temple university student questionnaire 2015

July 2015 Institutional Research and Assessment of 15

Temple University Student Questionnaire 2015

The Temple University Student Questionnaire (TUSQ) is designed to measure students’ perceptions about Temple. Data obtained from

the TUSQ can be used to assess factors related to student success, as well as improve student retention, academic programming, and

campus climate. The TUSQ asks students about the importance of various academic, social, and administrative areas and about their

satisfaction or agreement with each survey item. Areas that are rated high in importance and low in satisfaction or agreement are of

particular concern. Four-point scales are used for this survey:

4 = “Very Important” / “Very Satisfied” / or “Strongly Agree”

3 = “Moderately Important” / “Somewhat Satisfied” / or “Somewhat Agree”

2 = “Slightly Important” / “Somewhat Dissatisfied” / or “Somewhat Disagree”

1 = “Not Important” / “Very Dissatisfied” / or “Strongly Disagree”

Additional items asked students whether they would register for online, hybrid, evening, summer, weekend courses or courses offered

at a Temple satellite campus, how they prefer to be contacted by various University representatives, how they spend their time, and how

frequently they engage in certain activities such as making a class presentation or working on group projects.

The results of this survey are summarized overall, and by each Temple school, college, and campus. Each Temple school and college

receives an overall report and a report comparing their students’ responses to all other respondents. Administrative officers, deans,

faculty, and directors are encouraged to use the results of the TUSQ to help assess programs, policies, and procedures. We ask that you

keep us informed of the ways in which you use these data, so that we may more effectively frame future survey activities, share ideas

with others, and communicate the vital importance of survey participation to respondents.

Temple is in the midst of an unprecedented positive transformation, evident in the new construction on Main Campus, the

accomplishments of the student body, and the generally vibrant energy that surrounds the University at the moment. It’s not surprising,

then, that the TUSQ respondents of 2015 emerged as a cohort with a number of defining qualities: out of 65 items, the three they

ranked top in importance were all related to academics: “Overall quality of education received at Temple”, “Quality of courses in your

major field of study”, and “Temple is providing me with the skills I will need to compete successfully in the job market.” Students were

most satisfied with the ease of viewing their grades and library resources and services. The most agreed-with items related to Temple

University policies: respondents agreed that they uphold the policies of honesty and integrity in and outside of the classroom, and that

they understood the Temple code of conduct, as well as general academic policies. The biggest positive change in importance between

2012 and 2015 was in the services of academic enrichment centers, and the biggest drop in importance was with the availability of open

course sections. The biggest positive change in satisfaction or agreement was with the availability of academic advisors, while the

biggest drop was in ease of registering for courses. Moreover, the 2015 TUSQ received the highest response rate in four

administrations, with 23.9% of Temple undergraduate students responding to the survey. This snapshot of 2015 students illustrates a

group focused on their studies, informed about Temple’s expectations for them, and excited to provide feedback to the University.

All requests for items to be included in future TUSQ administrations are reviewed by the Temple Survey Committee, which is a broad-

based group comprised of representatives from offices including: Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Undergraduate Studies,

Academic Programs, Institutional Research and Assessment.

Prior to the 2015 administration of the Temple University Student Questionnaire the survey tool underwent significant changes thanks

to a Survey Committee sub-group. This sub-committee reworded 20 of the 65 survey items, added 17 unique survey items, and altered

response scales for 21 survey items. For instance, in 2015, the metric for measuring the average number of hours spent on an array of

activities per week changed from a Likert scale with pre-set hour ranges to text entry, where students could input the number of hours

they spent on various activities in order to better capture student habits. Questions around student preference on University

communication were also updated to provide better data to various University constituents. Questions added in 2015 and related data

points are available at the end of this summary, and question wording revisions are available in Appendix C.3. Additionally, the 2015

survey was the first administration of the tool to occur on the new triennial cycle. Previously, TUSQ was administered to students every

two years. This change occurred in order to allow Temple administrators more time with the survey data, as well as to complement

survey data with other forms of data.

The TUSQ was first administered in the spring of 1995, and subsequent versions were administered in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006 (paper

administrations), 2008, 2010, 2012, & 2015 (electronic administrations).

Copies of survey questions and frequencies by school, college, or campus are available to authorized personnel by request from:

Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA)

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


Contents

List of Tables

Table 1. Items Rated Most Important by 2015 Respondents 3

Table 2. Items Ranked by Most Satisfied/ Agreed With by 2015 Respondents 3

Table 3. Items Ranked by Least Satisfied/ Agreed With by 2015 Respondents 4

Table 4. Items with Largest Difference between Importance and Satisfaction/Agreement 4

Table 5. Percent Satisfied/ Agreed with Summary Items 5

Table 6. Percent Satisfied/Agreed with Advising Items 6

Table 7. Percent who Agree with “I receive sufficient financial aid” 8

Table 8. Questions Added in 2015 13

Table 9. Top Issues Mentioned in Open Ended Comments 2015 by Demographic 14

List of Figures

Figure 1. Mean Importance and Satisfaction Ratings of 2015 Summary Items 5

Figure 2. Average Hours per Week Spent Studying by Class Year 6

Figure 3. Overall response to “My Gen Ed Courses have helped me gain valuable skills and knowledge” 7

Figure 4. Overall response to “Quality of General Education courses” 7

Figure 5. Percent who Agree with “I receive sufficient financial aid” 7

Figure 6. Satisfaction with Career and Graduate School Opportunities 8

Figure 7. Importance of “I am satisfied with the safety and security on campus” 9

Figure 8. Agreement with “I am satisfied with the safety and security on campus” 9

Figure 9. Overall response to “I am satisfied with the safety and security on campus” 9

Figure 10. Percent Satisfied with Library Facilities 10

Figure 11. Percent Satisfied with Library Resources and Services 10

Figure 12. Overall response to “During the school year, about how many hours per week did you spend doing the following?” 10

Figure 13. Overall response to “Availability of personal counseling services on-campus” 11

Figure 14. Overall response to “Availability of health services on-campus” 11

Figure 15. Frequency of Activities 11

Figure 16. Overall response to “The diversity of Temple’s student body has enhanced my education experience” 12

Figure 17. Overall response to “The diversity of Temple’s faculty has enhanced my education experience” 12

Appendices

Appendix A. Survey Instrument 16

Appendix B.1. Counts of Student Population, Surveys Sent, Surveys Returned and Surveys Returned Adjusted for Population Characteristics 29

Appendix B. 2. Overall Results, Means and Frequencies 30

Appendix B.3. Items Ranked by Importance 36

Appendix B.4. Items Ranked by Satisfaction/ Agreement 40

Appendix B.5. Changes in Importance, 2012 to 2015 44

Appendix B.6. Changes in Satisfaction, 2012 to 2015 45

Appendix C.1. Longitudinal Means, 2006 to 2015 46

Appendix C.2. Class Year Comparison 2015 Administration to 2012 Administration 54

Appendix C.3.Previous Question Wording Table 67


Table 1: Items Rated Most Important by 2015 Respondents

Importance

Rank Item

Average Importance Rating and

Previous Rank Importance Percentage Rating *

2015 2012 2010 2015 2012 2010

1 Overall quality of education received at Temple 3.85 3.82 2 3.83 2 97% 98% 97%

2 Quality of courses in your major field of study 3.82 3.83 1 3.84 1 97% 97% 97%

3 Temple is providing me with the skills I will need to

compete successfully in the job market 3.76 3.76 7 3.76 8 95% 97% 95%

4 Clarity of requirements for my major 3.75 - - - - 95% - -

5 Quality of class instruction 3.75 3.81 3 3.81 3 96% 97% 97%

6 I am satisfied with my own academic performance 3.75 3.80 4 3.80 4 95% 97% 97%

7 I received sufficient financial aid 3.75 3.78 6 3.78 5 94% 96% 94%

8 My experience at Temple has been positive 3.75 3.78 5 3.78 7 95% 97% 96%

9 Ease of registering for courses 3.74 3.71 10 - - 95% 96% -

10 In general, I have received good treatment at

Temple 3.74 3.71 9 3.71 10 96% 97% 96%

Table 2: Items Ranked by Most Satisfied / Agreed With by 2015 Respondents

Satisfaction/

Agreement

Rank

Item Average Satisfaction/ Agreement Rating

and Previous Rank

Satisfaction/ Agreement

Percentage Rating *

2015 2012 2010 2015 2012 2010

1 I uphold the principles of honesty and integrity in and

outside the classroom per Temple’s code of conduct 3.73 - - - - 95% - -

2 I understand Temple’s code of student conduct 3.47 3.34 4 3.33 3 90% 88% 86%

3 I understand Temple’s general academic policies

(academic standing, […], etc.) 3.44 3.42 2 3.40 2 91% 90% 90%

4 In general, I have received good treatment at Temple 3.42 3.23 8 3.20 11 89% 85% 84%

5 I study a sufficient amount to do well in my classes 3.40 3.27 6 3.22 8 90% 87% 84%

6 My experience at Temple has been positive 3.37 3.28 5 3.28 6 88% 85% 85%

7 I am aware of the learning outcomes […] for my major 3.36 3.24 7 3.20 12 86% 84% 81%

8 Temple’s Phila. location provides me with professional

resources / opportunities (internships, […] etc.) 3.34 3.22 10 3.23 7 85% 83% 83%

9 Ease of viewing my grades 3.33 3.36 3 - - 84% 88% -

10 Temple provides an academically challenging

environment 3.33 3.23 9 3.17 16 87% 87% 84%

* Importance percentage rating determined by adding % who

responded “very important” and “moderately important”

* Satisfaction / Agreement percentage rating determined by adding

% who responded “very satisfied” or “strongly agree” and

“moderately important” or “somewhat agree”

A dash (-) indicates administration years in which a question was

excluded from the survey tool.


Table 3: Items Ranked by Least Satisfied / Agreed With by 2015 Respondents*

Satisfaction/

Agreement

Rank

Item Average Satisfaction/ Agreement

Rating and Previous Rank

Satisfaction/ Agreement

Percentage Rating

2015 2012 2010 2015 2012 2010

1 Availability of open course sections 2.61 2.47 2 2.46 4 57% 50% 52%

2 I receive sufficient financial aid 2.62 2.49 3 2.62 11 56% 52% 57%

3 I am satisfied with the opportunities for employment

on campus 2.66 2.44 1 2.43 3 57% 49% 49%

4 My Gen Ed courses help me gain valuable skills and

knowledge 2.69 2.51 4 2.58 9 61% 55% 57%

5 Quality of General Education courses 2.72 2.65 6 2.69 14 64% 63% 66%

6 Frequency with which courses in your major are

offered 2.81 2.64 5 2.49 5 66% 59% 52%

7 Textbooks are available in the Temple bookstore

when I need them 2.88 2.70 8 2.74 19 69% 58% 61%

8 Ease of understanding my bill and account 2.89 - - - - 69% - -

9 I want to live and work in Philadelphia after

graduation 2.92 - - - - 69% - -

10 Availability of information and preparation for

internships 2.93 - - - - 70% - -

*The survey tool contained 65 ranked questions. Item 1 in

this table represented the item ranked 65th

in satisfaction. The 2012

administration of this survey contained 56 items. The 2010

administration of this survey contained 67 items.

Table 4: Items with the Largest Difference between Importance and Satisfaction/Agreement

Item Average Rating Importance & Satisfaction/

Agreement Percentage Rating

Importance Satisfaction/

Agreement Difference Important

Satisfied/

Agreed

I receive sufficient financial aid 3.75 2.62 1.13 94% 56%

Availability of open course sections 3.55 2.61 0.94 91% 57%

I am satisfied with the opportunities for

employment on campus 3.52 2.66 0.86 88% 57%

Frequency with which courses in your major

are offered 3.65 2.81 0.84 94% 66%

Ease of understanding my bill and account 3.68 2.89 0.79 94% 69%

Availability of information and preparation

about internships 3.64 2.93 0.71 93% 70%

Ease of checking financial aid information 3.65 2.94 0.71 92% 71%

Academic advisor’s assistance in helping you

understand degree requirements 3.63 2.95 0.68 92% 70%

Quality of class instruction 3.75 3.07 0.68 96% 81%

Ease of registering for courses 3.74 3.08 0.66 95% 76%

Overall Satisfaction Items

Overall student satisfaction is measured by five “summary” items on the TUSQ. According to the summary items, 2015 respondents were

pleased with the TU experience: a clear majority (89%) agreed that they receive good treatment at Temple, and over 82% say they

would enroll at Temple again. Eighty-seven percent of respondents were satisfied with the overall quality of education received at

Temple, while 88% agreed that their experience at Temple has been positive. Over 80% said they feel a sense of belonging here. The

percent of students satisfied with all five summary items has increased since 2012.


Figure 1

For the most part, women expressed more satisfaction with the summary items than men, and sophomores expressed more satisfaction

than respondents in other class years. Due to a small pool of American Indian/Alaskan Native (n=2) and Pacific Islander (n=1) students,

these respondents are excluded from the race/ethnicity analysis. Students who identify as African American and Hispanic/Latino

reported the highest satisfaction with TUSQ summary items.

Table 5

Percent Satisfied/ Agreed with Summary Items

To

tal

Fem

ale

Male

Fre

shm

an

So

ph

om

ore

Jun

ior

Sen

ior

Hig

h S

en

ior

Afr

ican

Am

eri

can

Asi

an

Wh

ite, n

on

-His

pan

ic

His

pan

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Lati

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Tw

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ore

race

s

Un

kn

ow

n o

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ther

Good treatment 89% 90% 88% 91% 92% 89% 87% 86% 89% 84% 90% 91% 88% 86%

Positive experience 88% 89% 87% 88% 90% 87% 86% 87% 89% 81% 89% 87% 86% 85%

Would enroll again 83% 84% 81% 86% 86% 82% 79% 79% 83% 76% 84% 86% 85% 80%

Overall quality of education 87% 89% 85% 90% 88% 87% 84% 85% 89% 81% 88% 90% 83% 85%

Sense of belonging 80% 81% 79% 83% 84% 80% 76% 79% 82% 78% 81% 81% 79% 73%

Advising

Over the past several years, TUSQ results have shown some dissatisfaction with academic advising at Temple. In the 2015 administration

of the TUSQ, however, advising saw the greatest gains in satisfaction, with availability of academic advisors and working with an

academic advisor on a plan for success ranked as the first and second most improved areas according to student responses. This year,

almost 74% of respondents reported satisfaction with the availability of academic advisors, up from 61% in 2012, and 59% in 2010.

Students continue to utilize academic advisors as they progress towards degree completion: nearly 80% said they had worked with an

advisor on a plan for success overall, with 79% of both juniors and seniors stating they had worked with an advisor. This year, 80% of

respondents were also satisfied with DARS for tracking progress towards graduation (up from 73% in 2012, and 65% in 2010).

3.58

3.85

3.59

3.75

3.74

3.22

3.26

3.32

3.37

3.42

Sense of belonging

Overall quality of education

Would enroll again

Positive experience

Good treatment

Mean Importance and Satisfaction Ratings of 2015 Summary Items

Satisfaction/Agreement Importance


Table 6

Percent Satisfied/ Agreed with Advising Items

To

tal

Fem

ale

Male

Fre

shm

an

So

ph

om

ore

Jun

ior

Sen

ior

Hig

h S

en

ior

Afr

ican

Am

eri

can

Asi

an

Wh

ite, n

on

-His

pan

ic

His

pan

ic/

Lati

no

Tw

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ore

race

s

Un

kn

ow

n o

r O

ther

Availability of faculty advisor 82% 83% 81% 86% 81% 81% 81% 81% 84% 80% 82% 82% 83% 81%

DARS for tracking progress 80% 81% 79% 81% 83% 80% 78% 78% 83% 82% 79% 77% 76% 80%

Worked on a plan for course success 80% 81% 78% 83% 81% 79% 79% 75% 85% 80% 79% 84% 77% 77%

Availability of academic advisor 74% 74% 74% 80% 76% 75% 70% 67% 79% 75% 72% 74% 78% 77%

Helping understand degree requirements 70% 69% 70% 79% 73% 66% 67% 64% 75% 73 68% 66% 70% 72%

Faculty

Students overall seem to be satisfied with Temple faculty: 81% were satisfied with the quality of class instruction, 86% were satisfied

with instructor availability outside of class, and over 83% said they were satisfied with the quality of interaction with faculty. However,

7.8% of respondents were very dissatisfied with the opportunity for undergraduate research with a faculty member. On the Summer

2014 New Student Questionnaire (NSQ), 92% of incoming freshmen and 87% of incoming transfers said there was some chance or a

very good chance that they would work with a professor on a research project while at Temple, yet only 23% of TUSQ respondents

reported doing so with any regularity (either occasionally or frequently). NSQ data are available on the Institutional Research and

Assessment website.

Academic Challenge and Study Habits

According to TUSQ results between 2008 and 2015, the academic climate at Temple is changing. In 2015, 48% of respondents strongly

agreed that Temple provides an academically challenging environment, compared to 41% in 2012, and 36% in 2010 and 2008.

Additionally, 52% of 2015 undergrads strongly agreed that they study enough to do well in their courses, up from 46% in 2012, 40% in

2010 and 38% in 2008. In 2015, the metric for measuring the average number of hours spent studying per week changed to text entry,

where students could input the number of hours they spent on various activities. As such, a longitudinal comparison is unavailable for

this survey item. In 2015, students reported spending an average of 20.6 hours per week studying.

Figure 2

Gen Ed

The General Education (Gen Ed) program serves as Temple University’s liberal education requirement for all students admitted to the

University. Students responding to the 2015 TUSQ represent the first set of respondents to fall entirely under the Gen Ed curriculum; in

fall 2008, the Gen Ed program was introduced to replace Temple’s Core Curriculum, while transfer students were able to take Core

Curriculum classes through spring 2010. The Gen Ed program is a topic at Temple that has elicited strong reactions from students.

Between 2006 and 2012, both the importance and agreement with which students rated the statement “My Gen Ed courses have helped

20.74

20.28

19.89

22.02

20.46

High Senior

Senior

Junior

Sophomore

Freshmen

Average Hours per Week Spent Studying by Class Year†

High Senior Senior Junior Sophomore Freshmen

† Averages are reflective of responses within the 99th percentile. Improbable responses were excluded from the data.

0.6

1.72

2.98

3.76

7.25

7.68

10.38

18.76

20.62

Doing volunteer work as part of a class

Doing volunteer work outside of class

Participating in professional, internship,…

Participating in University…

Using Temple's computer labs

Recreation/Exercise

Watching TV/movies

Socializing

Studying

During this school year, about how many hours per week did you spend doing the following†


me gain valuable skills and knowledge” declined, although the sharpest decreases occurred between 2008 and 2010. The agreement

ratings for Gen Ed in the 2015 administration of TUSQ have improved for the first time since 2006 with an increase in the mean of .18

over the 2012 mean.

Figure 3

Additionally, student perception of the quality of Gen Ed courses has been measured over time. The importance and satisfaction of this

statement also saw a sharp decline between 2006 and 2012. However, the means for importance and satisfaction for this item increased

in the 2015 administration of the TUSQ.

Figure 4

Financial Aid

About half of respondents said they receive sufficient financial aid. This is consistent across four administrations of the TUSQ. However,

a number of students mentioned their dissatisfaction with Student Financial Services wait times in the open-ended comments.

Figure 5

3.19

3.00

2.96

3.02

2.70

2.58

2.51

2.69

2008

2010

2012

2015

Overall response to "My Gen Ed Courses have helped me gain valuable skills and knowledge"

Agreement Importance

2.67

2.56

2.54

2.72

2.74

2.69

2.65

2.72

2008

2010

2012

2015

Overall response to "Quality of General Education courses"

Satisfaction Importance

55% 57%

52% 56%

Percent who Agree with "I recieve sufficient financial aid"

2015

2012

2010

2008


Table 7

Percent who Agree with “I receive sufficient financial aid”

To

tal

Fem

ale

Male

Fre

shm

an

So

ph

om

ore

Jun

ior

Sen

ior

Hig

h S

en

ior

Afr

ican

Am

eri

can

Asi

an

Wh

ite, n

on

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pan

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His

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Lati

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race

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n o

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ther

56% 56% 56% 60% 56% 54% 54% 63% 60% 58% 56% 50% 44% 58%

Careers & Graduate School

Compared to 2012, more students are satisfied with information and preparation for graduate or professional school opportunities, as

well as information and preparation for career opportunities in the 2015 administration of this survey. Also improved over 2012 was the

percentage of students who strongly agree that Temple’s Philadelphia location provides connections to professional resources and

opportunities. Eighty-two percent agreed that Temple provides them with the skills they need to compete in the job market.

Additionally, in 2015 a question about the availability of information and preparation regarding internships was added to the

questionnaire, to which 70% of students responded they were satisfied.

Figure 6

Over 20% of respondents expressed strong dissatisfaction with the availability of on campus jobs. Students who responded work an

average of 3.21 hours a week on campus, while students work an average of 8.57 hours a week off campus. Please see the methodology

section of this report for more information on how the average hours spent is calculated.

Safety & Security

Despite concerns in 2012 about the safety and security on campus, the 2015 administration of TUSQ saw gains in student feelings of

security on Temple’s campus. The item “I am satisfied with the safety and security on campus” had the largest drop in average

agreement from 2010 to 2012. In the 2015, however, 39% of females and 44% of males strongly agreed that they are satisfied with the

safety and security on campus versus 31% of females and 35% of males in 2012. Although responses from males and females regarding

how safe they feel on campus were comparable, female students responded that feeling safe on campus is more important to them

than did their male counterparts.

59%

66%

56%

64%

62%

68%

70%

71%

75%

Info for internships

Info for grad/professional school

Info for career opportunities

Satisfaction with Career and Graduate School Opportunities

2015 2012 2010 2008

*Question added in 2015


Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Campus Life

As Temple attracts more residential students, the quality of on campus life has taken center stage. Eighty-one percent of students say

they’re satisfied with the availability of social and recreational activities on campus, and 80% say they receive accurate and timely

information about on campus events. When it comes to how students prefer to receive communication about co-curricular activities

from Temple, 69% chose email as their first preference, 17% chose text message, and 13% chose social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).

The Temple University comprehensive campus plan outlines the construction of a new library facility to begin in late 2015, with the final

structure in place by late 2018. This facility, in addition with the quad and Paley library, will constitute a new academic commons in the

middle on Main campus. With the impending construction, questions about library facilities and services were added to the survey tool

to provide baseline data for future TUSQ administrations. In general, students were satisfied with both library facilities and library

resources and services, with satisfaction ratings of 82% and 87% respectively.

7%

3%

18%

11%

74%

85%

Males

Females

Importance of "I am satisfied with the safety and security on campus"

Not Important Slightly Important Moderately Important Very Important

8%

9%

15%

17%

33%

35%

44%

39%

Males

Females

Agreement with "I am satisfied with the safety and security on campus"

Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree

95%

95%

96%

94%

81%

85%

72%

76%

2008

2010

2012

2015

Overall response to "I am satisfied with the safety and security on campus"

% Agreed with % Important to

* 1% of females and 2% of males responded “Not Important”


Figure 10

Figure 11

Temple University is committed to providing a well-rounded student experience. As such, students were asked how they spend their

time on campus. In 2015, the metric for how students reported the average hours per week engaged in various activities changed from

a Likert scale to text entry. With the new metric students could enter an estimated number of hours they spent on each activity during

the week. However, the changed metric does not allow for a longitudinal comparison of the data.

Figure 12

4% 14% 41% 42%

Pecent Satisfied with Library Facilities

Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied

3% 10% 41% 46%

Pecent Satisfied with Library Resources and Services

Very Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Somewhat Satisfied Very Satisfied

0.60

1.72

2.98

3.76

7.25

7.68

10.38

18.76

20.62

Doing volunteer work as part of a class•

Doing volunteer work outside of class•

Participating in professional, internship, co-op, and/or field placement•

Participating in University clubs/organizations

Using Temple's computer labs

Recreation/Exercise•

Watching TV/Movies

Socializing

Studying

Overall response to "During this school year, about how many hours per week did you spend doing the following†"

† Averages are reflective of responses within the 99th percentile. Improbable responses were excluded from the data.

•Indicates a new question for the 2015 administration of TUSQ


As an institution dedicated to student well-being, survey participants were also asked to respond about their experiences with Temple’s

counseling and health services. Importance of and satisfaction with the availability of personal counseling services, as well as health

services on campus have improved since the 2012 administration of the TUSQ.

Figure 13

*Prior to 2015, the wording of this question read “Accessibility of personal counseling services on campus”

Figure 14

Students were also given the opportunity to report on how frequently they engaged in various activities. The scale for these items has

remained consistent over time.

Figure 15

3.01

2.86

3.06

3.29

3.01

2.98

3.02

3.15

2008

2010

2012

2015

Overall response to "Availability of personal counseling services on-campus*"


3.42

3.33

3.38

3.51

2.97

2.96

2.95

3.20

2008

2010

2012

2015

Overall response to "Availability of health services on-campus"


1.32

2.03

2.24

2.22

1.35

2.25

2.32

2.24

1.30

2.20

2.30

2.20

1.28

2.20

2.34

2.35

Worked with a professor on a research project

Met with an instructor during office hours

Worked on a group project for class

Made a presentation in class*

Frequency of Activities 1=Not at All, 2=Occassionally, 3=Frequently

2015 2012 2010 2008

*Prior to 2015, the wording of this question read “Made an oral presentation in class”


Quality of Interaction with Others

In the 2015 administration of the TUSQ questions about the diversity of Temple’s faculty and students were added to the survey tool.

Students were also asked how satisfied they were with the quality of interaction with other students, faculty, and administrative staff and

personnel. Responses to questions regarding quality of interaction with campus groups have improved or remained the same since

2012. These data complement data from the 2013 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which

measures the nature and quality of the undergraduate experience of freshmen and seniors. In general, TUSQ survey participants were

more satisfied with the quality of interaction with student, faculty, and administrative personnel than were respondents of the 2013

NSSE survey. For example, 55% of freshmen responded that they were satisfied1 with the quality of interaction with students, while 81%

of freshmen who took the TUSQ responded that they were satisfied with the quality of interaction with students. These figures are

similar for seniors (59% responded they were satisfied with student interaction on the NSSE, and 83% responded that they were

satisfied on the TUSQ). NSSE data are available on the Institutional Research and Assessment web site.

Additionally, on the 2013 administration of the NSSE Temple University performed slightly better than peer institutions on the

“Discussions with Diverse Others” Engagement Indicator. This indicator included questions on how often students interacted with

people from a different race or ethnicity, economic background, religious belief, or political view. The TUSQ focused on whether campus

diversity enhanced the student experience. Eighty-three percent of students agreed that the diversity of the Temple student body

enhanced their educational experience, and 77% of students agreed that the diversity of Temple’s faculty enhanced their educational

experience.

Figure 16

Figure 17

1 Percentage rating a 6 or 7 on a scale from 1=”Poor to 7= “Excellent on their interactions with Students”

6%

5%

11%

9%

34%

24%

49%

62%

Satisfied

Important

Overall response to "The diversity of Temple's student body has enhanced my educational experience"

Not Important/Very Dissatisfied Slightly Important/Somewhat Dissatisfied

Moderately Important/Somewhat Satisfied Very Important/ Very Satisfied

7%

5%

16%

10%

36%

26%

42%

58%

Satisfied

Important

Overall response to "The diversity of Temple's faculty has enhanced my educational experience"

Not Important/Very Dissatisfied Slightly Important/Somewhat Dissatisfied

Moderately Important/Somewhat Satisfied Very Important/ Very Satisfied


Questions Added in 2015

As stated above, the TUSQ survey instrument underwent extensive revision prior to the 2015 administration of this survey. The survey

committee sub-group included 17 new survey items as a part of this revision process. Below are data points from the newly added

questions that fall on the importance and satisfaction/agreement scale. Moving forward, these items will continue to be part of the

TUSQ tool so that these elements may be tracked longitudinally.

Table 8

New Questions Response Means

Clarity of requirements for my major

Importance Average 3.75

Satisfaction Average 3.05

Ease of understanding my bill and account



Usefulness of Next Steps channel on TU Portal to remind me of tasks and deadlines



Library facilities



Library resources and services



Availability of information and preparation for internships



Opportunity for volunteer service



I uphold the principles of honesty and integrity in and outside the classroom per Temple's code of conduct


Agreement Average 3.73

The diversity of Temple's student body has enhanced my educational experience



The diversity of Temple's faculty has enhanced my educational experience



I want to live and work in Philadelphia after graduation



Open-Ended Comments

Near the end of the TUSQ, respondents were given the chance to comment further on any of the survey items, or on any other aspects

of Temple, including ideas for improving the student experience at Temple. Out of 6035 TUSQ respondents over 38% (n=2318) added

an open-ended comment. Each response was reviewed and assigned up to three topic categories. The category that was mentioned

most often was “course availability.” Comments in this category contained sentiments such as:

“I believe that course availability/frequency needs to be improved.”

“I think more sections of every class could be offered, because I have had countless semesters where classes that I needed to

take did not fit into my schedule.”


The new Fly in 4 program may help remedy concern over course availability moving forward. The second most frequent category was

“positive Temple experience.” Here, students wrote comments such as:

“Temple provides rich experiences and opportunities for the students.”

Students also commented on campus activities and events, many citing a desire for more campus-wide events. For instance, students

wrote:

“I think there should be more campus-wide events, like Temple Fest and the like,”

“Bring back activities in spring for students to get us outside together as a school (spring fling). We really need things like

these.”

Other frequently mentioned topics were advising and faculty/teaching, with many students citing a need for improvements in advising

and better oversight of professors to allow for an enriched learning experience. For example:

“It is frustrating and difficult to feel understood and acknowledged when you don’t have any control over which advisor you

will see.”

“I feel there should be more monitoring of classes to assure the students are getting what they pay for.”

As in the past, students also commented on Student Financial Services (SFS) and financial aid in general; as one respondent commented:

“Need more financial aid staff during rush times because when you're dealing with people's finances you shouldn't make them

wait.”

In general, however, there were fewer concerns about SFS then in prior years.

Table 9

Top Issues Mentioned in Open Ended Comments 2015 by Demographic

Overall Course Availability (17%) Positive Temple Experience

(16%)

Campus Activities and Events

(12%)

Female Course Availability (18%)

Positive Temple Experience

(14%)/ Campus Activities and

Events (14%)

Advising (11%)

Male Positive Temple Experience (23%) Facilities (22%) Faculty/Teaching (20%)

Freshman Positive Temple Experience (24%) Campus Activities and Events

(18%)

Food Service (10%)/Facilities

(10%)

Sophomore Positive Temple Experience (15%) Campus Activities and Events

(14%) Course Availability (13%)

Junior Course Availability (18%) Positive Temple Experience (14%) Facilities (13%)

Senior Course Availability (24%) Advising (15%) Security (14%)

High Senior Course Availability (25%) Positive Temple Experience (20%) Security (17%)


Methodology

On January 26, 2015, Institutional Research and Assessment, via Computer Services, emailed a TUSQ invitation on behalf of Neil D.

Theobald, President of Temple University, containing a direct link to the survey to 25,269 undergraduate students enrolled for the spring

semester. The sample excluded undergraduate students on Temple’s Japan campus. Reminders were emailed to non-responders on

January 29, February 3, February 9, February 11, and March 2. Social media platforms were also utilized the promote TUSQ, with “tweets”

from the official Temple University Twitter account on January 27 and March 6, as well as a Facebook post on the Temple University

page on February 9. Responders to the survey were entered into a random drawing for one of twelve $100 Diamond Dollar awards.

Awardees were selected periodically over the six weeks that the survey was open to encourage early participation.

Additional publicity methods were employed to further increase student participation, including an announcement that appeared on

the TUPortal Next Steps channel of eligible students, a pop-up window on TECH Center computers, targeted emails from campus

partners, and advertising with Temple Today and Temple News.

By the beginning of March, 8,784 (34.8%) had logged into the TUSQ website, and 6,035‡ (23.9%) completed a sufficient number (at least

8) of items to be included in the analysis. Because different demographic groups respond to surveys at different rates, student

responses were weighted by gender, ethnicity, class year, and school or college to ensure proportional representation.

Any reference to the average hours students spend on various activities within this document refers to a truncated data set. The

averages are reflective of responses within the 99th percentile of recorded data. Improbable responses were excluded from the data.

‡ 6141 students completed the TUSQ. Only 6035 students are included in this analysis due to invalid student identification information provided by students at the start of the survey, or graduate student

status.

temple university student questionnaire 2015

Documents