What is Student Outcomes Research?

Our mission: "To collect, evaluate and disseminate information about USC students and their university experiences."

Our responsibilities include: 1) conducting surveys of the undergraduate population and 2)  providing database analyses and analytical consulting for a variety of Student Affairs and USC Offices.

Surveys. We conduct a variety of surveys which, together, provide a comprehensive assessment of the undergraduate experience.  Descriptions of these surveys appear below.  Although our primary focus is on assessing the undergraduate experience, we have also completed surveys of USC's graduate students and alumni.

Database Analyses.  As a service to the Division of Student Affairs, the University as a whole, and approved student organizations, Student Outcomes Research provides database analyses and offers analytical consulting services.  Some of the offices served include the Office of Residential & Greek Life, the Office of International Services, the Provost's Data Team, the Office of the President, the Student Senate, and Orientation programs.  Those interested in requesting this service should complete our new online data request form.

Here is a review of the surveys and publications available from the Student Outcomes Research office:

Satisfaction Survey

Occasionally, USC administers a satisfaction survey to its undergraduate students. The most recent completed survey was administered in spring 2006 to a sample of undergraduates. Data from this survey are available here and are summarized in the publications listed below. The spring 2008 administration of the survey is currently being administered and a report will soon be available on this website. In 2006 and 2008, the USC Satisfaction Survey, an instrument created by USC's Student Outcomes Research office, was used. In prior years, a variety of national surveys were administered (generally, every three years).

Senior Survey

Every three years, USC surveys its exiting senior students in the spring of their senior year. Currently, graduating 2008 seniors are being surveyed and a report will be made available on this website soon. A report detailing findings from the 2005 survey is available here.

Freshman and Transfer Surveys

Each year, USC surveys its incoming undergraduate students – both freshmen and transfer students.The Freshman survey is USC's longest-running undergraduate survey, beginning in 1974. Transfer students were surveyed beginning in 2000. Students are asked about their expectations and concerns about college, as well as their own personal histories. The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) survey, administered by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) was the survey administered for freshmen through the fall 2005. In 2006 and 2007, USC surveyed its new students using in-house instruments, the Survey of Incoming Freshmen and the Survey of Incoming Transfer Students. For fall 2008, the CIRP is being used again for freshmen. Data from the most recent recent freshman survey is available here. Earlier freshmen and transfer survey reports are available here.

2nd Semester Freshman Check-in Survey

Beginning in spring 2007, an effort was made to survey students at an early point during their USC student experience. Freshmen were surveyed early in their second semester, primarily about their perceptions of their academic, social, and residential experiences. The survey was administered again in spring 2008. A detailed report, reviewing data from these two survey administrations, sprecifically with regard to student academic performance and retention. will be available on this website in summer 2008.

Listening to Students Interview Project

In 2006, as part of an ongoing effort to better understand students’ perceptions of the undergraduate experience, USC’s Division of Student Affairs continued its “Listening to Students” research project, in which staff members held informal interviews with undergraduate students. Initiated in spring 2006 as a part of strategic plan objective to create a “culture of evidence,” this research focuses on one-to-one conversations between undergraduate students and key Student Affairs staff to allow the university to further understand students’ perceptions. In addition to yielding potentially valuable student data, the project would also allow students to meet and develop advisor/mentor relationships with Student Affairs staff. Between spring 2006 and spring 2007, 270 interviews were conducted; the results of this study and the full report can be found here.

Student Research Review

The Student Research Review is a newsletter created by the Division of Student Affairs to review student development, learning, and outcomes research findings of interest to faculty and other educators. The spring 2008 issue is available here. This issue covers the following topics: USC's changing academic reputation, USC's rising graduation and retention rates, a consideration of pedagogy and residential life, and additional findings from the Listening to Students interviews. The first issue, published in summer 2007, is available here. The first issue of this newsletter, published in spring 2007, is available here. The next issue will be available in fall 2008.

Survey Insights (Student Outcomes Research newsletter)

Survey Insights is a publication dedicated to providing detailed results and discussions related to student surveys and other research efforts undertaken by the Student Outcomes Research office. The fall 2007 issue is available here. Earlier issues are available here. The next issue will be published in summer 2008.

We want to hear from you!

If you are a USC student, your opinions matter to us whether you have been selected to participate in one of USC's surveys or not. If you are a USC staff or faculty member, your feedback and suggestions for research are very important. We would like to hear from you, so send your comments or questions to afahmy@usc.edu.

All reports available on this site require Adobe Acrobat to view.  Click here to download Acrobat Reader.