York Universitys Reputation Challenges and Opportunities A Presentation

York University’s Reputation: Challenges and Opportunities A Presentation to the Planning Forum on the Draft White Paper March 9, 2010

Introduction u This presentation features the results of two external research initiatives undertaken by Strategic Counsel as input for the White Paper: – Surveys of key student groups; and – A series of in-depth interviews. u On line surveys were undertaken among: – Current York University students; – Students accepted to York University but who declined; and – GTA high school and university students who are not considering/did not consider York, but intend to/did apply to a TO based PS institution. u A total of 4, 951 questionnaires were completed by York students, 1, 468 by declining students, and 500 by students not intending/not applying to York. u Ten, one-on-one interviews with key York and external influencers. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Objectives u For the student surveys primary objectives were: – Overall perceptions of York; – Perceived strengths/attributes of York; – Primary reasons students chose York; and – Primary barriers to choosing York. u Additional objectives of the one-on-one interviews were: – Overall assessment of York’s reputation; and – Assessment of options for York in moving forward. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Major Findings u York’s reputation in terms of both academic performance and the quality of the student experience is in need of significant improvement. u York is generally perceived to be well below the U of T and Mc. Master and on a par with Laurier and Guelph, in terms of the quality of the education offered. Among those who did not apply or do not plan to apply, York’s reputation in this area is particularly low. u In terms of reasons for choosing a university, York students are least concerned about reputation as a factor, while among those who declined a York offer or did not apply reputation is considerably more important in making a choice. u York students appear to share many of the feelings about York of other students, they are less likely than students at other institutions to say they would recommend the university and to say they would make the same choice again. u A number of factors appear to act as barriers for students in either accepting a York offer or for considering applying and they are somewhat different for the two groups. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Major Findings u Essentially, those who did not apply or would not consider applying are far more likely to say that program availability issues are major factor. However, for both groups the strike, location and York’s reputation are also key factors. u In n order to enhance the student experience four actions were identified by all three student groups surveyed: – Expand experiential learning opportunities; – Reduce class sizes, – Enhance campus safety; and – Provide more academic advising u One-on-one interviewees generally believe that York has a significant reputation problem that they believe has a basis in reality and arises from: – The extensive use of part-time faculty; – Recent strike; and – Lowering of admission standards. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Major Findings u This has contributed, they believe, to what is seen as a diminished student experience and is a major issue to address; u While the northern part of the GTA is a natural catchement area for York, interviewees believe that this could no longer be relied upon as a reliable source due to changes in the area and that the reputation issue was exacerbating this situation. u Finally, interviewees believe that York must continue to grow, but must diversity its program areas and especially into the “hard sciences”, in order to reach students not now thinking of York and to establish York as a complete university. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Quantitative Findings

Assessments of Ontario Universities

A York education is seen as good, but not exceptional Ratings of specific universities in terms of education offered (undergraduates rate undergraduate education and graduate-level students rate graduate-level education York Current Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total* 4951 Total* 1468 Total* 500 % % % University of Toronto 90 91 92 Mc. Master University 84 86 90 York University 66 58 34 University of Guelph 58 56 58 Wilfrid Laurier University 56 55 55 Ontario College of Art and Design 56 52 50 Ryerson University 50 52 52 University of Ontario Institute of Technology 36 35 47 % Excellent/Good n= Q. 14. Q. 13. Q. 16. Base: Irrespective of your status as a York student, how would you rate the following colleges and universities in terms of the overall quality of (undergraduate-level/graduate-level or professional-level) education offered by each? (Current Students) How would you rate the following colleges and universities in terms of the overall quality of (undergraduate/graduate-level or professional-level) education offered by each? (Declining Students) To the best of your knowledge, how would you rate the following universities in terms of the overall quality of undergraduate education offered by each? (Did not/Will not apply) Total base * Totals have been repercentaged to exclude the no opinion/don’t know responses STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Among current students, York is seen as well below U. of T. and Mc. Master in the quality of education. Total Excellent/ Good* % Total DK % University of Toronto 90 17 Mc. Master University 84 30 York University 66 1 University of Guelph 58 39 Ontario College of Art and Design 56 53 Wilfrid Laurier University 56 46 Ryerson University 50 26 University of Ontario Institute of Technology 36 60 School Ratings – York Current Students Q. 14. Base: Irrespective of your status as a York student, how would you rate the following colleges and universities in terms of the overall quality of (undergraduate-level/graduate-level or professional-level) education offered by each? (Current Students) Total base (* Totals have been repercentaged to exclude the no opinion/don’t know responses) STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Among declining students, York is seen to be on a par with Guelph, Laurier and Ryerson. Total Excellent/ Good* % Total DK % University of Toronto 91 13 Mc. Master University 86 30 York University 58 15 University of Guelph 56 39 Wilfrid Laurier University 55 43 Ontario College of Art and Design 52 54 Ryerson University 52 27 University of Ontario Institute of Technology 35 57 School Ratings - Students who declined York Q. 13. How would you rate the following colleges and universities in terms of the overall quality of (undergraduate/graduate-level or professional-level) education offered by each? (Declining Students) Base: Total base STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL (* Totals have been repercentaged to exclude the no opinion/don’t know responses)

Those who did not apply have the lowest regard for York. Total Excellent/ Good* % Total DK % University of Toronto 92 3 Mc. Master University 90 8 University of Guelph 58 20 Wilfrid Laurier University 58 22 Ryerson University 52 8 Ontario College of Art and Design 50 34 University of Ontario Institute of Technology 47 35 York University 34 7 School Ratings - Students who did not/will not apply to York Q. 16. To the best of your knowledge, how would you rate the following universities in terms of the overall quality of undergraduate education offered by each? (Did not/Will not apply) Base: Total base STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL (* Totals have been repercentaged to exclude the no opinion/don’t know responses)

Assessing York

York students are notably less likely than others to report that they would still choose their university if they could choose again. York Current Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total 4951 Total 1327 Total 110 % % % Yes 51 71 76 No 19 8 7 Not sure 30 21 16 Percentage who would choose to attend their current university if they could choose again n= Q. 10. Q. 11. Q. 14. Base: If you could choose again, would you still choose to attend York? (Current Students) If you could choose again, would you still choose to attend the college or university you are currently attending? (Declining Students) If you could choose again, would you still choose to attend the college or university you are currently attending? (Did not/Will not apply) Total base STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Just over half of York’s students would recommend the University for undergraduate studies, notably less than those attending other schools. Likelihood of recommending current university to friends or family York Current Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total 4951 Total 1327 Total 110 % % % NET Likely 54 76 82 Very likely 24 54 55 Somewhat likely 30 21 26 Neither likely nor unlikely 14 7 8 Somewhat unlikely 12 5 5 Very unlikely 15 7 5 NET Unlikely 27 12 10 Don’t know/No opinion 5 6 - % For undergraduate studies n= Q. 13. Q. 12. Q. 15. Base: How likely would you be to recommend York University to friends or family… (Current Students) How likely would you be to recommend the college or university that you are currently attending to friends or family? (Declining Students) How likely would you be to recommend (UNIVERSITY SELECTED IN FIRST COLUMN AT Q. 2) to friends or family… (Did not/Will not apply) Total base STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Less than half of York’s students report that the University provides a positive student experience. Ratings of York in terms of overall student experience (among York students) York Current Students Total Under-graduate Degree 4951 3799 Graduate/ Profess-ional Degree 1152 % % NET Excellent/Good 49 Excellent Full-time Student Part-time Student 4230 721 % % % 49 51 12 12 11 11 13 Good 38 37 39 38 38 Average 31 32 28 Poor 12 12 13 Very poor 7 6 8 7 7 NET Poor 19 18 21 19 20 Don’t know/No opinion 1 1 1 n= Q. 12. Base: How would you rate York University in terms of your overall experience as a student? (Current Students) Total base STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Reasons for not Choosing York

Location, the strike and programs are top-of-mind reasons for not applying to York. Reasons for declining/not apply to York. n= NET Location Distance/very far/long commute Bad location / neighbourhood / near Jane and Finch Too close to home Looking for school outside of Toronto NET Staff/Labour Recent strike / too many strikes Admin problems/Poor treatment of TA’s Labour dispute NET Access Fees/Expensive tuition Not accepted into first choice program/High academic standards Lack of financial support Received late acceptance Not enough scholarships NET Programs/Courses My preferred program/course not offered Issues with programs (not specialized, bad reputation) No co-op program No reputable science program / medical school / engineering Q. 17 Q. 20. Base: Note: Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total 1468 Total 500 % % 42 23 16 3 3 31 24 6 3 28 8 8 7 4 3 27 22 2 2 1 35 17 15 4 1 28 26 1 1 10 3 6 1 58 43 7 3 10 What are the main reasons that you decided not to attend York? Please list up to three reasons, in order of importance. (Declining Students) What are the main reasons that you (UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: did not consider, GRADE 12 STUDENTS: have not considered) applying to York University? Please list up to three reasons, in order of importance. (Did not/Will not apply) Total base Responses of 1% or less not shown. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

York’s reputation is also a top-of-mind reason for not applying to York. Reasons for declining/not apply to York. n= NET Personal preference Prefer other options Not interested/Didn’t know enough about it Not as good as University of Toronto NET Reputation Poor overall reputation Not as good a reputation as University of Toronto NET Environment Issues with campus (boring, ugly) Safety/security concerns University is too large Class size too large Issues with environment (bad, unfriendly, depressing) Don’t like their residence NET Word of mouth Friends/parents/others do not recommend York Heard bad things/someone had bad experience NET Academic issues Not challenging academically / bad teaching Admission standards too lenient Q. 17 Q. 20. Base: Note: Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total 1468 Total 500 % % 24 17 3 2 22 18 2 22 5 4 4 3 3 2 7 4 3 6 3 2 15 4 10 1 27 22 1 17 5 3 2 2 3 1 10 8 1 11 7 2 What are the main reasons that you decided not to attend York? Please list up to three reasons, in order of importance. (Declining Students) What are the main reasons that you (UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: did not consider, GRADE 12 STUDENTS: have not considered) applying to York University? Please list up to three reasons, in order of importance. (Did not/Will not apply) Total base Responses of 1% or less not shown. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Reducing labour strikes and improving perceptions of York academically are two critical factors to increasing student interest. Importance of the following as reasons for declining/not applying to York University Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total 1468 Total 500 % % You wanted to attend another college or university more 59 74 The labour strike 54 64 Geographic location 42 32 Academic reputation 40 53 Availability of courses that you wanted 37 53 Transportation/access to campus 34 29 Likelihood of getting a good job following program completion 31 37 The look and feel of the campus 26 28 Availability of student financial assistance 22 19 University culture 21 22 Availability of experiential education opportunities such as co-op programs or internships 19 28 Size of the university 18 16 The desire to move out of your hometown to study 18 25 Top 2 boxes of 7 point importance scale n= Q. 18 Q. 22. Base: How important were the following as reasons why you did not attend York University? (Declining Students) How important were the following as reasons why you did not attend York University / for not applying to York University? (Did not/Will not apply) Total base STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Enhancing York’s Student Experience

Expanding experiential learning, improving campus safety, more academic advising, and improving student support services will increase interest from current and potential students. Importance of York doing the following to improve the quality of the student experience York Current Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total 4951 1468 500 % % % Expand the study space in the library 77 27 43 Invest in campus safety 76 40 49 Provide more academic advising 75 35 51 Improve student support services Expand experiential education opportunities such as co-op programs and internships Improve food service on campus 73 33 48 69 42 57 63 23 34 Reduce class sizes 58 42 51 Improve the York website and technology services 58 22 32 Increase flexibility by offering more courses during evenings and/or on weekends 56 26 40 Create more space for socializing on campus 53 27 37 Increase e-learning opportunities and online courses 48 19 24 38 22 33 37 17 24 % Very/Somewhat important n= Introduce block scheduling in first year so that the same students are registered in two or more courses Expand the role of the Colleges Q. 17 Q. Base: How important would it be to undertake the following initiatives to improve the quality of the student experience at York? (Current Students) If the following changes had been implemented when you applied/were implemented before you applied to University, to what extent, if at all, would they have affected/affect your decision to attend/apply to York University? (Declining Students: Q. 20, Did not/Will not apple: Q 24) Total base STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Increasing experiential education opportunities is of significant interest to all Most important things that York can do to improve the quality of the student experience n= Expand experiential education opportunities such as co-op programs and internships Expand library study space Invest in campus safety Reduce class sizes Provide more academic advising Improve student support services Increase flexibility by offering more evenings / weekend courses Improve food service on campus Increase e-learning opportunities Create more space for socializing Improve the York website and technology services Introduce block scheduling in first year Expand the role of the Colleges Improve access (financial and other) Academic improvement Q. Base: Note: York Current Students who declined York Students who did not/will not apply to York Total 4951 Total 1468 Total 500 % % % 25 28 41 25 23 19 19 15 14 13 11 8 6 5 4 4 3 7 21 31 15 15 10 5 7 9 7 8 6 5 2 9 21 26 21 18 13 5 4 8 5 8 6 1 1 If York could only undertake two of these initiatives, which two do you feel are the most important? (Current Students: Q 19, Declining Students: Q 22, Did not/Will not apply: Q. 26) Total base Responses of less than 1% not shown. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

One-on-One Findings

Main findings u General sense York has a significant reputation problem arising from: – Extensive use of part time staff; – Recent strike; and – Lowering of admission standards. u These issues have all contributed to what is seen as a diminished student experience and this is seen as a major issue to address; u While there is agreement regarding the importance of the northern GTA for York there is also a sense that it cannot automatically be relied upon as a source of students, and as a result of: – Growing aspirations of the regions students; – York’s more limited program offerings; – Increased competition from Ryerson; and – York’s current reputation. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL

Main Findings u There is broad recognition that York must continue to grow, but also must diversify in terms of its programs; u However, there is no real consensus in terms of the type of program areas to develop, aside from a preference for the “hard sciences”; u Many respondents articulated, in various ways, the need for York to develop a clear vision of how it wants to evolve, and importantly, why and to build a consensus around this vision; u Finally, in moving forward most advised to build on York’s existing strengths. STRICTLY PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL