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National Survey of Student Engagement: CU-Boulder 2000

Highlights for Arts and Sciences Majors

Sociology majors report low levels of academic challenge and faculty engagement. In addition to lessor emphasis on cognitive skills, sociology majors report the lowest level of academic challenge among all A&S majors, and tie with international affairs majors as the least likely to say the university encourages studying. In the 1998 UCB senior survey, nearly one-third of sociology seniors said their courses are too easy, a percentage that exceeds that for any other A&S major. Sociology majors also rank the quality of their upper-division instruction lower than do other A&S majors. They are least likely of the A&S majors to have discussed ideas with faculty and to have worked with faculty outside of class. Only international affairs ranks lower among A&S majors in talking about career plans with faculty.

International Affairs majors show a complex pattern of responses. International affairs seniors rank highest among A&S majors on conversing with people from different races, ethnicity, religious, and political backgrounds, but rank near the bottom on the extent to which they think the university has contributed to their understanding of diverse others and the extent to which they believe that the university encourages contact with people from different backgrounds. Their perceptions of the university's commitment to diversity may be low due to their own high standards. However, the fact that they rate their own achievement in understanding others lower than do other A&S majors is somewhat unexpected. It is possible that these students have a higher bar against which they measure their own achievement in understanding other cultures and thus see themselves as falling short.

Communications majors have a number of dissatisfactions. Communications majors rate the availability of courses, for both general education and in their major, lower than students in any other major. They also rate support for academic success, their relationship with administration, and the extent to which they believe the university provides support to cope with non-academic problems low as well. Further, communications majors believe, more so than students in any other major, that students have to run around from place to place to get things done at the university.

Advising fares poorly as well. Communications is lowest of any characterized A&S major on advising, rating availability of advisors much lower than students in other majors. In addition, its majors could hardly rate university responsiveness to problems any lower.

Political science majors rank highest among all majors on general satisfaction. Political science majors are most likely of all A&S majors to say they would attend UCB again if given the chance. They report strong university emphasis on social support and helping students cope with non-academic responsibilities, and they view the UCB administration as generally helpful, considerate, and flexible.

Political science majors also rank advising, course availability, and acquisition of a broad general education quite high, and they report the greatest use of essay or open-ended exams. Political science majors believe the university has contributed to their non-academic life as well by helping them learn on their own, fulfill their civic duty by voting, and contribute to the welfare of the community.

NSSE 2000 Table of Contents

Last revision 04/26/02

cb - l:\ir\survey\nsse\00\report\ByMajor_summary text2.doc, last updated 5/21/01