Concerned about the future of Duke social life, the Campus Social Board recently surveyed students' use of existing on-campus social space. Most notably, it found that many students never attend social events in commons rooms.
Results of the survey were compiled in a comprehensive binder distributed to all attendees at a CSB-sponsored Sunday forum on social options-which attracted droves of administrators but very few students.
In addition to the survey results, the CSB's dossier included an exhaustive list of comments generated by the change@duke advertisements, case studies from other universities and a list of ongoing CSB projects.
The survey, distributed to all undergraduates via e-mail, served as intellectual fodder for this weekend's CSB conference and could provide administrators with much-needed data for the upperclass residential review.
"Before we know what changes we can make [to the space currently occupied by commons rooms], we must first know how they're being used," said Trinity senior Jenny Michael, a CSB member.
Of the 1,805 students who responded, nearly half reported they never attend parties held in commons rooms-even those in their own dormitories. Although respondents were asked to report their class year, gender and ethnicity, the data were only broken down by class, which did not yield significant differences. Freshmen comprised 33.5 percent of the survey participants.
The survey also indicated that students have a strong desire for more 24-hour facilities. Michael stressed that the results did not demonstrate the need for a specific all-night service-such as dining or library access-but rather that students would prefer to have most services available around the clock.
"The survey is very helpful because it provides a clearer perspective on how students utilize space," said Special Assistant to the President Judith White, who directs the residential review program.
The survey was conducted to determine how students spend their time outside the classroom and to provide insight into how they might spend their time if given new social options. The survey also included a section in which student leaders and planners could answer questions regarding common problems related to organizing events on campus.
Michael added that she hopes the survey will provide organizations like the CSB with the credibility necessary to deal with the administration.
"Although the CSB has been involved a lot with event programming," Michael said, "long-term initiatives require a foundation based on concrete numbers."
Although the survey is rich in information, White stressed the need for continued information gathering. "These ideas are only the beginning of a complex collaborative project that will require a great deal of in-depth analysis," she said. "Since social space is a big-budget item, we must have the assurance that students will actually make use of new developments."
Norm Bradley contributed to this story.
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