Students prefer electronic delivery of information

UW–Madison students are highly interested in issues related to graduation requirements, career development and technology resources, and they prefer receiving information about these topics from Web sites and e-mail.

The findings are from a pilot Web survey of 1,500 students that examined the priorities and preferences students have when seeking news and information on 13 topics.

The Polling University Life and the Student Experience (PULSE) survey, sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs, will help administrators improve communication with students, says Barry Radler, senior marketing specialist at the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). Future Internet-based, fast-feedback surveys will tackle other aspects of campus life.

“I think the university realizes that student communication patterns are changing quickly in this digital environment,” Radler says. “The Web is becoming a great feedback tool for us to get information about such a wired population.”

Among a list of issues that students frequently deal with, graduation requirements were rated as most important (6.8 on a 9-point scale), followed by other topics such as career development (6.6), computers and technology resources (6.4), advising (6.3) and coursework (6.0). Issues such as university rules and regulations (4.6), illness and accident prevention (4.6), and mental health (4.8) were given lower marks.

Class standing largely affected how important students rated the social scene (5.1), with freshmen and sophomores rating this topic much more important than juniors, seniors or graduate students.

Web sites and e-mail eclipsed other sources as preferred methods for university communication on many of the 13 topics studied. Beyond those methods, the data also showed other important trends:

• Students turn to other students for news and information on extra-curricular activities.
• Professors and teaching assistants are the preferred source for graduation requirements, advising, and career and coursework assistance.
• For physical and mental health concerns, students communicate with house fellows and family.
• Advising was rated as a particularly important topic among students. Not only was it rated as one of the most important concerns, but it was also among the top five areas in which students said the university could improve communication.