Michigan Student Study: Opinions, Expectations, and Experiences of Undergraduate Students, 1990-1994

The Michigan Student Study was designed to examine the factors that influence students' intellectual responses to issues of racial and ethnic diversity. The focus was not only on the attitudes and experiences of students of color (Asian American, Latino/Hispanic, African American and Native American students) but on the contribution of diversity to the broader intellectual experiences of White students as well. The longitudinal design of the Michigan Study allowed for consideration of what students bring to the university at entrance, as well as documenting important changes as they move toward graduation. One set of questions addressed the general undergraduate experience of students at the University of Michigan, the positive and negative aspects of their experiences with faculty, interactions with fellow students, extracurricular involvements, reactions to their academic and intellectual experiences, and how similar or different the experiences of students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds were. Another set of questions dealt with the racial "climate" on campus, the degree of racial tension, the students' perceptions of and responses to the University's commitment to multiculturalism and diversity, the perceptions and views that students brought to the campus and how much they were affected and changed by their experiences at the University of Michigan, the positive aspects and specific arenas of concern for the various groups of students around multiculturalism, and the relevancy of the University's commitment to multiculturalism and diversity.