Background

2009 UCR Knowledge & Awareness Study Page 1

Background

In the summer of 2009, Rochester Community and Technical College and Winona State University Rochester (which together are also known as University Center Rochester or UCR) commissioned SNG Research Corporation to conduct another wave of their Knowledge and Awareness Study. This is the tenth wave of the survey for UCR and the twelfth wave of questions specific to RCTC. The first wave of the UCR study was conducted in 1998, with additional waves in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. In the 2000 and 2001 waves, only questions specific to RCTC were included.

Specific objectives of the study include measurement of:- unaided (top-of-mind) awareness of area higher educational institutions- perceptions of how higher education needs are being met in the greater Rochester area

- perceptions of public colleges and universities compared to private schools- awareness of the UCR partnership- relationships with UCR institutions- recent enrollment in courses- importance of key attributes when enrolling in a college and impressions of RCTC on these attributes- preferred method for receiving information on colleges and universities- awareness of advertising/promotions for RCTC, as well as the specific messages ‘Get There’ and ‘Expect the Unexpected’- use of social media and social networking sites- demographic characteristics

The 2009 survey includes adults, age 18-49 (waves prior to 2002 included adults age 18-44), residing within UCR’s service area. A total of 202 telephone interviews were conducted with randomly selected households within the service area, which represents approximately a

25-30 mile radius around the city of Rochester. To ensure the inclusion of unlisted and unpublished numbers, a random-digit-dial sampling method was used. In addition, for the first time a cell phone sample was included in order to include area residents who do not have or do not use a landline. Quotas were set to ensure that cell phone only households were appropriately represented in the sample. At a 90% confidence level, the maximum margin of error for 202 respondents is +/- 5.8 percentage points.

Interviews were completed from July 15 to August 3, 2009. The incidence of qualified households (that is, with at least one adult age 18-49) was 39%. SNG Research Corporation was responsible for all phases of data collection and data processing for this project.


Executive Summary

Higher Education• When asked to name the schools that come to mind when thinking of higher education institutions in the Rochester area, RCTC is the institution that comes to mind most

frequently. Overall, nearly eight-in-ten adults (78%) mentioned RCTC in one form or another, which is similar to the past three years. Winona State University was mentioned by 43% of respondents, which is also consistent with recent years. Mentions of University of Minnesota remained similar to the past two years at 57%. The portion of respondents mentioning Minnesota School of Business continues to climb by a few percentage points each year; this year 15% mentioned it compared to 7% in 2006.

• Nearly half of respondents (46%) feel that the higher education needs of the greater Rochester area are well-met overall. This is similar to the past two years (49% and 46%) and higher than in 2006 (36%) and 2005 (33%).

• More than one-third (35%) of adults have taken some sort of college or university course, either credit, non-credit, or online, in the past year, which is up from 25% last year. All respondents were asked about their interest level in ever taking online courses. Overall, 21% are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ interested. On the other hand, 41% say they are ‘not at all’ interested.

• About half of respondents (49%) would prefer to receive information about a college electronically via the Internet or CDs, which is significantly lower than about 60% the past two years. Meanwhile, 40% expressed a preference for hard copy catalogs and viewbooks, which is similar to the past couple of years.

• The most important attribute to respondents if they were going to enroll in a college or university is the ‘quality of the academic programs,’ with 76% rating this as ‘very important.’ Other attributes that are considered ‘very important’ by about six-in-ten respondents are ‘courses are offered at a variety of times and days of the week’ and ‘overall value for the money.’ As in previous years, ‘size of the college and student body’ is least important.

• About four-in-ten respondents (39%) feel that the area’s higher education needs are being well-met by only the public colleges and universities in the area (compared to 46% who feel that the higher education needs are being well-met overall). The suggestions given most often for ways in which public colleges and universities could better meet the higher education needs tended to focus on the need for a 4-year school and the need for more variety in programming/classes.

• Respondents were asked to rate public institutions compared to private institutions in several areas. Public institutions are most likely to be viewed as ‘better’ than private institutions on ‘cost of education’ and ‘overall value for the money.’ Public institutions tended to be rated as ‘about the same’ as private institutions on most of the other attributes. For ‘quality of academic programs,’ 21% said that public institutions are ‘worse’ than private institutions.

University Center Rochester• Recent changes in the make-up of University Center Rochester, with UMR no longer a partner, has impacted awareness of UCR. About two-thirds of respondents (66%)

are aware of University Center Rochester, which is the lowest rating since 2002. In 2007, 78% were aware of UCR. When those who are aware of UCR were asked about the institutions that make up the UCR partnership, the portion saying ‘don’t know’ was the highest it has ever been (19%) and the portion naming RCTC and WSU decreased significantly, as did the portion who named UMR. In 2009, 41% named RCTC (compared to 59% last year) and 50% named WSU (compared to 67% last year). Additionally, 63% named U of M (compared to 77% last year).

• To measure how many individuals have been ‘touched’ by the UCR institutions, respondents were asked if they or an immediate family member have ever attended any of the institutions. Nearly six-in-ten respondents (58%) have a relationship with RCTC, while about one-third (32%) have a relationship with WSU. Most of those who have a relationship with a UCR institution would recommend it to a friend or family member (giving a ‘4’ or ‘5’ on a 5-point scale where 5 means ‘definitely would recommend’). Specifically, 74% of those who have a relationship with RCTC would recommend it and 67% of the respondents who have a relationship with WSU Rochester would recommend it.

• In addition, more than half of adults (55%) have visited the UCR campus in the past year. Among those who have been on campus, the largest portion were there for a non-RCTC sporting event.


Executive SummaryRCTC• When asked how they feel RCTC serves the community as a whole (beyond just the students), 59% of respondents report high satisfaction (‘4’ or ‘5’ on the 5-point scale),

which is similar to the past two years and significantly more than in 2006 (50%) or 2005 (48%). Meanwhile, only 7% gave a low satisfaction rating of ‘1’ or ‘2.’• Overall, 52% of respondents are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ familiar with the programs and services offered by RCTC while 16% report being ‘not at all’ familiar.• More than half (52%) of this year’s respondents said they have seen or heard advertising or promotions for RCTC in the past 60 days, which is significantly lower than 68%

in 2008 and similar to 55% in 2007. Word-of-mouth from family or friends was mentioned most often as a source of advertising or promotions for RCTC (55%), followed by television (39%) and radio (35%). Movie theater, billboards and newspaper were each mentioned by about one-quarter of respondents. For the first time respondents were also asked about social media and social networking sites. Seven percent recalled seeing something about RCTC on Facebook and 4% on My Space. Younger respondents (age 18-34) were more likely than those age 35-49 to mention seeing something about RCTC on television, radio, billboards, Internet, Facebook and My Space.

• Nearly three-in-ten respondents (28%) were able to recite ‘Get There’ as the slogan for RCTC unaided, which is similar to 26% in 2008 and a significant increase over 18% in 2007. After being asked directly, a total of 65% of all respondents recalled the ‘Get There’ message. Adults age 18-34 were more likely to recall ‘Get There’ (75%) than those age 35-49 (57%).

• Only 2% of respondents mentioned ‘Expect the Unexpected’ unaided, but after aiding 49% recalled this RCTC message. Those age 18-34 were more likely than older respondents to recall ‘Expect the Unexpected’ (57% vs. 42%).

• After being asked to rate the importance of various attributes when pursuing higher education, respondents rated their impressions of RCTC on these same factors. The attribute that RCTC rated most highly on was ‘location,’ with 48% of respondents rating RCTC as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good.’ Other attributes that at least one-third of respondents gave high ratings to RCTC on included ‘overall value for the money,’ ‘reputation of the academic programs,’ ‘access to computers and technology’ and ‘quality of the academic programs.’ The attribute with the lowest portion of respondents giving high ratings was ‘innovative programs and courses’ (23%).

• Comparing importance ratings to perceived performance ratings is one way to look for areas for potential improvements. Three-quarters of respondents (76%) rated ‘quality of the academic programs’ as ‘very important’ while 33% rated RCTC as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ in this area. The next largest gap between importance ratings and performance ratings was for ‘courses offered at a variety of different times and days of the week.’ The smallest gaps are in the areas of ‘access to computers and technology,’ ‘reputation of the academic programs’ and ‘innovative programs and courses.’ RCTC’s performance ratings were higher than importance for ‘location’ and ‘size of the college and student body.’

Winona State University Rochester• Approximately two-thirds of respondents said that it is important for Winona State University to have a presence in Rochester (65%), mainly because they feel that students

need more 4-year options in Rochester or the students wouldn’t have to travel to Winona that way. Among the 13% of respondents who said it is not important for WSU to have a presence in Rochester, the primary reasons were that Winona isn’t that far away or that there are plenty of other institutions here.

• Overall, 25% of respondents are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ familiar with the programs and services offered by Winona State University Rochester, while 42% are ‘not at all’ familiar. This familiarity is significantly lower than familiarity with RCTC (52% ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ familiar).

Internet and Social Media• More than nine-in-ten respondents have a home computer and most have either a cable modem or DSL. Additionally, 85% regularly have Internet access from another

location, such as school, work or cell phone. Altogether, 98% of adults age 18-49 regularly have Internet access.• Respondents are quite active with social media and social networking sites. Six-in-ten respondents (60%) report visiting Facebook in the past 30 days and about half (49%)

have visited You Tube. About one-in-five (21%) report using blogs and slightly fewer (17%) have visited My Space. Linked In and Twitter are less popular, each being used by 7% in the past month. Almost half of those who visit Facebook do so daily (45%) while about one-third of bloggers do so daily (32%).

• If looking for information about educational opportunities or institutions 29% of respondents say they would use Facebook and 6% or fewer would use any other social networking site.


Detailed Findings

UCR Knowledge and Awareness Study


Higher Education



The first question asked of respondents is to name the institutions that come to mind when they think of higher education in the Rochester area. Responses are recorded verbatim, using the respondents’ own words, which allows for tracking of how people refer to the institutions, particularly RCTC which has gone through some name changes over the years.

The chart on the following page shows the portion of respondents who have named various institutions over time.

RCTC/Rochester Community and Technical College continues to be the most frequently mentioned institution, with 70% of respondents saying either RCTC or Rochester Community and Technical College. This is slightly, although not significantly, lower than 77% last year and is similar to 68% in 2007. The portion that still refers to RCTC as RCC or Rochester Community College has leveled off at 6% (compared to 46% in the first wave of the study in 1998). Mentions of vo-tech also remained relatively low at 7%.

Winona State University was mentioned by 43% this year, which is similar to other waves.

UCR was mentioned by 5% of respondents, which is similar to recent years.

The portion mentioning University of Minnesota also remained similar to the past two years at 57%.

A newer entrant to the Rochester education market is Minnesota School of Business and awareness of this institution increases slightly each year. It was mentioned by 15% (30 respondents) this year, compared to 11% (23 respondents) last year, 8% (16 respondents) in 2007, 7% (13 respondents) in 2006 and only one person in 2005.

Crossroads College was mentioned by 4% of respondents, which is down from a high of 8% in 2006.

Higher Education: Institutions Mentioned in 2009 vs. Previous Years


Higher Education: Institutions Mentioned in 2009 vs. Previous YearsUnaided Awareness of Higher Education Institutions

7%

46%

30%

7%

11%

47%

25%

35%

12%

20%

13%

13%

11%

44%

44%

51%

9%

15%

11%

9%

11%

42%

39%

60%

9%

13%

5%

5%

12%

36%

32%

57%

7%

11%

6%

9%

22%

45%

39%

65%

6%

10%

8%

9%

13%

43%

52%

68%

4%

6%

7%

11%

12%

46%

60%

77%

5%

6%

7%

10%

14%

43%

57%

70%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

University Center Rochester

RCC/Rochester Community College

Vo-tech/Technical College

St. Mary's University

Mayo Medical School

Winona State University

University of Minnesota

RCTC/Rochester Community andTechnical College

2009 (N=202)2008 (N=201) 2007 (N=200) 2006 (N=200) 2005 (N=201) 2004 (N=201) 2002 (N=200) 1998 (N=200)

Other points of interest: •Minnesota School of Business was mentioned by 15% (30 respondents) compared to 11% (23 respondents) in 2008, 8% (16 respondents) in 2007 and 7% (13 respondents) in 2006. In 2005 it was mentioned by one respondent (and had never been mentioned previously). The difference between 2009 and 2007/prior years is significant at a 95% confidence level. •Crossroads College/Bible College was mentioned by 4% (8 respondents) compared to 6% (12 respondents) in 2008, 7% (14 respondents) in 2007 and 8% (16 respondents) in 2006. •St. Scholastica was mentioned for the first time in 2006 by two respondents (1%). Unaided awareness has remained similar; it was mentioned by three respondents (2%) in 2007, two respondents (1%) in 2008 and three respondents (2%) this year.


Higher Education: University Center Rochester Institutions

When an unduplicated count of mentions clearly referring to RCTC is made, nearly eight-in-ten adults (78%) mentioned RCTC (in one form or another) when they think of higher education institutions in the greater Rochester area and more than half (52%) mentioned RCTC first. About six-in-ten respondents mentioned U of M while more than four-in-ten (43%) mentioned WSU.

When you think of higher education in this area, which institutions come to mind?

(2009 N=202)

18%

1%

10%

19%

52%78%

57%

43%

5%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

None of the above

UCR

WSU

U of M

RCTC

First UnaidedMention

Total UnaidedMentions

Other Findings – Total Mentions (2009)

• More likely to mention RCTC:» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not

have a relationship with any UCR institution)» Are slightly/not at all familiar with WSU

Rochester

• More likely to mention U of M:» Reside in Rochester (64% vs. 48% of non-

Rochester residents)» Have a college degree/certificate» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU

Rochester

• More likely to mention WSU:» Have taken college courses in past year» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not

have a relationship with any UCR institution)» Have a relationship with WSU (vs. have a

relationship with RCTC or do not have a relationship with any UCR institution)

» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU

Rochester

• More likely to mention UCR:» Age 35-49 (9% vs. 1% of age 18-34)» Females (9% vs. 1% of males)» Rochester residents (7% vs. 3% of non-

Rochester residents)» Have a college degree/certificate


Higher Education: UCR Institutions – Comparison Over Time

Comparing this unduplicated count over the past several years, mentions of RCTC had increased slightly each year between 2002 and 2004, then decreased slightly in 2005. In 2006, however, mentions increased significantly to 78% and remained the same in 2007. In 2008, mentions of RCTC increased slightly to 82% while in 2009 mentions of RCTC went back to 2006 and 2007 levels (78%). Mentions of the U of M had increased significantly from 2006 to 2007 (39% to 52%) and again in 2008 (60%), but in 2009 dropped just slightly to 57%. Mentions of WSU have remained steady at 43% to 46% for the past four years.

15%

7%

37%

31%

72%

12%

10%

42%

39%

75%

13%

9%

36%

32%

69%

9%

7%

45%

39%

78%

7%

6%

43%

52%

78%

6%

4%

46%

60%

82%

7%

5%

43%

57%

78%

71%

44%

44%

12%

10%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

None of the above

UCR

WSU

U of M

RCTC

2009 (N=202)

2008 (N=201)

2007 (N=200)

2006 (N=200)

2005 (N=201)

2004 (N=201)

2003 (N=200)

2002 (N=200)

‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.^ Significantly different from 2003.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

††

* † ■ ^ ♦

♦

♦^

†♦

♦

♦

† ■ ^^

♦

†^ ♦

‡* † ■ ^ ♦

†^

† ■ ♦

† ■ ^

When you think of higher education institutions in this area, which institutions come to mind?

† ♦

* † ■ ^ ♦

♦

† ■ ^


8%

9%

6%

8%

8%

38%

34%

36%

25%

28%

37%

37%

33%

30%

35%

38%

42%

40%

34%

35%

39%

16%

17%

15%

22%

20%

16%

13%

12%

9%

10%

11%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2002 (N=200)

2003 (N=200)

2004 (N=201)

2005 (N=201)

2006 (N=200)

2007 (N=200)

2008 (N=201)

2009 (N=202)

'5' - Extremely Well '4' '3' '2' or '1' - Not at all Well

Higher Education: How Well Needs Are Met

When rating how well respondents feel the higher education needs of the greater Rochester area are being met, 2009, 2008 and 2007 respondents were more likely to give high ratings than respondents in 2006 or 2005. In 2009, the portion giving the highest rating of ‘5 - extremely well’ was the highest it has ever been (13%) while the portion giving the lowest ratings of ‘1’ or ‘2’ was at its lowest (10%).

Other Findings (2009)

• More likely to give a rating of ‘4’ or ‘5:’» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU

(vs. do not have a relationship with any UCR institution)

» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• More likely to give a rating of ‘1’ or ‘2:’» Males (14% vs. 6% of females)

3.14 ■ ^ ♦

Mean

3.32

3.33

3.37

3.20


* †

■ ♦

■ ^ ♦

†

♦

♦

♦

■

3.36 †

3.51*†■^† ■ * † * †

Overall, how well do you feel the higher education needs of the greater Rochester area are being met?

3.49*†■^† ■ † ♦ ‡* †^♦


Higher Education: Taken Credit/Non-Credit Courses in Past YearPortion who have taken any non-credit

courses or training in the past year

14%

13%

11%

12%

11%

12%

13%

11%

0% 10% 20% 30%

2002(N=200)

2003(N=200)

2004(N=201)

2005(N=201)

2006(N=200)

2007(N=200)

2008(N=201)

2009(N=202)

Portion who have taken courses or training for college credit in the past year

21%

19%

21%

27%

26%

18%

25%

18%

0% 10% 20% 30%

2002(N=200)

2003(N=200)

2004(N=201)

2005(N=201)

2006(N=200)

2007(N=200)

2008(N=201)

2009(N=202)

In the past year, more than one-in-ten adults have taken non-credit courses at a college or university (13%), while one-quarter (25%) have taken courses for which they received college credit and nearly one-in-five have taken online courses or training (17%). As can be seen on the following page, 35% of adults overall have taken some sort of course or training at a college or university (either for credit, non-credit or online) in the past year, which is significantly higher than in 2008 (25%).

~ Significantly different from 2008.‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.

Portion who have taken any online courses or training in the past year

17%

11%

0% 10% 20% 30%

2008(N=201)

2009(N=202)

Note: Online was not asked prior to 2008.

Among those who have taken online coursesWere the online courses for-credit or non-credit? 2009 2008 (n=34) (n=23) For-credit 82% 87% Non-credit 12% 9% Both 6% 4%

~‡

*†

*†


Higher Education: Taken Credit/Non-Credit Courses in Past Year


• More likely to have taken non-credit courses:


» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• More likely to have taken for credit courses:

» Age 18-34 (37% vs. 15% of age 35-49)

• More likely to have taken online courses:

» Age 18-34 (23% vs. 11% of age 35-49)

» Females (21% vs. 12% of males)» Are very/somewhat familiar with

RCTC

• More likely to have taken any courses in past year (non-credit, credit or online):

» Age 18-34 (44% vs. 27% of age 35-49)

~ Significantly different from 2008.

2009(N=202)

2008 (N=201)

2007 (N=200)

2006 (N=200)

2005 (N=201)

2004 (N=201)

2003 (N=200)

2002 (N=200)

33% 23% 26% 31% 33% 27% 26% 26%

Portion who have taken either credit or non-credit training or courses in the past year

~

2009 (N=202)

2008 (N=201)

35% 25%

Portion who have taken any training or courses (credit, non-credit or online) in the past year

Not asked in previous years

~ ~

~


Higher Education: Interest in Online Classes

Overall, nearly six-in-ten adults say they are at least ‘somewhat’ interested in taking online courses. The portion of adults who are ‘extremely interested’ in taking online classes has been about one-in-ten for six of the past seven years.

25%

36%

24%

15%

22%

36%

26%

15%

35%

31%

19%

17%

32%

41%

18%

10%

40%

35%

13%

12%

37%

33%

13%

16%

40%

35%

13%

12%

34%

41%

16%

9%

32%

43%

13%

11%

41%

39%

10%

11%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Not At All Interested

Somewhat Interested

Very Interested

Extremely Interested2009 (N=202)2008 (N=201)2007 (N=200)2006 (N=200)2005 (N=201)2004 (N=201)2003 (N=200)2002 (N=200)2001 (N=100)1999 (N=126)


• More likely to be ‘extremely’ interested:» Rochester residents (14% vs. 6% of non-

Rochester residents)» Have taken college courses in past year» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not

have a relationship with any UCR institution)

• More likely to be ‘not at all’ interested:» Males (47% vs. 34% of females)» Have not taken any college courses in past

year» Do not have a relationship with any UCR

institution (vs. have a relationship with RCTC)

» Are slightly/not at all familiar with RCTC

‡ Significantly different from 2007.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.^ Significantly different from 2003.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

†♦

^♦

♦

♦

♦

^^

Note: Wording in previous years was ‘How interested are you in taking online courses through UCR?’

■

†♦

Some colleges and universities offer online courses or virtual classrooms that can be accessed from home or work. How interested are you in ever taking online courses?

‡^♦

♦

^


Higher Education: Preferred Way of Receiving Information

If they were considering taking a college course, nearly half of adults (49%) would prefer to receive information about what the college has to offer in an electronic format. This is significantly lower than in 2008 and 2007, while the portion saying ‘no preference’ (11%) is significantly higher than in the past two years. Four-in-ten would prefer hard copy information in the form of catalogs and viewbooks and this portion has stayed relatively stable since 2005.


• More likely to prefer electronic information via Internet and CDs:

» Have a college degree/certificate» Do not have a relationship with any

UCR institution (vs. have a relationship with WSU)

• More likely to prefer hard copy catalogs and viewbooks:

» Do not have a college degree/certificate

» Have a relationship with WSU (vs. do not have a relationship with any UCR institution)

“Some colleges and universities are considering moving away from using hard copy literature such as catalogs and viewbooks to provide prospective students with information about what they have to offer.

Instead, they would offer more targeted information electronically, via the Internet or on CDs.

If you were considering taking classes at a college or university, how would you prefer to receive information about a particular school and what they offer?”

Preferred way of receiving information about a college

5%

51%

45%

3%

52%

45%

8%

44%

48%

10%

48%

42%

6%

35%

59%

1%

39%

60%

11%

40%

49%

7%

53%

41%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

No preference

Hard copy catalogsand viewbooks

Electronicinformation via

Internet and CDs 2009(N=202)2008(N=201) 2007(N=200)2006(N=200)2005(N=201)2004(N=201)2003(N=200)2002(N=200) ~ Significantly different from 2008.


* † ■ ^ ♦

* † ■ ^ ♦

♦

■ ^■

♦

* ■ ^ ♦

* † ■ ^ ♦

‡* † ^ ♦

~‡ ♦

■ ^ ♦

~‡ ■ ^


Higher Education: Importance of Attributes if Enrolling in a CollegeImportance of attributes if enrolling in a college

(2009 N=202)

14%

42%

46%

46%

41%

52%

55%

51%

58%

60%

76%

25%

34%

32%

31%

41%

28%

33%

30%

37%

37%

33%

20%

37%

17%

14%

17%

14%

11%

10%

12%

10%

4%

3%

24%

7%

8%

4%

8%53%

7%

6%

5%

3%

2%

1%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Size of the college and student body

Access to computers and technology

Availability of flexible enrollment options, such as online or e-learning

Location

Innovative programs and courses

Credits transferring easily to other institutions

Variety of programs and degree options offered

Cost of the course or program

Reputation of the academic programs

Overall value for the money

Courses offered at a variety of different times and days of the week

Quality of the academic programs

'5' Very important '4' '3' '2' or '1' Not at all Important

Respondents rated the importance of several attributes if they were going to enroll in a college. Topping the list in terms of importance are ‘quality of the academic programs’ (rated as ‘5-very important’ by 76%), ‘courses being offered at a variety of times and days of the week’ (rated ‘5’ by 60%) and ‘overall value for the money’ (rated ‘5’ by 58%). More than half also gave ratings of ‘5’ to ‘cost of the course or program,’ ‘variety of programs and degree options offered,’ ‘credits transferring easily to other institutions’ and ‘reputation of academic programs.’ The ‘size of the college and student body’ is clearly viewed as the least important of the attributes rated; nearly one-quarter gave low importance ratings of ‘1’ or ‘2.’ Comparisons to recent years are shown on pages 17-20.

4.72

Mean

4.52

4.52

4.36

4.34

4.31

4.22

4.19

4.17

4.12

4.09

3.20


Higher Education: Importance of Attributes if Enrolling in a College

• Quality of the academic programs» Reside in Rochester (82% vs. 68% of non-Rochester residents)

• Courses offered at a variety of different times and days of the week» Females (71% vs. 47% of males)» Non-Rochester residents (69% vs. 54% of Rochester residents)» Have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)

• Overall value for the money» Females (65% vs. 51% of males)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• Reputation of the academic programs » Females (59% vs. 41% of males)» Rochester residents (59% vs. 38% of non-Rochester residents)» Have a college degree/certificate

• Variety of programs and degree options offered» Age 18-34 (60% vs. 45% of age 35-49)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• Cost of the course or program» Females (61% vs. 47% of males)


More likely to rate importance as ‘5 – Very Important’:

• Availability of flexible enrollment options, such as online or e-learning» Females (58% vs. 31% of males)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a relationship with

any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• Credits transferring easily to other institutions» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a relationship with

any UCR institution)

• Innovative programs and courses» Reside in Rochester (46% vs. 33% of non-Rochester residents)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• Access to computers and technology» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not have a relationship with any

UCR institution)

• Location » Females (52% vs. 39% of males)» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• Size of the college and student body» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. have a relationship with WSU)


Higher Education: Importance of Attributes – Comparison Over Time

The next three pages show a comparison of the importance of these attributes over all of the waves of this survey. Some findings worth noting include:

• ‘Quality of the academic programs’ continues to be seen as ‘very important’ by the largest portion of respondents.

• ‘Courses offered at a variety of different times and days of the week’ decreased in importance for the second year in a row, from 72% rating it as ‘very important’ in 2007 to 65% in 2008 and 60% this year.

• ‘Variety of programs and degree options offered’ had decreased significantly in importance last year compared to the three previous years (48% rating it as ‘very important’ in 2008 compared to 57% in 2007, 63% in 2006 and 64% in 2005). This year it increased slightly to 52%.

• ‘Availability of flexible enrollment options, such as online or e-learning’ had its highest rating of 55% giving ratings of ‘very important’ in 2007, then decreased slightly last year to 52% and in 2009 decreased further to 46%.

• ‘Size of the college and student body’ continues to be seen as ‘very important’ by the smallest portion of respondents (14%).


Higher Education: Importance of Attributes – Comparison Over TimeImportance of attributes if enrolling in a college

(Portion rating each attribute a '5-Very Important')

50%

58%

65%

72%

41%

64%

72%

68%

49%

56%

60%

70%

49%

62%

65%

76%

47%

64%

72%

78%

57%

64%

72%

82%

51%

60%

65%

79%

51%

58%

60%

76%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Reputation of the academic program


Courses offered at a variety ofdifferent times and days of the week


1998 (N=200) 2002 (N=200) 2004 (N=201) 2005 (N=201) 2006 (N=200) 2007 (N=200) 2008 (N=201) 2009 (N=202)

4.77■♦

Mean

4.704.634.654.69

4.634.56♦

4.55♦4.674.53

4.564.514.45♦4.584.42

4.284.274.344.274.31

4.48*†■♦

4.56■

4.63

4.82†■♦

‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

■ ♦■ ♦

♦

■■

♦

* ♦

♦♦

4.76■♦

4.52♦

4.50

4.34‡

■ ♦

♦

‡* ♦ 4.52♦

4.52

♦4.36

♦ 4.72‡


Higher Education: Importance of Attributes – Comparison Over TimeImportance of attributes if enrolling in a college


62%

41%

50%

42%

62%

50%

56%

50%

53%

46%

51%

53%

60%

51%

52%

64%

56%

53%

56%

63%

54%

55%

53%

57%

56%

52%

51%

48%

53%

46%

55%

52%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Credits transferring easily to otherinstitutions

Availability of flexible enrollment options,such as online or e-learning

Cost of course or program

Variety of programs and degree optionsoffered

1998 (N=200) 2002 (N=200) 2004 (N=201) 2005 (N=201) 2006 (N=200) 2007 (N=200) 2008 (N=201) 2009 (N=202)

Mean

4.484.51■♦4.394.384.19

4.45

4.334.284.344.294.16

4.35

4.17

4.214.07

4.29■4.21

4.04

4.22

4.13♦

4.16♦

4.25

4.30

4.35

■♦■♦

■

♦

4.23‡*†■♦

4.21

4.24■

4.25


‡*†

4.12‡

4.22

*† 4.31‡*†

♦

‡

4.34


Higher Education: Importance of Attributes - Comparison Over TimeImportance of attributes if enrolling in a college


15%

40%

47%

36%

10%

43%

46%

38%

15%

34%

48%

32%

11%

42%

51%

41%

15%

45%

54%

46%

17%

39%

46%

42%

13%

44%

41%

38%

14%

46%

42%

41%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Size of college and student body

Location



1998 (N=200) 2002 (N=200) 2004 (N=201) 2005 (N=201) 2006 (N=200) 2007 (N=200) 2008 (N=201) 2009 (N=202)

Mean

4.14

4.124.03

4.22■4.28■♦

4.08

3.34♦

3.21♦

2.973.09

3.20♦

3.32♦

4.13

4.234.18

4.23

4.21

4.23

3.88

4.10■♦4.14■

3.93♦4.03♦

4.25

■■♦

■

■

♦♦

♦

4.12*

4.02*†♦

4.15■

3.08‡■

■

■


*†

■ 4.19

4.09*†

3.20♦

■4.17■


Higher Education: Public vs. Private Institutions

When asked to compare public colleges and universities to private institutions, about four-in-ten respondents feel that the area’s higher education needs are being well-met by only the public colleges and universities (39% giving a rating of ‘4’ or ‘5’), compared to 46% who feel that the area’s higher education needs are being well-met overall. Responses were similar to 2008. When asked for suggestions as to how public institutions could better meet needs, the suggestions made most frequently had to do with the need for a more traditional 4-year college, as can be seen on the following page; however, respondents were less likely to mention this than they were in 2008. In fact, 2009 respondents were much more likely to say they could not offer any suggestions than they were last year.

Overall, how well do you feel the higher education needs of the greater Rochester area are being met by only the

public colleges and universities in the area?*

9%

3%

11%

37%

30%

9%9%

28%

45%

9%

3%

6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Don't know

'1' Not at all well

'2'

'3'

'4'

'5' Extremely well

2009 (N=202)

2008 (N=201)


• More likely to give a rating of ‘4’ or ‘5:’» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs.

do not have a relationship with any UCR institution)


Rochester

As you may know, public colleges and universities receive funding from the state in addition to tuition and individual contributions, while private

colleges and universities do not receive any state funding.

Top 2 Box2009=39%2008=37%

Bottom 2 Box2009=14%2008=12%

Note: Not asked prior to 2008.

For comparative purposes – ratings for ‘Overall, how well do you feel the higher educations needs of the greater Rochester area are being met?’

2009 2008

‘5’ Extremely well 13% 12%

‘4’ 33% 37%

‘3’ 39% 35%

‘2’ 7% 9%

‘1’ Not at all well 3% 3%

Don’t know 5% 4%

2009=46%2008=49%

2009=10%2008=12%

Mean2009=3.352008=3.33

~ Significantly different from 2008..

~


What suggestions would you offer for ways in which local public colleges and universities could better meet the higher education needs of the area?

Higher Education: Public vs. Private Institutions (continued)

Note: Not asked prior to 2008.~ Significantly different from 2008.

2009 (N=202) 2008 (N=201)

4-Year SchoolNeed a traditional 4-year college with more programs/degrees/liberal arts based 10% 17%Actual 4-year residential campus environment - dorms/food service/sports/etc. 4% 9%Comprehensive college with more programs rather than several colleges with a few specialties each 1% 2%U of M should be 4-year college 1% 0%

More Variety of Programming/ClassesMore programs/degrees (unspecified) 9% 7%More classes 4% 0%More diverse programs/beyond healthcare and IT 3% 8%More advanced degree options/Masters/PhDs 3% 4%Flexible class schedules/evenings/weekends/summers 2% 5%More online classes 2% 3%Partner with employers so employees can incorporate classes into workday 1% 1%Hands-on learning/on-the-job training 1% 1%

Tuition/Financial AidCheaper tuition 8% 5%Increase availability of financial aid 5% 8%

Advertising/RecruitmentMore advertising/publicity/let students know you're available 4% 4%Better recruitment/let students know you're available 1% 2%

Miscellaneous CommentsFocus on older students 4% 0%More focus on individual/one-on-one 2% 0%Better teachers 2% 1%Smaller class sizes 2% 0%Bigger/more space/more buildings 2% 0%Better public transportation/bus/shuttle 2% 0%U of M should not be downtown/should be on campus with other schools 1% 0%They are doing a good job 1% 3%Other single mentions 4% 3%None/Don't know/Refused 41% 22%

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~

~


Overall, how do public colleges and universities compare to private institutions? (2009 N=202, 2008 N=201)

4%

4%

4%

4%

6%

15%

9%

13%

9%

27%

29%

48%

50%

7%

9%

11%

9%

15%

20%

23%

28%

28%

28%

34%

25%

32%

29%

61%

56%

61%

65%

55%

51%

42%

43%

42%

22%

29%

8%

9%

18%

20%

9%

7%

11%

10%

9%

3%

4%

2%

8%

9%

12%

12%

9%

13%

13%

17%

9%

9%

6%

8%

6%

7%

3%

41%

11%

13%

12%

6%

5%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2008

2009

2008

2009

2008

2009

2008

2009

2008

2009

2008

2009

2008

2009

Much better (5) Somewhat better (4) About the same (3) Somewhat worse (2) Much worse (1) Don't know/Refused

Public institutions are most likely to be viewed as ‘much better’ than private institutions on ‘cost of education’ and ‘overall value for the money.’ Relatively few respondents rated public institutions as ‘worse’ than private institutions in any area, although about one-fifth of respondents (21%) say that public institutions are worse than private institutions on the ‘quality of academic programs.’ For the most part, responses were similar to 2008, although 2009 respondents were significantly less likely than in 2008 to say public institutions are ‘much better’ on ‘availability of flexible enrollment options’ and ‘innovative programs and courses.’

4.27

Mean

3.82

3.51

3.54

3.14

3.11

2.96


80%

% ‘Better’

61%

41%

38%

21%

15%

11%

Note: Not asked prior to 2008.~ Significantly different from 2008.

Cost of education






Quality of academic programs

79% 4.32

3.8054%

2.9413%

3.0813%

3.3737%

3.4937%~

3.1523%~

~ ~


Somewhat/much better

• Cost of education» No significant differences

• Overall value for the money» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• Variety of programs and degree options offered» No significant differences

• Availability of flexible enrollment options, such as online or e-learning» Males (47% vs. 28% of females)

• Innovative programs and courses» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• Access to computers and technology» Rochester residents (17% vs. 7% of non-Rochester residents)

• Quality of academic programs» Very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester


More likely to rate public institutions as ____________ than private institutions:


Somewhat/much worse

• Cost of education» Non-Rochester residents (9% vs. 3% of Rochester residents)» Have taken college courses in past year

• Overall value for the money» Males (13% vs. 6% of females)

• Variety of programs and degree options offered» No significant differences

• Availability of flexible enrollment options, such as online or e-learning» No significant differences

• Innovative programs and courses» No significant differences

• Access to computers and technology» Do not have a relationship with any UCR institution (vs. have a

relationship with RCTC or WSU)

• Quality of academic programs» Have a college degree/certificate» Have taken college courses in past year


University Center Rochester



University Center Rochester: Awareness

Several questions focused specifically on University Center Rochester, which currently includes RCTC and WSU (in the past, University of Minnesota Rochester was also a UCR partner). 2009 respondents were significantly more likely to say they have not heard of University Center Rochester, also known as UCR, compared to the past five waves of the study (33% vs. 25% or fewer).

Have you heard of University Center Rochester, also known as UCR?

32%

68%

1%

21%

78%

22%

78%

1%

24%

75%

23%

78%

2%

25%

73%

1%

33%

66%

71%

30%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Don't know

No

Yes

2009 (N=202)

2008 (N=201)

2007 (N=200)

2006 (N=200)

2005 (N=201)

2004 (N=201)

2003 (N=200)

2002 (N=200)


• More likely to be aware of UCR:» Females (73% vs. 58% of males)» Reside in Rochester (71% vs. 59% of non-

Rochester residents) » Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs.



Rochester

~ Significantly different from 2008.‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.^ Significantly different from 2003.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

‡*†■■

^

^

^

‡*†■

~‡*†■


University Center Rochester: Awareness of Partners

It is evident that there is some confusion among area residents’ as to who the UCR partners currently are. University of Minnesota Rochester is no longer a UCR partner and the portion naming UMR as a partner decreased significantly compared to previous years; however, the portion naming Winona State University and Rochester Community and Technical College as partners also decreased significantly. Interestingly, more than one-in-ten named Mayo Clinic as a UCR partner, which is more than twice as many as in any previous year.

5%

1%

12%

63%

86%

92%

3%

4%

16%

58%

84%

86%

2%

2%

13%

56%

88%

89%

4%

1%

14%

67%

85%

86%

6%

15%

61%

84%

88%

12%

5%

12%

59%

67%

77%

19%

11%

8%

41%

50%

63%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Don't know

Mayo Clinic

St. Marys University

RCTC

WSU

U of M

2009 (n=134)

2008 (n=147)

2007 (n=120)

2006 (n=120)

2005 (n=135)

2004 (n=123)

2002 (n=109)


• More likely to identify U of M as UCR partner:» Females (70% vs. 54% of males)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU

Rochester• More likely to identify WSU as UCR partner:

» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a relationship with any UCR institution)


Rochester• More likely to identify RCTC as UCR partner:

» Have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do

not have a relationship with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU

Rochester

†

Note: In 2009 and 2008, this question was asked of those who were aware of UCR. In previous years, it was asked of those who were aware that multiple institutions partnered together at UCR.

~ Significantly different from 2008.‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

‡*†■♦

‡*†■♦

(Among those that who are aware of UCR)Unaided awareness of partner institutions

~‡*†■♦

~‡*†■♦

~‡*†■♦

‡*■

~‡*†■♦‡*♦

‡*‡

‡*†■♦‡*†■♦


University Center Rochester: Relationships with Institutions

Overall, two-thirds of adults (66%) have a relationship (meaning they or an immediate family member has taken classes) with at least one of the UCR institutions. This is similar to previous years. Nearly six-in-ten adults (58%) have personally or have a family member who has taken classes at RCTC, while about one-third have a relationship with WSU (32%). Of those attending WSU, 64% were at the Winona location while 53% were in Rochester. Based back to total, 17% of all adults have a relationship with WSU Rochester.

Self/family member ever taken any classes through each institution?

(2009 N=202)

52%

19%

40%

34%

32%

58%

41%

18%

52%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

None of the above

WSU

RCTC

Self &/or familymember attended

Self attended

Family memberattended


More likely to have a relationship (either personally or through a family member) with each institution:

• RCTC» Females (65% vs. 51% of males)» Non- Rochester residents (65% vs. 54% of

Rochester residents)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• WSU» Females (39% vs. 24% of males)» Have a college degree/certificate» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

(Among those whose self/family attended WSU)Which locations of WSU? (2009 n=64) Winona 64% Rochester 53%


University Center Rochester: Relationships with Institutions (Among those who have attended or had a family member attend each institution)

Based on your/your family members' experience, how likely would you be to recommend _______ to a friend or family member?

26%

32%

52%

29%

31%

38%

37%

49%

39%

32%

38%

28%

38%

36%

37%

14%

21%

26%

27%

18%

9%

6%

6%

4%

7%

9%

1%

39%

16%

4%

26%

8%

4% 4%

2%

4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2006 (n=35)

2007 (n=28)^

2008 (n=25)^

2009 (n=34)

2006 (n=125)

2007 (n=117)

2008 (n=111)

2009 (n=118)

'5' - Definitely would '4' '3' '2' or '1' - Definitely would not Don't know


• More likely to give a rating of ‘4’ or ‘5’:

RCTC» Females (82% vs. 64% of males)» Are very/somewhat familiar with

RCTC

WSU » Have not taken college courses in

past year

Most of those who have a relationship with an UCR institution would be likely to recommend that institution to a friend or family member. Specifically, 74% of those with a relationship with RCTC gave a rating of ‘4’ or ‘5’ on the 5-point scale where 5 meant they ‘definitely would recommend.’ The base size of those who have a relationship with Winona State University Rochester is fairly small, but the majority of those who do have a relationship with WSU are likely to recommend it to a friend or family member (67%).

Mean

4.04

3.94RCTC

WSU - Rochester

3.98

3.94

~ Significantly different from 2008.‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.^ Caution: small base size.

4.03

4.33* ‡

*

3.99

3.85~~ ~

‡*


University Center Rochester: Campus Visits

The portion of area residents who have been on the UCR campus in the past year remained steady at 55%. As can be seen on the following page, the biggest reason for visiting the campus is watching or participating in sports.


• More likely to have visited UCR campus:» Rochester residents (61% vs. 41% of non-Rochester

residents)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not

have a relationship with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

Portion who have been on UCR campus in SE Rochester (including main campus, Heintz Center,

Regional Sports Center or sports fields) in the past year

43%

48%

57%

56%

56%

54%

55%

52%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

2002 (N=200)

2003 (N=200)

2004 (N=201)

2005 (N=201)

2006 (N=200)

2007 (N=200)

2008 (N=201)

2009 (N=202)

^ Significantly different from 2003.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

♦

♦

^ ♦

^ ♦

♦

♦


University Center Rochester: Campus Visits(Among those who have visited UCR campus in past 12 months)

For what reasons have you been to the UCR campus?


♦

■

■

Note: Multiple responses were allowed.

‡

■^

■

2009 (n=110)

2008 (n=109)

2007 (n=104)

2006 (n=111)

2005 (n=112)

2004 (n=115)

2003 (n=95)

2002 (n=85)

Participate/watch other sports/youth sports/baseball/soccer/football/lacrosse 32% 36% 38% 38% 21% 34% 24% 15%

Taking classes at one of the institutions 20% 23% 21% 16% 24% 12% 18% 24%

Watch RCTC sports teams 13% 7% 13% 6% 5% 4% 7% 5%

Attended a community event or fundraiser 11% 16% 12% 14% 13% 22% 16% 7%

Attending training/workshop/seminar 8% 15% 7% 8% 13% 13% 12% 13%

Graduation ceremony 6% 2% 3% 12% 13% 10% 8% 5%

Get information on classes/pick up transcripts/get books 6% - 5% 6% 8% 7% 12% 7%

Visited regional sports center 5% 5% 10% 5% 4% 10% 7% 8%

Relative/friend works there 5% 1% - - - - 1% 1%

Children’s event/math meet/College for Kids/music contest/science fair 4% 6% 5% 9% 10% - - 7%

Board meeting/meeting 4% 1% 1% 4% - - - -

Conducted business/delivered food out there 4% - 1% - - - - 4%

Visited library 3% 1% 1% - 2% 3% 3% -

Just to see the campus/tour 3% 2% 4% 2% - 6% 1% 4%

■

†■♦

■^

†

†

†^♦†^♦†^♦

♦

■^

■

■

■

■

■^

■

†^

♦

♦

♦

■^

♦

†♦

†■♦

■

■

~†

~

~‡*†■

~*†■^

†■^♦

*♦

†

■^

†


RCTC



RCTC: Satisfaction With How Community is Served

Several survey questions were specifically about RCTC. Satisfaction ratings have remained consistent over the past few years, with about six-in-ten respondents giving high satisfaction ratings of ‘4’ or ‘5’ on a 5-point scale. Only 7% of 2009 respondents gave low ratings of ‘1’ or ‘2’ to how well RCTC serves the community.


• More likely to give a rating of ‘4’ or ‘5’:» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs.



• More likely to give a rating of ‘2’ or ‘1’:» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU

Rochester

Overall, how satisfied are you with how well RCTC serves the community as a whole?

12%

13%

12%

10%

15%

16%

42%

45%

42%

38%

35%

42%

42%

40%

30%

29%

33%

35%

36%

26%

26%

27%

7%

3%

6%

6%

6%

7%

9%

7%19%

17%

7%

8%

8%

11% 6%

9%

10%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

2002 (N=200)

2003 (N=200)

2004 (N=201)

2005 (N=201)

2006 (N=200)

2007 (N=200)

2008 (N=201)

2009 (N=202)

'5' - Extremely Satisfied '4' '3' '2' or '1' - Not at all Satisfied Don't know

3.48■^♦

Mean

3.65

3.74

3.65

3.60^

2009 Satisfaction ratings among key demographic subgroups:

18-34 35-49 Males Females Rochester Non-Roch.

5 15% 22% 22% 17% 18% 20%

4 42% 38% 31% 47%^ 41% 37%

3 32% 22% 29% 25% 26% 27%

2 5% 7% 8% 6% 5% 9%

1 0% 2% 0% 2% 2% 0%

DK 6% 8% 11% 5% 7% 7%

Mean 3.70 3.78 3.75 3.74 3.75 3.73

^ Significantly different than males.* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.^ Significantly different from 2003.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

3.71††

^

*†

^

^

^

■^

3.73†† *†

3.74††■♦ *† ^


RCTC: Familiarity

22%

35%

27%

16%

17%

32%

34%

18%

18%

32%

43%

8%

15%

33%

40%

11%

12%

40%

40%

8%

24%

34%

33%

9%

16%

38%

33%

13%

12%

37%

39%

11%

16%

32%

39%

13%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Not At All Familiar

Only SlightlyFamiliar

Somewhat Familiar

Very Familiar

2009 (N=202)2008 (N=201)2007 (N=200)2006 (N=200)2005 (N=201)2004 (N=201)2002 (N=200)2000 (N=100)1998 (N=200)

Overall, more than half of adults in the area (52%) feel at least ‘somewhat’ familiar with the programs and services offered by RCTC, while 16% report being ‘not at all’ familiar with RCTC’s programs. Females are more likely to be ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ familiar with RCTC’s programs than are males.


• More likely to be ‘very/somewhat’ familiar with RCTC:

» Females (63% vs. 39% of males)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs.


» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• More likely to be ‘slightly/not at all’ familiar with RCTC:

» Males (61% vs. 37% of females)» Do not have a relationship with any UCR

institution (vs. have a relationship with RCTC or WSU)

» Are slightly/not at all familiar with WSU Rochester

* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

†

♦♦

♦

*

2009 Familiarity among key demographic subgroups:


Very 16% 10% 9% 17%^ 14% 11%

Smwt 38% 40% 30% 47%^ 40% 38%

Slight 34% 30% 43% 22%^ 30% 35%

Not 12% 20%~ 18% 15% 17% 16%

~ Significantly different from 18-34.^ Significantly different from males.

*

How familiar are you with the programs and services offered by Rochester Community and Technical College?

*

**

**

†


RCTC: Advertising Recall

Awareness of advertising and promotions for RCTC in the past 60 days varies from year to year depending on how the timing of the study corresponds with promotional campaigns. In 2009, 52% of respondents reporting seeing or hearing advertising or promotions for RCTC in the past 60 days. Those residing in Rochester were more likely to be aware of recent promotions than those residing outside of Rochester.


• More likely to have seen/heard advertising:» Rochester residents (57% vs. 44% of non-

Rochester residents)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do

not have a relationship with any UCR institution)


Rochester

62%

57%

56%

45%

63%

68%

52%

55%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

2002 (N=200)

2003 (N=200)

2004 (N=201)

2005 (N=201)

2006 (N=200)

2007 (N=200)

2008 (N=201)

2009 (N=202)


†

†

■^♦

Portion that recall advertising/promotions in past 60 days among 2009 key demographic subgroups:


57% 47% 55% 50% 57%* 44%

* Significantly different from non-Rochester residents.

‡†■^

Portion who have seen or heard advertising or promotions for RCTC in the past 60 days

~*♦


15%

4%

7%

12%

12%

13%

26%

22%

10%

5%

52%3%

2%

10%

1%

5%

25%

1%

34%

1%

1%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

None of the above

Twitter

You Tube

Blogs or RSS feeds

My Space

Facebook

Internet/Web site

In the mail

Newspaper

Billboards

At the movie theater

Radio

Television

Word of mouth from friends/family

Unaided Mentions

Aided Mentions

Respondents who were aware of any advertising or promotions for RCTC in the past 60 days were asked unaided where they saw or heard it. All respondents were then aided on specific types of advertising or promotions. Word of mouth was cited most often after aiding (55%), followed by television (39%) and radio (35%). RCTC in social media was included for the first time in 2009. Although no one mentioned social media unaided, 7% did say they were aware of RCTC on Facebook and 4% on My Space when asked about them specifically. As can be seen on the following page, younger respondents were more likely to be aware of RCTC on Facebook and My Space.


27%

39%

35%

27%

23%

13%

14%

4%

1%

1%

2007

48%

45%

21%

28%

35%

13%

21%

14%~ Significantly different from 2008.‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.

2006

42%

43%

17%

31%

28%

10%

13%‡

15%

Total Awareness Previous Years

~*

Where have you seen or heard advertising or promotions

for RCTC in the past 60 days?(2009 N=202)

55%

7%

1%

15%

2008

45%

49%

23%

29%

32%

12%

16%

9%*

37% 44%44%

Note: Social media was not included in previous years.

~

~

*

~‡

‡

~


Where have you seen or heard advertising or promotions for RCTC in the past 60 days? (unaided + aided) - Among 2009 key demographic subgroups -


Word-of-mouth 57%52% 55% 54% 57% 51%

Television 46%~ 33% 45% 34% 44%* 32%

Radio 45%~ 28% 39% 33% 36% 36%

At movie theater 29% 26% 27% 28%27% 27%

Billboards 36%~ 19% 28% 26%31% 21%

Newspaper 19%26% 25% 21%26% 19%

In the mail 11%17% 14% 14%12%17%

Internet/web site 18%~ 8% 17%^ 9%10% 17%

Facebook 16%~ 0% 9% 6%7% 9%

My Space 7%~ 0% 5% 2%3% 5%

Blogs or RSS feeds 2% 0% 2% 0%1% 1%

You Tube 0%1% 0% 1%0% 1%

Twitter 1%0% 1% 0%1% 0%

None of the above 9%~ 20% 14% 16% 11%* 21%

~ Significantly different than age 35-49.^ Significantly different from females. * Significantly different than non-Rochester residents.




• In the mail» Have not taken college courses in past year» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a

relationship with any UCR institution)» Are slightly/not at all familiar with WSU Rochester

• On the Internet/web site» Age 18-34 (18% vs. 8% of age 35-49)» Males (17% vs. 9% of females)» Have taken college courses in past year» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• On Facebook» Age 18-34 (16% vs. 0% of age 35-49)» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• On My Space» Age 18-34 (7% vs. 0% of age 35-49)

• By word-of-mouth» Have taken college courses in past year» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a

relationship with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• On television» Age 18-34 (46% vs. 33% of age 35-49)» Rochester residents (44% vs. 32% of non-Rochester residents)» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)• On radio

» Age 18-34 (45% vs. 28% of age 35-49)» Have a relationship with WSU (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester)

• At a movie theatre» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester)

• On billboards» Age 18-34 (36% vs. 19% of age 35-49)» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester)

• In newspaper» No significant differences


More likely to have seen/heard advertising:


Respondents were also asked what specific slogans or messages they recall from RCTC advertising or promotions. ‘Get There’ was, by far, the slogan mentioned most often; 28% of this year’s respondents mentioned ‘Get There’ unaided and, when those who didn’t mention it unaided were asked directly if they had seen or heard it, another 37% had. Thus, nearly two-thirds of respondents overall (65%) were familiar with the ‘Get There’ slogan for RCTC. Those age 18-34 were more likely than those age 35-49 to be aware of ‘Get There’ (75% vs. 57%).

Unaided/Aided Awareness of 'Get There' Message

32%

40%

34%

37%28%

26%

18%

25%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

2006 (N=200)

2007 (N=200)

2008 (N=201)

2009 (N=202)

UnaidedMentions

AidedMentions

RCTC: Awareness of ‘Get There’

57%


• More likely to be aware of ‘Get There’: » Age 18-34 (75% vs. 57% of age 35-49)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs.


» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC » Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU

Rochester

58%Unaided/aided awareness of ‘Get There’ among 2008 key demographic subgroups:


Unaided 36%~ 20% 29% 27% 31% 22%

Aided 39% 37% 32% 41% 33% 45%

Total 75%~ 57% 61% 68% 64% 67%

~ Significantly different than age 35-49.

60%

‡ Significantly different from 2007.* Significantly different from 2006.

‡

65%*‡


Awareness of the slogan ‘Expect the Unexpected’ was also measured in 2009. Although only 2% of respondents mentioned ‘Expect the Unexpected’ unaided, when asked about it directly another 47% said they were aware of that slogan, for total awareness of 49%. Those age 18-34 were more likely than those age 35-49 to be aware of ‘Expect the Unexpected’ (57% vs. 42%).

Unaided/Aided Awareness of 'Expect the Unexpected' Message

47%2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

2009 (N=202)

UnaidedMentions

AidedMentions

RCTC: Awareness of ‘Expect the Unexpected’

49%

Unaided/aided awareness of ‘Expect the Unexpected’ among 2009 key demographic subgroups:


Unaided 3%~ 0% 2% 1% 3%* 0%

Aided 54% 42% 46% 49% 46% 49%

Total 57%~ 42% 48% 50% 49% 49%

~ Significantly different than age 35-49.* Significantly different than non-Rochester residents.


• More likely to be aware of ‘Expect the Unexpected’: » Age 18-34 (57% vs. 42% of age 35-49)» Do not have a college degree/certificate


RCTC: Impressions of RCTC on Key Attributes

Impressions of RCTC on key attributes(2009 N=202)

23%

26%

28%

28%

30%

31%

33%

34%

34%

36%

48%

36%

38%

23%

40%

32%

39%

31%

34%

30%

37%

34%

41%

14%

12%

11%

13%

17%

12%

9%

11%

6%

14%

10%

8%

27%

24%

38%

19%

21%

19%

29%

22%

30%

15%

20%

30%

3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%





Cost of education


Availability of flexible enrollment options, such as on-line or e-learning





Location

'Excellent' or 'Very Good' 'Good' 'Fair' or 'Poor' Don't know

RCTC is most likely to be rated as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ on ‘location’ (nearly half of respondents gave high ratings on this attribute). ‘Overall value for the money,’ ‘reputation of the academic programs,’ ‘access to computers and technology’ and ‘quality of the academic programs’ received high ratings by at least one-third of respondents. Several attributes showed large portions of respondents who were unable to offer a rating. The attribute that respondents were most likely to rate as ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ was ‘cost of education,’ with 17% giving low ratings.

3.60

Mean

3.46

3.35

3.55

3.39

3.44

3.28

3.26

3.27

3.37

3.26

3.22


RCTC: Impressions of RCTC on Key Attributes

• Location More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good

» Rochester residents (55% vs. 38% of non-Rochester residents)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a


More likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor» Rochester residents (11% vs. 4% of non-Rochester residents)

• Access to computers and technology More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good


» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU RochesterMore likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor» Have a college degree/certificate

• Availability of flexible enrollment optionsMore likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good

» Rochester residents (36% vs. 25% of non-Rochester residents)» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a


More likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor» Have taken college courses in past year

• Overall value for the money More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good


» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

More likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor» No significant differences

Other Findings (2009) - More likely to rate RCTC as ‘excellent/very good’ or ‘fair/poor’ on each statement:

• Courses offered at a variety of different times and days of the week More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good

» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC More likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor

» Have taken college courses in past year» Have a relationship with WSU (vs. do not have a relationship

with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• Quality of the academic programs More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good



More likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

• Variety of programs and degree options offered More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good

» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not have a

relationship with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC


• Size of the college and student body More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good



» No significant differences

• Cost of education More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good

» Rochester residents (35% vs. 22% of non-Rochester residents)



More likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor» Have taken college courses in past year» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs. do not

have a relationship with any UCR institution)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• Credits transferring easily to other institutions More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good





• Reputation of the academic programs More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good

» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. do not have a relationship with any UCR institution)


» Do not have a relationship with any UCR institution (vs. have a relationship with RCTC)

• Innovative programs and courses More likely to rate RCTC as excellent/very good



More likely to rate RCTC as fair/poor» Rochester residents (18% vs. 7% of non-Rochester

residents)» Have a college degree/certificate


RCTC: Impressions of RCTC On Key Attributes – Comparison Over TimeRatings of RCTC on Key Attributes

(Portion rating RCTC as 'excellent' or 'very good')

41%

27%

42%

55%

38%

28%

30%

58%

37%

30%

38%

50%

40%

27%

31%

53%

27%

26%

22%

46%

35%

36%

31%

47%

37%

34%

34%

52%

36%

31%

34%

48%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%


Availability of flexible enrollmentoptions, such as online or e-

learning

Access to computers andtechnology

Location

2009 (N=202)2008 (N=201)2007 (N=200)2006 (N=200)2005 (N=201)2004 (N=201)2002 (N=200)1998 (N=200)

The charts on this page and the following two pages show a comparison of the impressions of RCTC on these attributes over various waves of this survey. For several attributes, the portion of respondents rating RCTC as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ was lower in 2006 than in years before that. In 2007, these attributes rebounded in the portion of respondents rating them as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ and ratings remained similar in 2008 and 2009. The portion rating ‘credits transferring easily to other institutions’ as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ increased significantly in 2009 compared to 2008 (28% vs. 20%).

Mean

3.63♦

3.75

3.57♦3.72

3.81

3.22♦3.393.433.45

3.46†

3.39■

3.623.513.58

3.41■

3.35♦

3.48

3.55

3.46

3.56* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

3.54†♦♦♦

3.45*

*♦

3.45†*†♦

3.39♦*

3.59*

3.62♦

3.58†■

3.42

*

*

*

**

*

*

*

3.60♦

3.46

3.44†

3.55

♦

*

*


RCTC: Impressions of RCTC On Key Attributes- Comparison Over Time (cont.)Ratings of RCTC on Key Attributes


36%

33%

37%

41%

31%

38%

34%

38%

33%

37%

35%

31%

29%

32%

31%

29%

24%

25%

33%

25%

30%

34%

32%

29%

32%

29%

38%

30%

30%

28%

33%

26%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%


Variety of programs and degreeoptions offered


Courses offered at a variety ofdifferent times and days of the week

2009 (N=202)2008 (N=201)2007 (N=200)2006 (N=200)2005 (N=201)2004 (N=201)2002 (N=200)1998 (N=200)

Mean

* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

3.333.30♦3.363.493.52

3.54

3.383.27♦

3.473.33

3.27

3.353.403.33

3.21♦

3.28

3.383.423.41

3.23■♦

3.37♦♦

♦

3.36

3.32*■♦

3.29

3.43

3.50†■

3.25

3.35*

*

♦

3.26♦

3.39

3.27

3.28

■♦

♦


RCTC: Impressions of RCTC On Key Attributes- Comparison Over Time (cont.)Ratings of RCTC on Key Attributes


19%

36%

28%

43%

23%

34%

25%

34%

24%

35%

25%

30%

20%

33%

26%

32%

19%

32%

23%

24%

24%

34%

26%

31%

23%

39%

20%

28%

23%

34%

28%

30%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%



Credits transferring easily to otherinstitutions

Cost of education

2009 (N=202)2008 (N=201)2007 (N=200)2006 (N=200)2005 (N=201)2004 (N=201)2002 (N=200)1998 (N=200)

Mean

3.20

3.193.333.17

3.11♦

~ Significantly different from 2008.* Significantly different from 2006.† Significantly different from 2005.■ Significantly different from 2004.♦ Significantly different from 2002.

3.333.273.443.59

3.26

3.383.253.283.373.41

3.41

3.24♦

3.42

3.29

3.29

3.20♦†♦

3.26

3.24♦

3.20

3.25♦

3.21

3.35

3.28†

3.26

3.37

3.35

3.22

~


RCTC: Comparing Importance and Performance on Key AttributesImportance of attributes if enrolling in college or university (rated as 'very important')

Impressions of RCTC on attributes (rated as 'excellent' or 'very good')

(2009 N=202)

30%

23%

34%

48%

31%

34%

28%

28%

30%

36%

26%

33%

14%

41%

42%

46%

46%

51%

52%

53%

55%

58%

60%

76%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%




Location





Cost of education




Rated as 'VeryImportant'

Rated RCTC as'Excellent' or 'VeryGood'

Most of these attributes are considered to be quite important to adults if they were planning to enroll in a college or university. One way to determine areas to focus on for improvement is to look at where there are the largest ‘gaps’ between importance and perceived performance of the institution. For RCTC, the largest gaps are in the areas of ‘quality of the academic programs’ and ‘courses offered at a variety of different times and days of the week.’ The smallest gaps are in ‘access to computers and technology,’ ‘reputation of the academic programs’ and ‘innovative programs and courses.’ RCTC’s performance ratings are higher than importance for ‘location’ and ‘size of the college and student body.’


Winona State University Rochester



Winona State University Rochester: Importance

Nearly two-thirds of respondents feel that it is important for Winona State University to have a presence in Rochester (65%), which is similar to last year. As can be seen on the following page, the main reasons that respondents feel it is important for WSU to be in Rochester are that respondents feel that students need more four year program options and to minimize the commute to Winona. Those who feel it is not very important for WSU to have a presence in Rochester tend to say that Winona isn’t that far away or that there are enough other institutions here.

In your opinion, how important is it for Winona State University to have a presence in Rochester?

4%

6%

7%

19%

32%

33%

5%

4%

7%

17%

30%

36%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Don't know

'1' Not at all important

'2'

'3'

'4'

'5' Extremely important

2009 (N=202)

2008 (N=201)


• More likely to rate as important (‘5’ or ‘4’):» Females (71% vs. 57% of males)» Have a college degree/certificate» Have a relationship with RCTC or WSU (vs.



Rochester

Top 2 Box2009=65%2008=66%

Bottom 2 Box2009=13%2008=11%


Mean 2009=3.812008=3.91


Winona State University Rochester: Importance (continued)

Important (rated ‘4’ or ‘5’) (n=130)

To minimize the commute/don't have to travel to Winona 32%

Students need more program options/4-year degree programs 29%

Provides a wider selection of educational institutions to choose from 19%

Provides a wider selection of classes 11%

WSU has a good nursing program 7%

Cheaper/helps students with finances 5%

WSU is a high quality institution 4%

Credits transfer easily there 4%

Close proximity to Mayo/IBM 3%

For what reasons do you feel it is __________ for Winona State University to have a Rochester presence?*

Only somewhat important (rated '3') (n=39)

Provides a wider selection of educational institutions to choose from 15%

Students need more program options/4-year degree programs 10%

To minimize the commute/don't have to travel to Winona 10%

Winona isn't that far away/people can drive there to go to WSU 8%

WSU should focus on Winona campus 8%

It's not necessary/there are plenty of other institutions 5%

Rochester should have its own 4-year college 5%

A lot of people are taking classes online 5%

Credits transfer easily there 3%

To keep students local 3%

Prefer presence of a larger institution/U of M 3%

Not that familiar with WSU 8%

Don't know 26%

Not important (rated '1' or '2') (n=26)~

Winona isn't that far away/people can drive there to go to WSU 23%

It's not necessary/there are plenty of other institutions 23%

Rochester should have its own 4-year college 8%

WSU should focus on Winona campus 8%

Confusing to have a college named ‘Winona’ in Rochester 8%

Prefer presence of a larger institution/ U of M 4%

Competition from other institutions/degrees may overlap 4%

A lot of people are taking classes online 4%

Not that familiar with WSU 4%

Don't know 12%

Verbatim responses are included in the Appendix.Responses mentioned by at least 3% of respondents are shown.~ Caution: small base size.


Winona State University Rochester: Familiarity

One-quarter of respondents are at least ‘somewhat’ familiar with the programs and services offered by WSU Rochester and about four-in-ten are ‘not at all familiar,’ which is similar to last year. Familiarity among area residents is significantly lower for WSU Rochester than for RCTC.

How familiar are you with the programs and services offered by Winona State University Rochester?

42%

32%

19%

6%

40%

32%

21%

6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Not at all familiar (1)

Only slightly familiar(2)

Somewhat familiar (3)

Very familiar (4)

2009 (N=202)

2008 (N=201)


• More likely to be ‘very’ familiar with WSU Rochester:



• More likely to be ‘not at all’ familiar with WSU Rochester:

» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Do not have a relationship with any UCR

institution (vs. have a relationship with RCTC or WSU)

» Have a relationship with RCTC (vs. have a relationship with WSU)

» Are slightly/not at all familiar with RCTC

At least ‘somewhat’ familiar2009=25%2008=27%


Mean 2009=1.902008= 1.93

For comparative purposes, familiarity with RCTC:

2009 2008 Very 13% 11%Somewhat 39% 39%Slightly 32% 37%

Not at all 16% 12%


Internet & Social Media



Internet & Social Media: Home Computer & Internet Access

Yes93%

No7%

More than nine-in-ten adults age 18-49 have a home computer (93%). As in previous years, the vast majority of those with a home computer have Internet access from home (94%). Basing back to total, 88% of all adults in this age group have Internet access from home. The Internet is most likely to be accessed via cable modem (51%) or DSL (37%). Only 7% of respondents report having dial-up via telephone line. Additionally, 85% of respondents also have Internet from another location, such as work, school or cell phone. Thus, 197 of 202 respondents (98%) have Internet access from home or regularly access the Internet from another location.

(Among those that have Internet access from home computer)Which of the following do you use to access the Internet from home?

2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 n=177 n=183 n=179 n=169 n=176 n=158 n=169 n=164 Cable modem 51% 45% 46% 51% 45% 41% 35% 30%DSL 37% 39% 34% 21% 19% 13% 7% 7%Regular modem & telephone line 7% 11% 17% 25% 36% 44% 58% 62% Wireless 3% 1% 1% 1% -- -- -- --Satellite 2% 3% 1% 1% 1% 1% -- --Broadband -- -- 1% 1% -- -- -- --

Yes94%

No6%

(Among those with a home computer)Have Internet access from home computer?

(2008 n=188)

Yes85%

No15%

Does your household have a home computer?(2009 N=202)

Do you regularly have access to the Internet from another location, such as

work, school or cell phone?(2009 N=202)


•More likely to have a home computer:» Have a college degree/certificate» Have taken college courses in past year

•More likely to have Internet access from home:» Rochester residents (97% vs. 89% of non-Rochester

residents)» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

•More likely to regularly have Internet access from another location, such as work, school or cell phone:


» Have a college degree/certificate» Are very/somewhat familiar with WSU Rochester

•More likely to have a cable modem:» Rochester residents (60% vs. 36% of non-

Rochester residents)» Have a college degree/certificate

•More likely to have DSL:» Non-Rochester residents (49% vs. 31% of

Rochester residents)» Do not have a college degree/certificate» Do not have a relationship with any UCR

institution (vs. have a relationship with RCTC)•More likely to have regular modem:

» Have a college degree/certificate

Internet & Social Media: Home Computer & Internet Access



Six-in-ten respondents who have Internet access report that they have visited Facebook in the past 30 days, while almost half have visited You Tube (49%) and about one-in-five have used blogs (21%) or visited My Space (17%). Use of Linked In and Twitter is lower (7% each). Among those who have visited or used each social media in the past month, the frequency of use is highest for Facebook with 45% reporting daily use. About one-third of those who use blogs or Twitter report daily use.

6%

7%

7%

17%

21%

60%

49%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

Other

Twitter

Linked In

My Space

Blogs

You Tube

Facebook

(Among those who have visited/used each in past 30 days)Approximately how frequently do you visit or use …

Facebook You Tube Blogs My Space Linked In Twitter (n=118) (n=96) (n=41) (n=34) (n=13)* (n=13)*

Daily 45% 10% 32% 6% 0% 31%

3-6 days/wk 18% 16% 7% 21% 0% 15%

1-2 x/wk 14% 35% 37% 44% 15% 23%

Every 2-3 wks 14% 20% 10% 9% 39% 23%

Once/mo. 8% 16% 5% 15% 23% 0%

< Once/mo. 3% 3% 10% 6% 23% 8%

* Caution: small base size.

(Among those with Internet access)Portion who have visited/used each in the past 30 days …

(2009 n=197)

Internet & Social Media: Use of Social Media



Younger respondents (age 18-34) are much more likely than older respondents (age 35-49) to have used Facebook in the past 30 days (74% vs. 48%). Younger respondents are also more likely to have used blogs or My Space. Males are more likely than females to have visited You Tube or used blogs, as are Rochester residents compared to those residing outside of Rochester.

Internet & Social Media: Use of Social Media

Use of social media in past 30 days by demographic subgroups:


Facebook 74%~ 48% 54% 65% 61% 58%

You Tube 54% 44% 58%^ 41% 59%* 33%

Blogs 26%~ 16% 27%^ 16% 27%* 12%

My Space 24%~ 11% 19% 16% 20% 13%

Linked In 4% 9% 9% 5% 8% 5%

Twitter 9% 5% 9% 5% 8% 4%

~ Significantly different from 35-49.^ Significantly different from females.* Significantly different from non-Rochester residents.


More likely to have visited/used in past 30 days:• Facebook

» Age 18-34 (74% vs. 48% of age 35-49)» Have taken college courses in past year» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• You Tube» Males (58% vs. 41% of females)» Rochester residents (59% vs. 33% of non-Rochester

residents)» Do not have a relationship with any UCR institution

(vs. have a relationship with RCTC or WSU)

• Blogs» Age 18-34 (26% vs. 16% of age 35-49)» Males (27% vs. 16% of females)» Rochester residents (27% vs. 12% of non-Rochester

residents)» Do not have a relationship with any UCR institution

(vs. have a relationship with RCTC or WSU)

• My Space» Age 18-34 (24% vs. 11% of age 35-49)» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• Linked In» Have a college degree/certificate» Are very/somewhat familiar with RCTC

• Twitter» No significant differences


Social media does not appear to be a major resource for information about educational opportunities and institutions, although nearly three-in-ten did say they would use Facebook if they were looking for this type of information. Responses were similar across demographic sub-groups for the most part, although those age 18-34 were twice as likely as those age 35-49 to say they would use Facebook if they were looking for information on educational opportunities or institutions (41% vs. 20%).


More likely to use for info about educational opportunities or institutions:

• Facebook» Age 18-34 (41% vs. 20% of age 35-49)» Have taken college courses in past year

• Twitter» Rochester residents (4% vs. 0% of non-

Rochester residents)

49%

6%

7%

2%

3%

6%

6%

29%

3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

None

Don't know

Other

Blogs

Twitter

Linked In

My Space

You Tube

Facebook

(Among those with Internet access)If you were looking for information about educational

opportunities or institutions, which social networking sites would you be most likely to use, if any?

(2009 n=197)

Internet & Social Media: Information on Educational Opportunities

Portion who would use each for information about educational opportunities or institutions by demographic subgroups:


Facebook 41%~ 20% 30% 29% 29% 30%

You Tube 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 5%

My Space 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 5%

Linked In 2% 4% 1% 5% 3% 3%

Twitter 3% 2% 2% 3% 4%* 0%

Blogs 3% 1% 1% 3% 2% 3%

~ Significantly different from 35-49.* Significantly different from non-Rochester residents.



Classification



Current Education Level Educational Goal for Next 5 YearsSome high school 2% High school diploma 1%High school graduate 14% College courses/not complete degree 1%1-3 years of Technical – no degree 4% Classes to maintain licensure/certification 8%Technical School degree/diploma 7% Technical school certificate/license 2%1-3 years of college – no degree 7% 2 year degree/Associates 6%2 year college degree 12% 4 year degree/Bachelors 11%4 year college degree 33% Masters degree 15%Post-graduate degree 20% Ph.D./M.D. 3%

Nothing planned in next 5 years 51% Area of Residence Don’t know/can’t say at this time 3% Rochester (55901-55906) 60% Outside Rochester 40% Gender

Female 54% Age Male 46% 18-24 16% 25-29 10% Cell Phone Use 30-34 21% Have landline & cell – use both equally 36% 35-39 16% Have landline & cell – most calls on cell 29% 40-44 17% Have landline & cell – most calls landline 16%

45-49 20% Have cell phones only 10% - 16% of those age 18-34

Employment Status - 6% of those age 35-49 Employed Full-time 73% Have landline only 8%Employed Part-time 15% - 4% of those age 18-34Not Employed 11% - 12% of those age 35-49

Classification: Respondent Profile 2009 (N=202)

Background

Documents

ucr study

universities awareness

university center rochester

rochester community

city of rochester

area residents

impressions of rctc

ucr partnership relationships