Profile of Todays College Student survey results released

BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 27, 2008 – Virginia Tech has released highlights from the Profile of Today's College Student survey. The Profile of Today's College Student is administered by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and powered by Student Voice – a comprehensive assessment tool for student affairs professionals in higher education.

The survey is designed to provide institutions with a descriptive portrait of their students; a variety of indicators capture information about student beliefs and behaviors.

The Profile of Today’s College Student survey was administered through e-mail in the spring of 2008 to a random sample of Virginia Tech undergraduate students of all academic levels. The profile allows for comparison of Virginia Tech’s respondents to peers nationally. Following are some highlights from the survey results.

• Of the 1,139 students responding to the diversity section, 72 percent of Virginia Tech students agreed that the campus is diverse;
• As a result of participating in campus activities, 90 percent of Virginia Tech student respondents agreed that they have met people that they otherwise would not have and 84 percent have met people with different interests than their own. On both items, Virginia Tech students were significantly more likely to agree than peers nationally;
• The profile also measures the use of technology. Among Virginia Tech student respondents, 96 percent indicated that they have a profile on an online social network. Among those 50 percent think that college administrators look at their online profile while 83 percent think that potential employers look at their online profile; and
• Another item of interest asked Virginia Tech students about their voting plans. The survey reveals that 89 percent of Virginia Tech students who responded plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election – a significantly higher percentage than peers nationally.

Complete reports and detailed numbers of the Profile of Today’s College Student can be found on the Virginia Tech Division of Student Affairs website. The reports address the major sections of the profile including academic integrity, academic involvement, campus involvement, diversity, future aspirations, health and wellness, media and communication, and student opinions. National benchmarks are provided for certain items within each report. For additional information about the survey itself, contact Catherine Amelink, assessment coordinator for the Division of Student Affairs at (540) 231-6272.

• Meghan Williams
• 540-231-5396
• vtnews@vt.edu