Oklahoma State--A Guide for New Students� A Factor Analysis of Perceived Usefulness by Two Major Target Audiences

Abstract

As a state-supported institution Oklahoma State University has an obligation to furnish to those students anticipating graduation from state high schools information about the university which will be of assistance in deciding whether to continue their education and, further, whether Oklahoma State offers what they perceive to be their needs for higher education. There are, of course, many channels of communication through which students may receive the information, but primary among these is the printed material issued by the institution. Catalogs and course description booklets have long been sources of information for students inquiring about a university and its programs. In addition to these, Oklahoma State also issues a booklet entitled Oklahoma State--A Guide for New Students, designed to contain only information of immediate usefulness to entering freshman students. A pertinent question arises when a selection of information items is made, i.e., have the right items been selected, and do they provide the information desired and needed by the target audience? Thus, our study.