Mobility of MSUM Students
It is not possible with an electronic on-line survey to ensure equal participation from all students. However, there was proportionate representation from all undergraduate and graduate class levels (Table 1). The senior class had the highest representation while the sophomore and graduate student classes had the lowest representation.
Table 1. Survey Response Distribution Compared to Actual Class Distribution
| Classification | Actual Class Distribution (Fall 00') | Class Number | Response from Class | Survey Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshmen | 19.88% | 1475 | 19.33% | 92 |
| Sophomores | 18.05% | 1339 | 18.07% | 86 |
| Juniors | 17.83% | 1323 | 25.21% | 120 |
| Seniors | 28.55% | 2118 | 33.19% | 158 |
| Graduate | 3.07% | 228 | 3.57% | 17 |
| Non-degree | 12.60% | 935 | 0.63% | 3 |
| Total | 100.00% | 7418 | 100.00% | 476 |
Student employment status has a vital impact on student responses regarding public transportation. Nearly 22 percent of the student respondents indicated they were unemployed (Figure 1). Almost 60% of the students who do work, work off-campus. Transit preferences are evident in the differing behaviors among employed and unemployed students.
Figure 1. Student Work Status (n=476)
Whether students live on or off-campus was also evaluated. Nearly three-fourths of students surveyed indicated they live off-campus. A good distribution was received across these categories as both the class and students living on and off-campus distributions were within seven percentage points. We were unable to get off-campus employment numbers for that comparison.