September 14, 2004 for immediate release

About 1200 UNBC students are experiencing what it is like to be afirst-year university student, and are entering only their second weekof classes. If a recent national survey is any indication, they canexpect to have a better experience than other first-year universitystudents across Canada.

Forthe first time, UNBC students were part of a nationwide survey of11,000 first-year students from 27 universities. Across Canada, moststudents report high levels of satisfaction with their universityexperience, but in almost all categories, the experience of UNBCstudents is better than the national average.

For example, nearly twice as many UNBC students report being "verysatisfied" with how they're treated by the University. In scoring theLibrary, computer access, classrooms and labs, and class sizes, forexample, UNBC students consistently ranked their university higher thanthe national average. Similarly, in reporting their satisfaction withfaculty, UNBC students are more likely to be satisfied with the qualityof teaching, the opportunities for input in class discussions, andhaving accessibility to their professors outside of class.

"Perhaps the most gratifying result from this survey came in the verylast question, when students were asked whether their first-yearexperience has met their expectations," says UNBC President CharlesJago. "Not only did we meet expectations at a higher level than thenational average, the percentage who said that their expectations wereexceeded was about 60% higher than that reported for other Canadianuniversities. As we enter a more competitive post-secondaryenvironment, information about the experiences of our students will beinvaluable in promoting the UNBC experience."

The survey of first-year university students was prepared for theCanadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium and included questions onuniversity financing, the reason for pursuing post-secondary education,current employment status, the general university experience, and thereasons for choosing particular universities. This is the first timeUNBC has participated in the nationwide survey.