ANALYSIS OF STUDENT PERSONNEL SERVICES AT SEMINOLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SANFORD, FLORIDA

The problem addressed by this study was the lack of data to document the need for--or effectiveness of--the student personnel program at Seminole Community College. A literature review supported the need for continued evaluation of student personnel services at the local level. Four questions were generated as a result of this literature review: (1)Which student personnel services were considered essential by new students, by students who had completed at least one semester at the college, and by faculty members? (2)Which services were new students actually intending to use? (3)How did faculty members and students who had used specific student personnel services rate them? (4)Did significant differences exist in the services needed by new students in relation to the variables of age, sex, enrollment status, and area of college enrollment? A study was designed to answer these questions. Survey instruments were constructed and distributed to a random sample of new students, currently enrolled students, and faculty members in the adult high school, college credit, and vocational-technical portions of the college. The instruments were returned by 87.9 percent of new students, 93.5 percent of currently enrolled students, and 88.1 percent of the faculty. Examination of the data, calculated in percentages, from new students, currently enrolled students, and faculty revealed that: (1)services defined as necessary were those related to admissions, testing and placement, academic and career counseling, and orientation; (2)new students intended to use services related to registration, academic and career counseling, orientation, and study techniques; (3)over 10 percent of new students who defined a service as essential indicated they would never use the service; (4)over 30 percent of the faculty and 60 percent of currently enrolled students were unable to evaluate student personnel services except for those services related to admissions, orientation, academic advisement, and registration; (5)faculty tended to rate as inadequate services connected to the placement of students in courses, academic advisement, and recruitment; and (6)the majority of students, both new and currently enrolled, indicated a lack of interest in personal or social counseling.