Campus survey reveals PR deficiency

This archived article was written by: Heather Myers

Last week 228 students and 25 staff and faculty members filled out and turned in surveys regarding ASCEU’s statement of expectations. This is approximately 13 percent of the student body.
Math instructor, Greg Borman, student, Keith Palmer, psychology instructor, Wade Lueck and math instructor, Sonnet Gravina, put the survey together. It asked students what they thought of the statement and what they thought was the best asset to CEU and what they thought needed the most improvement.
The answers were categorized according to slightly broader guidelines than what every person wrote, so the categories are not all-encompassing.
Twenty-six percent of students said class size was the biggest asset to CEU, 20 percent did not answer. Eleven percent said the faculty and staff while nine percent said it was location.
Seven percent of students thought the biggest asset to the college was sports while six percent said it was the cost of attendance. Four percent said the students were the biggest asset, 4 percent also said it was the technical courses offered.
Two percent of students said financial aid and two percent said the quality of education offered; two percent also said ambassadors and two percent clubs. ASCEU, facilities, campus attitudes, programs and the cheer squad were each classified as the biggest asset to CEU by one percent of students.
Less than one percent of students said that each of the following was the biggest asset: distance learning, student participation, transferability of courses and the administration.
Forty-eight percent of faculty and staff said the biggest asset to CEU was the faculty and staff. Twelve percent of the faculty and staff said the students, 12 percent also said programs and another 12 percent said class size. Eight percent said it was location, while four percent said student participation, and another four percent said campus attitudes.
When asked the question, “What is the biggest problem at CEU that you think needs to be fixed?” 21 percent of students did not write an answer. Eleven percent said the biggest problem was public relations. Eight percent said food service and eight percent said ASCEU.
Seven percent said campus attitudes while six percent said student participation. Five percent of students said parking was the biggest problem at the college. Another five percent said faculty and staff were the biggest problem, and yet another five percent said sports.
Four percent said financial aid. Three percent said communication was the biggest problem while another three percent said it was clubs. Three percent also said the biggest problem is a lack of classes available at CEU. Two percent of students said CEU needs better staff and another two percent said the cost is the biggest problem.
More staff, the dorms, and facilities were each classified as the biggest problem to be fixed at CEU by one percent of students. Less than one percent of students said each of the following: music, the BDAC, class size, programs, cheer squad, technical studies, students, distance learning, transferability of courses and the administration.
Thirty-four percent of faculty and staff said communication was the biggest problem at CEU. Fourteen percent said it was the treatment of the students, faculty and staff, 14 percent also said public relations.
The faculty and staff, campus attitudes and the administration were each brought up by 12 percent of the faculty and staff. Four percent said the quality of education was the biggest problem. Four percent also said student participation, while another four percent said clubs.
Forty-five percent of students had read the statement of expectations and 23 percent attended the forum. All of the faculty and staff who took the survey had read the statement and 52 percent of them attended the forum.
Sixteen percent of students thought changing the colors or mascot of the college would be effective, 28 percent of faculty thought it would help.
“There were a lot of interesting responses that I would not have expected,” said Borman. Copies of all the surveys will be given to the task force handling the statement of expectations.