| Very important or essential that | N = 187 2003 |
N = 193 |
N = 182 |
N = 188 2006 |
N = 199 2007 |
N = 1927 |
| I work for social change in my career | 66.1% | 74.0% | 74.4% | 72.1% | 71.3% | 55.5% |
| College Greatly enhanced abilities to: | 2003 | 2004 |
2005 |
2006 | 2007 | PEERS* |
| develop awareness of social problems | 63.0% | 60.6% | 65.9% | 68.1% | 65.5% | 40.5% |
| understand moral & ethical issues | 51.4 | 47.3 | 54.6 | 52.2 | 53.6 | 31.6 |
| relate to people of different races, nations, religions | 55.7 | 45.0 | 54.8 | 47.8 | 52.1 | 27.9 |
|
||||||
| Activities during college - participated in: | 2003 | 2004 |
2005 |
2006 | 2007 | PEERS* |
| social action group | 31% | 26% | 29% | 31% | 34% | 28% |
| political group or club | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 22 |
| organized demonstrations | 19 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 24 | 6 |
* PEERS 2007: Bates, Colby, Hamilton, Haverford, Kalamazoo, Reed, Vassar
2005 |
2006 | 2007 | |
| When I hear the phrase “social responsibility,” my first images are about doing something for others in the community, outside of the campus environment. | 72.8% | 80.6% | 86.5% |
| I volunteered in a community service project /internship during my years (including summers) at Pitzer. | 78.5 | 81.2 | 85.4 |
| Because of my Pitzer education, I have developed a deeper sense of the ethical issues involved in socially responsible actions. | 75.0 | 78.8 | 81.9 |
| I feel that my Pitzer experiences have helped me become a more socially responsible person than when I started. | 70.3 | 73.3 | 80.9 |
| Pitzer is a good place to learn about tolerance. |
62.7 | 69.1 | 73.4 |
| I have become more environmentally responsible as a result of my Pitzer experiences. | n/a | n/a | 70.8 |
| In the future, I see myself being politically active beyond just voting. | 70.9 | 63.0 | 69.1 |
While at Pitzer, I participated in some political action (protest rally, writing letters, etc.) to fight discrimination or to support equal rights. |
63.9 | 63.0 | 64.6 |
| I have voted in every election I was eligible to vote in. |
54.1 | 54.3 | 60.1 |
| Pitzer’s commitment to social responsibility is one of the main reasons I came here. | 47.8 | 54.5 | 44.4 |
|
Non-Credit Option | Credit Option | Total Graduating |
2006-07 |
34% (77) | 66% (151) | 228 |
2005-06 |
35% (76) | 65% (141) | 217 |
2004-05 |
34% (75) | 66% (146) | 221 |
2003-04 |
34% (77) | 66% (151) | 228 |
| % Agree/Strongly Agree | N=165 2002 |
N=164 |
N=162 2004 |
N=143 2005 |
Being a good citizen requires a responsibility to help others in need. |
85.4% |
86.8% | 93.7% | 93.0% |
| I plan to make time to volunteer in a community service project even if it doesn’t get school credit toward my degree. | 65.8 |
67.7 | 92.9 | 89.2 |
| When I hear the phrase “social responsibility,” my first images are about doing something for others in the community, outside of the campus environment. | 66.6 |
70.2 | 76.4 | 86.5 |
| I am registered to vote in political elections. |
n/a |
51.9 | 89.2 | 73.2 |
| Pitzer’s commitment to social responsibility is one of the main reasons I came here. | 52.5 |
54.4 | 57.0 | 63.1 |
* 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. Before coming to Pitzer, I participated in some political action (protest rally, writing to political leaders, etc.) to fight discrimination or to support equal rights. [51% agree/strongly agree]
2. Since coming to Pitzer, I engage more frequently in activities that promote environmental protection or conservation (like recycling, composting, using less water, etc.) [70%]
3. I find it difficult to speak out in class when I hear someone make statements that I think are discriminatory. [13.4%]
4. Before coming to Pitzer, I volunteered in two or more different community service projects or internships. [89.5%]
5. Respecting different viewpoints is difficult here at Pitzer. [11%]
6. I am registered to vote in political elections. [62%]
7. One of my college goals is to take courses that will help me develop a deeper sense of the ethical issues involved in socially responsible actions. [81%]
8. I find it difficult to speak to other students about their behavior when I see them being destructive to residence hall property. [29%]
9. I have become more environmentally aware since coming to Pitzer. [73%]
10. I find it difficult to tolerate people whose political views are very different from my own. [19%]
% who |
N = 51 2003 |
N = 49 |
N = 68 |
N = 46 2006 |
N = 41 2007 |
| Started getting involved or volunteered in a community service project | 45.1% | 63.3% | 73.5% | 76.1% | 71.8% |
N= |
89 | 85 |
Compared to 2200 students in private liberal arts colleges, Pitzer students self-report MORE that they: |
First-Year | Seniors |
| Participated in a community-based project as part of a regular course | X | |
| Community service/service learning contributed to knowledge, skills, personal development | X | X |
| Did a practicum, internship, field experience, or clinical assignment | X | |
| Did community service or volunteer work | X | |
Voted in local, state of national elections |
X | X |
| Solved complex real-world problems | X | |
| Developed a personal code of values and ethics | X | |
| Contributed to the welfare of their community | X | X |
Learn to solve ethical dilemmas |
X | X |
Interpretation: For example, Pitzer seniors – compared to seniors at other liberal arts colleges – reported more that they “Participated in a community-based project as part of a regular course.” Both Pitzer first-year students and seniors – compared to first years and seniors in other liberal arts colleges – reported more that “Community service/service learning contributed to knowledge, skills, personal development.” The data can also be used to compare first-years with seniors within a college: Seniors at Pitzer were more likely to report participating in a community-based project compared with first-year students at Pitzer.
Mean Scores (7=high) |
||
To what degree did your Pitzer academic experiences help you to develop… |
2004 (n=82) |
2005 |
| an understanding of moral/ethical issues when making decisions | 5.5 | 5.4 |
| sense of social responsibility through learning about and acting to resolve social problems | 5 | 5.4 |
% Agree |
2004 |
2005 |
| I find myself being more socially responsible in my career as a result of my Pitzer education. |
76% | 83% |
| I became more politically involved as a result of my Pitzer education. | 61 | 74 |
| Went on a candlelight march or protest rally while at Pitzer | 58 | 67 |
| Volunteered in a community service project while at Pitzer | 61 | 64 |
% say they volunteer "Much" or “Very Much” in these organizations since graduating from Pitzer |
2004 |
2005 |
| Cultural/arts | 46% | 49% |
| Charitable organizations | 40 | 47 |
| Political activities | 23 | 32 |
| Environmental | 22 | 28 |
| Religious |
18 | 24 |
| Ethnic/Racial | 22 | 15 |