OCEAN COUNTY
COLLEGE
NOEL-LEVITZ SURVEY, 2002-03
Selected Results
ADMISSIONS
Through the initiatives of the Office of Admissions and Records,
inquiring students may become prospective, admitted, and registered
students. Using the Datatel
software system, the Office of Recruitment and the Office of Admissions and
Records developed a process that tracks students from the inquiry stage through
registration. The college also assesses
the effectiveness of each stage.
Using the Noel-Levitz surveys, the college attempted to assess the
responsiveness of admissions counselors to students’ needs. The results are indicated below.
|
Statement |
Importance |
Satisfaction |
Performance
Gap |
|
SSI: Admissions counselors
respond to prospective students’ needs. |
5.85 |
4.93 |
Neutral
(.93) |
|
IPS:
The
admissions staff is knowledgeable. |
6.45 |
5.47 |
Neutral
(.98) |
Surveyed students, faculty,
administrators, and staff all agree that it is important for admissions staff
to respond to prospective students’ needs and requests. However, the responses indicated above do not
clearly indicate either satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
REGISTRATION
The college also attempted
to assess how effectively the admissions policies and procedures regarding
registration are communicated to students, as indicated in the chart below.
|
Statement |
Importance |
Satisfaction |
Performance
Gap |
|
SSI: Policies and procedures regarding registration
and course selection are clear and well publicized. |
6.06 |
5.26 |
Neutral
(.80) |
|
IPS:
[Same as
above.] |
6.37 |
5.44 |
Neutral
(.93) |
Again, the results are not
particularly helpful in assessing whether or not major changes are needed. It should be noted, however, that each
semester the college mails to every home in the county an information newspaper
explaining registration procedures and listing class schedules and course
offerings. In addition, billboards
throughout the county and media coverage announce registration periods and
times. This information is also posted
on the college’s website and may be obtained easily by telephone. The Office of Admissions and Records also
mails colorful postcards announcing registration information to prospective
students, as well as a letter and registration packet to returning students
well in advance of scheduled registration periods.
FINANCIAL AID
Using
the Noel-Levitz surveys, the college attempted to assess various aspects of the
financial aid process, as indicated in the chart below.
|
Statement |
Importance |
Satisfaction |
Performance Gap |
|
SSI: Adequate Financial
Aid is available for most students. |
6.12 |
4.72 |
OCC is not meeting expectations. (1.4) |
|
IPI: Same as above. |
6.30 |
5.48 |
Neutral (1.16) |
|
SSI: Financial Aid counselors are helpful. |
5.93 |
4.68 |
Neutral (1.25) |
|
IPS: Same as above. |
6.25 |
5.05 |
Neutral (1.39) |
|
SSI: Financial aid awards are
announced to students in time to be helpful in college planning. |
5.86 |
4.48 |
Neutral. (1.38) |
|
IPS: Same as above. |
6.35 |
4.66 |
OCC is not meeting expectations. (1.69) |
For
both students and college personnel, the performance assessment in the
categories above is disappointing. But
we are confident that future survey results will show increased satisfaction
sine the entire Financial Aid Office was reorganized and partially re-staffed
after an extensive consulting study was concluded in the fall of 2004.
STUDENT ORIENTATION
Results from the Noel-Levitz surveys indicate that students
are satisfied with the new student orientation, as indicated below.
|
Statement |
Importance |
Satisfaction |
Performance Gap |
|
SSI: Orientation is helpful in the student’s adjustment to
college. |
5.7 |
5.06 |
OCC is meeting
expectations. (.64) |
|
IPS: Same as above |
6.24 |
5.64 |
OCC is meeting expectations. (.6) |
In Spring 2003, the Orientation
Program was further enhanced with a PowerPoint presentation developed by
members of the Advising and Counseling Office.
For the Fall 2003 Orientation Program, students
used laptops to search Web Advisor for available classes, thus eliminating the
need for cumbersome, 100-page printouts.
This process utilizes online technology and prepares students to utilize
Web Advisor in future sessions for registration and degree audit and to access
grades, degree programs, and curricula.
The use of laptops saves approximately 7,500 computer printer sheets of
paper a week. As of September 2003,
approximately 1700 students have used laptops in searching for classes to make
up their Fall Semester schedule for registration.
ACADEMIC ADVISORS
One item on the Noel-Levitz
surveys focused on the advisor’s role in assisting students to set goals, as
indicated in the chart below:
|
Statement |
Importance |
Satisfaction |
Performance
Gap |
|
SSI:
How well do
academic advisors assist students in setting goals? |
5.92 |
4.48 |
OCC
is not meeting Expectations. (1.44) |
|
IPS:
Same as
above. |
6.17 |
4.59 |
OCC
is not meeting Expectations. (1.59) |
The
results indicate that OCC personnel assign slightly greater importance to this
role of the advisor than do students. In
both categories, the performance assessment in this area is disappointing.
TRANSFER COUNSELLING
One item on the Noel-Levitz surveys focused on how well information
about transfer credit and credit for extra-institutional college level learning
is relayed to academic advisors. The
results are indicated below.
|
Statement |
Importance |
Satisfaction |
Performance
Gap |
|
SSI:
My
academic advisor is knowledgeable about the transfer requirements of other
schools. |
6.17 |
4.57 |
OCC
is not meeting expectations (1.6) |
|
IPS: Academic advisors are knowledgeable about
transfer requirements of other schools. |
6.35 |
4.45 |
OCC
is not meeting expectations (1.9) |
All
respondents feel that transfer knowledge is important and that advisors are not
sufficiently knowledgeable. As noted
above, the term advisor at OCC has many meanings, and this ambiguity makes
the data difficult to interpret; however, in the Summer
of 2005, OCC appointed a full-time transfer counselor to address this
disparity.
CAREER COUNSELING
Helping students
with viable career information and job placement assistance is a significant
college goal and was also measured by the Noel-Levitz Survey.
|
Statement |
Importance |
Satisfaction |
Performance
Gap |
|
SSI:
The
institution has adequate services to help a student decide on a career. |
5.99 |
4.86 |
Neutral (1.13) |
|
IPS:
Same as
above. |
6.08 |
4.66 |
OCC
is not meeting expectations. (1.42) |
|
SSI:
Career
Services provide students with the help they need in getting a job. |
5.99 |
4.86 |
Neutral (1.13) |
|
IPS:
Same as
above. |
5.73 |
4.84 |
Neutral (.89) |
Before the creation of the