Sophomores have positive NAU experience, survey says

Ninety-seven percent of sophomores rate their overall experience at Northern Arizona University as either good or excellent, according to a 2007 Sophomore Survey recently released by NAU's Office of Planning, Budget and Institutional Effectiveness.

The annual survey of sophomore students assesses their satisfaction and opinions about their overall experiences at the university. It also covers topics such as advising, registration, course availability, campus features, faculty and general academics. Students also were asked about their perceived development in certain skills.

Sophomores were positive in their overall ratings of NAU:

• Ninety-seven percent rated their overall experience as either good or excellent.
• Ninety-three percent plan to complete their bachelor's degrees at NAU.
• Eighty-six percent would still choose to attend NAU if they could start over.

Sophomores said NAU contributed to their skill development "very much" or "quite a bit":

• Seventy-three percent said NAU contributed to the skill of learning effectively on their own.
• Seventy-one percent said NAU has increased their ability to think critically and analytically.
• Sixty-seven percent report that they are working more effectively with others.

When asked to identify the factors in their decision to attend NAU, the top three most cited reasons were class size, cost of tuition and fees and the reputation of a major or a program.

When asked to rate the importance of NAU providing services, from one as unimportant to 10 as very important, all areas were rated above five. Academic advising rated the highest at 8.4; on-campus computer labs were rated 8.3, and opportunities for involvement were rated 8.

The complete report is available online.

For information about the data or analysis, contact Eva Hatchner, (928) 523-7814, or e-mail Eva.Hatchner@nau.edu.