UCLA seniors report strong satisfaction with their academic experience and campus life and are intellectually challenged by the curriculum and the faculty, according to the first comprehensive survey of its kind.

They also gave high marks to their broader campus experiences, including a wide range of experiences with students from diverse backgrounds.

"Students who come here want to be challenged intellectually and seek new ideas, and the results of the survey show they are getting what they came to UCLA for," said Judith L. Smith, vice provost for undergraduate education.

Janina Montero, vice chancellor of Student Affairs, said survey results also show students embrace the diversity of their experiences on campus.

"Students have opportunities to learn how to challenge themselves academically and personally and to engage in society with different kinds of people with different experiences," Montero said.

The survey of students from May 2005 in the College of Letters and Science, the largest academic unit in the University of California system, had responses from 5,800 seniors - 80 percent of the graduating class. Of the survey respondents, 56 percent entered UCLA directly, and 44 percent transferred. Nearly 90 percent of students who enroll at UCLA graduate.

Survey results show more than two-thirds of the respondents had high satisfaction levels with intellectual challenges at the university. The survey found:
. 91 percent of the students reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the intellectual challenges by their majors.
. 84 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the intellectual challenges of their research opportunities.
. 81 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with being intellectually challenged by their general education classes.


Students also thought highly of the curriculum in their majors and minors. Eighty-eight percent were percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the curriculum in their majors and 87 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of faculty instruction in their majors. Among the 1,568 respondents who pursued a minor as part of their academic study, 93 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the curriculum in their minors, and 82 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of teaching assistant instruction in their majors.

Access to faculty also was commended by the overwhelming majority of respondents. The results show:
. 86 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with accessibility to faculty in their academic major.
. 74 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with faculty advising in their academic major.
. 92 percent who pursued a minor were satisfied or very satisfied with faculty accessibility in their academic minor.
. 84 percent who pursued a minor were satisfied or very satisfied with faculty advising in their academic minor.

"UCLA is among the top academic institutions in the nation, and we believe intellectual challenges in academics are important," Smith said. "We are heartened that our students expressed such strong sentiments about their satisfaction with their academic experiences."

UCLA plans to conduct the survey annually, and Smith said student feedback over a period of time will be helpful to the Academic Senate when it reviews course offerings and content.

Seniors also expressed high levels of satisfaction with their campus life experiences and praised the campus climate.
. 86 percent agreed or strongly agreed that different sexual orientations are respected.
. 84 percent agreed or strongly agreed that different religious beliefs are respected.
. 80 percent agreed or strongly agreed that all races and ethnicities are respected.
. 75 percent agreed or strongly agreed that different political beliefs are respected.
. 71 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they feel part of the campus community.

In a related area, the vast majority of respondents said they engaged in in-depth conversations with students from diverse backgrounds.
. 86 percent very often, often or occasionally engaged in in-depth conversations with a person from a different race.
. 80 percent, with different religious beliefs.
. 76 percent, with different political opinions.
. 62 percent, with a different sexual orientation.

"Diversity of all kinds and the ability to interact with people from a variety of different backgrounds are important parts of the UCLA experience," Montero said. "We hope the students' experiences at UCLA allow them to expand their opportunities, as well as give back to the community."

The survey results can be found at http://www.college.ucla.edu/senior05.

California's largest university, UCLA enrolls approximately 38,000 students per year and offers degrees from the UCLA College of Letters and Science and 11 professional schools in dozens of varied disciplines. UCLA consistently ranks among the top five universities and colleges nationwide in total research-and-development spending, receiving more than $820 million a year in competitively awarded federal and state grants and contracts. For every $1 state taxpayers invest in UCLA, the university generates almost $9 in economic activity, resulting in an annual $6 billion economic impact on the Greater Los Angeles region. The university's health care network treats 450,000 patients per year. UCLA employs more than 27,000 faculty and staff, has more than 321,000 living alumni and has been home to five Nobel Prize recipients.

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