Climate for Minorities at UK

A Summary of Various Survey Findings (1997 – 2001)

Survey Results Compiled from. . .

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, 2001)

Undergraduate Alumni Survey (1999, 2000, 2001)

New Freshmen Survey (2001)Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory

(1997, 2000)

NSSE 2001: Percent of students reporting they ‘often’ or ‘very often’ had serious conversations with . . .

Students of another race– Less than four in ten (38%) UK students

– Over half (56%) of students at other doctoral/research extensive institutions

Students who differ in terms of religion, politics, or personal values– Over half (56%) of UK students

– Two-thirds (67%) of students at other doctoral/research extensive institutions

To what extent has your experience at UK contributed to your understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds? (N=151)

18.5%

15.0%

33.8%31.4%

29.8%31.9%

17.9%

21.7%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

Very Little Some Quite a Bit Very Much

UK Other Doc/Res

Source: National Survey of Student Engagement, 2000-2001

To what extent does UK emphasize encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds? (N=151)

25.8%

16.8%

44.4%

34.4%

21.9%

29.3%

7.9%

19.4%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

Very Little Some Quite a Bit Very Much

UK Other Doc/ResNote: Differences are significant at p<.001.Source: National Survey of Student Engagement, 2000-2001

0.3%4.5%

33.8%

1.5%

23.5%

61.3%

22.1%

52.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Very Discriminatory Discriminatory Supportive Very Supportive

Overall Sample African Americans

Note: Results are compiled from three years of surveys

Source: Undergraduate Alumni Survey Results for 1999, 2000, 2001

Perceived Academic Climate for African-American Students at UK (Overall N=2358, African-American N=68)

Source: Undergraduate Alumni Survey Results for 2001

0.9%

62.8%

36.3%

0.2%3.8%

64.0%

32.1%

0.0%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Very Discriminatory Discriminatory Supportive Very Supportive

Male Students Female Students

Perceived Academic Climate for Women at UK

Note: Results are compiled from three years of surveys

Source: Undergraduate Alumni Survey Results for 1999, 2000, 2001

13.8%

60.1%

24.2%

5.9%

36.8%

50.0%

7.4%

1.9%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Very Discriminatory Discriminatory Supportive Very Supportive

Overall Sample African Americans

Perceived Social Climate for African-American

Students at UK (Overall N=2298, African-American N=68)

Source: Undergraduate Alumni Survey Results for 2001

2.7%

58.8%

38.3%

0.2%4.4%

62.9%

32.5%

0.3%0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%

Very Discriminatory Discriminatory Supportive Very Supportive

Male Students Female Students

Perceived Social Climate for Women at UK

Source: Undergraduate Alumni Survey Results for 2001

2.4%

10.0%

47.9%

39.7%

0.0%

18.2%

63.6%

18.2%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Definitely not Probably not Probably yes Definitely yes

Overall Sample African Americans

Would You Enroll Again at UK?

Freshman Survey Findings

When asked how frequently they had worked on a high school project with a student of another race . . .

Over one-third (37%) of white students said they had ‘never’ worked with an African American student

Only 1% of African American students reported that they had ‘never’ worked with a white student

Freshman Survey Findings

When asked how frequently during the past year they had had a long conversation with a student of another race . . .

Less than half (40%) of white students reported conversing with an African American student on 4 or more occasions

84% of African American students reported conversing with a white student on 4 or more occasions

There is a strong commitment to racial harmony on campus. (1=not satisfied at all to 7= very satisfied)

4.45

3.57

4.85

3.73

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1997 2000

OverallAfrican American

Source: Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, 1997 and 2000

There is a strong commitment to racial harmony on campus.

1.48

3.10

1.56

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

OverallAfrican-AmericanWomen

GAPSource: Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, 1997 Note: A Gap of 1.5 or greater suggests an area of concern. A gap is defined as the difference between importance and satisfaction.

Faculty…..fair/unbiased in treatment of individual students.

1.58

2.48

1.53

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

OverallAfrican-AmericanWomen

GAPSource: Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, 1997 Note: A Gap of 1.5 or greater suggests an area of concern. A gap is defined as the difference between importance and satisfaction.

Campus is safe and secure for all students.

1.41

2.101.72

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

OverallAfrican-AmericanWomen

GAPSource: Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, 1997 Note: A Gap of 1.5 or greater suggests an area of concern. A gap is defined as the difference between importance and satisfaction.

Summary

UK students are less likely than students from other doctoral institutions to converse with students who are very different from themselves (NSSE)

UK students perceive the university as not emphasizing the importance of contact with students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds (NSSE)

Female and African American alumni perceive the social climate at UK as less supportive than the overall sample of alumni (UK Alumni Survey)

Summary

African American students are more likely to express concern with UK’s commitment to racial harmony on campus (Noel-Levitz Inventory)

African American freshmen are more likely to report working and conversing with whites than vice versa (New Freshman Survey)

Both African Americans and women are less likely than the overall group of respondents to believe the campus is safe and secure.