Research Questions

1. Research Questions How do college students who are socially and politically engaged , especially in environmental issues, characterize their political views? What personal importance do college students who rate themselves highly on the traits of cooperation, self-confidence, and understanding of others place on social and political engagement, especially on environmental issues? How do college students who are cooperative, self-confident, and understanding of others perform academically as measured by college GPA?

2. Descriptive Statistics • Political views among senior college students completing the 1999 CSS survey • 1 = Far right • 5 = Far left • M = 3.06 (SD = 0.78) • Importance of social and political issues among senior college students completing the 1999 CSS survey • 8 = Not important • 32 = Essential • M = 18.09 (SD = 4.86) • Self-rating on traits believed to lead to a more engaged student body among senior college students completing the 1999 CSS survey • 3 = Highest 10% • 15 = Lowest 10% • M = 11.50 (SD = 1.75)

3. Inferential Statistics • ANOVA comparing importance of social and political issues by political characterization • Significant differences among several groups (F(4,38153) = 289.30, p<0.01) • Far right students (M = 17.76, SD = 5.06) were 3.61 below the mean of far left students (M = 21.37, SD = 5.79) • Middle-of-the-road students (M = 17.59, SD = 4.67) were 3.78 below the mean of far left students • ANOVA comparing importance of social and political issues by self-rating of cooperativeness, self-confidence, and understanding of others • Significant differences among several groups • Understanding of others (F(4, 23477) = 231.38, p<0.01): Students reporting in the highest 10% (M = 19.41, SD = 4.95) scored 3.13 above the mean on importance of social and political issues than students reporting below average (M = 16.27, SD = 9.93). • Cooperativeness (F(4, 23492) = 125.11, p<0.01): Students reporting in the highest 10% (M = 19.04, SD = 4.91) scored 2.17 above the mean on importance of social and political issues than students reporting below average (M = 16.88, SD = 5.30). • Self-confidence (F(4, 23473) = 161.23, p<0.01): Students reporting in the highest 10% (M = 19.72, SD = 4.77)scored 2.68 above the mean on importance of social and political issues than students reporting below average (M = 17.04, SD = 4.67). • Regression analysis of self-rating of traits and undergraduate GPA • Significant regression equation was found (F(3, 23978) = 36.46, p<0.01) • Understanding of others:b= 0.02 • Cooperativeness: b = -0.07 • Self-confidence: b = 0.02

4. Results • A one-way ANOVA comparing senior college students’ social and political engagement to their political views was computed. A significant difference was found among student groups (F(4,38153) = 289.30, p < 0.01). Tukey post hoc test revealed statistically significant differences across student groups. For example, students classified in the far-right political category (M = 17.76, SD = 5.06) were 3.61 below the mean of the students classified in the far-left political category (M = 21.37, SD = 5.79). Students classified in the middle-of-the-road political category (M = 17.9, SD = 4.67) were 3.78 below the mean of the far-left students. Results show that senior college students holding political views classified as far-left are more socially and politically engaged. • A one-way ANOVA comparing senior college students’ level of engagement with social and political issues to a self-rating of cooperativeness, self-confidence, and understanding of others was computed. A significant difference was found among student groups (F(4,23477) = 231.38, p < 0.01). Tukey post hoc test revealed statistically significant differences across student groups. For example, for the category of understanding of others (F(4, 23477) = 231.38, p < 0.01) students reporting in the highest 10% (M = 19.41, SD = 4.95) scored 3.13 above the mean on importance of social and political issues than students reporting below average (M= 16.27, SD = 9.93). In the category of cooperativeness (F(4, 23492) = 125.11, p < 0.01) students reporting in the highest 10% (M = 19.04, SD = 4.91) scored 2.17 above the mean on importance of social and political issues than students reporting below average (M = 16.88, SD = 5.30). In the category of self-confidence (F(4, 23473) = 161.23, p < 0.01) students reporting in the highest 10% (M 19.72, SD = 4.77) scored 2.68 above the mean on importance of social and political issues than students reporting below average (M = 17.04, SD = 4.67). Results show that senior college students expressing a greater understanding of others, showing a higher level of cooperativeness, and exhibiting a higher level of self-confidence placed greater importance on being involved in social and political issues. • A multiple linear regression was calculated to predict senior college students’ undergraduate GPA based on students’ self-rating of their level of understanding of others, cooperativeness, and self-confidence. A significant regression equation was found (F(3, 23978) = 36.46666, p < 0.01), with an R² = 0.005. Results suggest that undergraduate GPA = 0.02 (Understanding of others) + -0.07 (Cooperativeness) + 0.02 (Self-confidence). While all variables were statistically significant, the very small percentage of variance explained by these factors (0.5%) limits the practical implications. However, the variance explained by cooperativeness (b = -0.07) is approximately 3.5 times greater than and in the opposite direction of the variance explained by either understanding of others (b = 0.02) or self-confidence (b = 0.02).

5. Findings • The findings of this study show that there are more college seniors holding liberal views than conservative views, albeit by a small margin. • College seniors who describe themselves as holding political views on the far left also feel that political and social issues are important. • College seniors also describe activities such as influencing the political structure, influencing social values, helping others in difficulty, becoming involved in programs to clean the environment, participating in a community action program, helping to promote racial understanding, keeping up to date with political affairs, and becoming a community leader as essential. • Seniors who hold far right political views and middle of the road views tend to not think political and social issues are important when compared to far left students. • Seniors who rated themselves highly in the traits of understanding others, cooperativeness, and self-confidence feel social and political issues are important. • These findings should show the senior administrators at East Evergreen University that there is still a slight majority of students who are socially and politically engaged and involved with social and political movements. These students rate themselves on the high end in self-confidence, understanding others, and cooperativeness. These students also tend to hold liberal, rather than conservative views. It would seem that there is an opportunity to intentionally recruit this type of student.

6. Implications/Recommendations This analysis shows that the senior administrators at East Evergreen University (EEU) have a valid concern about seeing a shift in the personal values of undergraduate students. However, without viewing specific results from EEU’s student population, as well as other large, research intensive universities, it is difficult to compare EEU with them. While the seniors in this 1999 CSS Survey still have a tendency to be socially and politically engaged, it is not by an overwhelming majority. There are significant findings that students who hold liberal views are socially and politically engaged. These students also seem to perform academically well.