MPI Mission Perception Inventory Institutional Characteristics and Student Perception of Mission: What Makes a Difference? Ellen Boylan, Ph.D. ● Marywood University Ellen Boylan, Ph.D. ● Marywood University NEAIR 36 th Annual Conference ● Baltimore, Maryland ● Nov. 7 – 10, 2009 NEAIR 36 th Annual Conference ● Baltimore, Maryland ● Nov. 7 – 10, 2009

2 What’s in a mission?

3 scope of research Purpose Develop Develop an instrument to measure student perception of institutional mission. Test instrument reliability. Uncover constructs (factors). Observe constructs longitudinally. GRANTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR IMPROVED ASSESSMENT METHODS

4 scope of research Purpose Develop an instrument Test instrument reliability. Uncover constructs. Observe constructs longitudinally. Develop a prediction equation. R esearch Questions 1. Is the Mission Perception Inventory (MPI) a valid and reliable reliable measure of student perception of institutional mission? 2. What are the factors in the MPI? 3. Do the factors recur in repeated administrations of the revised MPI? 4. Are the factors equally reliable over time? 5. Can a school’s performance be predicted?

5  leaders of public and private institutions alike are thinking about spirituality these days, as the data suggest that's what their students are thinking about, too (Inside Higher Ed, 2009).  There is strong connection between institutional programs and student learning environment (Pascarella, 2001).  …institutions influence levels of engagement on campus as a result of structural features, programs, policies, and organizational culture ( Kuh et al., 2005). background

6 S elect the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) as the vehicle for inserting research questions. A ssemble a NSSE consortium to jointly engage in research to explore student perception of mission. D evelop question items; administer them to the consortium as a NSSE attachment. T est the questions: reliability, factor analysis, and correlation analysis. Repeat annually. design GRANTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR IMPROVED ASSESSMENT METHODS

7 Mission Perception Inventory (MPI) (~19 items) Sense Of Mission Respect for Diversity Individual Values Spiritual Practice Administer Consortium mission questions (20 items) derivation of the MPI and subscales

8 sense of mission sense of mission (10 items  =.90) The mission of this institution is widely understood by students. Social and personal development is an important part of the mission. Ethical and spiritual development of students is important. This institution offers opportunities for volunteering and community service. This institution offers opportunities for developing leadership skills. There are opportunities for students to strengthen their religious commitment. This institution’s religious heritage is evident. Professors here discuss the ethical implications of what is being studied. As a result of my experience here, I am more aware of my own personal values. The mission of this institution is reflected in course offerings.

9 respect for diversity (5 items  =.878) The faculty, staff, and students here… respect different religions respect different races and cultures ……………………………………………………………………………… Students feel free to express individual spirituality. Different sexual orientations are accepted. The environment encourages appreciation of diversity.

10 The NSSE survey with attached Mission Perception Inventory (MPI) questions has been administered 182 times to close to 50,000 first-year and senior students at 112 unique institutions across the United States every year since administration GRANTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR IMPROVED ASSESSMENT METHODS

11 Consortia institutions and respondents by year Respondents InstitutionsFirst YearSenior ,0001, ,2791, ,6842, ,5334,331 Catholic Indepen’t *21,82122,377 *(112 unique institutions)

12 Do the factors recur in repeated administrations of the revised Mission Perception Inventory (MPI)

13 Are the factors equally reliable over time? Subscales Catholic 2008 Indept cronbach  Sense of Mission Respect for Diversity Individual Actions.67n/a Religious Practice/Spirituality MPI scale

14 (MPI) Mission Perception Inventory Report GRANTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR IMPROVED ASSESSMENT METHODS

… Teagle Foundation Research Continues Develop the Mission Engagement Index. Obtain NSSE 2009 consortia data Test using reliability analysis to produce factors Distribute MPI reports Compare consortia results Conduct regression analysis to create the new index Use the Mission Engagement Index (MEI) to assess performance. GRANTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION FOR IMPROVED ASSESSMENT METHODS

NSSE 2008 Benchmark Statistics by Consortia 16

17 Does the Mission Engagement Index describe causal relationships among variables that affect mission perception? Dependent variable (Institution score) Mission Perception Inventory Sense of Mission scale Respect for Diversity scale Independent variables ( 2008 data; need 15 cases per variable *) Selectivity 15 institutions Enrollment 30 institutions Urbanicity 45 institutions Resident % 60 institutions Female % 75 institutions Another? 90 institutions *…a recommended ratio of subjects to IVs of at least 15 to 1 will provide a reliable regression equation (Stevens, 1992).

18 Selecting IVs for regression analysis

19 participating institutions by region 2008 = 2 consortia, 54 institutions Is there sufficient variability?

20 “urbanicity” of participating institutions 2008 Is there sufficient variability?

21 MPI 2008 Scales: Comparison of means by institution type

22 Correlation of regression variables with MPI mean

23 Deriving coefficients for the Mission Engagement Index (MEI)

24 Correlation of regression variables with Mission scale mean

25 Predictive Equation* Institution Predicted MPI Score = (Beta 1 )*(Value of “setting”) (-0.414)*(1, 2, or 3) (Beta 2 )*(Value of “institution type”)+ (0.345)*(1 or 2) Constant (3.687) *Mortenson, T. (1997). Actual Vs Predicted institutional graduation rates for 1100 Colleges and universities. Opportunity, 58.

26 Proposed Mission Engagement Index  The MEI will compare actual versus predicted scores on mission constructs.  Progress on mission effectiveness can be assessed by comparing MEI outcomes to institutional goals.

27 Sample Mission Engagement Index (MEI) by Institution Type and Setting

No rest for the weary… 28  For statistical regression, cross validation with a second sample is highly recommended (Tabachnick, p. 153).

29 References Inside Higher Education (2009). Spiritual accountability. Retrieved from Kuh, D. G., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., and Whitt, E. J. (2005). Never let it rest: lessons about student success from high-performing colleges and universities. Change, 37(4), Mortenson, T. (1997). Actual Vs predicted institutional graduation rates for 1100 colleges and universities. Opportunity, 58. Pacarella, E. T. (2001). Identifying excellence in undergraduate education. Change, 33(3), Stevens, J. P. (1992). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences (2 nd edition). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum. Tabachnick, B. G. & Fidel, L. S. (1996). Using multivariate statics, third edition. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

30 Discussion:

31 Ellen Boylan, Ph.D. Director of Institutional Research and Assessment Office of Planning and Institutional Research Supported by a grant from Marywood University Institutional Characteristics & Student Perception of Mission: What Makes a Difference?

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MPI Mission Perception Inventory Institutional Characteristics and Student Perception of Mission: What Makes a Difference? Ellen Boylan, Ph.D. ● Marywood University Ellen Boylan, Ph.D. ● Marywood University NEAIR 36 th Annual Conference ● Baltimore, Maryland ● Nov. 7 – 10, 2009 NEAIR 36 th Annual Conference ● Baltimore, Maryland ● Nov. 7 – 10, 2009