Most Daytona State College students are pleased with their college experience, according to an ACT Student Opinion Survey conducted during fall semester. The in-class survey explored how satisfied a representative sampling of enrolled students is with a variety of programs, services and other aspects of Daytona State, and compares the data to national norms. Nearly 1,300 Daytona State students participated, and two-thirds indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall college experience.
Survey respondents indicated that convenient campus locations, cost and flexible class schedules were the top reasons they chose to attend Daytona State. More than half said they prefer to attend classes in the morning, with more than a third saying they prefer 100-percent in-class lecture format over other forms of curriculum delivery. Respondents also ranked the attitude of faculty toward their students above national norms.Daytona State’s library services and facilities, computer services, child care, college-sponsored social activities and recreational programs ranked among the top five most satisfying elements of college life.
Considering that 46 percent of the students surveyed were under 21 years old, 51 percent said they enrolled at the college to earn an associate degree, 13 percent to pursue a bachelor’s degree, and 13 percent indicated they plan to transfer to another college or university upon graduation from Daytona State. Sixty-four percent indicated they enrolled at Daytona State immediately upon graduation from high school.
Areas in which the college placed well above national norms included course availability, quality of classrooms, laboratories and general condition of buildings and grounds, and purposes for which student activity fees are used. On the other end of the spectrum, the college ranked below national norms with regard to availability of student housing.
The college also conducted an ACT Alumni Survey, which focused on 2009-2010 graduates of its baccalaureate degree programs. One hundred eighty graduates were surveyed.
It showed that 95 percent of the respondents still live in Florida and enrolled at Daytona State primarily for general self-improvement, to increase their earning power or to learn a new occupation. The college’s baccalaureate programs were the first choice for 89 percent of respondents.
Eighty percent of respondents were either employed full time or employed and continuing their education. Seventy-five percent found their first full-time job within three months of earning their bachelor’s degree, with 52 percent obtaining a job prior to graduating, and 84 percent planning to pursue master’s or doctorate degrees. Ninety-two percent of those surveyed said they felt Daytona State prepared them adequately to continue their education, with 36 percent of those suggesting that the college prepared them exceptionally well.
