Contact: Larry Cox ,
(818) 677-2130
larry.cox@csun.edu

Valleyites Give CSUN High Marks In Educating Students, Name
Recognition; Nearly 70% Say CSUN Was Their 'First Choice'

The survey, conducted March 13-18 by an independent firm, Steinberg & Associates of Calabasas, shows that about four-fifths of all respondents are familiar with the term "CSUN," as the university is commonly referred to. Nearly three-fourths say they are either very or somewhat familiar with the CSUN campus and more than 60 percent say the university is doing a good job in educating students, while only 4 percent give the university a poor job approval rating.

"These are impressive numbers," said pollster Arnold Steinberg. "They indicate that 'CSUN' is a useful acronym and that the campus itself enjoys broad recognition. And, a clear majority gives high marks to Cal State Northridge in its job approval. And of the 10 percent of respondents who attend CSUN, an overwhelming majority- almost 70 percent - say the school was their first choice in selecting a university."

"These survey results are a tribute to the fine work of our faculty, administrators and staff and our focus in providing a high-quality liberal arts education," said Blenda J. Wilson, CSUN president. "And, it confirms what we've long suspected; CSUN is widely recognized by the people of the San Fernando Valley as a valued and highly desirable educational institution.

"It's also gratifying to know that we're the 'first choice' for so many people who are selecting a university for their undergraduate or post-graduate studies. And, while about a third of all respondents say they either currently attend CSUN or have in the past, almost 96 percent say CSUN is important to them," she continued. "This shows there is a remarkable ongoing synergy and a mutual appreciation between the university and the Valley."

Wilson said CSUN initiated the survey because "we wanted to gain quantifiable information about how people throughout the Valley recognize and regard CSUN, as well as how they make their decisions in choosing a college for themselves or their children. Needless to say, we are very pleased with these results."

Steinberg said the random telephone survey queried 750 registered voter households in the greater San Fernando Valley. "The integrity of the survey was assured by using a continuously dynamic random sample, controlled by a central computer," he said. "While the statistical margin of error for such a survey, with 750 completed interviews, could be plus or minus about 3.6 percent (at the 95 percent confidence interval), we believe the actual error is likely to be less."

Steinberg said that for the overall survey, about one-fifth of all respondents graduated from CSUN. "This is a remarkable figure and testifies to the continued influence of CSUN in the community."

People surveyed were divided into four groups, including: Group 1: Burbank, Glendale. Group 2: San Fernando Valley/East: Mission Hills, North Hills, North Hollywood, Pacoima, Panorama City, San Fernando, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sylmar and Van Nuys; Group 3: San Fernando Valley/West: Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Encino, Granada Hills, Northridge, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Stevenson Ranch (Newhall), Tarzana, West Hills, Winnetka and Woodland Hills; Group 4: Simi Valley.

Of those respondents who said someone in their household was attending CSUN, 58.9 percent said they were attending college full-time and 37 percent part-time. Of those, about 92 percent said they also were working full- or part-time while attending college.

CSUN has about 27,000 full- and part-time students, offering 48 different bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.