Final Report for Student Focus Groups (2)

STUDENT FOCUS GROUP REPORT, COVERICK1

Orientation 2015: Student Focus Group

Final Report

Prepared by: Jennifer CoverickUniversity of West Georgia,

Professional Counseling & College Student Affairs


Description of the project: The University of South Carolina Beaufort’s Office of Admissions is seeking to evaluate their current admissions practices to increase enrollment and improve the University’s brand. The Admissions Interns (Alyssa and Jennifer) conducted focus groups, a diverse group of people assembled to participate in a guided discussion about a particular topic or product, with incoming students and parents. Electronic invitations were sent to all family attendees and all student attendees per session. Alyssa Mustard focused on the Family Attendees while Jennifer Coverick worked with the Student Attendees. The interns facilitated the focus group with a structured guide (see appendices) of five questions with time built in for open feedback. Participants were asked to complete a short survey (see appendices) before the focus group began. Participation was completely voluntary and uncompensated.

Invitation Method:A master orientation registration list was obtained from Mr. Kenneth Buck (USCB IT Services) on a weekly basis. The interns used the list to send electronic invitations via www.splashthat.com. This platform allowed us to create custom invitations where invitees could instantly RSVP and gather details about the event. Invitations were sent to parent and student email addresses listed on the orientation registration form. Invitees who confirmed attendance were called two days before each session to provide reminders and answer questions about the group.

Student Focus Group-AttendanceSession 1: June 19, 2015

21 RSVPs 16 Participants

Session 2: June 26, 2015


Session 3: July 10, 2015




http://www.splashthat.com/



RSVPS Participants

One-Word Major Themes from Student Focus Groups (words stated in all four sessions)Location –Beach – Cost – Size - Dorms


Pre-Survey ResponsesA Summary of the data collected from 28 pre-surveys

Cities and States RepresentedSavannah, GA (2)Mount Pleasant, SC Jacksonville, FLFort Mill, SC (2)Elgin, SC Bluffton, SC (4)Philadelphia, PACharleston, SC (2Barnwell, SC (2)Beaufort, SC (2)Seneca, SCCincinnati, OHColumbia, SC (2)Walterboro, SC Greenwood, SCFlorence, SC (2)Green Pond, SCWest Columbia, SCGoose Creek, SCHilton Head Island, SC (2)Hanahan, SCClover, SCYemassee, SCLittle Pirer, SC (2)St. Helena Island, SC (2)Cordova, SCStarr, SCSummerton, SCAkron, OHSimpsonville, SCRome, PAMcKees Rocks, PA

4%7%

4%2%

83%

South Carolina Florida GeorgiaOhio Pensylvania


How students discovered USCB

0

7%

13%

8%

12%

3%

9% 6%

16%

10%

2%2%

12%

College/Guidance Counselor

USCB Alumni

High School Visit

College Fair

Friend

Always known about USCB

Online/Internet Source

Parent/ Guardian

Received Printed Materials

Viewed Our Website

Took a Virtual Tour

Took an On-Campus Tour

Attended Any Event On-Campus


Where USCB ranked among the student’s college choices

0%0%

22%

27%

51%

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth +


Important factors in the student’s college decision

Other consisted of: Saturday Buisness Program

Scholarships students receivedOther includes scholarships from the students’ hometown, churches, and Fast Web

5%1%

23%

30%

12%

29%

Cost in Attendance Scholarships/Financial Aid

Location Major

Other Athletic Programs


3%13%

3%

10%

28%10%

13%

20%

Athletic

In-State Tuition Waiver

Merit

Sandsharks Scholars

Life Scholarship

HOPE

Pell Grant

Other

Which of the student’s family members have obtained a college degree

33%

32%

16%

19%

Mother Father Sibling None


How much being a part of the USC system affected the students decision to attend USCB

24%

60%

16%

Significantly Somewhat Not at all


Student’s satisfaction level with the following offices

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Office of Admissions Office of Financial Aid

Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied

Very Dissatisfied Not Applicable

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Student Life Office Registrars Office

Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied

Very Dissatisfied Not Applicable


Comments about the above office include:

“Bob [Davidson] was a big help and influenced my decision to come [to USCB]”“There should be a veteran to help with VA paperwork…the VA rep was not helpful”“Matt Cash is awesome”“Everyone I’ve talked to has been extremely helpful in guiding me through this process”“It was very easy to talk to the people in the office”“Go Sandsharks!”“Very willing to help!”“I’m very pleased with all of the different offices and their willing [sic] to help”“The Office of Student Life is very welcoming to freshmen”“Dot Wrede was helpful”“You rock”“Everyone is super friendly and welcoming”“I feel like they are really helpful”


Implication of the Pre-Survey Results: Summary• Most participants in the focus groups came from the state of South

Carolina which is also suggested by the student population at USCB• A majority of students are discovering USCB through friends and

school guidance counselors. Many students also discovered USCB through printed materials that were sent to them.

• USCB was a first choice for many students; however, being a part of the USC system had an insignificant influence on many students’ decisions to apply.

• The location of USCB was the biggest factor for students to attend USCB. Cost was also a significant factor.

• Many students cited the residence halls as the aspect that set USCB apart from other schools.

• Students were very satisfied with the offices in the division of Enrollment Management and the Office of Student life.


Focus Group ResultsResults are reported below for the four sessions according to theme

Question 1: Why did you choose to attend USCB?Theme One: LOCATIONA majority of students expressed the location of USCB was the main factor it choosing to attend USCB. Its proximity to the beach and being close, yet far from home were the two top answers given in the focus groups. Many students, when asked this question, immediately said “the beach” as their top answer. Other students stated that their families had permanent residences in the area.

Theme Two: COSTUSCB’s price tag as one of the most affordable public institutions in the state of South Carolina was another large factor in students’ decisions to attend. Students claimed that they felt the price was reasonable for the opportunities offered to them by USCB.

Question 2: What other Universities did you consider attending?There were many responses to this question. The top answers included:

USC ColumbiaUSC AikenWinthrop Coastal Carolina Savannah State

Other responses include: South Carolina State, College of Charleston, Ohio State University, Duke, Clemson, Citadel, USC Upstate, Daytona State, and University of Alabama


Question 3: What were the most important factors in making your college decision?

Theme One: LOCATIONA majority of students expressed the location of USCB was the main factor it choosing to attend USCB. Its proximity to the beach and being close, yet far from home were the two top answers given in the focus groups. Many students, when asked this question, immediately said “the beach” as their top answer. Other students stated that their families had permanent residences in the area.

Theme Two: SCHOLARSHIPS/COST USCB’s price tag as one of the most affordable public institutions in the state of South Carolina was another large factor in students’ decisions to attend. Students claimed that they felt the price was reasonable for the opportunities offered to them by USCB.

Theme Three: MAJORA significant number of students who participated in the focus groups were pre-nursing; many of them cited USCB’s prestigious nursing programs as a reason for enrolling.

Question 4: How did you find out about USCB?Theme One: FRIENDS/FAMILYWord of mouth was the biggest way students discovered USCB. Many of the students had friends who attended USCB and they stated that they had visited the school when friends were enrolled.

Theme Two: HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORSome students discovered USCB through their guidance counselors at their high school. These students were asking their guidance counselor for advice on where to apply to college.


Theme Three: PRINTED MATERIALS/WEBSITEOther students discovered USCB upon receiving printed materials from the school via their high school or mail. A number of students also discovered USCB by searching of “schools in South Carolina” on the web.

Question 5: Did USCB being a part of the USC system affect your decision?

When asked this question, a majority of the participants said no, and survey results indicated that for many students, USCB as a part of the USC system was only somewhat influential. Two students indicated that USCB as part of the USC system greatly impacted their decision while three students stated that it had no bearing on their decision.

Open FeedbackParticipants were given time at the end of each session to provide feedback for the Office of Admissions or any other department on campus. Comments included:

• Students are looking forward to beginning their college careers• Many students commented on the campus scenery, describing it as

feeling like vacation. • Some students were confused about the process of turning in

citizenship forms. • The students were almost unanimously excited about living in the

residence halls. • Some students felt that there were a lot of printed materials being sent

to them and they would have preferred greater use of electronic communication.

• Students indicated that they would have liked to have had a detailed schedule of orientation events prior to coming to campus.


Recommendations:

The following recommendations are suggested based on the focus group results and other interactions inside the Office of Admissions.

Communication1. Utilize email communication more than postage. Emails should

include reminders about important deadlines, and any missing documents the Office of Admissions needs to obtain from the students. Attach electronic forms for students to print and fill out or fill out electronically with the email reminders.

2. Send students a copy of the orientation schedule in the weeks leading up to their orientation session. Also, reiterate instructions on how to complete and turn in immunization and citizenship forms.

Recruitment1. Invest time and resources into recruiting in new areas to draw more

students to USCB. Have regional recruiters in the North East, Mid-West, South West (Outside of South Carolina), and West Coast.

2. Utilize Social Media more for the Office. Many students are turning to Facebook and Twitter for information and posting reminders about deadlines or even fun facts about the university will engage students more.


Appendix A: Pre-SurveyYour information:

1. City/Town: __________________________

2. State/Province: _______________________

3. Zip/Postal Code: ______________________

How did you find out about USCB? Please check all that apply.

_____ College/Guidance Counselor _____ Received any printed materials

_____ USCB Alumni _____ Viewed our website

_____ High school visit _____ Took a virtual tour of campus

_____ College Fair _____ Took an on-campus tour

_____ Parent/Guardian _____ Attended any event on-campus

_____ Friend _____ I’ve always known about USCB

_____ Online/internet source

If you found out about USCB online, please tell us what website:__________________________

Where did USCB rank on your list of universities?

_____ First Choice

_____ Second Choice

_____ Third Choice

_____ Fourth Choice

_____ Other

What factors were important in making your college decision? Please check all that apply.

_____ Cost of attendance

_____ Scholarships/Financial Aid

_____ Location

_____ Major/Program of Study

_____ Athletic Programs


_____ Other (Please specify :) ___________________________________________________

If you received scholarships, please list them here:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Which of your parents/guardians have a Bachelor’s Degree or higher?

_____ Mother

_____ Father

_____ Both

_____ Neither

To what extent did USCB being part of the USC system impact your decision to attend?

_____ Significantly

_____ Somewhat

_____ Not at all

What other universities did you consider?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How committed are you to completing your Bachelor’s Degree at USCB?

_____ Very likely

_____ Somewhat likely

_____ Not determined at this time

_____ I do not plan to complete my degree at USCB

How satisfied were you with the following offices?

Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied N/A

Office of Admissions _______ _______ _______ _______ ______

Office of Financial Aid _______ _______ _______ _______ ______

Office of Student Life _______ _______ _______ _______ ______


Office of Registrar _______ _______ _______ _______ ______

Do you have any comments about your satisfaction with the offices above?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please write any additional comments on reverse side.


Appendix B: Student Focus Group GuideAdmissions Orientation Focus Groups

STUDENTS

Moderator Guide

• Prior to participants entering the room, set up the room so the tables are as circular as possible to create a community atmosphere

• As participants enter the focus group, they will be given a short survey to take as everyone arrives and settles in.

A. Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Moderators will introduce them selves

2. Have students share their first name, intended major, and hometown

B. Topic Discussion (30 minutes)

“USCB is working on gathering information on our campus and what students really think about it. We are looking to you for your very honest opinions and thoughts about USCB and the questions we ask. We want to hear it all, the positive and the negative. Everything said here will be kept in confidence; no names will be recorded with the notes being taken. If there are no questions, let’s begin.”

i. Pause briefly for questions

1. “First, we would like to know why you chose to attend USCB. Please share why you decided to attend USCB.” (15 minutes)

i. Pause for discussion

ii. If students don’t respond, ask about experiences with specific offices/if they had an effect on their decision

a. Admissions

b. Housing


c. Financial Aid

d. Student Life

e. Registrar

f. Campus Visit

g. Campus Visitation Day

h. Campus Tour

i. Accepted Students Day

2. “We also want to know what other schools you were interested in. Can you tell us what those schools were?” (5 minutes)


3. “What were the most important factors in your decision to attend USCB?” (5 minutes)


ii. If students don’t respond, ask about the impact the following had on their decision, if any impact at all:

i. Cost of Attendance

ii. Scholarships/Financial Aid

iii. Location

iv. Academic Programs/Majors

v. Campus Safety

vi. Housing

4. “USCB is also looking into how prospective students find out about our university. Tell us about the ways in which you found out about USCB?” (5 minutes)


ii. If students don’t respond, ask if they:

i. Received any printed material from USCB


ii. Viewed the website

iii. High School Counselor

iv. Friend or family

v. Did they know someone who attended or currently attending USCB

vi. Email

vii. Phone Calls

C. Wrap Up (5 minutes)

1. “As we wrap up, we would like to give you the opportunity to tell us anything about USCB you think we should know.”

i. Pause briefly for any discussion

2. “Thank you so much for taking the time to come to this focus group and for sharing all of the information you did. If you have any questions for us or any other comments, you have a few minutes before Orientation begins, so feel free to ask. Thank you again!”

Documents

Final Report for Student Focus Groups (2)