Higher
Education Research Institute Survey
Fall 2000 Freshman
Results
Summary
Updated January,
2001
Upon entering Houghton College,
the 2000-200` Houghton College freshmen (N=49) were given a Higher Education
Research Institute (HERI) survey. Nationwide 494 colleges and universities
participate in the HERI studies. Houghton College and approximately 50
other Christian colleges are participating in this study as part of an
ongoing FIPSE grant to help determine the impact Christian campuses make
on the development of faith and values of their students.
Houghton College freshmen were
compared with freshmen from highly selective religious 4-year colleges
and other 4-year religious colleges. Listed below are selected areas in
which Houghton College seniors differ from students in both categories.
Note: The number
of houghton College freshmen who responded to the survey was smaller than
usual. Results should be interpreted with great caution.
Selected
data from the report If you wish to examine the entire report,
e-mail willis.beardsley@houghton.edu for a
copy.
The following characteristics
of Houghton College freshmen who completed the survey emerge when looking
at the 2000 CIRP data which compares Houghton College freshmen with students
from other highly selective 4 yr. religious colleges, and other 4 yr. religious
colleges. The Houghton College students:
General Information
-
Get better grades in high school
-
More often apply to only 1 or 2
colleges
-
More likely to live over 100 miles
from college
-
More likely to have family income
below $50,000
-
More often select probable careers
that are scholar-servant oriented
-
More often politically conservative
Student rated self above average
or highest 10% as compared with the average person of his/her age
-
More likely in the areas of academic
ability and spirituality
-
Less likely in the areas of competitiveness,
leadership ability, public speaking ability, popularity, physical health,
and self-confidence
Activities noted in the past
year
-
More likely to have played a musical
instrument, discussed religion, and communicated via e-mail
-
More likely to have spent over 5
hours a week studying
-
More likely to have spent more than
1 hour a week praying/meditation
-
Less likely to have smoked cigarettes,
drunk beer, drunk wine or liquor, voted often in student elections, or
come late to class
-
Less likely to have spent more than
2 hours a week exercising, playing sports, or watching TV
-
Less likely to have spent more than
1 hour a week partying or playing video/computer games
Objectives considered to be essential
or very important
-
More likely to be interested in
influencing social values, helping others who are in difficulty, and integrating
spirituality into personal life
-
Less likely to be interested in
becoming an authority in my field, obtaining recognition from my colleagues
for contributions to my special field, having administrative responsibility
for the work of others, or being well off financially
Reasons noted as very important
in influencing student's decision to attend this particular college
-
More likely to be attracted by the
religious affiliation/orientation of this college
-
More likely to have wanted to go
to a school about the size of this college
Student agrees strongly or somewhat
-
More likely to agree that there
is too much concern in the courts for the rights of criminals, it is important
to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships, colleges should prohibit
racist/sexist speech on campus, and people have the right to know about
the personal lives of public figures
-
Less likely to agree that abortion
should b legal, unmarried sex is okay if the people really like each other,
marijuana should be legalized, and same sex couples should have the right
to legal marital status