What’s Up With The Title?
In my most recent class of Critical Thinking and Writing, we discussed surveys and the importance of them when conducting research. Surveys are essential for…
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- Gaining a sense of normal and outlier perspectives in a significant group of individualsÂ
- Pinpointing the tendencies of certain populations based on specifically created questions
- Seeing the overall opinions of a group that can be compared with other surveysÂ
Based on the question types, I realized I could receive different types of answers and information. For example, using a open-ended type inquiry provides more freedom and expression for the responder since he can write a short paragraph. On the other hand, a ranking type question provides to what positive or negative extent an individual sees a certain topic. Using this insightful information about surveys, I created my own relating to my topic of diversity and inclusion on the campus of Santa Clara University.
My Own Survey
Titled “Diversity at SCU Survey”, the responders obviously knew what they were getting into. Starting off with more basic demographic questions, I asked “What ethnicity/race do you identify with?” and “Are you a participant of the MCC?”. Next, I delved into my topic more with questions like, “Is the campus diverse racially and culturally?” and “How could the university improve to be inclusive of all students?”. With each of these, I was mindful to utilize the best type of question to get the information I desired, sticking to checkboxes and short answer forms. Creating this made me really excited to see exactly how students felt about my research topic!
And The Results Are…(cue the applause after)
From my 13 (and counting) responses, I realized that many of my assumptions about the population were wrong. In addition, I found that mindsets about diversity have actually changed significantly from the past, based on my research of the student population in the 1980s and 1990s. The more surprising statistics include:
- 84.6% of responder’s friends are Asian
- 53.8% believe the campus is somewhat diverse
- 53.8% believe the university administration addresses diversity somewhat well
- 6 out of 13 believe the key to improving inclusiveness among students is to be open, friendly, and talking to people
Overall, it became clear that students are aware of the diversity situation on campus as well as its importance, yet seem to provide solutions and answers that are easier said than done. Hopefully, this information will not only help with my research paper but also provide understanding to the students about diversity and inclusion and how to change it significantly.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. Check out my survey!