Our research replicated research conducted in 1993 by Levine and Cureton in their ground breaking book When Hope and Fear Collide . This book painted a portrait of today s college student. Below is a summary of our findings. Attitude towards social institutions As with When Hope and Fear collide , we found that students today have an underlying distrust of social institutions. Many students volunteered in more than one activity.
Freshmen have a consumer s attitude towards higher education.
They are more concerned with acquiring specialized training in order to get a job, rather than gaining a broad liberal arts education. Our conclusion is that there is no unifying national event in our student's lives, such as the Vietnam War or the Challenger explosion. The most significant events involve violence that could happen to them. This data suggests that our students are optimistic, feel they can make a difference, and are committed to the American dream. They are happy with ASU, and feel a sense of community here.