Although the fees for summer classes are changing, one aspect ofregistering for classes at Sacramento State will remain; studentswill be put to the question.

Two questions to be exact.

Since 1995 the University has asked studentsto answer two survey questions as a prerequisite for registeringfor classes, over the phone or on the web using the automatedCasper system. Each question varies depending on the last digit ofstudents’ social security numbers.

According to the Sac State Web site, thequestions are designed to tell university officials about howstudents feel on such topics as graduation factors, academicengagement, writing, class choices, campus engagement and nationaland world events.

Vickii Castillon, associate director ofacademic and institutional research, said that the university wantsall students to answer the questions, but that there is an optionto not participate.

“Generally the results are used by theCouncil for University Planning for making decisions,” shesaid. “It’s important students participate.”

The Academic and Institutional ResearchDepartment compiles the survey results and gives them to theCouncil for University Planning. The council in turn, makesdecisions on three different campus themes, including academicprograms, campus life and campus pluralism based on those surveyresults and other hard data including unit load, retention ratesand graduation rates, Castillon said.

Although nothing can be seen on campus that isa direct result of the survey questions, the survey has gotten thewheels turning on a number of different student issues, she said.One of those issues is student housing.

“I don’t know if (students) cansee anything happening now,” Castillon said, added thatsomething is going to happen with student housing in the nearfuture because of the survey results, but was unable to discuss anyspecifics.

Others agree that the survey is important.

“From the University’s pointof view, we need to know what students are thinking about thesevarious topics, as it puts together programs,” said FrankWhitlatch, college spokesman.

Whitlatch said that when students voice theiropinions through the survey, it helps a “myriad” ofstudent-related issues including class planning and student events,as well as services that students want.

The cost of conducting the survey is minimal,only taking up staff time and no additional funding is required, hesaid.

Questions on the survey were developed byfaculty and administration and ranged anywhere from beingfinancially based, classroom based, questions related to campusengagement and others.

Dale Threlkel, a senior who is majoring insocial work, doesn’t think that the questions are a nuisanceand said that it’s an important method for the campus togather information it needs.

“I think it’s a good thing,”he said, adding that he didn’t remember what his surveyquestions were.

Both Castillon and Whitlatch said that theyhaven’t heard any complaints or concerns about the survey,but when they first started to do it back in 1995, there was sometalk about the accuracy of the survey, but eventually itsubsided.

Castillon said that Sac State got the idea todo the survey from Chico State.

Survey results for the fall 2003 semester wereposted on the Sac State Web site.