Last year my office undertook a survey of how York undergraduates finance their university education. This survey was conducted by the Institute for Social Research and was also administered at four other Ontario universities (Queen's, Ryerson, Toronto and Western). The survey instrument included a number of questions about the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The information provided gives us a good idea of who our undergraduates are, and allows us to compare their demographic characteristics with those of the other universities in the survey.
- Birthplace:
A large proportion of respondents were not born in Canada (38% for York and 30% for the average of the five universities) and the range between the highest and the lowest universities was considerable (42% versus 16%). Generally the demographic characteristics are similar to those of the other two urban universities in the survey (Ryerson, UofT) and different from the non-urban universities (Queen's, Western). The proportion of York students born outside of Canada was considerably higher in this 1998 survey than in two surveys conducted earlier in the decade, both of which put the figure at 27%. York has had a large increase in the number of new Canadians over the past decade.
- Language spoken:
Over a third (36%) of the York respondents grew up in a home where English was not the language spoken.
- Ethno-racial origin:
York has a higher proportion of students of non-European origin than the five-university average (41% compared to 37%). York also has a higher percentage of African Origin/Black students than the average. Table 1 provides a distribution of respondents by major ethno-racial origin.
Table 1: Ethno-Racial Origin
Viewed from the perspective of what language and ethnicity data reflect about cultural backgrounds, the vast majority of York students come from different backgrounds than their teachers, a fact which may well lead to certain communication gaps and create challenging teaching conditions.
- Parental education:
York students generally come from somewhat less well-educated families than the other universities in the survey. For York respondents, virtually half of the parents had completed less than postsecondary education (47% of fathers, 56% of mothers), as compared with 39% and 47%, respectively, for the five-university average (see Figure 1). At the other end of the educational spectrum, only 18% of York fathers and 8% of mothers had completed some graduate or professional training, as compared with 25% and 12% for the five-university average. Taken together, 30% of York students came from families where neither parent went beyond high school, and only 6% came from families where both parents had had at least some graduate or professional education.
Over half of York students are having an experience which was denied to their parents, namely the opportunity to pursue a university degree. Students who are the first in their family to enrol in university often have particular challenges to meet their academic and financial obligations while also responding to the domestic expectations of their parents. They may also be pressured to pursue programmes of study which their parents believe will have a practical value for employment, rather than seeing a university education as an intellectually broadening experience which will enrich their future life in less tangible ways
Figure 1: Parental Education
- Parental income:
Figure 2 illustrates the distribution of parental incomes for York respondents and for the average of the five universities. On average, York respondents came from families with lower parental incomes than the five university average. This finding is consistent with the lower level of parental education and the higher degree of ethnic diversity noted above. A substantial proportion of York undergraduates come from families that are new to Canada and face significant economic challenges in funding a university education. Nevertheless, fully 28% of the survey respondents reported that their parents were paying the full cost of their university education.
- Living arrangements:
Two-thirds of York survey respondents lived at home with their parents, much higher than the five-university average (44%) and at the extreme end of the range (from 7% to 66%). Many of these students believed that they could not afford to go away to university. However, one of the most interesting findings of the survey was that the average total cost of university was not significantly different between commuter and residence students (about $13,000 for the period September to April, including tuition and all living expenses). Commuter students have significant transportation and living costs which are comparable in amount to the room and board costs in residence.
- Employment:
A majority of York students work during the academic year. 62% of respondents reported that they were working an average of 17 hours, up from 55% of respondents and 14 hours a week in a 1990/1 survey, and higher than the five-university average of 48% working an average of 15 hours a week.
Figure 2: Parental Income
York students worked longer hours than students at other institutions and their weekly earnings were higher ($163 compared to $137 for the five-university average). School year earnings were a more important source of funds than summer jobs. Students holding jobs during the academic year earned an average of $2,950 from this source, as compared with $2,260 from summer earnings.
Conclusions
The demographic characteristics of York undergraduates present special challenges for their teachers. Many students grew up in homes where English was not the language spoken, many have immigrated to Canada in recent years, and many come from homes where no one else has had access to a university education. They may have family expectations which are in conflict with the academic demands placed upon them, and they are probably struggling to piece together the finances for their university education by some combination of loans, employment, scholarships and bursaries. Members of the university community should be aware of and sensitive to particular struggles of our students to obtain their degrees.