|
Nebraskans' Educational Needs, Access
to Technology and Perceptions of the University of Nebraska
Furgason, J. W. and Rockwell, S. K.1
Summary
February 1999
Introduction
The Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Surveys (NASIS)
produce current, topical information about Nebraskans and monitor
change in quality of life.
The 1997 NASIS included questions that addressed
four broad areas of public input:
- Perceptions of higher education institutions
and educational needs
- Perceptions of the University of Nebraska
and its programs
- Awareness and perceptions of University of
Nebraska Cooperative Extension and its programs
- Use of electronic and communications technology
in the home and workplace
Data were collected via telephone surveys. Data addressing
perceptions about higher education were collected November 1997
through January 1998 from a random sample of 1827 households.
Data about the use of electronic and communication technology
were collected June 1998 through August 1998 from a new sample
of 1800 households. Data were weighted so the responses represent
Nebraskans according to age, sex, and geographic region.
Highlights of the Data
Perceptions of Higher Education Institutions and
Educational Needs
Nationally, 73% of the public rate four-year colleges
and universities as doing a good to excellent job in meeting their
educational needs. In Nebraska, the public's ratings are even
higher for the University of Nebraska system (92%), private colleges
and universities (92%), and State colleges (89%). In addition,
two-year or community colleges are also doing well in meeting
needs as judged by 87% of Nebraskans.
Although the people give higher education institutions
in Nebraska good marks on meeting their needs, 88% also believe
it is important or very important for colleges and universities
to develop more courses using distance learning methods such as
satellite, television, and video cassettes.
Four out of five Nebraskans (the same percentage
as found nationally) feel that it is now more important than it
was ten years ago to obtain a college degree to be successful
in their jobs or careers . Of those employed full or part-time,
80% believe that getting additional training or education is important
for success in their work; 50% reported that there was a minimum
educational requirement for their current job, with one-third
of this group noting that the requirement was a four-year college
degree or post-graduate degree. Nearly half the employed respondents
indicated they have pursued additional job-related training or
education in the past three years. About 30% work for employers
who required them to get additional job-related education or training.
Almost three-fourths of the workers who are required
to get additional education or training reported that their employers
offer tuition assistance programs that generally cover all or
part of the tuition. Three out of four employee tuition programs
include courses for college credit, while four out of five provide
support for non-credit courses and workshops.
Two thirds of those employed have changed careers
at least once since they began working; slightly more than half
have changed at least three times. At the national level, the
frequency of career change was nearly identical to that reported
in Nebraska. Two out of every five Nebraska workers expected to
change careers in the future.
About half of the respondents indicated they are
likely to enroll in a course for college credit in the next three
years. Of this group of likely enrollees, half would choose a
community college and one third would choose a four-year state
university like the University of Nebraska.
College course accessibility was judged fairly high
as nearly all Metro (residents of Lincoln and Omaha) and 85% of
the Non-Metro respondents reported that courses were available
in the county where they lived.
Over the past three years the most common ways the
respondents obtained education or training for job skills or professional
development were:
60% Attending a short course, seminar, workshop
47% Attending a conference
42% Watching a video
39% Attending a non-credit college class
29% Attending a college class for credit
28% Using a CD-ROM or computer disk tutorial
24% Using or accessing information off the Internet
Perceptions of the University of Nebraska
Overall, a large majority (86-95%) of Nebraskans
agree that University programs are:
Benefitting the state economically and providing
a good return on tax dollars invested
Providing leadership in identifying and adapting
to future needs
Providing an accessible education
Providing quality teaching and appropriate
off-campus education and assistance to individuals, communities,
and business/industry
However, it should be noted that slightly fewer respondents
(78%) agreed that courses and programs are affordable for Nebraska
residents.
The core missions of the university, undergraduate
teaching, graduate teaching, teaching older (non-traditional)
students, conducting off-campus extension educational programs
and doing research were all seen as important by the respondents.
However, the percentage who rated the missions as very important
ranged from 4-10 percentage points lower in Nebraska than for
the nation. Despite this tendency, Nebraskans would distribute
$100 of taxpayer money in about the same way as reported nationally,
with 47% going to teaching students on campus, 28% for off-campus
education and assistance, and 25% for doing research.
In 1993 the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture
and Natural Resources (IANR) queried the public to learn what
aspects of the economy were considered elements of a definition
of the term agriculture. A comparison of the 1993 survey
with similar data collected in 1997 shows that the public's definition
of agriculture has narrowed somewhat over the past four years.
Production of crops and livestock, and processing of farm/ranch
products for consumer consumption continue to be widely accepted
elements defining agriculture. However, the number of Nebraskans
who include distribution of processed products to the consumer
under their definition of agriculture has declined 14 percentage
points (from 77% to 63%). Similarly, the proportion of the public
who consider the safe use of food by consumers a part of agriculture
declined 13 percentage points (from 72% to 59%).
Nationally, and in Nebraska, the public overwhelmingly
supports continued or increased public funding for key university
programs. In Nebraska, these include IANR programs that address:
- Natural resources and environment
- Nutrition, diet, and health
- 4-H and youth development
- Sustaining families and communities
Moreover, two out of three Nebraskans believe that
more public funds should be spent on sustaining strong
families.
Perceptions of University of Nebraska Cooperative
Extension
Overall awareness of Cooperative Extension or any
of its programs was reported by 92% of the respondents, which
is higher than found at the national level (85%). Nebraskans tended
to be more aware of Extension agriculture and natural resource
programs and 4-H than was true for the nation as a whole. Statewide
awareness of Extension community development programs matched
that found on the national level, but awareness of Extension family
programs was lower for Nebraska than the nation. Slightly more
than one out of five Nebraskans noted they had used Cooperative
Extension in the past year, almost three times the national average.
Use of Electronic and Communications Technology
in the Home and Workplace
Technologies present in the majority of Nebraskans'
homes include:
95% Touch-tone telephone
92% VCR
73% Cable TV
71% Telephone answering machine
52% Personal computer
Home computer use is higher in Nebraska than for
the nation, and about one out of four Nebraskans has online Internet
access from home. In addition, 58% report using a computer at
work, which is comparable to national usage.
Cooperative Extension
Agricultural Research Division
Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources
University of NebraskaLincoln
1Extension Assistant and Extension
Specialist in Program Evaluation. A complete report of the 1997-98
results has been published by the University of Nebraska Cooperative
Extension in the form of a data book titled Nebraskans' Educational
Needs, Access to Technology and Perceptions of the University
of Nebraska (MP72). Copies are available upon request from:
FAX 402-472-0542
or surface mail:
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Publications, Room 105
IANR Communications and Information Technology
P.O. Box 830918
Lincoln, NE 68583-0918
(Return).
|
