The 2013-14 first-year students at Tarleton State University will be taking the “Your First College Year” (YFCY) survey, which began March 24. The Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California in Los Angeles oversees the YFCY. The survey is meant to collect information about the academic and personal development of first-year students.

“The Your First College Year (YFCY) survey helps to provide a picture of a student’s change over the academic year. Participation is purely voluntary,” Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness Dr. Mike Haynes said.

The survey is usually given by colleges and universities on an interval basis, every 2-3 years. This interval gives students time to adjust to the new culture and environment encountered when they first get to the college or university they are attending.

“The last time the YFCY was administered was in the spring of 2010, but since then the National Survey of Student Engagement, the Student Satisfaction Inventory, and the National College Health Assessment have been administered,” commented Haynes.

A listing of the Institutional Research assessment schedule is available on the IR homepage.

The results of the YFCY will not be available until late summer, and like other assessment reports, they will be posted on the IR website.

More than 1,500 first-year students will be asked to complete the survey, which will be available until April 6. Any questions regarding the survey can be directed toward Haynes at [email protected].