• Jossey-Bass.

Key Findings by Arthur Levine, author of Generation on a Tightrope: A Portrait of Today's College Student ----------------------------------------------------------------- On the Recession* 48% of campuses report increases in the number of students temporarily dropping out for financial reasons * 67% report students are working longer hours for financial reasons * 48% report increases in the number of students living at home for financial reasons * 36% report students are taking fewer credits for financial reasons * 62% of college students say the recession affected where they went to college * 67% say the chief benefit of college is increased earning power versus 44% in 1976 On Academics* 41% of undergraduates have average grades of A- or higher, versus 7% in 1969 * 9% have grades of C or less versus 25% in 1969 * 45% have taken remedial courses * 60% say their grades understate the true quality of their work On Sex and Dating* 47% of undergraduates say they have had a "hook up" or casual sex by the time they graduate * 70% of sexually active students report one partner in the past year (17% report three or more partners) * 39% of sexually active undergraduates report never or rarely using a condom * 37% of four-year colleges report increased interracial dating * 55% have experienced increases in Internet or e-mail stalking or harassment * 41% have experienced increases in cell-phone stalking or harassment On Social Media* On average, undergraduates have 241 social media friends (overwhelmingly on Facebook) * 45% of undergraduates trust the people they meet on Facebook * 74% would comfortable with their parents seeing their Facebook page * 62% would be comfortable with an employer seeing their Facebook page * A plurality say the establishment of the World Wide Web is the key event in their lives, versus the 29% who cite the September 11 attack and its aftermath On Parents* 41% of undergraduates text, email, call or visit their parents at least daily (19% three times a day or more) * 27% of undergraduates asked parents to intervene in problems with professors or employers * 76% of colleges and universities report increases in parent involvement and intervention On Politics and Activism* 68% of students are not politically active or engaged * 83% believe meaningful social change cannot be achieved through the traditional American politics * 65% were engaged in service activities in the past 12 months On the Future* 89% of undergraduates are optimistic about their personal futures * 35% are optimistic about the future of the country * 73% expect to be at least as well off as their parents * 79% do not expect social security to be available when they retire