National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE): Overview of 2008 Results for Rutgers University

NSSE 2008 Results What is NSSE Seeks to assess: Types and levels of engagement students have with their present institution Benefits and gains students derive from the college experience Emerges from long tradition that suggests: Student engagement leads to successful development and learning Institutions with high levels and wide varieties of student engagement are of high quality

NSSE 2008 Results Survey Administration Survey administered nationwide to undergraduates: Annually administered during spring semester Open to all four year colleges and universities First survey administered in spring 2000 Nearly 800 colleges and universities in 2008 Periodic administration (2, 3 or 4 year cycle) preferred choice At each participating institution: Both first year students and seniors are surveyed Sampling schemes are employed when student population is large Surveys are administered via the Web, paper, or both

NSSE 2008 Results NSSE Content Survey includes: Over 80 questions (plus 20 additional AAU items for New Brunswick) 14 main sections Some self-identifying questions are asked Response sets vary but limited (usually 4 non-neutral categories) Student responses distilled into five basic constructs of student engagement: level of academic challenge (11 items) student-faculty interaction (6 items) active and collaborative learning (7 items) enriching educational experiences (12 items) supportive campus environment (6 items)

NSSE 2008 Results Uses of NSSE Enables: Institutional/campus level analysis (with further disaggregation/subgroup analysis also possible) Benchmarking (with self-selected groupings of schools) Performance tracking (comparisons over time) Useful for: Public accountability (incorporated into VSA) Assessment (mostly indirect measures of student learning) Institutional planning

NSSE 2008 Results Rutgers Participation and Response Rates CampusYear LevelTotal N Sample N Respondents N Response Rate Rutgers Peers- Dashboard Peers- Carnegie Class Rutgers-2008 First Year %26%31% Camden Seniors1,3041, %30%37% Rutgers-2008 First Year1, %19%28% Newark Seniors1,9011, %22%31% Rutgers-2005 First Year4,7301, %35%31% New Brunswick Seniors7,9151, %32%33% 2008 First Year5,3962, %30%32% Seniors7,2522, %32%31%

NSSE 2008 Results New Brunswick Results

NSSE 2008 Results New Brunswick Peer Institutions – 2008 Three Groupings –1 st group includes peers used for campus dashboard indicators (public AAU schools) Indiana UniversityUniversity of North Carolina Iowa State UniversityUniversity of Stony Brook-SUNY University at Buffalo-SUNYUniversity of Texas University of FloridaUniversity of Virginia University of Iowa University of Wisconsin University of Illinois –2 nd group includes institutions with same Carnegie Classification (above plus 14 others) –3 rd group includes universe of all 2008 NSSE participants

NSSE 2008 Results Respondent Profiles – 2008 When comparing New Brunswick to its Dashboard Peers, - we find the following similarities with: First Year Students Seniors AGE GENDER GENDER INTERNATIONAL STATUS INTERNATIONAL STATUS ENROLLMENT STATUS (FT/PT) ENROLLMENT STATUS (FT/PT)ATHLETIC STATUS ATHLETIC STATUS RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS - we find the following dissimilarities with: First Year Students Seniors LESS 2ND YEAR STUDENTS SAMPLEDSTUDENTS ARE OLDER MORE MINORITY STUDENTS LESS GREEK AFFILIATIONSMORE STUDENTS STARTED COLLEGE ELSEWHERE LESS STUDENTS RECEIVING B+ OR BETTERMORE PRESENTLY ENROLLED PT STUDENTS MORE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTSSLIGHTLY LESS STUDENTS RECEIVING B+ OR BETTER SLIGHTLY MORE COMMUTERSMORE RESIDENTIAL AND OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS MORE LIBERAL ARTS FOCUSED STUDENTSLESS COMMUTER STUDENTS MORE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS MORE LIBERAL ARTS FOCUSED STUDENTS

NSSE 2008 Results Comparisons of Student Engagement: New Brunswick vs. Dashboard Peers Rutgers-NB Dashboard PeersEffect Size Level of Academic Challenge First Year Students Seniors Faculty-Student Interaction First Year Students *-.10 Seniors *-.11 Active and Collaborative Learning First Year Students ***-.23 Seniors ***-.20 Enriching Educational Experiences First Year Students ***-.22 Seniors ***-.32 Supportive Campus Environment First Year Students *-.11 Seniors ***-.23 * p<05; **p<.01, ***p<.001 (2-tailed)

NSSE 2008 Results Comparisons of Student Engagement: New Brunswick 2005 vs Student Engagement Index Score Difference Level of Academic Challenge First Year Students Seniors Faculty-Student Interaction First Year Students Seniors Active and Collaborative Learning First Year Students Seniors Enriching Educational Experiences First Year Students Seniors Supportive Campus Environment First Year Students Seniors

NSSE 2008 Results Dashboard View of Responses for Rutgers - New Brunswick Many of the items shown have large percentages of positive and negative responses for both first year students and seniors Rutgers respondents show little or no difference from students attending peer institutions on a majority of survey items Most of the differences with AAU peers are in the negative direction Positive differences are mostly experienced by first year students

NSSE 2008 Results Dashboard View of Responses for Rutgers - New Brunswick, continued High levels of satisfaction at RU-NB for both first year students and seniors High percentages of first year students and seniors state they would attend Rutgers if they had to do it over again Despite these high percentages RU still trails its peers on satisfaction measures First year students give high grades to academic advising High rates of negative responses were given by both first year students and seniors on items related to “enriching educational experiences” Students at NB are less satisfied with the size and quality of instruction of upper-division courses than students at AAU peers Time usage is a particular issue for seniors – Rutgers seniors work more for pay off-campus and spend more time providing care for dependents and having to commute Rutgers seniors also trail students at peer institutions in feeling that the institution they presently attend has contributed to their use of informational technology and working effectively with others

NSSE 2008 Results Newark Results

NSSE 2008 Results Newark Peer Institutions – 2008 Three Groupings –1 st group includes peers used for campus dashboard indicators Florida International University University of Buffalo-SUNY University of Maryland-Baltimore County University of Massachusetts-Boston University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Virginia Commonwealth University –2 nd group includes institutions with same Carnegie Classification (44 in total) –3 rd group includes universe of all 2008 NSSE participants

NSSE 2008 Results Respondent Profiles – 2008 When comparing Newark to its Dashboard Peers, - we find the following similarities with: First Year StudentsSeniorsINTERNATIONAL STATUSATHLETIC STATUS(LIMITED) PARTICIPATION IN GREEK LIFE DISTRIBUTION OF LIBERAL ARTS AND DISTRIBUTION OF GRADES ATTAINED AT INSTITUTION PROFESSIONAL MAJORSRESIDENTIAL STUDENTS DISTRIBUTION OF LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL MAJORS - we find the following dissimilarities with: First Year StudentsSeniors STUDENTS ARE YOUNGERSTUDENTS ARE OLDERMORE FEMALE STUDENTS MORE MINORITY STUDENTS LESS 2ND YEAR STUDENTS SAMPLEDMORE STUDENTS STARTED COLLEGE ELSEWHERE LESS STUDENTS STARTED ELSEWHEREMORE PRESENTLY ENROLLED PART-TIME STUDENTS LESS PART TIME STUDENTSLESS OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS; LESS STUDENTS CURRENTLY RECEIVING MORE COMMUTER STUDENTS B+ OR BETTERMORE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS LESS RESIDENTIAL AND OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS; MORE COMMUTERS MORE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS

NSSE 2008 Results Comparisons of Student Engagement: Newark vs. Dashboard Peers Student Engagement Index Score Rutgers- Newark Dashboard PeersEffect Size Level of Academic Challenge First Year Students Seniors *.12 Faculty-Student Interaction First Year Students Seniors *.13 Active and Collaborative Learning First Year Students Seniors **.15 Enriching Educational Experiences First Year Students *-.18 Seniors *-.12 Supportive Campus Environment First Year Students Seniors ***.23 * p<05; **p<.01, ***p<.001 (2-tailed)

NSSE 2008 Results Dashboard View of Responses for Rutgers - Newark Rutgers respondents show little or no difference from dashboard peers and other institutions on a majority of survey items Most of the differences with dashboard peers are in the negative direction Positive differences exist mostly with seniors Responses to many academic challenge and educational/personal growth items are positive As with NB, students at Newark have high rates of negative responses to many items related to “enriching educational experiences” Time usage is an issue for both first year students and seniors at Newark –Seniors at Newark exceed fellow seniors at peer institutions in hours working for pay off-campus and caring for a dependent –Time spent commuting to class is a problem for both first year students and seniors Rutgers-Newark is rated highly by many of its first year students and seniors in terms of overall satisfaction with their educational experience and willingness to attend Rutgers-Newark if they could start their undergraduate career over again.

NSSE 2008 Results Camden Results

NSSE 2008 Results Camden Peer Institutions – 2008 Three Groupings –1 st group includes peers used for campus dashboard indicators Ramapo College of New Jersey The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey The State University of New York at Geneseo University of Maryland-Baltimore County Western Connecticut State University William Paterson University of New Jersey (non-dashboard peer added) –Second group includes institutions with same Carnegie Classification (83 in total) –Third group includes universe of all 2008 NSSE participants

NSSE 2008 Results Respondent Profiles – 2008 When comparing Camden to its Dashboard Peers, - we find the following similarities with: First Year StudentsSeniors AGEGENDERINTERNATIONAL STATUS ENROLLMENT STATUS (FT/PT)RACIAL/ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION ATHLETIC STATUSENROLLMENT STATUS (FT/PT) ATHLETIC STATUS DISTRIBUTION OF GRADES ATTAINED AT INSTITUTION - we find the following dissimilarities with: First Year StudentsSeniors MORE MALES STUDENTSSTUDENTS ARE OLDER MORE MINORITY STUDENTS MORE STUDENTS STARTED COLLEGE ELSEWHERE LESS 2ND YEAR STUDENTS SAMPLEDLESS GREEK AFFILIATIONS LESS GREEK AFFILIATIONSLESS RESIDENTIAL AND OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS; LESS STUDENTS CURRENTLY RECEIVING MORE COMMUTER STUDENTS B+ OR BETTERMORE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS LESS RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS; MORE COMMUTERS MORE PROFESSIONAL FOCUSED STUDENTS MORE FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS MORE PROFESSIONAL FOCUSED STUDENTS

NSSE 2008 Results Comparisons of Student Engagement: Camden vs. Dashboard Peers Student Engagement Index Score Rutgers- Camden Dashboard PeersEffect Size Level of Academic Challenge First Year Students Seniors Faculty-Student Interaction First Year Students Seniors Active and Collaborative Learning First Year Students Seniors Enriching Educational Experiences First Year Students Seniors *-.14 Supportive Campus Environment First Year Students Seniors * p<05; **p<.01, ***p<.001 (2-tailed)

NSSE 2008 Results Dashboard View of Responses for Rutgers-Camden Most of the differences with dashboard peers exist among first year students First year students give high rates of approval to items of educational and personal growth, but these students rate these items at lower levels then students at dashboard peer institutions Time usage is an issue for both first year students and seniors Seniors indicate lower levels of participation in co-curricular activities, internship and co-op experiences, and study abroad participation than seniors attending dashboard peer institutions Academic advising is rated as good or excellent by over 75 percent of first year students, and exceeds the level of satisfaction of students at dashboard peer institutions Similarly, most first year students and seniors are satisfied with Rutgers-Camden