Market Research on Car Restriction for First-Year Students: Impact on Undergraduate RecruitmentMarket Research on Car Restriction for First-Year Students: Impact on Undergraduate Recruitment

Final Report Overview – May 12, 2010

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SituationSituation

• April 2009: Blacksburg Revitalization Committee on behalf of multiple signatories petitioned the university to ban first-year cars

• June 2009: University Relations assembled a committee to research potential impacts of such a policy change

• July - November 2009: Developed a comprehensive research plan and survey instruments

• November 2009 - January 2010: Surveyed first-year and sophomore students

• April 2010: Completed final report

Committee MembersCommittee Members• Melissa Richards (committee chair), Director of Marketing and Strategic

Communications, University Relations

• Steve Mouras, Director of Transportation and Campus Services

• Kimberle Badinelli, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, Student Programs

• Kelly Rawlings, Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions

• Angie DeSoto, Campus Sustainability Planner, Office of Sustainability

• Susan Anderson, Council Member, Town of Blacksburg; Instructor, Department of Mathematics

• Josh Brooking, Student, Public and Urban Affairs Major

• Brandon Carroll, Student, Agricultural and Applied Economics Major; SGA President

• Pat Bixler, Executive Director, Sustainable Blacksburg

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Measurable ImpactsMeasurable Impacts1. Whether or not restricting car registrations by first-year

students will affect undergraduate admissions recruitment and retention

2. Whether or not having a car affects the frequency of first-year students walking downtown to shop and eat locally

3. Whether or not having a car affects the frequency of first-year students leaving campus during the week and on weekends for various activities

4. Whether or not restricting car registrations by first-year students will affect their election to use alternative transportation (e.g. Blacksburg Transit, bicycles, etc.)

5. Whether or not having a car affects the frequency that first-year students use alternative transportation (e.g. Blacksburg Transit, bicycles, etc.)

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Measurable Impacts cont’dMeasurable Impacts cont’d

6. Whether or not having a car affects the frequency that first-year students drive and park – legally or illegally – downtown

7. The impact on off-campus parking should students bring unregistered cars to campus

8. Whether or not restricting car registrations by first-year students will affect the number of required parking spaces and revenues for Transportation and Campus Services

9. Quantitative impact of cars registered by first-year students on the university’s carbon footprint taking into consideration:• Miles driven• Fuel efficiency of vehicles• Measurable emissions• Number of parking permits sold to first-year students

10. The quantitative impact of restricting car registrations by first-year students on the university’s institutional carbon footprint

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Research MethodsResearch Methods

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• Online multiple-choice and open-ended surveys hosted by Student Voice and distributed via email

Audience Total Size

Sample AchievedConfidence level 95% Confidence interval ±5

Random sample of fall 2009 sophomore students

6,162 437

Random sample of fall 2009 first-year students

5,151 418

*Statistically valid for random sample between 1,000 and one million

Perceived Impact on RecruitmentPerceived Impact on Recruitment

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Sophomore Results

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Sophomore Results

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Sophomore Results

33.99 percent said they would have been likely to accept admission elsewhere

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First-Year Results

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First-Year Results

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First-Year Results

46.56 percent said they would have been likely to accept admission elsewhere

If First-Year Cars Had Been RestrictedIf First-Year Cars Had Been Restricted• 47.46 percent said they would have been

likely to bring a car anyway and park it off campus

• 41.52 percent said it would have been necessary to apply for an exception

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ConclusionsConclusions

• The ability for first-year students to bring a car to campus plays a role in the research and consideration phases of the prospective student decision cycle, with greater importance at the final stage of commitment.

• If first-year car permits were restricted, nearly 50 percent of the first-year students would apply for an exception or likely park a car off campus.

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