The Proctor Statement

Note to Coordinators

Each campus is encouraged to develop their own proctor statement to be read to students before they fill out the SNAPS 1999 questionnaire. Below is a slightly modified version of the proctor statement used in SNAPS 1994.

One component of the statement you may want to change is the verbiage on social security numbers. Since this item is optional, you may wish to have students ignore the item altogether, or you may wish to add sentences that encourage students to volunteer their social security numbers to create more research opportunities for your campus.

If you add campus-specific questions to SNAPS 1999, to be scored on the bottom of page 6, then you will have to construct campus-specific instructions for them.

Remember that a list of valid, campus-specific HEGIS codes (i.e., discipline codes from COSAR Table 3) must be presented to each student so they can bubble in the appropriate 5-digit code in item 3, page 1. Instructions here depend on how you construct the list (e.g., alphabetical order, by division, by school). Dr. Lawrence A. Jordan has created campus-specific list of majors at the following web site: http://as.calstatela.edu/as/co/cosar.htm or for an Excel download go to http://as.calstatela.edu/as/co/cosar003.xls.

Example of Proctor Statement

(Read before students begin to fill out the questionnaire.)

Good morning (afternoon, evening) my name is:

  • Your class has been selected to participate in a survey designed to obtain crucial information on students’ needs and priorities and their evaluation of the programs and services provided by this university. The results of this survey, known as SNAPS 1999, will be used to improve both the educational and social environment of this campus. Approximately 1000 students will be surveyed on this campus.

  • Your responses will be maintained in the most confidential manner possible. The results of this survey are intended for policy research purpose only. They will not be used in any other way. If you choose to enter your social security number, please be reassured that it will be used only for additional research.

  • SNAPS 1999 is being administered at all 22 CSU campuses. Findings from the systemwide survey will form the basis for a comprehensive report. A published version of this report which will be distributed to a number of audiences, including the CSU Board of Trustees, state legislature, Governor, campus administrators, and student government representatives. The results of SNAPS will be used to improve instruction and services on your campus as well as shape future systemwide policies.

  • If any of you have completed this survey in another class during this term please do not fill out another questionnaire.

(Read the following after distributing the questionnaire to the class.)

  • I have some additional information that will assist you in completing the survey.

  • Please use a number 2 pencil to fill in the bubbles.

  • There is no time limit on this survey. Take as much time as necessary up to the end of the class period.

  • Your responses are very important. Consider each item carefully before responding, but do not dwell for an extended period of time on any one response.

  • On page 1, the first item requests your social security number. Here, a response is optional. The next two items, requesting information on class section code and major, are mandatory. I will provide you the appropriate codes to bubble in for these two items.

  • On page 1, item 5 requests the term and year you first enrolled at this campus. Make sure you bubble your first term and year of attendance at the CSU, not a period following a long absence. If you are now a postbaccalaureate/graduate student, but you also attended the CSU as an undergraduate, please bubble in the term and year associated with the date you began as a postbaccalaureate/graduate student.

  • Remember that if you need any help with the questionnaire or want to clarify your thinking on any of the items, please don't hesitate to solicit my assistance.

  • When you hand in the completed questionnaire, you may leave. Thanks for taking the time to let the university know what you need and how you feel about your educational experience at the CSU. For more background on how other students have responded to SNAPS and the impact of their responses, please visit the following web site: www.calstate.edu/as/snaps/