The 1999 Student Needs and Priorities Survey

In Winter/Spring 1999, campuses will be administering the fifth edition of the Student Needs and Priorities Survey (SNAPS). SNAPS is conducted approximately every five years across the system to assess the concerns, opinions, and levels of satisfaction among California State University students on a variety of higher education issues. The issues include quality of instruction, access to programs and services, campus climate, and perceived barriers to attain educational goals.

Over the years, the survey responses from SNAPS have become increasingly important to the CSU community. The Board of Trustees depend on SNAPS to help them better understand our students’ attitudes and perceptions. Many campuses rely on SNAPS to help them monitor progress in improving services to students. The state legislature has commended the CSU for developing and implementing SNAPS and continues to encourage other colleges and universities to integrate student satisfaction surveys into their accountability systems.

Findings from SNAPS 1999 will be presented to the Board of Trustees during the 1999-2000 college year, and a summary report will be disseminated to campuses and selected state agencies. Campuses also will receive a database with their respective students’ responses to the SNAPS 1999 questionnaire.

For more background on the content of SNAPS, please browse the SNAPS 1994 report. This report is a 61 page document containing 36 displays (i.e., tables and color graphs) and 13 appendix tables. Selected responses are disaggregated by student level, units attempted, major, campus size, residential status, age, ethnicity, hours worked, and family income. There are also some listings of findings from prior administrations of SNAPS (i.e., 1981, 1984, and 1989). A copy of the SNAPS 1994 report can be found at the following URL: www.calstate.edu/as/snaps/

Staff at the San Jose campus has assumed responsibility for printing and scoring the 1999 SNAPS questionnaire. Campuses will receive questionnaires via San Jose State University; after administering the questionnaire, campuses will send scoring sheets back to San Jose State University. San Jose State University will construct the SNAPS 1999 database, and transmit it to the Chancellor’s Office for analysis. The time frame for data collection and data management is January 4, 1999, to June 4, 1999.

The Chancellor's Office recommends that each campus have the SNAPS 1999 questionaire approved by its human subjects committee.

The final version of the questionnaire was the result of a review process that included two pilot studies conducted at the Fullerton and San Jose campuses. A copy of the questionnaire can be found at the following URL: ftp://www.ir.sjsu.edu/SNAPS99/SNAPS99Final.PDF

The final version of the SNAPS 1999 questionnaire was crafted and approved by the SNAPS 1999 Advisory Committee, chaired by Dr. Margaret Hartman, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles. Other Advisory Committee members included one Vice President of Student Affairs, two campuses Directors of Institutional Research, a representative of the Academic Senate, a representative of CSSA, a survey sampling specialist, and Chancellor’s Office staff. Below is a complete listing of the SNAPS 1999 Advisory Committee members:

    Chairman:

    Dr. Margaret Hartman
    Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
    California State University, Los Angeles
    5151 State University Drive
    Los Angeles, California 90032
    Phone No.: (323) 343-3800 Fax No.: (323) 343-6424
    E-Mail: mhartma@cslanet.calstatela.edu

    Dr. Judy K. Sakaki - Vice President for Student Affairs
    California State University, Fresno
    5241 North Maple Avenue
    Fresno, California 93740
    Phone No.: (209) 278-2541 Fax No.: (209) 278-7276
    E-Mail: judy_sakaki@csufresno.edu

    Mr. Jack Williams - Director, Institutional Research
    San Jose State University
    One Washington Square
    San Jose, CA 95192
    Phone No.: (408) 924-1517 Fax No.: (408) 924-1515
    E-Mail: jack@ir.sjsu.edu

    Dr. Dolores Vura - Director, Institutional Research
    California State University, Fullerton
    P.O. Box 6850
    Fullerton, California 92834-6850
    Phone No.: (714) 278-4205/4206 Fax No.: (714) 278-3370
    E-Mail: dvura@fullerton.edu

    Dr. Hal Charnofsky —Statewide Academic Senate Representative
    Sociology Department
    California State University, Dominguez Hills
    1000 East Victoria Street
    Carson, California 90747
    Phone No.: (310) 243-3439 Fax No.: (310) 516-4268
    E-Mail: HCHARNOFSKY@dhvx20.csudh.edu

    Mette Adams, Sonoma State University
    Associated Students
    1801 E. Cotati Avenue
    Rohnert Park, CA 94928
    Phone No.: (707) 664-2815 Fax No.: (707) 664-2694
    E-mail: mette.adams@sonoma.edu

    Alex Arteaga, CSU Dominguez Hills
    Associated Students
    1000 E. Victoria Street
    Carson, CA 90747
    Phone No.: (310) 243-3686 Fax No.: (310) 516-3890
    E-mail: aarteaga@dhvx20.csudh.edu

    Chancellor's Office Staff:

    Dr. Marsha Hirano-Nakanishi
    Assistant Vice Chancellor, Analytic Studies
    California State University
    Office of the Chancellor
    401 Golden Shore, Suite 302
    Long Beach, CA 90802-4275
    Phone No. (562) 985-2528 Fax No. (562) 985-2529
    E-mail: mhirano-nakanishi@calstate.edu

    Monica Walia
    Manager, Academic Information Systems
    California State University
    Office of the Chancellor
    401 Golden Shore, Suite 302
    Long Beach, CA 90802-4275
    Phone No. (562) 985-2532 Fax No. (562) 985-2529
    E-mail: mwalia@calstate.edu

    Sampling Specialist

    Dr. Lawrence A. Jordan
    Director, Analytical Studies
    California State University, Los Angeles
    5151 State University Drive
    Los Angeles, CA 90032
    Phone No. (323) 343-2737 Fax No. (323) 343-6469
    E-mail: ljordan@calstatela.edu