September 14, 2004 for immediate release

About 1200 UNBC students are experiencing what it is like to be a first-year university student, and are entering only their second week of classes. If a recent national survey is any indication, they can expect to have a better experience than other first-year university students across Canada.

Johanna Wick is a first-year student from Prince Rupert

For the first time, UNBC students were part of a nationwide survey of 11,000 first-year students from 27 universities. Across Canada, most students report high levels of satisfaction with their university experience, but in almost all categories, the experience of UNBC students is better than the national average.

For example, nearly twice as many UNBC students report being "very satisfied" with how they're treated by the University. In scoring the Library, computer access, classrooms and labs, and class sizes, for example, UNBC students consistently ranked their university higher than the national average. Similarly, in reporting their satisfaction with faculty, UNBC students are more likely to be satisfied with the quality of teaching, the opportunities for input in class discussions, and having accessibility to their professors outside of class.

"Perhaps the most gratifying result from this survey came in the very last question, when students were asked whether their first-year experience has met their expectations," says UNBC President Charles Jago. "Not only did we meet expectations at a higher level than the national average, the percentage who said that their expectations were exceeded was about 60% higher than that reported for other Canadian universities. As we enter a more competitive post-secondary environment, information about the experiences of our students will be invaluable in promoting the UNBC experience."

The survey of first-year university students was prepared for the Canadian Undergraduate Survey Consortium and included questions on university financing, the reason for pursuing post-secondary education, current employment status, the general university experience, and the reasons for choosing particular universities. This is the first time UNBC has participated in the nationwide survey.