Survey shows dissatisfaction with health insurance, however
The University's graduate students rate as "very good" their academic experience at Brown, and rate their student life experience as "good." But there is room for improvement in a number of areas, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) last semester.
The results were released late last month to Graduate School officers, senior administrators and the campus life task force.
All of Brown's active graduate student population received the survey; a total of 789, or 61 percent, responded. The wide-ranging questionnaire asked graduate students to assess instruction and advising; department and degree program; teaching experience; obstacles to academic progress; University services; information technology; housing; campus safety and climate; and social life.
In general, the students were positive about their decision to attend graduate school at Brown and in the program they selected, according to the report. They rate their academic programs, advising, and teaching experience favorably. Their descriptions of the campus climate and many services reflect satisfaction.
Being a graduate student "is not perceived to be an easy time, so we were very pleased by the degree in which the tone of responses was positive," said Tracy Barnes, associate director of OIR.
Despite the favorable tone, the survey highlights some areas in which graduate students feel life could be improved. On a question about the health insurance program, the mean response was 2.90 (with "dissatisfied" being a 3). Health insurance also drew many complaints in an open-ended space where students were invited to make suggestions for improvements or to comment on any university-related factors that assisted or hindered their progress as students.
Based on the significant response rate and the remarks in the open-ended portion of the survey, "we got a sense that the graduate students really wanted to talk," said Katherine Lewis, director of OIR.
Suzanne Greenwald of OIR seconded Lewis' comments. During luncheons for graduate students held earlier this year with President Gee and Peder Estrup, dean of the Graduate School, the students "were very vocal about changes in their health care, and didn't seem shy about offering alternatives," Greenwald said. "They made some excellent suggestions."
Financial issues or work constituted another concern for graduate students. They agreed that their department made efforts to support them financially, and 74 percent said they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their support. Still, this item revealed that 18 percent were "dissatisfied" and 8 percent "very dissatisfied" with their academic-year support. A question about support or job opportunities during the summer drew a divided response: half of the respondents were "satisfied" or "very satisfied"; the other half were "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied."
The concern about graduate financial support is being addressed at the University's highest level. A proposal to improve graduate student financial aid was discussed at ACUP's March 13 meeting. Also, President Sheila Blumstein last month urged Corporation members to adjust upward a budget recommendation regarding the Brown Annual Fund in order to generate $300,000 for graduate student financial aid. The Advisory Committee on University Planning (ACUP) had budgeted $11.8 million; Blumstein asked the committee to set the figure at $12.1 million for the E&G budget (and $13.2 million in total).
A strong graduate school is important for undergraduate instruction, faculty retention and recruitment, and research, Blumstein said. She noted that last year, Brown made a $5-million investment in undergraduate financial aid. "On the graduate student aid side, however, we fall far short of our competition. With this additional $300,000, the graduate student aid budget will increase by 9 percent next year."
In addition to improved health insurance and financial support, the survey noted several other ways graduate student life could be improved. Students would like to see more computers available within their academic departments. Affordable housing was a concern to many: 19 percent expressed some interest in on-campus apartment-style housing, and 17 percent expressed strong interest. Availability of parking, however, was the only area in which clear dissatisfaction was registered. (A rating of 4 equals "dissatisfied." Availability of parking yielded a mean response of 4.15.)
Already, there are practical applications for the survey results, Lewis said. The University is in a major planning mode, she said, and because of the strength of the graduate survey response, senior officers will be able to make informed decisions based on solid data.
OIR will begin to analyze the data further - by discipline and department - this summer. In addition, her office will be conducting several other surveys. The senior class survey will begin after spring break; alumni surveys of the Classes of 1979 and 1989 are under way; and the incoming Class of 2004 will be surveyed this fall. Lewis said she hopes the response rates for these surveys will be as impressive as the graduate students' response rate. "The data can really help make a difference" in Brown's future, she said.