The student body at UBC is so large and diverse, that it can sometimes be challenging for professors to relate to their students. An important first step for faculty to be able to engage with their students is to know who they are, and what their hopes and goals are for their time at UBC. At the 2012 CTLT Institute event, Who are our Students? Implications for Teaching and Learning, Carol Naylor, Associate Director of Student Development and Services, revealed important UBC student statistics, such as age, race, grades, and mental health. In addition, Carol discussed ways for faculty to improve their relationships with students and create higher levels of engagement around campus and in the classroom.
Demographic Information
Carol began the session by laying out basic facts about the UBC student body. According to Carol, there are 48,722 total current students at UBC. Of the undergraduate students, 36% are full time and 64% are part time. 80% of undergraduate students commute to and from campus although, as one of session’s attendees pointed out, there is a large lifestyle difference between living in a shared basement suite in Dunbar and an hour commute to a family home in Surrey. The average age of a UBC undergraduate student is 20 years old, and 72% of students are admitted directly from high school.
In order to gain more demographic information of its students, UBC conducts a survey of incoming students with questions related to ethnicity. According to the 2011 survey, 37% of incoming students consider themselves to be Caucasian and 37% consider themselves to be Chinese. Although UBC is thought of as very ethnically diverse, Carol points out that there is a “misconception that diversity only comes from the international students.” Proof of this point is that 45% of all domestic students are Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, and only 51% of domestic students’ first language is English. In fact, many domestic students have a similar experience at UBC to international students because both are using a language different from the one they use at home. The demographic of international students is only slightly different than domestic students, with 44% being Chinese, Japanese, or Korean and 37% speaking English as a first language. In addition, 19% of all international students come from the US, followed closely by China at 15%.
Grades and Confidence of UBC Students
Carol highlighted the difference between the grades UBC students had in high school and the grades they earn once they are at UBC. She also discussed what professors can do to ease the transition to university. According to the “new to UBC survey” results from the past 2 years, the average student coming to UBC consistently had a GPA of about 85%, but this figure drops to 66% once students complete their first year at UBC. In the same survey, incoming UBC students were asked if they expected to receive at least one “A” grade in their first year. Of domestic students, around 55% thought they would receive an “A,” while only 23% actually did. At the same time, 61% of international students expected to earn an “A,” but only 16% did. Not surprisingly, this grade drop can be quite shocking to students who are used to receiving higher marks. Admissions staff have noticed an increase in grade inflation from high schools, which could be a contributing factor to the sharp decrease in average grades from high school to university.
Many professors attending the session noticed that students received lower grades than they originally expected, and stressed the importance of making students aware of this phenomenon. Although many students will find a drop in GPA, there are tricks professors can use to help their students succeed. For example, having multiple opportunities for students to have their work graded allows them to see their progress before taking a heavily weighted test or midterm. This way, students can see how university-level work is graded early on in the semester. By having smaller assessments and quizzes, students also have a chance to change their studying habits earlier, in order to achieve higher marks. As Luisa Canuto, Manager of Faculty Programs at CTLT, pointed out, “the idea is not to hand out ‘A’ grades, but to give students the tools to study and learn effectively.” Luisa also stressed that although grades are important, the world will not end if a student does not receive an ‘A.’ As long as students understand how their work will be graded, they have a better chance of succeeding in a university environment.
Mental Health of UBC Students
A recent push has been made to improve the quality of the mental health of students at UBC. According the 2009 National College Health Association (NCHA) survey, “UBC Vancouver students report more negative academic impact from mental health concerns and a greater incidence of mental health symptoms (feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, sad, lonely, depressed, anxious) than the NCHA reference group of US institutions.” In addition, the “new to UBC survey” asks mental health related questions to incoming students. The 2011 statistics show that 24% of domestic students and 20% of international students report that anxiety has impacted their school work in some way. Most students are concerned that their symptoms will persist throughout their studies at UBC.
Due to these statistics, Carol described measures that professors can take to help their students. If a professor senses that a student is struggling, they can make use of the Early Alert System. Using this method, faculty can track information about students to alert advising and counseling offices so that the student can get help faster. Even if the situation is less dire, there are still many ways faculty can positively improve the mental health of students. For example, making students aware of any relevant programs such as Go Global, Co-op, internships, research opportunities, work-study jobs, etc. can increase student involvement and decrease stress. Even simple interactions through office hours can increase student engagement in the classroom and around campus. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), a well renowned survey used across North America, faculty/student relationships have dramatically improved over the last five years. Carol explained that “the quality of relationships with faculty is substantially improved, marking continuous improvement over two NSSE surveys.” Instead of being below average in terms of relationships between faculty and students, UBC is now equal to peers in Canada and the US. NSSE results rarely show such a large improvement, which is hopefully an indicator that other aspects of UBC’s students’ general well-being are also on an upward trend.
Although connecting to a large student body can be challenging for UBC professors, Carol highlighted many simple strategies for faculty to enhance the engagement of students. Faculty can greatly improve a student’s undergraduate experience by not only making sure they have the skills to succeed, but if they do struggle, helping the student tackle the problem quickly. The role of a professor does not stop once the lecture is over. By taking the time to connect with students outside the classroom and making them aware of all the beneficial programs UBC has to offer, faculty can form closer relationships with students and witness higher levels of engagement in courses.
To view the full video presentation, check out the article 2012 CTLT Institute Videos.
[…] the article about the […]