In what department does your office operate?
While most of the respondents operated out of either the academic or student affairs office, several respondents had dual reports. Many subscribers reported directly to high-level administrators while others operated within a specific college or department.
What is your primary reason for subscribing to the listserv?
First, a number of respondents indicated a general interest in first-year students and the first-year experience. Second, and much more prominently, respondents joined because first-year students (and by extension, the listserv) were related to their work. These subscribers were looking to keep up with trends and learn about best practices for first-year programs.
Which population(s) of students do you work with most often?
Though the vast majority of respondents reported working primarily with first-year students, other subscribers worked with a wide range of student populations.
What is your professional title?
From graduate assistants to directors of programs, and from professors to associate vice presidents, listserv subscribers spanned the possibilities in terms of rank and department. The four main categories of subscribers (presented in order of decreasing frequency) were those working in 1) orientation or first-year programs; 2) other student affairs; 3) academic support or advising; or 4) the faculty or research.
Is the listserv meeting the needs of subscribers?
While FYE listserv was meeting most needs for most respondents, two types of reasons were reported when respondents said the listserv was not meeting their needs.
Content: Some respondents indicated that the listserv was not relevant to their work, citing a lack of content about issues other than first-year seminars. Other respondents considered the content too basic or repetitive.
Administration: First, respondents were concerned by a lack of discussion. Second, subscribers were frustrated by a lack of netiquette (internet etiquette). Concerns include out-of-office replies and personal postings to the entire list.
Ideas for improving the FYE listserv
Content: Several respondents suggested that more postings be of a theoretical or research orientation. Other respondents requested more practical postings that may be immediately applied to their institutions.
Administration: It was clear that respondents wished to eliminate “out-of-office” replies to the entire listserv. Respondents suggested that increased subscriber awareness of netiquette would eliminate this problem.
Additional Suggestions: Three additional suggestions were mentioned by multiple respondents. First, respondents asked for the inclusion of additional resources to listserv postings. Second, respondents requested a system by which e-mail relevancy can be determined and suggested that each e-mail include the types of institutions or programs to which the e-mail would apply. Finally, respondents seeking a more directed and cohesive listserv experience suggested guided topical discussions be initiated by listserv administrators.
Quantitative findings compiled by: Marla Mamrick
Qualitative findings compiled by: Brad Cox
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