1. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za The SASSE Survey 26 March 2008

2. What we will cover in this session Broad areas the measure taps into –University activities –Reading, writing and educational programme characteristics –Student time usage –Personal growth –Opinions about your school Benchmarks –Level of academic challenge –Active and collaborative learning –Enriching educational experiences –Student – staff interaction –Supportive campus environment Report outline Queries, Questions, Concerns

3. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Relying on self-reported data Self-report data is more accurate when: Information is known to respondents Questions refer to recent activities Questions are worded unambiguously Items are not threatening and/or embarrassing High construct and content validity SASSE is designed on these principles

4. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Broad Areas University activities Reading, writing and educational programme characteristics Student time usage Personal growth Opinions about your school

5. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za University activities Investigates the activities students engage in both inside and outside the classroom First 22 items on the survey (e.g. Had conversations with students and staff; Discussing grades and future plans with staff) NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.85 0.81

6. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Reading, writing and educational programme characteristics Investigates the five mental activities of Bloom’s taxonomy, amount of reading and writing etc. (e.g. How much of your coursework emphasised applying theories and concepts to practical problems or in new situations) NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.7 0.75

7. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Student time usage Investigates what students do with their time including: academic preparation, extracurricular activities, work on/off campus, socialising, caring for dependents and time spent travelling to class.

8. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Personal growth Investigates students self-reported gains on various dimensions including the development of writing and speaking skills, various job related skills and understanding oneself. 15 items (e.g. To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your skills in solving complex real-world problems) NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.9 0.86

9. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Student satisfaction Investigates students perception of the support they receive from the environment and their overall satisfaction (e.g. How would you evaluate your entire educational experience?) NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.84 0.75

10. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Benchmarks Level of Academic Challenge Active and Collaborative Learning Student-Staff Interaction Enriching Educational Experiences Supportive Campus Environment

11. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Level of Academic Challenge Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student learning and institutional quality. Universities promote high levels of student achievement by emphasizing the importance of academic effort and setting high expectations for student performance. NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.720.66

12. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Level of Academic Challenge Items measure the following activities and conditions: Time spent preparing for class (11a) Worked harder than you thought you could to meet an lecturer’s standards or expectations (3r) Amount of assigned reading (5a) Amount of written work required (5 pages, 5-19 pages, 20+ pages) (5c, 5d, 5e) Items related to Bloom’s taxonomy (4b, 4c, 4d, 4e) Campus emphasis on spending significant amounts of time on academic work (12a)

13. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Active and Collaborative Learning Students learn more when they are actively involved in their education and have opportunities to think about and apply what they are learning in different settings. Collaborating with others to solve problems or master difficult materials prepares students to deal with the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily during and after university. NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.67 0.6

14. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Active and Collaborative Learning Items measure the following activities and conditions: Asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions (3a) Made a class presentation (3b) Worked with other students on projects during class (3g) Worked with other students outside of class (3h) Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary) (3j) Participated in a community-based project (3k) Discussed ideas from readings or classes with others outside of class (3t)

15. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Student-Staff Interaction Students see first-hand how experts think about and solve practical problems by interacting with staff members inside and outside the classroom. As a result, their teachers become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, life-long learning. NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.75 0.61

16. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Student-Staff Interaction Items measure the following activities and conditions: Discussed marks or assignments with an lecturer or tutor (3n) Talked about career plans with an lecturer or counselor (3o) Discussed ideas from readings or classes with lecturer outside of class (3p) Worked with staff members on activities other than coursework (3s) Received prompt feedback from lecturers on performance (3q) Worked with a staff member on a research project (9d)

17. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Enriching Educational Experiences Complementary learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom augment the academic program. The benchmarks taps into diversity experiences, use of information technology and experiences such as internships and community service activities. Such experiences make learning more meaningful and, ultimately, more useful because what students know becomes a part of who they are. NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.65 0.60

18. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Enriching Educational Experiences Items measure the following activities and conditions: Talking with students with different religious beliefs, political opinions, or ethnicity (3v) An institutional climate that encourages contact among diverse students (12c) Use of electronic technology in academic activities (3l) Participating in supplementary activities such as: –Internships or field experiences (9a) –Community service or volunteer work (9b) –Foreign language coursework (9e) –Study abroad (9f) –Study of a subject or course for non-degree purposes (9g) –The development of a community project using knowledge obtained at university (9h) –Co-curricular activities (11d) –Academic student societies (law, psychology, etc.) (9c)

19. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Supportive Campus Environment Students perform better and are more satisfied at universities that are committed to their success and cultivate positive working and social relations among different groups on campus. NSSEUFS 2007 Reliability 0.76 0.64

20. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Supportive Campus Environment Items measure the following conditions on campus: Environment provides support needed to help you succeed academically (12b) Environment helps you cope with non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc) (12d) Environment provides the support needed to help you thrive socially (12e) Quality of relationships with other students (10a) Quality of relationships with lecturers and staff members (10b) Quality of relationships with administrative personnel and offices (10c)

21. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Report Outline Executive Summary of significant findings Respondent characteristics Summary of psychometric properties Frequency distribution (all items) –First Year/Senior comparison (intra-institutional) Means comparison (all items) –First Year/Senior comparison (intra-institutional) Benchmark comparison (inter-institutional) –Sample overall and typology –First year/Senior comparison

22. SASSE South African Survey of Student Engagement Studente Ontwikkeling en Sukses Student Development and Success UNIVERSITEIT VAN DIE VRYSTAAT UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE YUNIVESITHI YA FREISTATA Tel (051) 401 3000 E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za www.ufs.ac.za Queries, Questions, Concerns Institution names Student numbers Questions? Comments?