Vol.5, No. 3     Published by Assessment Resource Office, ENMU     Date: 2-26-97

    Eastern has participated in the Cooperative Institute Research Project (CIRP) Freshman Survey since 1987. In 1996, the survey was administered to over 300,000 students at 641 two and four year colleges and universities. At Eastern, the survey was administered to students at new student orientation by Student Academic Services. Of these, 417 students were first-time freshmen with no previous academic credit at an institution of higher education according to the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. The results for a number of the questions which deal with student attitudes, behaviors, goals and aspirations follow. The text here will focus on similarities and differences of student responses to those of the national sample.

    The ethnic make-up of Eastern CIRP respondents was: White/Caucasian 65.7%; African American/Black 3.9%; American Indian 4.1%; Asian American/Asian 1.2%; Mexican/Chicano 23.2%; Puerto Rican .5%; Other Latino 2.7%; and Other 4.3%.

    When asked about reasons noted as very important in deciding to go to college, 20% of Eastern students responded that a role model/mentor encouraged them compared to 16.8% of the national cohort. Forty-four percent of the national cohort reported that an important reason for attending college was to "prove to others that I can succeed" compared to 50.9% of Eastern freshmen. Finally, when asked if they were attending college to become a more cultured person, 38.0% of the national cohort answered yes compared to 29.1% of Eastern students.

    What reasons did students consider very important in selecting the college they attended? The top two reasons for students to attend Eastern were financial assistance (53.9%) and low tuition (45.7%). Reasons three and four were the size of the college (38.9%) and good academic reputation (38.5%).

    The top four probable careers for Eastern students were: Teacher/administrator (elementary) (9.9%); Business executive (management) (6.0%); Teacher/administrator (secondary ) (5.5%); and Therapist (phys, occup, speech) (3.9%).

    When asked to rate objectives that they considered to be essential or very important, Eastern student responses were very similar to the national cohort in the following areas: Have administrative responsibility (Eastern 41.1%, national cohort 41.0%); Help others in difficulty (Eastern 64.8%, national cohort 63.8%); Become authority in my field (Eastern 62.8%, national cohort 65.7%); Be very well off financially (Eastern 76.4%, national cohort 77.7%); Develop a meaningful philosophy of life (Eastern 39.0%, national cohort 42.4%);and Be a community leader (Eastern 36.4%, national cohort 33.7%).

    The full description of the results for the national sample and Eastern for the last ten years are available at the Assessment Resource Office. If you would like to look at these results for any year for any particular question or for any other cohort, please contact Dr. Alec Testa at ext. 4313.

Student rated self above average or highest 10% in:
	ENMU %	National %
Academic ability	45.4	53.3
Artistic ability	25.0	24.7
Competitiveness	55.4	53.6
Cooperativeness	66.8	70.5
Creativity	49.3	48.6
Drive to achieve	63.5	64.6
Emotional health	50.2	52.4
Leadership ability	56.5	53.0
Mathematical ability	25.6	34.5
Physical health	51.6	53.8
Popularity	38.5	39.0
Public speaking ability	30.4	30.1
Self-confidence (intellectual)	50.6	54.7
Self-confidence (social)	42.7	51.3
Self-understanding	48.9	56.0
Spirituality	45.5	43.4
Understanding of others	56.2	64.2
Writing ability	34.1	39.6
Number of other colleges applied to for admission this year:
	ENMU %	National %
None	37.8	31.3
One	15.5	17.0
Two	18.7	19.1
Three	14.3	15.7
Four	8.6	8.5
Five	3.4	4.2
Six or more	1.7	4.2
College attended is student's:
	ENMU %	National %
First choice	65.7	68.2
Second choice	25.8	23.6
Third choice	5.3	5.5
Less than third choice	3.1	2.7
Highest academic degree planned:
	ENMU %	National %
None	.3	.7
Vocational certificate	.0	.3
Associate (or equivalent)	1.2	.9
Bachelor's	39.1	29.8
Master's	36.3	40.8
Doctorate	14.2	15.0
Other	1.8	2.2
Political Views:
	ENMU %	National %
Far left	4.0	3.0
Liberal	17.4	21.1
Middle of the road	57.3	56.1
Conservative	20.1	18.4
Far right	1.2	1.4
Reasons noted as very important in deciding to go to college:
	ENMU %	National %
My parents wanted me to go	42.4	41.6
I could not find a job	7.6	8.1
Wanted to get away from home	23.5	21.6
To be able to get a better job	76.9	78.6
To gain a general education and appreciation of ideas	60.3	61.9
To improve my reading and study skills	43.4	45.4
There was nothing better to do	3.2	3.8
To make me a more cultured person	29.1	38.0
To be able to make more money	74.8	77.7
To learn more about things that interest me	73.4	74.2
A mentor or role model encouraged me to go	20.0	16.8
To prove to others I could succeed	50.9	44.4
Reasons noted as very important in selecting college attended:
	ENMU %	National %
Relatives' wishes	12.7	9.9
Teachers' advice	6.1	4.4
College has a very good academic reputation	38.5	43.9
College has a good reputation for its social activities	25.9	24.7
Offered financial assistance	53.9	32.9
College offers special programs	19.3	23.3
Low tuition	45.7	34.9
Advice of high-school counselor	8.6	7.7
Advice of private college counselor	3.7	2.0
Wanted to live near home	23.2	21.3
Friend's suggestion	11.9	11.5
Recruited by college	10.4	5.3
Recruited by athletic department	13.1	6.3
Graduates gain admission to top graduate/professional schools	18.0	21.7
Graduates get good jobs	38.4	41.2
Religious affiliation/orientation	3.0	2.8
Size of college	38.9	38.1
Not accepted anywhere else	3.7	3.0
Rankings in national magazines	3.2	4.7
Students estimate chances are very good that they will:
	ENMU %	National %
Change major field	10.6	13.7
Change career choice	8.9	12.2
Fail one or more courses	1.2	1.7
Graduate with honors	14.4	16.9
Be elected to student office	2.5	4.3
Get a job to help pay college expenses	35.4	39.7
Work full-time while attending college	9.0	6.2
Join a social fraternity, sorority, or club	18.2	18.2
Play varsity/intercollegiate athletics	17.0	15.1
Be elected to an academic honor society	5.0	9.4
Make at least a "B" average	50.0	45.0
Need extra time to complete degree	9.0	10.2
Get a bachelor's degree	71.6	71.6
Participate in student protests or demonstrations	3.5	5.5
Drop out temporarily	.5	1.3
Drop out permanently	.5	1.1
Transfer to another college	9.7	12.3
Get married while in college	11.5	6.9
Participate in volunteer or community-service work	9.5	16.8
Seek personal counseling	5.5	6.7
Activities in the past year:
	ENMU %	National %
Attended a religious service	83.8	85.7
Was bored in class	31.6	37.1
Participated in organized demonstrations	53.6	49.6
Missed school due to employment	11.1	7.7
Tutored another student	45.1	48.4
Studied with other students	80.9	86.8
Was a guest in teacher's home	33.5	28.1
Smoked cigarettes	13.0	13.1
Drank beer	52.5	49.2
Drank wine or liquor	51.1	52.6
Took prescribed anti-depressant	3.9	4.3
Felt overwhelmed by all I had to do	28.4	29.7
Felt depressed	11.1	10.2
Performed volunteer work	67.6	70.5
Overslept and missed class or appointment	35.2	36.7
Played a musical instrument	34.6	38.4
Asked a teacher for advice after class	21.7	22.9
Discussed politics	15.3	13.8
Worked in political campaign	6.5	6.0
Voted in student election	22.2	24.8
Found it difficult to study at home	53.7	57.5
Socialized with different ethnic group	74.4	59.8
Agree strongly or somewhat that:
	ENMU %	National %
The federal government is not doing enough to control environmental pollution	80.5	83.1
There is too much concern in the courts for the rights of criminals	72.3	70.8
The federal government should raise taxes to reduce the deficit	15.4	21.6
Abortion should be legal	48.0	55.9
The death penalty should be abolished	16.4	22.4
If two people really like each other, it's all right for them to have sex even if they've known each other for only a very short time	40.1	40.3
The activities of married women are best confined to the home and family	27.6	25.8
Marijuana should be legalized	29.9	33.5
It is important to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships	39.4	35.2
Employers should be allowed to require drug testing of employees or job applicants	78.6	80.7
The federal government should do more to control the sale of handguns	72.8	82.8
A national health-care plan is needed to cover everybody's medical costs	68.9	74.5
Racial discrimination is no longer a major problem in America	15.4	15.6
Realistically, an individual can do little to bring about changes in our society	31.3	32.8
Wealthy people should pay a larger share of taxes than they do now	59.9	66.6
Colleges should prohibit racist/sexist speech on campus	63.7	65.0
People should not obey laws which violate their personal values	35.5	35.7
Abolish affirmative action in college admittance	41.8	43.1
All official documents should be in English	40.0	40.5
Deny educational access to undocumented child	54.7	51.5
Objectives considered essential or very important:
	ENMU %	National %
Achieving in a performing art	16.3	12.4
Becoming an authority in my field	62.8	65.7
Obtaining recognition from my colleagues for contributions to my special field	51.4	55.2
Influencing the political structure	17.8	18.6
Influencing social values	43.0	40.5
Raising a family	66.3	71.5
Having administrative responsibility for the work of others	41.1	41.0
Being very well-off financially	76.4	77.7
Helping others who are in difficulty	64.8	63.8
Making a theoretical contribution to science	17.8	17.8
Writing original works	13.3	13.9
Creating artistic work	15.0	13.5
Becoming successful in a business of my own	44.9	44.1
Becoming involved in programs to clean up the environment	20.9	23.0
Developing a meaningful philosophy of life	39.0	42.4
Participating in a community-action program	23.7	25.7
Helping to promote racial understanding	37.9	37.7
Keeping up to date with political affairs	24.0	27.8
Becoming a community leader	36.4	33.7

Eastern New Mexico University is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in its programs, activities, or employment. Persons seeking additional information about the University's nondiscrimination policy should contact the Executive Director for Planning & Analysis, ENMU Station #2, Portales, NM 88130.

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