Students critique La Salle media in recent survey

By Jen McShane
Collegian Staff
March 28, 2007

At the beginning of the spring semester around 300 student respondents filled out a survey that aimed to serve as an assessment of the various student-produced media available at La Salle.

The results showed that the majority of students have at least heard of student radio station WEXP, television station La Salle 56, literary magazine the Grimoire and newspaper, the Collegian.

Less than half of the respondents were aware of the existence of the yearbook, the Explorer and academic publications Politicus, the Histories and Notes From the Underground.

The survey was put together by the Student Affairs Press Committee in conjunction with the University Life Staff and Student Voice. Student Voice, a company that specializes in surveying campus populations, helped design and administer the survey to the student body. Only undergraduate students were sent the survey because they are more likely to be involved with student activities and organizations.

“The survey was largely intended to get information on how the La Salle community uses and perceives the media, as well as help student organizations define what will make them successful,” said Anna Melnyk Allen, Assistant Dean of Students and chair of the Student Affairs Press Committee.

The survey also asked questions about what students thought of the quality of these publications, focusing primarily on the student yearbook, the Explorer. The feedback was mostly favorable, and the open-ended responses provided suggestions that may influence the student leaders of each publication.

Dawn Wanner, Programming Coordinator and adviser to WEXP, the Masque and the Explorer, plans on using the results and responses from the survey to make some improvements to the yearbook and WEXP.

“The Explorer Yearbook is definitely looking to make some changes within the organization and the publication of the book,” Wanner said. “The survey pointed out to us that there is not an overwhelming amount of students who are aware of the book. As for WEXP, we have not yet discussed the survey yet, but when we do, we will work with this information to create better programming and attract more active listeners.”

While Allen stresses that the results of the survey alone will not in any way affect how the media organizations will be run, she does hope that the survey will help promote awareness of the media publications available on campus.

“I am all about students supporting other students,” Allen said.

However, she also mentioned that some organizations on campus are experiencing a lack of student involvement.

“If more students are not involved, then the group will suffer. This is true for any group, even sports teams,” Allen said.

mcshanej2@lasalle.edu