NSSE and the College of Letters and Sciences Chris Fastnow Office of Planning and Analysis November 7, 2008

An Introduction: NSSE and the Concept of Student Engagement

What is Student Engagement? What students do -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful activities What institutions do -- using effective educational practices to induce students to do the right things Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward the right activities

Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) Student-faculty contact Active learning Prompt feedback Time on task High expectations Experiences with diversity Cooperation among students

National Survey of Student Engagement College student survey that assesses the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

NSSE Survey Content Student Behaviors in College Institutional Actions And Requirements Institutional Actions And Requirements Student Reactions to College Student Background Information Student Background Information Student Learning & Development

NSSE 2008 Respondents by Race and Ethnicity NSSE 2008 Respondents NSSE 2008 Population MSU Respondents MSU Population National African American/Black 9%12%0% 12% Amer Indian/Alaska Native 1% 2%3%1% Asian/Asian Amer/Pacific Islander 6%7%2%1%7% Caucasian/White 76%69%87%89%67% Hispanic 7%9%2%1%10% Other 2% 1%3%- Multiracial/Ethnic <1% 2%-- International 5%2% 1%3% Totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding. NSSE 2008 population data are provided by participating institutions. U.S. percentages are unweighted and based on data from the 2007 IPEDS Institutional Characteristics and Enrollment File. IPEDS and NSSE categories for race and ethnicity differ. Percentages exclude students whose ethnicity was unknown or not provided.

NSSE 2008 Survey Population and Respondents  More than 1.4 million students were invited to participate in NSSE 2008, with 478,079 responding  3,157 students were invited to participate, with 1074 responding

NSSE 2008 Response Rates  MSU’s response rate = 34% (up from 25% in 2007 Average Institutional Response Rates  37% for all NSSE 2008 institutions  39% for Web-only institutions

BENCHMARK SCORES

NSSE Indicators of Effective Educational Practice Level of Academic Challenge Active & Collaborative Learning Enriching Educational Experiences Student – Faculty Interaction Supportive Campus Environment

Level of Academic Challenge (2008)

Active and Collaborative Learning (2008)

Student-Faculty Interaction (2008)

Enriching Educational Experiences (2008)

Supportive Campus Environment (2008)

SUMMARY QUESTIONS

To what extent has your experience at MSU contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas? (1= very little, 4 = very much) MSU 1 st Year Peer 1 st Year MSU Senior Peer Senior Acquiring a broad general education ** ** Acquiring job or work-related knowledge and skills **  Writing clearly and effectively ** ** Speaking clearly and effectively **  Thinking critically and analytically ** Analyzing quantitative problems ** ** Using computing and information technology **  Working effectively with others ** 

To what extent has your experience at MSU contributed to your knowledge, skills, and personal development in the following areas? (1= very little, 4 = very much) MSU 1 st Year Peer 1 st Year MSU Senior Peer Senior Learning effectively on your own ** ** Understanding yourself ** ** Solving complex real-world problems ** Voting in local, state, or national elections ** ** Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds ** ** Developing a personal code of values and ethics ** ** Contributing to the welfare of your community ** ** Developing a deepened sense of spirituality ** **

Overall, how would you evaluate the quality of academic advising you have received at MSU? (1=poor, 4=excellent)

How would you evaluate your entire educational experience at this institution? (1=poor, 4=excellent)

If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending? (1=definitely no, 4=definitely yes)