Washington State Trustees Association for Community and Technical Colleges

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Washington State Trustees Association for
Community and Technical Colleges

• CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

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2006 STATEWIDE POLLASSESSING PERCEPTIONS
SATISFACTION AMONG THE THINKING, TALKING PUBLIC
Prepared by Jennifer K. Purcell, Market
Research Services
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Objective

• To better understand the thinking, talking
  publics perceptions of and satisfaction with
  Washington States community and technical
  colleges

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Methodology

• 928 telephone surveys statewide
• /- 3.27 margin of error at 95 confidence level
• Compiled professional lists throughout Washington
  State Purchased voter lists
• Surveys conducted by Informa Research Services of
  Seattle, Washington

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Methodology

• 100 completed interviews in each of nine (9)
  geographic regions
• Geographic regions were defined based upon county
  population and Washington State community and
  technical college district boundaries.
• /- 9.9 margin of error at 95 confidence level

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Geographic Regions Defined

• Region 1 Districts 6,7 Seattle proper
• Region 2 Districts 8,26,30 Eastside, King Co.
• Region 3 Districts 9,10,27 South King County
• Region 4 Districts 4,5,21,23,25 Northwestern WA
• Region 5 Districts 11,22,28,29 Pierce County
• Region 6 Districts 1,2,3 Olympic Peninsula
• Region 7 Districts 12,13,14,24 Southwestern WA
• Region 8 Districts 15,16,18,19,20 Central WA
• Region 9 District 17 Eastern WA

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Screening Criteria

• To maintain an unbiased representation,
  participants
• Must not have ever been employed by a community
  or technical college
• To be identified as thinking, talking public,
  participants
• Must be over the age of 18
• Must read the newspaper at least 3x per week
• Must have voted in the past two years
• Must be considered civic-minded by meeting at
  least one of the following criteria

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Screening Criteria

• Written a letter to the editor
• Written or talked to a public official
• Attended a political meeting, convention, or fund
  raising event
• Attended a meeting, talk, discussion group, or
  workshop related to community issues
• Donated time or money to a charitable or
  political organization
• Participated in a a demonstration
• Signed a petition

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Thinking, Talking Public

• Community Activists Those who have
  participated in three or more of the designated
  civic-minded activities in the past twelve
  months.
• Informed Citizens Those who have participated
  in at least one, but less than three of the
  designated civic-minded activities in the past
  twelve months.

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Survey Instrument

• 33 questions
• 5 open ends
• Average interview length 17 minutes
• 0.9 completed interviews per hour
• A total of 14,408 numbers were dialed to complete
  928 interviews 9,128 from Registered Voter lists
  and 5,280 from Professionals lists

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Demographics
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Demographics contd
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Areas of Investigation

• Familiarity and Usage
• Perceptions and Satisfaction
• Investment and Impact
• Key Messages
• Public Information

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Familiarity and Usage
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Familiarity with Washington States Comm. Tech.
Colleges
Q.1 How familiar are you with Washington States
community and technical colleges? Would you say
you are?
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Familiarity with Washington States Comm. Tech.
Colleges
Q.1 How familiar are you with Washington States
community and technical colleges? Would you say
you are?
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Familiarity with Washington States Comm. Tech.
Colleges
Q.1 How familiar are you with Washington States
community and technical colleges? Would you say
you are? Significant differences based on
involvement
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Familiarity with Washington States Comm. Tech.
Colleges
Q.1 How familiar are you with Washington States
community and technical colleges? Would you say
you are? Significant differences based on
length of residency
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Familiarity with Washington States Comm. Tech.
Colleges
Q.1 How familiar are you with Washington States
community and technical colleges? Would you say
you are? Significant differences based on
region
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Familiarity with Washington States Comm. Tech.
Colleges
Q.1 How familiar are you with Washington States
community and technical colleges? Would you say
you are? Significant differences based on age
and household income
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Familiarity with Washington States Comm. Tech.
Colleges
Q.1 How familiar are you with Washington States
community and technical colleges? Would you say
you are? Significant differences based on
industry
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Experience with the Colleges
Q.5 Have you ever attended classes at a community
or technical college in Washington State?
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Experience with the Colleges
Q.5 Have you ever attended classes at a community
or technical college in Washington State?
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Experience with the Colleges
Q.5 Have you ever attended classes at a community
or technical college in Washington State?
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Factors influencing decision making
Q.6 What one reason most influenced your decision
to go to a community or technical college rather
than another institution?
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Factors influencing decision making
Q.6 What one reason most influenced your decision
to go to a community or technical college rather
than another institution?
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Factors influencing Decision Making
Q.6 What one reason most influenced your decision
to go to a community or technical college rather
than another institution? Significant
differences based on region
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Factors influencing Decision Making
Q.6 What one reason most influenced your decision
to go to a community or technical college rather
than another institution? Significant
differences based on region
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Factors influencing Decision Making
Q.6 What one reason most influenced your decision
to go to a community or technical college rather
than another institution? Significant
differences based on region
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Employee Training Preferences
Q.11 When faced with the need to train an
employee or a group of employees, what is your
preferred source for training?
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Employee Training Preferences
Q.11 When faced with the need to train an
employee or a group of employees, what is your
preferred source for training? Significant
differences based on region
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Employee Training Preferences
Q.11 When faced with the need to train an
employee or a group of employees, what is your
preferred source for training? Significant
differences based on familiarity and community
involvement
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Employee Training Preferences
Q.11 When faced with the need to train an
employee or a group of employees, what is your
preferred source for training? Significant
differences based on industry
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Employee Training Preferences
Q.11 When faced with the need to train an
employee or a group of employees, what is your
preferred source for training? Significant
differences based on level of employment
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Perceptions and Satisfaction
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Perceptions of Quality
Q.2 Rate the overall quality of education
provided by the community and technical colleges
of Washington State using a scale of 1 to 5, with
1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent.
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Perceptions of Quality
Q.2 Rate the overall quality of education
provided by the community and technical colleges
of Washington State using a scale of 1 to 5, with
1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent.
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Perceptions of Quality
Q.2 Rate the overall quality of education
provided by the community and technical colleges
of Washington State using a scale of 1 to 5, with
1 being Poor and 5 being Excellent. Significant
differences based on familiarity
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Institutional Strengths
Q.3 In your opinion, what are the community and
technical colleges doing well?
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Institutional Strengths
Q.3 In your opinion, what are the community and
technical colleges doing well? Significant
differences based on region
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Institutional Strengths
Q.3 In your opinion, what are the community and
technical colleges doing well? Significant
differences based on region
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Institutional Strengths
Q.3 In your opinion, what are the community and
technical colleges doing well? Significant
differences based on region
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Institutional Strengths
Q.3 In your opinion, what are the community and
technical colleges doing well? Significant
differences based on region
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Confidence in the Colleges
Q.12 Would you refer an associate, family member,
friend or other acquaintance to a community or
technical college to take classes?
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Investment and Impact
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Community Impact
Q.14 What impact, economic, social, or otherwise,
does a community or technical college have on its
local community?
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Community Impact(Economic)
Q.14 What impact, economic, social, or otherwise,
does a community or technical college have on its
local community?
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Community Impact(Academic)
Q.14 What impact, economic, social, or otherwise,
does a community or technical college have on its
local community?
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Community Impact
Q.14 What impact, economic, social, or otherwise,
does a community or technical college have on its
local community? Significant differences based
on region
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Community Impact
Q.14 What impact, economic, social, or otherwise,
does a community or technical college have on its
local community? Significant difference based
on involvement
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Community Impact
Q.14 What impact, economic, social, or otherwise,
does a community or technical college have on its
local community? Significant difference based
on level of employment
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Taxpayer Investment
Q.15 Would you say Washington States community
and technical colleges are a good investment for
taxpayers?
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Community and Technical College Contribution
Q.16 Why do you feel the community and technical
colleges are a good investment?
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Community and Technical College Contribution
Q.16 Why do you feel the community and technical
colleges are a good investment? Significant
differences based on region
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Community and Technical College Contribution
Q.16 Why do you feel the community and technical
colleges are a good investment? Significant
differences based on region
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Community and Technical College Contribution
Q.16 Why do you feel the community and technical
colleges are a good investment? Significant
differences based on industry
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Community and Technical College Contribution
Q.16 Why do you feel the community and technical
colleges are a good investment? Significant
differences based on level of employment
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Key Messages
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Message Effectiveness
Q.18 For each of the following statements,
please tell me if you Strongly Agree, Somewhat
Agree, Somewhat Disagree, or Strongly Disagree?
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Message Effectiveness
Q.18 For each of the following statements,
please tell me if you Strongly Agree, Somewhat
Agree, Somewhat Disagree, or Strongly Disagree?
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Community and technical colleges are responsive
to local employers training needs, providing a
well-trained workforce.Significant differences
based on region
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Community and technical colleges are responsive
to local employers' training needs, providing a
well-trained workforce.Significant differences
based on industry
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The presence of a community or technical college
in the community attracts new business and
industry.Significant differences based on region
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Public Information
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Sources for Information
Q.19 How do you find out about your local
community and technical colleges?
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Sources for Information
Q.19 How do you find out about your local
community and technical colleges?
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Sources for Information
Q.19 How do you find out about your local
community and technical colleges? Significant
differences based on region
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Sources for Information
Q.19 How do you find out about your local
community and technical colleges? Significant
differences based on region
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Satisfaction with Amount of Info.
Q.20 Do you feel your local community and
technical colleges provide you with?
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Additional Information
Q.21 What additional information, if any, would
you like to receive from your local community
and/or technical college?
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In Conclusion