH seniors.

• The mean ratings of the library services at NC State and UNC-CH are consistently above those of the other 14 campuses (combined).

• While there are no consistent patterns across the three comparison groups in graduating seniors' mean ratings for technology (computer) services, NC State ranks first or second in seniors' evaluation of areas related to access to technological equipment

• NC State seniors' mean ratings for career-related services are consistently higher than those of UNC-CH seniors, and are generally higher than those of students at the 14 non-Research I campuses.

• NC State seniors' mean ratings of the employment search assistance services are generally higher than those from the 14 other UNC institutions (combined), and consistently higher than those from UNC-CH.

Students were asked about service and staff responsiveness in seven different areas: registration, financial aid, food service, health service, counseling, business services/cashier, and residence life. In addition, they rated their opportunities for extra-curricular activities, community service, and developing leadership skills.

• Senior's mean ratings for service are similar at NC State and the non-Research I campuses.
• There are no consistent patterns between NC State, UNC-CH, or the non-Research I institutions in the mean ratings for staff responsiveness.

Staff Responsiveness	NC State	UNC-CH	All 14 other UNC Institutions		NC State	UNC-CH
	Mean	Mean	Mean		Rank	Rank
Registration Process	3.09	2.68	2.87		5	12
Financial Aid Services	2.64	2.88	2.71		9	5
Food Services	2.45	2.35	2.59		9	13
Health Services	2.92	2.80	2.89		7	10
Counseling (not Career)	2.85	2.81	2.88		9	11
Business Services/Cashier	2.74	2.88	2.85		10	8
Residence Life Programs	2.68	2.84	2.75		10	3

• There are no consistent differences between NC State, UNC-CH and the other campuses (combined) with respect to non-academic opportunities.

Students were asked to evaluate their campus contribution to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in fifteen different areas. Also, they were asked whether their major included a co-op, internship, practicum, or field experience.

• While NC State seniors give higher mean ratings than those from either UNC-CH or the non-Research campuses (combined) in the development of math, analytic, and computer skills as well as in applying scientific methods, they generally give lower mean ratings in areas related to personal development.

• Compared to the non-Research I campuses (combined), a smaller proportion of graduating seniors at NC State report having a co-op, internship, practicum, or field experience as part of their major. UNC-CH seniors were the least likely to report such experience outside the classroom.

Seniors were asked about their plans following graduation.

• NC State seniors are more likely than seniors at UNC-CH and the other 14 campuses (combined) to indicate that they intend to work full time after graduation (i.e., when they answered the survey, they had already accepted jobs or were seeking employment).
• NC State seniors and those from the non-Research I campuses (combined) were less likely than those at UNC-CH to report planning on going to graduate school.

The tables in this section show the difference between the mean responses of seniors and sophomores (senior mean - sophomore mean) to questions that occurred on both surveys. A negative number means that the sophomores' average response was higher than that of the seniors. A positive number means that the seniors' average response was higher.

As with the means themselves, look for patterns within related sets of items. Consistencies among items are usually more important for understanding the data than are the sizes of the differences between individual pairs of ratings or ranks.

• NC State seniors were less likely than sophomores to return the survey. Seniors at UNC-CH and at the non-Research I campuses were more likely than sophomores to return the survey.

• At all three campus groups, the mean ratings given by seniors to faculty contributions are consistently higher than ratings given by sophomores. The largest differences were in opportunities for cooperative learning and (NC State and UNC-CH) faculty concern for students' academic success and welfare.

• Seniors' mean ratings on items related to the academic environment on campus were similar to or slightly higher than sophomores' means.

• Similar percentages of graduating seniors and sophomores say they would choose the same campus again if they could start over.

• Seniors' and sophomores' mean ratings of academic advising are very similar.

• Graduating seniors in all three campus groups give noticeably higher mean ratings than sophomores do for their campus's training in library use.

• NC State seniors' mean ratings for computer center hours of operation and help and for technology training courses are noticeably lower than sophomores' mean ratings.

• Seniors and sophomores at NC State and at the non-Research I campuses (combined) rate career related services similarly.