SSCP 2013 Student Listserv Survey Results

Hi everyone,

Many thanks to everyone for completing the SSCP Student Listserv survey, which was conducted to learn more about current student members and how best to serve your needs. We appreciate everyone’s feedback and are pleased to report the survey items and corresponding results below. For some items, we also include our responses and future plans for the Student Listserv, based on the feedback we received.

Length of membership in SSCP:
Most students were members of SSCP for at least 1 year, with the majority of students being members for either 1-2 years (41%) or 2-3 years (33%).  Additionally, 11% of students have been members for 4-5 years, and 7% have been members for more than 5 years.  Only 7% of students have been members for less than 1 year.

Professional Organizations SSCP Student Members Belong To:
93% of members of the SSCP Student listserv are members of other professional organizations.  The most common professional organizations that students are members of include APA (59%), APS (48%), and ABCT (44%). Other common professional organizations include the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS) (11%), the Society for Clinical Psychology(APA Division 12) (22%), the Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (APA Division 53) (7%), and the Society for Research in Psychopathology (7%).  Overall, students belonged to a wide variety of different organizations – in fact, 19 other organizations were reported in our survey!

Student Listserv Topics that are of interest to SSCP Student Members:
Most students reported that they would be interested in topics related to Student Funding Opportunities (78%), and Articles on Recent Research/Hot Topics (59%). Additionally, many students reported that they would be interested in receiving information about the Internship Application Process (48%), Professional Development Resources (44%), and Information and announcements about post-doc opportunities (30%).

Response: Based on this feedback, we plan to use the Student Listserv to provide students with more information on funding opportunities, and to send out recently published journal articles that may be of interest to student members. .  Additionally, we plan to use the Student Listserv to provide information on the internship application process, particularly over the summer, when students are beginning the application process. We also plan to send out professional development resources (e.g., CV or cover letter tips) on a monthly basis, while continuing to provide information on post-doc opportunities.

Student Listserv Events that are of Interest to SSCP Student Members:
Many students reported that they were interested in engaging in a Q&A type of discussion with an organized panel of faculty/professionals (52%).  71% of students would prefer to hold these discussions via the Listserv. The faculty/professionals students were most interested in engaging in discussion with over the Student Listserv included:

•    An Internship Site Admissions Director
•    Psychologist in a medical setting
•    Psychologist in a VA setting
•    Recent/Current post-doc
•    Recent tenure track hire
•    A tenured professor
•    Researcher who has gotten an NIH grant
•    Tenure track hire who did not do a post-doc
•    Director of prominent professional organizations

Response: Based on this feedback, we plan to coordinate Q & A discussions over the next year. If you know anyone who would be willing to host such a discussion, or if there is anyone in particular you would like us to invite, please let us know!

How comfortable SSCP Student Members feel participating in online discussions:
Based on a 5 point likert scale (1 = not at all comfortable; 5 = extremely comfortable), the majority of members reported feeling “somewhat comfortable” (42%), and most members reported a comfort level between a 2 (23%) and a 4 (19%).  12% of members reported not feeling at all comfortable participating in online discussions, and 1 student member reported feeling extremely comfortable participating in online discussions. 

Response: We would like everyone to use the Student Listserv as a resource in a way that is most comfortable to you. If you are comfortable emailing everyone over the Listserv, great – please know that you are welcome to email the Student Listserv at any point in time (simply send your message to SSCPSTUDENTS-L@metis3.gmu.edu).  Alternatively, if you are not as comfortable emailing everyone over the Listserv,  this is perfectly fine as well! You are always welcome to respond to emails on an individual basis (i.e., directly to the person posting the email).  You are always welcome to contact us on an individual basis as well – we would love to hear from you! 

We also wanted to note that based on this feedback, for future Q&A Events, students who are comfortable asking questions to the invited discussant directly over the Listserv will be free to do so; however, students who would prefer to send us their questions beforehand on an individual basis will have the option to do so.

Frequency SSCP Student Members would prefer to receive emails on the Student Listserv:
Most members of the SSCP Student Listserv would like to receive emails once a week (30%) to a couple times a week (33%). Almost all members of the SSCP Student listserv would prefer to communicate via the listserv (75%).
Response: Based on this feedback, we will continue to send out emails at least once per week via the Student Listserv.

Student Involvement in SSCP:
Several students expressed interest in getting more involved in SSCP. 

Response: We have some exciting projects in development which would provide opportunities for students to get involved in the SSCP community, and will announce these as they arise over the Student Listserv.  Also, please feel free to contact us – we can try to find something that would be of interest to you. 

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments. Please let us know as well if you have any additional thoughts on how to make the Student Listserv as useful of as resource as possible.

Best wishes, 

Rosanna
Student Listserv Facilitator

Victoria and Kristy
Student Representatives