The 2004 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey: UC Davis Campus Climate

Transcription

1 SARI Report #379 The 2004 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey: UC Davis Campus Climate Prepared at the Request of Judy Sakaki, Vice Chancellor Student Affairs Leon Washington, Assistant Vice Chancellor Student Affairs By Kathy J. Davis SEPTEMBER 2006 Student Affairs Research & Information University of California, Davis Davis, CA (530) (main) (530) (fax)

2 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 1 Overview... 2 Figure 1: Agreement of Students at UC Davis and the Other UCs with Statements Concerning Campus Climate... 3 Diversity of Student Population... 4 Table 1. Sex and ethnic background of undergraduate students at UC Davis compared to the maximum and minimum percentage values reported at any UC campus, based on 2004 UCUES data... 4 Table 2. Immigration history of undergraduate students at UC Davis compared to the maximum and minimum percentage values reported at any UC campus, based on 2004 UCUES data... 5 Table 3. Student characterization of childhood socio-economic class at UC Davis compared to the maximum and minimum percentage values reported at any UC campus, based on 2004 UCUES data Table 4. Student class level and entrance status at UC Davis, based on 2004 UCUES data... 6 Table 5. Student characterization of political beliefs at UC Davis compared to the maximum and minimum percentage values reported at any UC campus, based on 2004 UCUES data... 7 Table 6. Cross-tabulation showing strength of political views within each political orientation among students at UC Davis, based on 2004 UCUES data Students Perceptions of Campus Political Climate... 8 Differences by Student Race/Ethnicity... 8 Figure 2: Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Ethnicity... 9 Figure 3: Agreement of UCD Asian Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Ethnicity Differences By Student Socio-economic Class Figure 4: Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Economic Class Differences By Student Class Level and Entrance Status Figure 5: Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Class Level Differences By Student Political Orientation and Strength of Political Views Figure 6: Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Political Beliefs Figure 7: Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Strength of Political Beliefs... 14

3 Special Note: Differences by campus Figure 8: Agreement with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by UC Campus Students Perceptions of Campus Racial Climate Differences by Student Race/Ethnicity Figure 9: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Race/Ethnicity, by Ethnicity Figure 10: Agreement of UCD Asian Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Race/Ethnicity, by Ethnicity Differences By Student Socio-economic Class Figure 11: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Race/Ethnicity, by Economic Class Differences By Student Class Level and Entrance Status Figure 12: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Race/Ethnicity, by Class Level Students Perceptions of Campus Religious Climate Differences by Student Race/Ethnicity Figure 13: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Religious Beliefs, by Ethnicity Figure 14: Agreement of UCD Asian Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Religious Beliefs, by Ethnicity Differences By Student Socio-economic Class Figure 15: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Religious Beliefs, by Economic Class Differences By Student Class Level and Entrance Status Figure 16: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Religious Beliefs, by Class Level Students Perceptions of Campus Climate with Regard to Sexual Orientation Differences by Student Race/Ethnicity Figure 17: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Sexual Orientation, by Ethnicity Figure 18: Agreement of UCD Asian Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Sexual Orientation, by Ethnicity Differences By Student Socio-economic Class Figure 19: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Sexual Orientation, by Economic Class Differences By Student Class Level and Entrance Status Figure 20: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Sexual Orientation, by Class Level Figure 21: Agreement of UCD Students that Students are Respected Regardless of Sexual Orientation, by Entrance Status... 28

4 Students Perceptions of Opportunity to Explore Cultural Identity Differences by Student Race/Ethnicity Figure 22: Agreement of UCD Students There is Adequate opportunity to explore Cultural Identity, by Ethnicity Figure 23: Agreement of UCD Asian Students There is Adequate opportunity to explore Cultural Identity, by Ethnicity Differences By Student Socio-economic Class Figure 24: Agreement of UCD Students There is Adequate opportunity to explore Cultural Identity, by Economic Class Differences By Student Class Level and Entrance Status Students Sense of Belonging on Campus Differences by Student Race/Ethnicity Figure 25: Sense of Belonging at UC Davis, by Ethnicity Figure 26: Sense of Belonging at UC Davis Among Asian Students, by Ethnicity 33 Differences By Student Socio-economic Class Figure 27: Sense of Belonging at UC Davis, by Economic Class Differences By Student Class Level and Entrance Status Figure 28: Sense of Belonging at UC Davis, by Class Level Figure 29: Sense of Belonging at UC Davis, by Entrance Status Conclusion Appendix Table 7. Number of UC Davis Students Responding to Statements Related to Campus Climate... 38

5 Executive Summary In the 2004 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES), students were asked several questions related to their perception of campus climate. Results were examined for differences between groups defined by sex, ethnic background, class level, entrance status (freshman entrant or transfer student), socioeconomic class, and political orientation. Responses at UC Davis were also compared to those at the other UCs and no significant differences were noted. Results indicate room for improvement. Less than of students felt a sense of belonging at UC Davis. Only about half of all UC Davis students expressed a positive impression of campus climate in terms of respect for students of different races, religions, political views, and sexual orientations. Only about of all UC Davis students felt there was adequate opportunity to explore their cultural heritage. Student perceptions of campus climate at UC Davis were highly variable, especially between racial/ethnic groups. Responses of Black/African-American students were strikingly more negative than those of most other students for every dimension of campus climate. Only about 2% of the UC Davis student population is Black, so these results should be interpreted with caution. A similar result was observed at the other UCs (data not shown). Among Asian students, those who are Korean and Thai/Other Asian were significantly more negative than others for every dimension of campus climate. These groups each represent about 3% of the student population at UC Davis. Students from upper middle-class backgrounds were more positive overall than those from other socio-economic backgrounds. In general, transfer students did not differ significantly from freshman entrants in their perceptions of campus climate. However, transfer students were less likely to feel a sense of belonging on campus. Lower-division students were more positive than upper-division students in their perceptions of campus climate, but upper-division students were more likely to feel a sense of belonging. Politically conservative students were significantly more negative than others about campus political climate at UC Davis. Student Affairs Research & Information 1

6 Overview In the spring of 2004, the University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) was administered electronically with an internet-based questionnaire to all 154,000 undergraduates at the eight general campuses 1 of the University, including 22,000 undergraduate students at UC Davis. The UC Davis response rate and the response rate across the University of California were both about. This report focuses on the cluster of items in the questionnaire that addressed student perceptions of the level of respect on campus for students of different races, religions, and political beliefs. The specific items examined in this report were: 1) Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs. 2) I feel I can express my political opinions on campus. 3) Students are respected here regardless of their race or ethnicity. 4) Students are respected here regardless of their religious beliefs. 5) Students are respected here regardless of their sexual orientation. 6) My undergraduate experience provides adequate opportunity for exploring my cultural identity. 7) I feel that I belong at this campus. Students responded to these statements concerning campus climate on a 6-point scale with 6=strongly agree and 1=strongly disagree. The statements were all constructed so that a higher rating corresponded to a more positive impression. For each statement, the percentage of UC Davis students who agreed or strongly agreed was used as a simple measure of campus climate. Overall responses are shown in Figure 1. Responses at the other UCs combined are included for comparison. Responses at UC Davis did not differ significantly from those at the other UC campuses. 1 UCUES is a survey of undergraduates, hence UC San Francisco does not participate. UC Merced was not yet open in Student Affairs Research & Information 2

7 Figure 1. Agreement of Students with Statements Concerning Campus Climate Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 44% Students respected regardless of political beliefs 51% 49% I feel I can express my political opinions on campus 54% 56% 55% 53% 52% 49% Students respected regardless of race or ethnicity Other UCs Students respected regardless of religious beliefs UC Davis Students respected regardless of sexual orientation 42% 41% Undergrad experience provides opportunity for exploring cultural identity 53% 57% I feel that I belong at this campus The UC undergraduate student body is quite diverse. For this reason, UC Davis student responses were also examined for differences by various demographic characteristics: sex, race/ethnicity, socio-economic class, class level, and entrance status (freshman entrant or transfer student). Differences of 5% of more between groups were considered to be of practical significance. It should be noted that these groups varied in size among the respondents. To offer some perspective in interpretation of the results, the number of respondents in each group is shown in the appendix. To simplify discussion of differences by ethnic background, Chicano and Latino students together were jointly considered Hispanic. Results are only reported separately when a significant difference was observed within the group. Similarly, Asian students were first considered together; that category was then examined more closely for within-group differences. The Asian category, in particular, which includes at least eight subpopulations at UC Davis, is much too broad to accurately capture ethnic and racial differences between students. No significant difference was noted between male and female students for any of the items (data not shown), but differences were noted between groups defined by the other characteristics. These differences are presented in detail in the following sections. Although significant differences were noted by student immigration history, these appear to be largely due to the overpowering influence of race/ethnicity on this variable and results are not shown. Student Affairs Research & Information 3

8 Diversity of Student Population The UC undergraduate student body is highly diverse, especially by race, ethnic background, and immigration history, and the individual campuses are quite distinct in their populations. Tables 1-3 show UC Davis population percentages by sex, ethnic background, immigration history, and socio-economic class compared to the maximum and minimum values among all the UC undergraduate campuses. The proportions of White and Asian students and those with US-born parents, especially, vary tremendously between campuses. For the 2004 UCUES administration, about of UC Davis students were White and another were Asian, although the Asian population was itself highly varied. Students identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native, Black, Chicano, or Latino are classified as underrepresented minorities in the UC system. TABLE 1. SEX AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT UC DAVIS COMPARED TO THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM PERCENTAGE VALUES REPORTED AT ANY UC CAMPUS, BASED ON 2004 UCUES DATA. Sex and Ethnic Background of Students at UC Davis and the other UCs Sex Ethnic background Maximum % at UCs % at UC Davis Minimum % at UCs Female Male American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian Chinese East Indian or Pakistani Japanese Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai or other Asian Vietnamese Black/African-American Chicano/Mexican-American Latino/Other Spanish-American Other/Decline to State White/Caucasian Student Affairs Research & Information 4

9 TABLE 2. IMMIGRATION HISTORY OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT UC DAVIS COMPARED TO THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM PERCENTAGE VALUES REPORTED AT ANY UC CAMPUS, BASED ON 2004 UCUES DATA. Immigration History of Students at UC Davis and the other UCs Maximum % at UCs % at UC Davis Minimum % at UCs When Born in US student Came to US 1990 or came to US earlier Came to US Came to US Came to US 2001 or later Number of None parents born One in US Two Number of grandparents born in US Consecutive US-born generations None One Two Three Four Student born outside US Student born in US, one or both parents born outside US Student & both parents born in US, one or more grandparents born outside US Student, both parents & all grandparents born in US Student Affairs Research & Information 5

10 TABLE 3. STUDENT CHARACTERIZATION OF CHILDHOOD SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS AT UC DAVIS COMPARED TO THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM PERCENTAGE VALUES REPORTED AT ANY UC CAMPUS, BASED ON 2004 UCUES DATA. Socio-economic Class of Students at UC Davis and the other UCs Student socioeconomic class Maximum % at UCs % at UC Davis Minimum % at UCs Wealthy Upper middle-class Middle-class Working-class Low income or poor Table 4 shows UC Davis population percentages by student class level and student entrance status. Student class level is determined on the basis of total credits earned. About 28% of UC Davis students were seniors at the time of the 2004 UCUES. Almost 8 of UC Davis students had entered as freshman. TABLE 4. STUDENT CLASS LEVEL AND ENTRANCE STATUS AT UC DAVIS, BASED ON 2004 UCUES DATA. Distribution of Student Class Level and Student Entrance Status at UC Davis % UC Davis Students Student class level Student entrance status Freshman 23 Sophomore 26 Junior 23 Senior 28 Freshman entrant 79 Transfer 21 Student Affairs Research & Information 6

11 As shown in Table 5, about 16% of UC Davis students described themselves in the survey as conservative or far-right in their political views, compared to about 46% who were liberal or far-left. This placed UC Davis about midway in the political spectrum for the eight campuses. Also seen in Table 5, about of UC Davis students described their political opinions as strong. Table 6 shows that conservative and liberal students were very similar in the strength of their political beliefs. TABLE 5. STUDENT CHARACTERIZATION OF POLITICAL BELIEFS AT UC DAVIS COMPARED TO THE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM PERCENTAGE VALUES REPORTED AT ANY UC CAMPUS, BASED ON 2004 UCUES DATA. Political Orientation of Students at UC Davis and the other UCs % at Maximum UC % at UCs Davis Student political orientation Strength of political views Minimum % at UCs Far left Liberal Middle-of-the-road Conservative Far right Very strong Strong Weak Very weak TABLE 6. CROSS-TABULATION SHOWING STRENGTH OF POLITICAL VIEWS WITHIN EACH POLITICAL ORIENTATION AMONG STUDENTS AT UC DAVIS, BASED ON 2004 UCUES DATA. Strength of Political Views within Political Orientations among Students at UC Davis Strength of political views (% within each political orientation) Student political orientation Very strong views Strong views Weak views Very weak views Far left Liberal Middle-of-the-road Conservative Far right Student Affairs Research & Information 7

12 Students Perceptions of Campus Political Climate Forty-four percent (44%) of UC Davis students agreed or strongly agreed that students on this campus are respected regardless of their political beliefs. Responding to a closely related question, 49% of UC Davis students felt they could express their own political beliefs on campus. This was the aspect of campus climate that was most negatively rated by UC Davis students overall. DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY White and Asian students were significantly more positive than other students about respect for students regardless of their political beliefs, with 45% and 46%, respectively, agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement in the survey. This is comparable to 44% agreement overall because these groups dominate the population, but contrasts with 35% of Black students and only of American Indian students. White and Hispanic students were more likely to feel they could express personal political opinions than other groups, with more than agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement compared to 49% overall and only 38% of Black students. Note that most students were much more likely to feel they could express their own political beliefs than to think students are respected regardless of their political beliefs. The exception was Asian students, who were most likely to think students of different political beliefs are treated with respect on campus but were among the least likely to feel they could their own political opinions. No difference was noted between Chicano and Latino students for either statement so results are not reported separately. Student Affairs Research & Information 8

13 FIGURE 2. Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Ethnicity Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs. I feel I can express my political opinions on campus. Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 41% 41% 35% 38% 41% 51% 45% 55% American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian Black/African American Hispanic White/Caucasian Student Affairs Research & Information 9

14 As seen in Figure 3, among the Asian subgroups, Thai/Other Asian and Korean students were the most negative for both items, with fewer than of either group agreeing with either statement. FIGURE 3. Agreement of UCD Asian Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Ethnicity Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs. I feel I can express my political opinions on campus. 53% 49% 46% 45% 42% 43% 44% 42% 41% 38% 38% 32% 32% 31% Chinese East Indian/Pakistani Japanese Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai/Other Asian Vietnamese Student Affairs Research & Information 10

15 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS Students from different socio-economic backgrounds showed no difference in their perception of the level of respect on campus, but upper middle-class students were much more likely than low-income students to feel they could express their own opinions. FIGURE 4. Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Student Economic Class Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs. I feel I can express my political opinions on campus. 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 47% 46% 56% 44% 44% 43% 43% 39% Wealthy Upper middle-class Middle-class Working-class Low income or poor Student Affairs Research & Information 11

16 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT CLASS LEVEL AND ENTRANCE STATUS No significant differences were noted between freshman entrants and transfer students for these two items (data not shown). However, differences were significant by student class level. Freshman and sophomore students were more positive about the level of respect for political differences than upper-division students, although no difference was noted in their sense that they could express personal political opinions. FIGURE 5. Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Class Level Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs. I feel I can express my political opinions on campus. 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 49% 49% 49% 48% 47% 41% 42% Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Student Affairs Research & Information 12

17 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT POLITICAL ORIENTATION AND STRENGTH OF POLITICAL VIEWS Responses to these two items were examined further by the students characterization of their own political views and the strength of those views. Students at UC Davis who described themselves as liberal were significantly more positive about the campus political climate than those who described themselves as conservative. Students who described themselves as far left or far right in their views, in particular, showed a striking disparity in their responses to the two items. These students were much more likely to feel they could express their personal political opinions than to feel that students are respected regardless of their political beliefs. FIGURE 6. Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Student Political Beliefs Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs. I feel I can express my political opinions on campus. 10 ent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 59% 58% 47% 47% 43% 36% 34% 26% 44% Perc 1 Far left Liberal Middle-of-the-road Conservative Far right Student Affairs Research & Information 13

18 A comparison of responses by the strength of students political beliefs again showed an interesting disparity between the two statements. Not surprisingly, students sense they could express personal political opinions decreased with the strength of their political views, i.e., students with stronger opinions were more likely to feel they could express their opinions than did students with weaker opinions. However, their sense of respect for differing political views simultaneously increased. It can be inferred that students who were most likely to express their political opinions were also most likely to encounter disrespect or intolerance. FIGURE 7. Agreement of UCD Students with Statements Concerning Campus Political Climate, by Strength of Student Political Beliefs Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs. I feel I can express my political opinions on campus. 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 56% 42% 52% 44% 52% 39% Very strong political views Strong political views Weak political views Very weak political views Student Affairs Research & Information 14

19 SPECIAL NOTE: DIFFERENCES BY CAMPUS The disparity between agreement with the two statements: Students are respected here regardless of their political beliefs and I feel I can express my political opinions on campus noted in Figures 6 and 7 is consistent with a inverse relationship between these two linked items across the campuses. The simplest way to summarize campus responses is to compare the mean agreement rating, on the scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). The mean response at UC Davis was 4.13 for the first item, compared to a range of across the UC campuses, and 4.29 for the second, compared to a range of In Figure 8, the eight campuses that participated in 2004 UCUES administration are shown in order of increasing mean agreement that students are respected regardless of their political beliefs. Surprisingly, that order corresponds exactly to the order of decreasing mean agreement that students feel they can express their own political beliefs on campus. This surprising result suggests the need for further research of the connection between these two items. FIGURE 8. Agreement with Statements about Political Climate, by Campus Mean Agreement Rating (1=strongly disagree, 6=strongly agree) Students are respected regardless of political beliefs I can express political opinions on campus A B C D E (UC Davis) F G H Student Affairs Research & Information 15

20 Students Perceptions of Campus Racial Climate Fifty-six percent (56%) of UC Davis students agreed or strongly agreed that students on this campus are respected regardless of their race or ethnicity. DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY The difference in perception of campus racial climate by student race/ethnicity is striking. Only 18% of Black students agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, compared to 63% of White students. About 2% of the student population is Black compared to 41% White (see Table 1). No significant difference was noted between Latino and Chicano students, but among Asian students, Thai/Other Asian and Korean students were significantly more negative than others. FIGURE 9. Agreement of UCD Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their race or ethnicity", by Ethnicity 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 18% 52% 63% American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian Black/African American Hispanic White/Caucasian Student Affairs Research & Information 16

21 FIGURE 10. Agreement of UCD Asian Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their race or ethnicity", by Ethnicity of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent % 55% 51% Chinese East Indian/Pakistani Japanese 49% 49% 42% 37% Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai/Other Asian Vietnamese 53% Student Affairs Research & Information 17

22 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS Upper middle-class and middle-class students were significantly more positive concerning respect for racial differences than students from a low-income background. Wealthy and working-class students were similar in their responses. FIGURE 11. Agreement of UCD Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their race or ethnicity", by Student Economic Class 10 ent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree Perc % 58% 52% 47% Wealthy Upper middle-class Middle-class Working-class Low income or poor Student Affairs Research & Information 18

23 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT CLASS LEVEL AND ENTRANCE STATUS No significant differences were noted between freshman entrants and transfer students for this item (data not shown), but marginally significant differences were noted between lower-division and upper-division students, with lower-division students more positive than upper. FIGURE 12. Agreement of UCD Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their race or ethnicity", by Class Level 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 55% 54% Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Student Affairs Research & Information 19

24 Students Perceptions of Campus Religious Climate Fifty-five percent (55%) of UC Davis students agreed or strongly agreed that students on this campus are respected regardless of their religious beliefs. DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY About of Black students felt students are respected at UC Davis regardless of their religious beliefs. No difference was noted between Latino and Chicano students, but among Asian students, Korean and Thai/Other Asian students were significantly more negative than others. FIGURE 13. Agreement of UCD Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their religious beliefs", by Ethnicity 10 udents who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of St % 29% 54% 58% American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian Black/African American Hispanic White/Caucasian Student Affairs Research & Information 20

25 FIGURE 14. Agreement of UCD Asian Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their religious beliefs", by Ethnicity nts who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of Stude Chinese 55% 54% East Indian/Pakistani Japanese 55% 46% Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai/Other Asian Vietnamese 57% Student Affairs Research & Information 21

26 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS Significant differences were noted between more and less affluent students, with students from low income backgrounds least likely to think students are respected regardless of religious beliefs. Only about of students from low-income backgrounds agreed with the statement. FIGURE 15. Agreement of UCD Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their religious beliefs", by Student Economic Class 10 tudents who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of S % 59% 56% 53% 49% Wealthy Upper middle-class Middle-class Working-class Low income or poor Student Affairs Research & Information 22

27 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT CLASS LEVEL AND ENTRANCE STATUS No significant differences were noted between freshman entrants and transfer students for this item (data not shown), but differences were significant by student class level. Lower division students were more likely to think students are respected regardless of religious beliefs than were upper division students. FIGURE 16. Agreement of UCD Students with the Statement "Students are respected here regardless of their religious beliefs", by Class Level 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 59% 54% 52% Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Student Affairs Research & Information 23

28 Students Perceptions of Campus Climate with Regard to Sexual Orientation Forty-nine percent (49%) of UC Davis students agreed or strongly agreed that students on this campus are respected regardless of their sexual orientation. DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY Black students were much less likely than others to think students are respected regardless of sexual orientation. Significant differences were noted between Chicano and Latino students, with Chicano students more positive than Latino. Among Asian students, Korean and Thai/Other Asian students were more negative than other groups. FIGURE 17. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "Students are respected here regardless of their sexual orientation", by Ethnicity 10 udents who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of St % 25% 48% 39% 53% American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian Black/African American Chicano/Mexican- American Latino/Other Spanish- American White/Caucasian Student Affairs Research & Information 24

29 FIGURE 18. Agreement of UCD Asian Students with the statement "Students are respected here regardless of their sexual orientation", by Ethnicity nts who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of Stude Chinese 47% 49% East Indian/Pakistani Japanese 52% 45% 46% 41% 34% Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai/Other Asian Vietnamese 46% Student Affairs Research & Information 25

30 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS Upper middle-class students were most likely to feel that students are respected regardless of sexual orientation. These students were significantly more likely than either wealthy or lower-income students to respond positively to this statement. FIGURE 19. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "Students are respected here regardless of their sexual orientation", by Student Economic Class 10 ent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree Perc % 47% 43% 43% Wealthy Upper middle-class Middle-class Working-class Low income or poor Student Affairs Research & Information 26

31 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT CLASS LEVEL AND ENTRANCE STATUS Lower division students were significantly more positive than upper division students about respect for students on campus regardless of sexual orientation. Transfer students were more positive than freshman entrants. FIGURE 20. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "Students are respected here regardless of their sexual orientation", by Class Level 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 52% 47% 47% Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Student Affairs Research & Information 27

32 FIGURE 21. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "Students are respected here regardless of their sexual orientation", by Student Entrance Status 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 54% Freshman Entrant Transfer Entrant Student Affairs Research & Information 28

33 Students Perceptions of Opportunity to Explore Cultural Identity Forty-one percent (41%) of UC Davis students agreed or strongly agreed that there was adequate opportunity to explore cultural identity. DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY Again, Black students were significantly less positive in their response to this statement. Significant differences were also noted between Chicano and Latino students, with Chicano students even more positive than Whites. Among Asian Students, Korean and Thai/Other Asian students were again the most negative. FIGURE 22. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "My undergraduate experience provides adequate opportunity for exploring my cultural identity", by Ethnicity Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % American Indian/Alaskan Native 38% Asian 33% Black/African American 48% Chicano/Mexican- American 41% Latino/Other Spanish- American 44% White/Caucasian Student Affairs Research & Information 29

34 FIGURE 23. Agreement of UCD Asian Students with the statement "My undergraduate experience provides adequate opportunity for exploring my cultural identity", by Ethnicity nts who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of Stude % 39% Chinese East Indian/Pakistani Japanese 37% 41% 42% 31% 23% Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai/Other Asian Vietnamese 38% Student Affairs Research & Information 30

35 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS Upper middle-class students were significantly more likely than others, especially lowincome students, to agree there was adequate opportunity to explore their cultural identity at UC Davis. FIGURE 24. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "My undergraduate experience provides adequate opportunity for exploring my cultural identity", by Student Economic Class 10 of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent % 42% 39% 35% Wealthy Upper middle-class Middle-class Working-class Low income or poor DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT CLASS LEVEL AND ENTRANCE STATUS No significant differences were noted between freshman entrants and transfer students or by student class level for this item (data not shown). Student Affairs Research & Information 31

36 Students Sense of Belonging on Campus Fifty-seven percent (57%) of UC Davis students agreed or strongly agreed that they felt they belonged at UC Davis. DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT RACE/ETHNICITY White students were significantly more likely than any other group and almost twice as likely as Black students to feel a sense of belonging at UC Davis. No significant difference was noted between Latino and Chicano students. Among Asian students, Korean students felt much less at home at UC Davis than others. Korean students were comparable to Black students in their general sense of belonging. FIGURE 25. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "I feel that I belong at this campus", by Ethnicity 10 udents who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of St % 48% 34% 57% 64% American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian Black/African American Hispanic White/Caucasian Student Affairs Research & Information 32

37 FIGURE 26. Agreement of UCD Asian Students with the statement "I feel that I belong at this campus", by Ethnicity who Agree or Strongly Agree Percent of Students % 52% 38% 47% 57% 44% 44% Chinese East Indian/Pakistani Japanese Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai/Other Asian Vietnamese Student Affairs Research & Information 33

38 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS Students from an upper middle-class background were most likely to feel a sense of belonging at UC Davis, while low-income students were much less positive. FIGURE 27. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "I feel that I belong at this campus", by Student Economic Class 10 ercent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree P % 67% 57% 49% 42% Wealthy Upper middle-class Middle-class Working-class Low income or poor Student Affairs Research & Information 34

39 DIFFERENCES BY STUDENT CLASS LEVEL AND ENTRANCE STATUS On a positive note, the sense of belonging at UC Davis seemed to increase with time on campus. Seniors were significantly more positive than other students. However, transfer students were much less likely than freshman entrants to feel at home at UC Davis. FIGURE 28. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "I feel that I belong at this campus", by Class Level 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 56% 55% 61% Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior Student Affairs Research & Information 35

40 FIGURE 29. Agreement of UCD Students with the statement "I feel that I belong at this campus", by Student Entrance Status 10 Percent of Students who Agree or Strongly Agree % 48% Freshman Transfer Student Affairs Research & Information 36

41 Conclusion UC Davis student responses to the 2004 UCUES items related to campus climate show room for improvement. White students from upper middle-class backgrounds were most likely to think students are treated with respect on campus and were most likely to feel a sense of belonging. However, even among this group only about were generally positive. Black and Korean students and students from low-income family backgrounds were significantly more negative, with fewer than expressing a sense of belonging. Further, only 18% of Black students felt that students are respected on campus regardless of their race or ethnicity. The most negatively perceived aspect overall was the political campus climate, especially among students who described themselves as conservative or far right in their political beliefs. Students also felt opportunities for exploring their cultural identities were inadequate. Students at UC Davis did not differ significantly from those at the other UCs in their responses. Results from this survey should be used to establish a base-line for campus climate to monitor the impact of campus policies on student perceptions. Student Affairs Research & Information 37

42 Appendix TABLE 7. NUMBER OF UC DAVIS STUDENTS RESPONDING TO STATEMENTS RELATED TO CAMPUS CLIMATE. Number of UC Davis Students Responding Min for any statement Max for any statement Ethnicity American Indian/Alaskan Native Asian 2,075 2,090 Black/African American Chicano/Mexican-American Latino/Other Spanish-American Ethnicity (Asian) Economic Class Class Level White/Caucasian 2,658 2,685 Chinese 1,001 1,009 East Indian/Pakistani Japanese Korean Pacific Islander Pilipino/Filipino Thai/Other Asian Vietnamese Wealthy Upper middle-class 1,572 1,586 Middle-class 2,123 2,136 Working-class 1,111 1,118 Low income or poor Freshman 1,013 1,018 Sophomore 1,458 1,472 Junior 1,373 1,382 Senior 1,856 1,871 Freshman entrant 4,583 4,610 Entrance Status Transfer 1,121 1,132 Political Far left Beliefs Liberal 2,284 2,303 Middle-of-the-road 2,184 2,194 Conservative Strength of Political Beliefs Far right Very strong Strong 2,748 2,766 Weak 1,771 1,782 Very weak Student Affairs Research & Information 38