2001-02 |
2002-03 |
2003-04 |
2004-05 |
2005-06 |
2006-07 |
2007-08 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
8 |
18 |
8 |
N = 193 |
N = 182 |
N = 188 2006 |
N = 199 2007 |
N = 1927 |
|
| studied abroad | 53.9% | 52.2% | 52.1% | 54.8% | 56.6% |
| College "greatly" enhanced abilities to: | 2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
PEERS |
| read or speak foreign language | 21.1 | 24.6 | 29.7 | 28.3 | 24.7 |
| relate to people of different races, nations, religions | 45.0 | 54.8 | 47.8 | 52.1 | 27.9 |
| Very or generally satisfied with: | 2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
PEERS |
| climate for minority students | 73.3 | 67.6 | 81.4 | 76.6 | 51.6 |
| ethnic/racial diversity | 68.9 | 70.8 | 79.0 | 71.8 | 49.1 |
* PEERS 2007: Bates, Colby, Hamilton, Haverford, Kalamazoo, Reed, Vassar
% Agree/Strongly Disagree |
2003 | 2004 |
2005 |
2006 | 2007 |
| Learning about diversity should include understanding people from different social class/economic backgrounds. | 91.4% | 92.9% | 93.9% | 92.6% | n/a |
| I developed close friendships with people of a different ethnicity/race as me. | 77.8 | 72.8 | 78.1 | 77.9 | 86.9 |
| I am informed enough to talk intelligently about a culture other than my own | 82.2 | 81.7 | 82.4 | 83.4 | 84.5 |
| Pitzer is a good place to learn about tolerance. | n/a | 67.6 | 62.7 | 69.1 | 73.4 |
| When I hear the word “diversity,” my first images are about racial/ethnic issues. | 68.5 | 73.5 | 69.7 | 67.1 | 59.3 |
| Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people should be an included category when making policies about diversity on campus. | 63.7 | 60.1 | 66.9 | 66.5 | n/a |
| I regularly got involved in various activities sponsored by the ethnic study centers. | 31.4 | 24.7 | 27.8 | 24.4 | n/a |
| Pitzer’s commitment to racial/ethnic diversity is one of the main reasons I came here. | 27.3 | 27.8 | 26.1 | 24.4 | n/a |
| Pitzer should have conservative professors to balance out the liberal views typical of most professors here. | 27.6 | 20.1 | 24.5 | 29.0 | n/a |
| Because of my background (such as ethnic, class, sexual orientation, religion), I did not fit in well at Pitzer. | 14.5 | 17.1 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 15.8 |
| Down deep, I would be unhappy if someone close to me turned out to be gay or lesbian. | 7.4 | 3.6 | 7.4 | 5.5 | 3.2 |
% Agree/Strongly Disagree |
2002 | 2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
| Learning about diversity should include understanding people from different social class/economic backgrounds. | 88.3% | 98.8% | 98.1% | 96.2% |
| I am excited about taking courses that explore other cultures besides my own. | 79.1 | 83.5 | 90.0 | 89.9 |
| When I hear the word “diversity,” my first images are about racial/ethnic issues. | 69.3 | 75.0 | 68.4 | 71.3 |
| Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people should be an included category when making policies about diversity on campus. | 51.5 | 57.1 | 82.0 | 68.5 |
I look forward to getting involved in various activities sponsored by the ethnic study centers (such as Chicano Studies Center, Asian American Center, etc.). |
35.0 | 46.0 | 61.3 | 59.5 |
| Pitzer’s commitment to racial/ethnic diversity is one of the main reasons I came here. | 47.3 | 41.4 | 38.1 | 37.7 |
| I was hoping to have a roommate of the same ethnicity/race as me. | 8.1 | 11.6 | 12.3 | 18.7 |
| % Did this activity during the first semester: | ||||
| Attended a function sponsored by one of the ethnic studies centers |
n/a | 64.7% | 68.5% | 64.8% |
* Not distributed in 2006. A new survey has been developed for the 2007 entering class.
These new questions will be used, with slight wording changes, in our sophomore and senior surveys to monitor change over time. Here are the items with results for the entering 2007 first-year students [86% response rate, 210 students].
1. When I hear the word “diversity,” my first images are about race. [72.4% agree/strongly agree]
2. I seek out opportunities to interact with people from different cultures. [85.6%]
3. I find it easy to develop close friendships with people of another culture. [87%]
4. I am able to speak sensitively about a culture other than my own. [92%]
5. In general, I prefer being with people from my own cultural background. [21.5%]
6. One of my college goals is to take courses that will help me become more knowledgeable about diverse cultures. [77.5%]
N= |
89 | 85 |
Compared to 2200 students in private liberal arts colleges, Pitzer students self-report MORE that they: |
First-Year | Seniors |
| Included diverse perspectives (race, gender, religions, etc.) in class discussions or writing assignments | X | |
| Had serious conversations with students of a different race/ethnicity than one’s own | X | X |
| Had serious conversations with students who are very different in religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values |
X | |
| Studied abroad | X | |
| Believe their college encourages contact among students from different economic, social, racial/ethnic backgrounds | X | X |
| Understand people of other racial/ethnic backgrounds | X | X |
Interpretation: For example, Pitzer seniors – compared to seniors at other liberal arts colleges – reported more that they “Included diverse perspectives (race, gender, religions, etc.) in class discussions or writing assignments.” Both Pitzer first-year students and seniors – compared to first years and seniors in other liberal arts colleges – reported more that they “Understand people of other racial/ethnic backgrounds.” The data can also be used to compare first-years with seniors within a college: First-year students at Pitzer were more likely to report they “Had serious conversations with students who are very different in religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values“ compared with seniors at Pitzer.
To what degree did your Pitzer academic experiences help you to develop… |
2004 (n=82) |
2005 |
Mean (7=high) |
||
| skills to relate well to people of different racial/ethnic/cultural backgrounds |
5.8 | 5.6 |
| respect for views different from your own | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| an understanding of and sensitivity to other cultures |
5.4 | 5.2 |
| Pitzer contributed much to my understanding of ethnic/racial diversity. (Agree/Strongly Agree) | 67% | 73% |
| Very Satisfied with racial/ethnic diversity at Pitzer |
36% | 34% |