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Results of the annual freshmen survey conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA found that interest and involvement in community service have reached their highest levels in 40 years among students across the nation.

Two out of three entering college freshmen reported that they believe it is essential or very important to help others who are in difficulty – the highest fraction recorded in the last 25 years.

John Pryor, the director of the institute, attributed the almost 4 percent increase of interest in community service since last year to recent events such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Southeast Asia in 2004.

“There have been several unprecedented national and natural disasters in the last couple of years, and we are seeing the impacts of those events on students now,” said Jennifer Lindholm, associate director of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at HERI.

Approximately one in four students reports that it is essential or very important for them to personally participate in a community action program.

“Because of what’s going on in the world, students are more aware of people in need and ways they can help, even if that’s just by giving some of their time,” Lindholm said.

The 2005 survey contains responses of 263,710 students from 385 four-year universities and community colleges throughout the nation. The survey has been conducted annually since 1966.

Survey question topics range from academics to alcohol. Most questions stay consistent from year to year in order for the institute to observe changes in freshmen’s opinions over both short- and long-term periods, Pryor said.

“The (institute) makes changes to the survey when there are critical issues to address or when we receive significant input from other researchers and other universities,” Lindholm said.

The survey is often administered during orientation programs and is not mandatory for students, Pryor said.

Universities are asked to administer the freshmen survey as early as possible so that students take the survey when they first come to campus and have not yet experienced college life, Lindholm said.

UCLA undergraduate students participate in the survey each summer during freshmen orientation prior to the start of the school year. UCLA freshmen have participated in the survey for all but four years since 1966.

Survey results also report that drinking is at a record low among entering college students. This figure continues to drop from its all-time high of 73.7 percent reported in 1982. More men than women report drinking beer frequently or occasionally during their senior year of high school: 49.1 percent of men to 38.8 percent of women.

While there is still a difference between male and female alcohol intake, the institute has found that over the past few decades the difference between drinking patterns of men and women has become smaller.

UCLA student group involvement mirrors the findings of the freshmen survey. Many UCLA undergraduate student groups report an increase in student participation this year not just among freshman, but across the board.

Project Literacy, a tutoring and mentoring program designed to teach literacy skills to underprivileged individuals, has seen an increase in applicants over the past two quarters compared to previous years, said Project Literacy Director Megan McNaught.

The number of people applying has increased to over 50 new applications a quarter, she said.

Dance Marathon has also seen a record amount of participation this year. Student participation in Dance Marathon is as its highest since its creation four years ago, said Heather Hemingway, a third-year classical civilizations student and university outreach committee chairwoman for the event.

Last year, 400 students signed up to be dancers at the event. This year, Dance Marathon is expecting 800 students to participate, Hemingway said.

“It’s insane how quickly we’ve grown,” Hemingway said.

After 40 years, the freshmen survey remains relevant and beneficial to today’s students because “it is a large student assessment that provides information about first-year classes and the differences and similarities between men and women,” Pryor said.

“What we’re looking at is the impact of college on students.”