SV-2008-0010 Global Undergraduate Exchange Pre-Program Survey

Dear Student,

Congratulations on being chosen as a Ugrad participant! Before you leave for your exciting year as an exchange student in the United States, the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program would like to ask you a few questions.

These questions will be used to evaluate the Program and to make it better for you and for future participants. Please answer all of the questions and respond to them as best you can. This is not a test, and there are no right or wrong answers. Your thoughts and opinions are important to us and will not affect your participation in the program.

Thank you for your help and have a wonderful year!

Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Statements:

The information solicited on this survey is requested pursuant to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-62) and the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act (22 U.S.C. 2451, et seq.). In order to ensure that the U.S. Department of State’s international exchange programs meet statutory program requirements (22 U.S.C. 2460(c)), the Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) regularly monitors the programs, gathers data about program accomplishments, and evaluates selected ones. ECA uses the information collected to inform program design, management, and funding. All personal information that is collected through surveys is considered confidential. All responses are coded to ensure the confidentiality of individual responses. Data collected under this study will not be shared, sold, or used for fundraising purposes. Survey data and findings will be used only in an aggregate form for the express purposes of fulfilling the data needs of the outcome assessment. Responses to this survey are voluntary.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average twenty-five (25) minutes to respond to this survey, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Please send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to: A/ISS/DIR, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520.

1. What is your primary reason for participating in the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program?

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2. There are many different reasons for participating in the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program. In the table below, please identify your three most important reasons for participating.

	
To improve my leadership skills
To learn about community service
To increase my understanding of the United States and United States society, people, and culture
To increase my understanding of my field of study
To make friends with American students and their families
To share my culture with others
Other (please write in): _____________________________________________

3. Please rate your current understanding of the topics listed below. Please check one box in each row.

	No Knowledge	Less Than Basic	Basic Knowledge	Beyond Basic	Advanced Knowledge
Leadership
Community service
Your field of study
Other (please write in): ____________________

4. To what extent do you expect the program to increase your understanding of the following topics? Please check one box in each row.

	Not At All	To A Small Extent	To A Good Extent	To A Great Extent
Leadership
Community service
Your field of study
Other (please write in): ______________________

5. What do you see yourself as accomplishing or learning during this visit to the United States that you could not accomplish or learn at home?

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6. What does community service mean to you?

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7. Please rate yourself on the following abilities. Please check one box in each row.

	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Being self-reliant, being independent, relying on yourself
Speaking in public
Listening to other people’s suggestions or concerns
Expressing ideas and feelings
Being tolerant of people different than you
Leading a team and motivating others
Being flexible
Solving problems
Planning for the future
Managing your time
Managing money
Discussing your beliefs/values
Willing to make changes in your community

8. Please rate your current abilities English. Please check one box in each row.

	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Read English
Speak English
Write English
Make presentations in English
Computer (Internet, software programs)

9. Please rate your current abilities using computer technology. Please check one box in each row.

	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Use the Internet for research
Use E-mail
Use different software programs

10. Please rate your knowledge or understanding of the following topics. Please check one box in each row.

	No Knowledge	Less Than Basic	Basic Knowledge	Beyond Basic	Advanced Knowledge
United States democracy
United States economy
United States values and culture
Religious and ethnic diversity in the United States
Freedom of speech and press in the United States
Voluntary community service in the United States
Daily life in the United States

11. How do you view the United States Government and the American people? Please check one box in each row.

	Strongly Unfavorable	Generally Unfavorable	Neither Favorable Nor Unfavorable	Generally Favorable	Strongly Favorable
United States Government
American people

12. How do you view the United States Government and its relationship with your country?

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The United States Government is a trustworthy partner for my country

13. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statements below? Please check one box in each row.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
Voting is important because real decisions are made in elections
Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of democracy
An independent media is important to the free flow of information
All citizens in a country should have equal rights and protections under the law, regardless of circumstances
The Rule of Law is fundamental to a functioning democracy
Individuals and organizations have the right to free speech and to voice opposition
Democratic principles enhance the workplace. Supervisors should incorporate democratic principles into their management practices

14. What is the first positive thing you think about when you think about the United States?

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15. What is the first negative thing you think about when you think about the United States?

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16. What is your major field of study? Please check all boxes that apply.

			
Agriculture		Library and Information Science
Arts and Humanities (History, languages, literature, art, theater)		Media, Mass Communications, Journalism, Communication Technology, Advertising, Graphics
Athletics		Medicine
Business Administration, Finance		Military service
Computer Science, Information Technology		Public Administration
Education		Public Health
Engineering		Religion
Environment		Science (physics, math, chemistry, biology, astronomy, geography, agronomy)
Government		Social Sciences (sociology, economics, psychology, political science)
Humanitarian Affairs, Development Assistance, Conflict Resolution		Social Work
International Relations		Teaching English, English Language Instruction
Labor, Trade Unions		Not Sure
Law, Judicial Law, Law Enforcement		Other (please write in): ______________________

17. Have you visited the United States before? Please check one box.

	
Yes
No

18. If you answered “yes” to question #17, how long did you stay on your last trip to the United States? Please check one box.

	
Less than 6 months
6 to 12 months
More than 12 months
I have never visited the United States before

19. Do you have any connections to the United States? Please check all boxes that apply.

	
Family ties
Friends
Religion
Teachers
Academic
Professional
Travel/Personal Experience
No Ties

20. What year of college/university have you most recently completed? Please check one box.

	
1st Year undergraduate
2nd Year undergraduate
3rd Year undergraduate
4th Year undergraduate
5th Year undergraduate
None/Not Applicable

21. What field will you study in the United States? Please check one box.

			
Accounting		Hospitality Management
Agriculture/Environmental Management		International Relations
American Studies		Journalism/Communications
Business		Law
Computer Science		Political Science
Criminal Justice		Psychology
Economics		Sociology
Education		Do Not Know

24. How do you think you will adapt to life in the United States? Please check one box.

	Very Difficult	Somewhat Difficult	Neither Easy Nor Difficult	Somewhat Easy	Very Easy
Adapting to life in the United States will be…

25. Which best describes the geographic location where you live?

	
My country’s capital city
Another major city in my country other than the capital
A small city, town or rural location in my country

25. Age: ______________

25. Home Country: _____________

25. Gender:

	
Female
Male

25. Which religion do you most closely identify with? Please check one box.

			
Baha’ism		Judaism
Buddhism		Shintoism
Christianity (for example: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant)		Sikhism
Confucianism		Taoism
Hinduism		Zoroastrianism
Islam		None
Jainism		Other (please write in): ___________________

25. What is your father’s current education level? Please check the appropriate level of schooling whether complete or incomplete.

	
No formal education
Primary education (complete or incomplete)
Secondary education (complete or incomplete)
Technical
University—first degree
University—postgraduate degree (for example: Master’s or Ph.D.)
Do Not Know

25. What is your mother’s current education level? Please check the appropriate level of schooling whether complete or incomplete.

	
No formal education
Primary education (complete or incomplete)
Secondary education (complete or incomplete)
Technical
University—first degree
University—postgraduate degree (for example: Master’s or Ph.D.)
Do Not Know

25. Thank you for completing this survey! If you have additional comments you would like to make, please do so here.

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25. How long did it take you to complete this survey? ______ minutes

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