Quality of Life Survey

Student Affairs Committee October 25th, 2013

Akshay Shah Co-Chair, Student Affairs Committee University Senator

Quality of Life
What?

University-wide survey designed to measure student quality of life on a qualitative and quantitative level. Recommendations derived from data will drive short-, mid-, and long-term projects to improve student quality of life.

Why?

There has never been a comprehensive, campus-wide data-collection mechanism to assess the Quality of Life of Columbia students. Several schools and departments administer student satisfaction surveys for specic immediate needs, but results in one-o incremental projects. Governing bodies need data to implement policies, determine their impact objectively and methodically, and measure their success and sustainability resulted in the creation of the Quality of Life survey.

Quality of Life
How?

13 Categories: - Funding, Housing, Academics, Social Life, Transportation, Safety, Libraries, Space, Career Preparation, Administration, Technology, Health

Four parts in each category: - Satisfaction - Specic satisfaction questions per category - Importance - Satisfaction * Importance = Impact - Open-ended recommendation question per category

Randomized order of categories Wide variety of variables: 16 Demographic Variables 84 Satisfaction Variables 13 Importance Variables 55 Personality Variables

Quality of Life Timeline

Fall 2012: Survey Design and Development Behavioral Research Lab at the Columbia Business School February 2013: Pilot to selected students February April 2013: Engaged stakeholders and Improved Survey April 2013: Launched Survey 2013-2014: Analysis and Recommendations

Number of Responses

Emailed to 36,000 students

In 20 different schools

Over 8,650 surveys started

Over 6,250 completed responses

Overall Response Rate of 17.29%

Diversity of Responses
Gender
0.4% Male 39.1% 60.6% Female Transgender/ Genderqueer 90.0% 86.5%

LGBTQ Identified
10.0%

Maritial Status
12.1% 1.2% 0.2% Single Married Divorced Widowed

Yes No

English First Language

0.0% 23.5% Yes No White Asian-Pacific Hispanic African-American 76.5% South Asian Other Native American Pacific Islander 10.8% 7.0% 5.7% 4.6% 1.1% 0.4%

Ethnicity
10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 59.8% 21.2%

International Student
19.7% Yes 80.3% No

Overall Results
2.00 1.66 1.50 1.44 1.30 1.30

1.00

0.89 0.75 0.72 0.71 0.64 0.52 0.48

0.87

0.50

0.10 0.00

0.08

0.01

-0.18 -0.50

Satisfaction is on a scale of -3 to 3, with -3 being very dissatised, 0 being neutral, and 3 being very satised.

Overall Results
Overall Satisfaction vs. Importance
2

More Satisfied, Less Important

More Satisfied, More Important

1.5

Transporta<on Library
Adjusted Satisfaction (mean=0.71)

Safety Academic

Technology

Overall Housing Career Prepara<on Health

Social Life Space Quality Others

0.5

Administra<on
0

Space Availability Funding

Less Satisfied, More Important

Fitness
Less Satisfied, Less Important

-0.5 0 0.25 0.5 Adjusted Importance (mean=0.52) 0.75 1

Undergraduate Students Satisfaction

2.00
1.84 1.66 1.60 1.44 1.30 1.50 1.30 1.35

1.50

1.01

1.00

0.89 0.75

0.86 0.72 0.60 0.71 0.67 0.64 0.52 0.51 0.35 0.10 0.48 0.32 0.08 0.11 0.01 0.00 0.63

0.87 0.87

0.50

0.00
-0.01 -0.18

-0.50

Overall

Undergraduate

Satisfaction is on a scale of -3 to 3, with -3 being very dissatised, 0 being neutral, and 3 being very satised.

Graduate Non-PhD Students Satisfaction

2.00
1.66 1.53

1.50

1.44 1.29 1.30 1.09 1.30 1.25 0.89 0.80 0.75 0.65

1.00

0.79 0.72

0.76 0.71

0.87 0.64 0.52 0.56

0.87 0.87

0.50

0.48 0.41 0.26 0.10 0.08 0.09 0.01

0.00
-0.13 -0.18

-0.50
-0.67

-1.00

Overall

Graduate

Satisfaction is on a scale of -3 to 3, with -3 being very dissatised, 0 being neutral, and 3 being very satised.

PhD Students Satisfaction

2.00
1.66 1.55

1.50

1.44 1.44

1.35 1.30

1.30 1.29

1.00

0.89 0.82 0.75 0.72

0.86 0.72 0.71 0.69

0.81 0.64 0.52 0.44 0.48 0.26 0.10 0.08 0.01 0.46

0.87 0.82

0.50

0.00
-0.04 -0.02 -0.19 -0.18

-0.50

Overall

PhD Students

Satisfaction is on a scale of -3 to 3, with -3 being very dissatised, 0 being neutral, and 3 being very satised.

Data Analysis and Recommendations

Analyze data by category Test hypothesis using survey data Meet with key administrators to discuss results and jointly develop recommendations

Comparing Satisfaction Across Schools

Safety Satisfaction vs. Importance
2.5

More Satisfied, Less Important

2.3

More Satisfied, More Important

2.1

College
Adjusted Satisfaction (mean=1.563)

1.9

Journalism SEAS, Graduate GSAS Law

SEAS, Undergrad GS SIPA Business SCE GSAPP TC

1.7

Barnard Arts P&S Public Health JTS Social Work

1.5

1.3

1.1

Nursing

0.9

Dental
Less Satisfied, Less Important
Adjusted Importance (mean=1.67) 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8

Less Satisfied, More Important

0.7

0.5

Likelihood to Donate
School Columbia Business School School of General Studies Columbia College College of Physicians and Surgeons SEAS, Undergraduate Barnard College SIPA College of Dental Medicine SEAS, Graduate Jewish Theological Seminary Graduate School of Journalism Columbia Law School School of Continuing Education School of Social Work School of Nursing GSAPP Teachers College GSAS School of Public Health School of Arts Likelihood of Donating (-3 to 3) 1.05 0.57 0.47 0.38 0.34 0.20 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.05 -0.02 -0.03 -0.04 -0.05 -0.09 -0.12 -0.21 -0.22 -0.40 -0.46

Next Steps

Establish a data protocol for open access and transparent discussion. Develop recommendations jointly with key stakeholders. Circulate the Quality of Life Report among Senate Commi_ees, Oces of the President and the Provost. Publish the nalized Quality of Life Report in November 2013. Institutionalize the survey so that its conducted every two years through a possible Senate resolution.

Acknowledgements
Quality of Life survey would not have been possible without the help of:

The Behavioral Research Lab at the Columbia Business School Professor Katherine Phillips, Professor Akinola Modupe, Alia Crum and Ashley Martin. The Oce of the Provost Roxie Smith, Lucy Drotning and Stephen Ri_enberg The Oce of the President The Board of Trustees Department of Statistics Senators Aly Jiwani and Adil Ahamed Student Councils Senate Staers Amna Pervez, Ramis Wadood, Hector Polanco, Zander Daniel, Saaketh Pradhan and Ben Spener Zan Gilani

Thank You
Questions

Akshay Shah, SEAS 14: ars2212@columbia.edu MaXhew Chou, CC 14: mc3429@columbia.edu

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