Gallaudet University Results on National Survey of Student Engagement Office of Institutional Research August, 2007

Selecting a baseline group ► The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) offers several comparison groups:  selected peers,  Carnegie Peers,  the total of NSSE respondents,  the top 50% of respondents,  and the top 10% of respondents. ► For the purposes of this report, the selected peers were used.

Selected Peers  The 22 peers for Gallaudet University in NSSE tend to be small (1,500 to 3,500 students) liberal arts colleges or universities offering master’s degrees, many of which are affiliated with religious denominations.  The selection of the comparison group is a value judgment.  The physical structure of the peer group institutions is most like Gallaudet’s, so they were selected as the baseline.

Available metrics ► The NSSE survey offers data on 5 sub-scales and 85 items.  The subscale -- level of academic challenge – reflects how central challenging intellectual and creative work is to the institution through an emphasis of importance of academic effort and the setting of high standards.  Active and collaborative learning focuses on the degree of involvement a student has in his or her own learning with an emphasis of various forms of collaborative learning.  Student-faculty interaction includes contact both inside and outside of the classroom with the expectation that teachers are role models for continuous learning.  Enriching educational experiences describes the range of learning opportunities ancillary to or outside of the classroom.  Supportive campus environment reflects the students’ perception of the degree of responsiveness of the administration and faculty to student needs.

Analysis Strategy for 2005 and 2006 ► To summarize all of the possible results for 2006, the data was examined for subscales in which the responses of the Gallaudet students were below those of the peer institutions. ► A tabular display is used instead of specific statistics because of the limits of interpreting the statistics imposed by the data set.

Summary of Gallaudet 2006 Results FreshmenSeniors Level of Academic ChallengeBelow peers Active and Collaborative Learning Student Faculty Interaction Enriching Educational Experiences Supportive Campus EnvironmentBelow peers

Items Below Peers on Level of Academic Challenge for Freshmen ► Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience of theory such as examining a particular case or situation in depth and considering its components ► Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or new situations ► Number of assigned textbooks, books, or book-length packs of course readings ► Number of written papers of 20 pages or more ► Spending significant amounts of time studying and on academic work

Items Below Peers on Supportive Campus Environment for Freshmen ► Providing the support you need to help you succeed academically ► Relationships with faculty members ► Relationships with administrative personnel and offices

Trends: 2005 and 2006 ► It is reasonable to argue that items reported unfavorably one year were the result of variation within the group reporting for that year; consequently, it is useful to look at trends over time. ► Specifically, items are listed that were identified both years as being substantially below the perceptions of the peer group.

2005 Items Below Selected Peers Still Below Peers in 2006 for First Year Students ► Worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources. ► Received prompt written or oral feedback from faculty on your academic performance. ► Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.) ► Participated in activities to enhance your spirituality (worship, meditation, prayer, etc.) ► Community service or volunteer work. ► Quality of relationship with faculty members. ► Quality of relationships with administrative personnel and offices. ► Working for pay off-campus. ► Spending significant amounts of time studying and on academic work. ► Providing the support you need to help you succeed academically. ► Attending campus events and activities (special speakers, cultural performances, athletic events, etc.) ► Acquiring a broad general education. ► Satisfaction with entire educational experience at this institution.

2005 Items Below Selected Peers Still Below Peers in 2006 for Seniors ► Worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources. ► Worked with other students on projects during class. ► Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.) ► Participated in activities to enhance your spirituality (worship, meditation, prayer, etc.) ► Examined the strengths and weaknesses of your own views on a topic or issue. ► Working for pay off-campus. ► Satisfaction with entire educational experience at this institution.

Summary ► At the level of the subscales, Gallaudet Seniors tend to report similarly to the peer group institutions. ► On two subscales – level of academic challenge and supportive environment – Gallaudet Freshmen report lower satisfaction than the peer group. ► For the subscale -- level of academic challenge -- Gallaudet Freshmen report that they do not have to do large demanding projects nor do they devote much time to academic work. ► For the subscale -- supportive environment -- Gallaudet Freshmen report that they have poor relationships with faculty and support staff and do not receive the support they need. ► Many individual items were consistently negatively evaluated by both Freshmen and Seniors in both 2005 and ► Both Freshmen and Seniors in both 2005 and 2006 were unsatisfied with their overall educational experience in relation to the peer institutions