Assessment of Student Support Services During COVID-19

This June, the Office of Research, Planning and Assessment (RPA) partnered with several campus units that offer student support services to develop a survey that gathered information on our students’ experiences during the spring semester. The questionnaire was constructed with input from the following areas: Athletics, Career Services, Counseling Center/Disability Services, Dean of Students, Health Services, Learning Center, Library, Student Leadership and Service, and Technology Services.

First years, sophomores, and juniors received a survey that covered their transition to remote learning, as well as gathered information to help with campuswide fall planning. While seniors and graduate students, on the other hand, received a slightly amended form that focused exclusively on their spring experience. 960 returning students and 777 seniors/graduate students were invited to participate in the survey. 37% of returning students  and 19% of seniors/graduate students responded to the survey.

The survey covered three main areas of this spring’s student experience: academic and personal impact of transitioning to remote learning, satisfaction with support services provided by Meredith inorder to facilitate this transition, and suggestions for enhancing the fall student experience.

Students cited the following as key challenges they had to contend with this spring:

75% – Processing information (coursework related or otherwise) received online
62% – Identifying a suitable space from which to attend online classes
58% – Navigating additional responsibilities that arose as a result of moving away from campus
22% – Job loss

Despite these and other obstacles, a majority of the students surveyed said that they had kept up high levels of class attendance through the spring semester. 94% of students reported having attended class always/frequently before transitioning to remote learning, while 93% described their attendance similarly after transitioning to remote learning.

Students were grateful for the support they received from Meredith. For instance, 98% of students who had utilized the Learning Center this spring, strongly agreed, agreed, or somewhat agreed that the tutoring they received from the Learning Center helped them master content.

Here is how one Meredith senior described her experience this spring.

“I appreciate Meredith’s continual efforts from faculty and staff to try to make this ending of a semester as closest to normal as possible. From online traditions to one-on-one zoom calls with professors – I definitely felt supported during these difficult times, but they were by no means the same as in years past …”

College Programs and other campus units that submitted questions for the survey have received individual survey reports from RPA in the past couple of weeks.  To request a report based on this survey or for further information about it,  please contact Dilnavaz Mirza Sharma (sharmadi@meredith.edu) or Dianne Raubenheimer (raubenhe@meredith.edu) in the Office of Research, Planning and Assessment.