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  1. Surveys
  2. 2008
  3. March
  4. H
  5. Harvard GCP Study
 
 
We thank you in advance for participating in the Graduate Commons Program Survey.

A few details about the survey:

The survey has 4 sections and it is very important to us that you complete all of them. Please be sure to click the final 'Submit Survey' button at the end of the survey.

You may exit and return to the survey at any time using the link provided in the original email. If you experience any technical problems with the survey, such as difficulty at login, or have general comments about the survey, please email Lisa Valela at GraduateCommons@harvard edu.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jennifer Lerner, Dr. Brian Gill, and Dr. David Carrasco, Faculty Directors, and Lisa Valela, Program Coordinator

Please start the survey now by clicking on the Continue button below.
 
 
 
Section I. Your Background
 
 
Your First Year Housing
 
 
When choosing to come to Harvard, as compared to other options, how important were these aspects of housing to your decision?
Not an Important Factor Very Important Factor Not Applicable
General availability of Harvard housing
Availability of specific unit types and locations of Harvard housing
Through my housing, feeling part of the Harvard community
Opportunity to live in Harvard housing with people from other disciplines and Schools
Opportunity to participate in the Graduate Commons Program
 
 
 
Thinking back, please describe how your first-year housing did or did not help you to adapt to life at Harvard.
   
 
 
 

Tell us about yourself:
 
 
 
What is your status at Harvard?
 
Student
 
Postdoc
 
Regular teaching staff
 
Visiting teaching staff
 
Visiting fellow, student, or scholar
 
Administrative or support staff
 
Other
 
 
 
What is your primary School affiliation?
 
Arts and Sciences (GSAS)
 
Business
 
Dental
 
Design
 
Divinity
 
Education
 
Government (Kennedy)
 
Harvard College
 
Law
 
Medical
 
Public Health
 
Other
 
 
 
If you are a student, what is your degree program? (e.g., MTS, Ph.D.)
   
 
 
 
If you are a student, or are at Harvard for a limited amount of time:
How many years do you anticipate being at Harvard?
 
Up to 1 Year
 
2 Years
 
3 Years
 
4 Years
 
5 Years or more
 
 
 
For all respondents:
What is your current year in your academic program, or at Harvard?
 
1st Year
 
2nd Year
 
3rd Year or more
 
 
 
What is your age?
 
18 to 22
 
23 to 23
 
25 to 29
 
30 to 34
 
35 to 44
 
45 or older
 
 
 
What is your gender?
 
Female
 
Male
 
 
 
Are you a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or International?
 
U.S. citizen/permanent resident
 
International (Please specify country.)
 
 
 
 
Which building do you live in?
 
10 Akron (AKR)
 
5 Cowperthwaite (CWP)
 
 
 
What is your living situation?
 
Alone
 
With roommate
 
With spouse/partner
 
With spouse/partner and children
 
With children
 
 
 
Section II. Living with the Graduate Commons Program
 

Did you move into 5 Cowperthwaite before Fall 2008?
 
Yes
 
No
 
 
How important were each of these aspects to your decision to choose to live with the Graduate Commons Program?
Not an Important Factor Very Important Factor
Graduate Common Program activities
Opportunity to build relationships with people in a range of academic programs
Apartment and building amenities
Commitment to sustainability
Convenient location
 
 
The following statements describe the possible influence that living with the Graduate Commons Program might have had had on your social/academic experience this year. Please indicate the extent of your agreement with each question.

Living with the Graduate Commons Program has:
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree
Helped me to feel settled.
Helped me to make friends.
Helped me to meet my intellectual goals.
Helped me to meet my social goals.
Helped me to formulate or advance my professional goals.
 
 
 
   
 
 
 

Building and Neighborhood Elements of the Graduate Commons Program in
10 Akron and 5 Cowperthwaite
 
 
How important is it to you that the Graduate Commons Program have these building and neighborhood elements?
Not at all Important Very Important
Communal spaces (e.g., lounges, kitchens, study rooms)
Building amenities (e.g., Dashboard, exercise room)
Apartment amenities (e.g., A/C, D/W)
Convenient location
Graduate Commons Website
Ability to reserve rooms for private events
 
 
How satisfied are you with these physical elements of the Graduate Commons Program?
Not at all Satisfied Very Satisfied
Communal spaces (e.g., lounges, kitchens, study rooms)
Building amenities (e.g., Dashboard, exercise room)
Apartment amenities (e.g., A/C, D/W)
Convenient location
Graduate Commons Website
Ability to reserve rooms for private events
 
 
This year, on average, how often have you utilized each of these building features?
Never Sometimes Regularly
Building fitness room
Building Kiosk/Dashboard/Touchscreen
CWP Common Room
CWP floor kitchen
CWP TV lounge
CWP study room
CWP 6th floor terrace
AKR Common Room
AKR TV and/or pool lounge
AKR study lounge
AKR fireplace
AKR outdoor patio
Kitchen equipment or vacuum cleaner
Coffee Bar
 
 
 
Favorite building feature #1
   
Favorite building feature #2
   
 
 
 
Features of the Graduate Commons Program
 
 
How important is it to you that the Graduate Commons Program includes each of these general types of features?
Not at all Important Very Important
Intellectual activities (e.g., Scholar night)
Social activities (e.g., dinners)
Outings (e.g., visit to outlet mall, Salem Halloween)
Opportunities to establish friendships
Opportunities to develop cross-disciplinary networks
Program Coordinator (Lisa Valela)
Faculty Directors (Dr. Jennifer Lerner and Dr. Brian Gill - CWP; Dr. David Carrasco - AKR)
Community Advisors (Milan Ball, Kumi Igushi, Alexios Monopolis)
 
 
How satisfied are you with these features of the Graduate Commons Program?
Not at all Satisfied Very Satisfied
Outings (e.g., visit to outlet mall, Salem Halloween)
Opportunities to establish friendships
Opportunities to develop cross-disciplinary networks
Program Coordinator (Lisa Valela)
CWP Faculty Directors, Drs. Jennifer Lerner and Brian Gill
AKR Faculty Director, Dr. David Carrasco
Community Advisors (Milan Ball, Kumi Igushi, Alexios Monopolis)
 
 
In your opinion, does the Graduate Commons Program provide the correct frequency of activities and the correct program variety?
Prefer Less Prefer More
Frequency of intellectual activities
Frequency of social activities
Variety of intellectual activities (e.g., Meet the scholar)
Variety of social activities (e.g., dinners, dances)
 
 
How satisfied have you been with each of these specific programs?
Not at all Satisfied Very Satisfied Did Not Attend
Meet the Scholar lectures
Fireside Chats
Parents Club
Yoga classes
Monthly Sunday night dinners with Faculty Directors
Winter Wonderland Ball
Saturday grocery trips to Star Market
 
 

If you never attend Graduate Common programs or attend only rarely,
please indicate why. (Please mark all that apply.)
 
 
Don't have time to socialize.
 
Would like to attend, but timing of activities doesn't fit my schedule.
 
Don't see the publicity/announcement for the programs.
 
Program topics are not interesting to me.
 
Programs are in the other building.
 
Not interested in events sponsored by the Graduate Commons Program.
 
Prefer spontaneous socializing with people from my residence.
 
Prefer to socialize with people from my academic program or other friends.
 
Other
 

 
 
 
Favorite feature or program #1
   
Favorite feature or program #2
   
 
 
 
Please list any features or programs that have not met your expectations, and suggest ways to improve them.
   
 
 
 
Please suggest ideas for additional programs or features that you would like to see included.
   
 
 
How interested are you in:
Not at all Interested Very Interested
Being involved in planning social and intellectual activities for the GCP?
Membership in something like a resident council?
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Assessment of Project Goals
 
 
 

The Graduate Commons program has a stated mission and set of goals:

Mission: The Graduate Commons program, created by Harvard Real Estate Services in collaboration with Harvard Graduate and Professional schools, provides a housing experience that balances the need for privacy and convenience, while providing opportunities for cross-discipline collaboration and social interaction outside of the classroom, fostering a greater sense of community for the Harvard Graduate student population.

Goals: Building community -- bridging divides across cultures and disciplines -- service to community -- learning outside the classroom.
 
In your experience, how successful, in general, has the Graduate Commons Program been in achieving each of these goals this year?
Not at all Successful Very Successful
"Building community"
"Bridging divides across cultures and disciplines"
"Service to community"
"Learning outside the classroom"
 
 
How important are each of these program goals to you personally?
Not at all Important Very Important
"Building community"
"Bridging divides across cultures and disciplines"
"Service to community"
"Learning outside the classroom"
 
 
Do you think that living with the Graduate Commons Program has strengthened the bond you feel with Harvard?
Not at all Very Much
Strengthened Harvard bond
 
 
 
Please provide any examples of how the Graduate Commons' goals may have shaped your daily living this year, or strengthened your bond to Harvard.
   
 
 
During this year, please indicate the extent to which you had interaction with people from each of the following groups at your residence:

Had interaction with people from:
Not at all Very Much Not Sure
A different School or academic discipline
A different country
A different race, ethnicity, religion, or culture
A different economic background
A different status at Harvard (e.g., student, staff, faculty, postdoc)
Other types of people different from you, (e.g., families), and please specify below .
 
 
Indicate the other types of people you referred to above:
   
 
 
How much interaction did you have with the Faculty Directors and Program Coordinator?
Not at all Very Much
Dr. Jennifer Lerner
Dr. Brian Gill
Dr. David Carrasco
Lisa Valela
 
 
How do the roles of the Faculty Director and Program Coordinator enhance the Graduate Commons Program?
   
 
 
Interacting with people from different disciplines and from different cultures provides skills and experience that may be relevant in a professional context.

To what extent has living with the Graduate Commons Program provided you new perspectives for your future professional life in a global workplace?
Not at all Very Much
New perspectives for work in global workplace
 
 
Section III. Future Choices
 
 

Will you be at Harvard next year?
 
Yes
 
No
 
 

If yes, will you still be living with the Graduate Commons Program?
 
Yes
 
No
 
 
 
Please comment on why you will/won't be living with the Graduate Commons Program next year? (e.g., need bigger accommodations).
   
 
 
How likely is it that you would recommend living with a Graduate Commons Program to a person similar to you for his/her 1st year at Harvard? 2nd or subsequent year?
Not at all Likely Very Likely
During 1st Year
During 2nd+ Year
 
 
Why or why not?
   
 
 
 
Section IV. Comments
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 

Thank you for completing the survey and helping us in this important research effort. Please click the 'Submit Survey' button below.



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