How do you feel about this semester compared to Fall 2020?

In August 2020, we asked registered students (at that point the only cohort for which W&M&You was available) to describe their feelings at the start of the Fall 2020 in three words or less.

On February 3, 2021, we asked students, faculty, and staff:

How do you feel about this semester compared to Fall 2020?
Much more confident
Slightly more confident
The same
Slightly less confident
Much less confident

to seek a similar “temperature check” of the full campus community with specific attention to how perspectives may have changed with one semester behind us.

We received 671 total responses (64% response rate). Students accounted for 73% of all responses , staff 18%, and faculty 9%. 

Of the groups of participants, Staff felt the most confident about the semester compared to Fall 2020.

How do you feel about this semester compared to Fall 2020? Much more confident (5): All = 6.9%, Students = 4.5%, Staff = 12.7%, Faculty = 14.3%. Slightly more confident (4): All = 29.5%, Students = 30.1%, Staff = 27.1%, Faculty = 28.6%. Same (3): All = 30.6%, Students = 31.0%, Staff = 35.6%, Faculty = 19.0%. Slightly less confident (2): All = 23.7%, Students = 25.3%, Staff = 16.9%, Faculty = 23.8%. Much less confident (1): All = 6.7%, Students = 7.5%, Staff = 4.2%, Faculty = 4.8%. Other/not responsive: All = 2.7%, Students = 1.6%, Staff = 3.4%, Faculty = 9.5%. Mean: All = 3.1, Students = 3.0, Staff = 3.3, Faculty = 3.3

	All	Students	Staff	Faculty
Much More Confident (5)	6.9%	4.5%	12.7%	14.3%
Slightly More Confident (4)	29.5%	30.1%	27.1%	28.6%
The Same (3)	30.6%	31.0%	35.6%	19.0%
Slightly Less Confident (2)	23.7%	25.3%	16.9%	23.8%
Much Less Confident (1)	6.7%	7.5%	4.2%	4.8%
Other/Not Responsive	2.7%	1.6%	3.4%	9.5%
Mean	3.1	3.0	3.3	3.3

Across the W&M community, less than 1/3 of participants felt less confident about the Spring 2021 semester in comparison to Fall 2020.