Portland-Metro ASOIT

During the month of February 2023, the Associated Students of Oregon Institute of Technology - Portland Metro (ASOIT-PM) conducted a survey consisting of

• 7 questions about course modality/scheduling/resource preferences and effectiveness
• 6 demographic questions
• 1 open ended feedback question
• 1 question on age added post survey

There are 554 students in the active student list for the Portland-Metro (PM) campus. There were 176 responses initially and after removing duplicates, Klamath Falls students, and unfinished responses there were 123 responses resulting in a 22% response rate. The executive summary begins with the key findings followed by a detailed report on the results of the survey including distribution, methodology, and analysis. The appendix contains the full results along with results broken down by populations. To make a request for different population groupings than the ones found in the appendix, please email PM-ASOIT@groups.oit.edu.

Read the survey results.

ASOIT PM led an open event to provide all parties responsible for addressing student barriers at the Portland-Metro campus with the opportunity to share their voice and take ownership in addressing said barriers. They provided dinner to focus groups comprised of students, staff, and faculty. The groups were instructed to identify and come to a consensus on at least one issue from the summaries of the initiatives that they led throughout the year and then propose a measurable and actionable solution. The most important part of the event was the consensus on the identification of the biggest barriers at the Portland-Metro campus.

Focus Group Summary

ASOIT PM hosted and moderated an open forum with panelists from academic leadership to discuss current barriers to academic success. They provided this written summary to Academic Affairs after the event.

1. The attached letter was sent to University Leadership to ensure the discussions held are heard loud and clear. For those who couldn't attend, I would like to summarize what was discussed to include you in the conversation.
2. Several faculty are rarely seen on campus. We expect professionalism and commitment to providing an exceptional learning environment.
3. Department Chairs will make the visit to the Portland-Metro campus at least once per term and advertise their visit in advance. Many students’ academic issues that cannot be resolved with the instructor are the responsibility of the Department Chair, and this will be Academic leadership’s opportunity to address academic concerns.
4. Courses advertised as in-person are expected to be held in-person. Students making the trip to campus for an in-person course that is being held through Zoom without notice is not acceptable.
5. Faculty advisors are expected to provide career advice and be trained on how to provide advising in career preparation. Your studies here are meant to prepare you to launch into a career!
6. Two-year course maps should be easily accessible for all degree programs so that students can plan their courses.
7. The reporting structure for students with academic concerns is (1) Instructor, (2) Department Chair, (3) Deans, and (4) Provost.
8. The course search function of the OIT website is meant to include material and software costs so that students know what is required before signing up for courses.
9. Additional support and accessibility from faculty in 300-400 level courses is needed. Tutoring from qualified peers in these courses is a challenge across almost all universities.
10. Recorded lectures should more frequently be made available to students as additional study materials for courses.