Researchers: Office of Institutional Research & Analytics (Kevork Horissian, Mike Latorre, Doug LeBlanc, Rita Liu, Sohini Palit, Wei You, and Jocelyn Zhao)
We have developed a rigorous, literature-informed methodology for analyzing open-ended survey responses and other textual data. This approach ensures our insights are accurate and grounded in best practices, enhancing the quality and credibility of our qualitative analysis.
See an example of data analyzed as part of the First-Year Transition Survey using this methodology below:
Q6. Which of the following reasons best describe why your semester is going well? Please select all that apply (2024 only).
This graph represents responses to a survey question about why students feel their semester is going well, with respondents selecting multiple reasons that apply to them. The bars indicate the frequency of each reason selected.
Key findings indicate that Social Connection is the strongest factor for a positive semester. The most commonly cited reason was “Making friends and meeting new people” (386 responses), followed by “Enjoying social life and having fun” (279 responses).
Academic and Personal Growth contribute to a positive experience: A significant number of students reported “Enjoying classes and finding them interesting” (251 responses) and “Experiencing freedom, independence, and a feeling of control” (239 responses) as major reasons for their positive semester.
Campus Environment plays a role. Students reported that they felt “Welcomed and supported by a good community” (237 responses) and “Feeling safe on campus” (228 responses).
Academic Success and Manageability Matter. 217 students cited “Doing well academically and learning a lot” as a reason for their positive semester. 181 students selected “Getting involved in co-curricular activities, jobs, or athletics”, indicating that while extracurriculars are valued, they are not the primary driver of student satisfaction.
For more detailed results, please see the graph below.
For more information, please visit OIRA’s Survey Research page: Survey Research