Tables A1-A6 present the demographic characteristics of the Mason
respondents, including sex, ethnicity, age, enrollment status, primary major
and grades. About 58% to 64% of the
respondents are female, which is 6% higher than the actual percentage of female
students on campus at both first-year and senior levels. The age, ethnicity, and grade distribution of
the respondents are close to the actual percentages of Mason students. In addition, about 9% of first-year students
and 18% of senior students are international students. As Table A-4 shows, 4% of first-year
respondents and 30% of senior respondents are part-time students. The real percentages (when NSSE was
administrated) were 11% and 39%, respectively.
Therefore, the part-time students are under-represented in the
sample. Examining the primary majors of
the respondents (Table A-5), we also suspect that engineering students are
under-represented.
Mason has a high number of transfer students. Table 7 shows that a large percentage of NSSE
respondents, especially among the seniors, had attended other post-secondary
institutions before they enrolled in Mason.
About 93% of first-year NSSE respondents started college at Mason and
the rest have taken some courses in other institutions. In contrast, only one third of the senior
respondents started college at Mason, one third had attended other four-year
institutions, and another one third had enrolled in community colleges or other
types of schools.
Table A-1. Sex
|
SEX |
First-Year Students |
Senior Students |
||
|
Count |
Percent |
Count |
Percent |
|
|
Male |
83 |
42 |
92 |
36 |
|
Female |
115 |
58 |
165 |
64 |
|
Total |
198 |
100% |
257 |
100% |
Table A-2. Ethnicity
|
ETHNICITY |
First-Year
Students |
Senior
Students |
||
|
Count |
Percent |
Count |
Percent |
|
|
African American/Black |
17 |
9 |
22 |
9 |
|
American Indian/Alaska
Native |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Asian/Pacific Islander |
48 |
24 |
46 |
18 |
|
Caucasian/White |
102 |
52 |
143 |
56 |
|
Hispanic |
9 |
5 |
18 |
7 |
|
Other/Unknown |
20 |
11 |
28 |
11 |
|
Total |
198 |
100% |
257 |
100% |
Table A-3. Age
|
AGE |
First-Year Students |
Senior
Students |
||
|
Count |
Percent |
Count |
Percent |
|
|
19 or younger |
151 |
78 |
0 |
0 |
|
20-23 |
43 |
22 |
93 |
37 |
|
24-29 |
0 |
0 |
91 |
36 |
|
30-39 |
0 |
0 |
41 |
16 |
|
40-55 |
0 |
0 |
27 |
11 |
|
Over 55 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Total |
194 |
100% |
253 |
100% |
Table A-4.
How would you characterize your enrollment this term?
|
ENROLLMENT |
First-Year
Students |
Senior
Students |
||
|
Count |
Percent |
Count |
Percent |
|
|
Part-time |
8 |
4 |
76 |
30 |
|
Full-time |
188 |
96 |
180 |
70 |
|
Total |
196 |
100% |
256 |
100% |
Table A-5. Primary Major or Expected Primary Major
|
MAJOR |
First-Year
Students |
Senior
Students |
||
|
Count |
Percent |
Count |
Percent |
|
|
Arts and humanities |
15 |
8 |
36 |
14 |
|
Biological science |
19 |
10 |
13 |
5 |
|
Business |
35 |
18 |
47 |
18 |
|
Education |
4 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
|
Engineering |
12 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
Physical science |
2 |
1 |
7 |
3 |
|
Professional |
20 |
10 |
15 |
6 |
|
Social science |
43 |
22 |
53 |
21 |
|
Undecided |
36 |
18 |
75 |
29 |
|
Other |
10 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total |
196 |
100% |
256 |
100% |
Table A-6.
What have most of your grades been up to now at this institution?
|
GRADES |
First-Year
Students |
Senior
Students |
||
|
Count |
Percent |
Count |
Percent |
|
|
C, C-, or lower |
20 |
10 |
4 |
2 |
|
B-, C+ |
43 |
22 |
34 |
14 |
|
B |
42 |
21 |
69 |
28 |
|
B+ |
39 |
20 |
54 |
22 |
|
A- |
23 |
12 |
33 |
13 |
|
A |
29 |
15 |
54 |
22 |
|
Total |
196 |
100% |
248 |
100% |
Table A-7. Since high
school, which of the following types of schools have you attended other than
the one you are attending now? (Mark all that apply.)
|
COLLEGE EXPERIENCES |
First-Year
Students |
Senior
Students |
||
|
Count |
Percent* |
Count |
Percent* |
|
|
Vocational-technical |
3 |
2% |
15 |
6% |
|
Community or junior college |
8 |
4% |
128 |
50% |
|
Other 4-year college |
5 |
3% |
80 |
31% |
|
None |
182 |
92% |
81 |
32% |
|
Other school |
1 |
1% |
6 |
2% |
*Percentages do not round to 100% because the respondents
could select more than one choice.