National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Katy Tufts, Matthew Tripsas, Frank Lopez and Aaron Reistad

What is NSSE The College Student Report Collects information about student participation in programs and activities Surveys for behaviors associated with desired outcomes of college Categories include: Participation in educationally purposeful activities Institutional requirements and nature of coursework Perceptions of the college environment Estimates of educational and personal growth since starting college Background and demographic information Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) NSSE collects information from four-year institutions and universities about student participation in programs and activities Surveys for the behaviors by students and institutions that are associated with desired outcomes of college

Who is Involved Governed by Indiana University Bloomington Institutional Review Board (IUB IRB) Surveys first-year and senior students Four million students have completed the survey since 2000 Since 2000, 4 million students have completed the survey with 371,284 student completions in 2013.

NSSE History and Timeline Conceived in 1998 as a new approach to gathering information about collegiate quality Piloted in 1999 with funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts NSSE is a year-round project Registration occurs between June and September Schools prepare for and customize the survey through the fall and winter The survey begins late winter and through the spring Reports and findings are put together late spring and through the summer, and then released in August through November The annual report is sent out in early November 2013 Survey 1999- Organized a group of scholars to explore ways institutions use teaching practices in which students engage in educationally purposeful activities

Where is NSSE Administered Participation Since 2000, 1,554 institutions have participated For NSSE 2013, 621 institutions participated Bachelors degree granting colleges and universities in the United States and Canada Private and Public Community colleges or other two-year institutions are excluded Upon approval Institutions are in charge of dispersing the survey at their own institution

Why does it Matter Gauges student behaviors and institutional features Five Benchmarks Powerful contributors to learning and personal development Learning more about how students spend their time at different colleges and universities and what they gain Demonstrates the need for colleges and universities to monitor emerging issues How trends facing today’s college students affect ability to thrive and succeed Within the broader survey, NSSE has identified five Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice that are particularly important indicators of learning and student development. NSSE benchmark scores reflect responses of first-year and senior students to questions from the survey in the following areas: Level of Academic Challenge Enriching Educational Experiences Student-Faculty Interaction Supportive Campus Environment Active and Collaborative Learning Learning about how they spend their time: Used by prospective students, parents, college counselors, academic advisors, institutional research officers

Findings of the Survey Study Time First-year students averaged 15 hours per week Seniors averaged 15.5 hours per week Students at four-year bachelors degree-granting colleges averaged 1-3 more hrs/week than other types of institutions First-Year Students and BCSSE Foundation for successful student engagement during the first year of college Benefit from a supportive campus environment Transfer- including supportive campus environment, participated less in internships, study abroad, and research/interactions with faculty HS- Prior high school engagement is seen as the Students at all levels of participation in high school engagement

Findings of the Survey Financial Stressors 3:5 first-year students regularly worried about paying for college 1:2 seniors worried frequently 1:3 students believed that financial concerns interfered with academic performance Social Networking 89% of students used social networking Students who engaged in social media with faculty and peers utilized four out of five benchmarks

Limitations of the Survey Inconsistency in institutional participation Self reporting system Based on individual student perception Overgeneralization of the data Lack of qualitative measurement

Potential Use in Higher Education Comparison of students as self-selected groups Ex: Snapshot, Engagement Indicators Improvement of the undergraduate experience Changes in policies and practices Comparisons available for individual survey questions and the five NSSE Benchmarks Internal evaluation External evaluation Multi-year analysis External evaluation- Comparisons among other institutions and institutional types

Resources Kuh, G. D., Cruce, T. M., Shoup, R., Kinzie, J., & Gonyea, R. M. (2008). Unmasking the effects of student engagement on first- year college grades and persistence. Journal of Higher Education, 79(5), 540-563.  National Survey of Student Engagement. Retrieved on October 27, 2013, from http://nsse.iub.edu National Survey of Student Engagement. Retrieved on October 27, 2013, from http://nsse.iub.edu/NSSEE_2012_Results/pdf/NSSE_2012_Annual_Results.pdf Pike, G. R. (2006). The Dependability of NSSE Scalelets for College-and Development-Level Assessment. Research in Higher Education, 47(2), 177-195.