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Volume 6, Issue 3 January 2007 |
Want to be added to our e-mail notification list? Click here to contact us!
NSSE E-News is a bimonthly electronic newsletter created for the perusal of current and previous NSSE participants. The intention of this resource's distribution is to share with clients information regarding that which relates to NSSE, including newly available NSSE website resources; media coverage of the NSSE; updates on the administration/data usage of the NSSE family of surveys (FSSE, LSSSE, and BCSSE [coming in January]); usage of NSSE data for institutional research and student affairs; Users Workshop & Conference highlights; and timelines on NSSE presentations/conference participation.
NSSE Users Workshop
BCSSE Inauguration
Using NSSE Data for Accreditation Purposes
NSSE Report
NSSE Roadshow
NSSE and Student Affairs
NSSE in the News
NSSE Users Workshop
Join Us at the Spring Drive-In NSSE Workshop in Wichita!
As you plan for a new year of working with NSSE data in your assessment, accreditation, and planning efforts, we hope you will join us for the spring 2007 Drive-in Regional NSSE Users Workshop, co-hosted by Wichita State University, Friends University, and Newman University. This drive-in workshop is designed for faculty, staff, and administrators with responsibilities for enhancing the quality of the undergraduate learning experience through using student engagement and related information. The event will take place Thursday and Friday, April 19-20, 2007, on the Wichita State campus. We also hope you will consider presenting a session at the Wichita workshop on how your institution uses NSSE data. For more details, including the proposal submission form, please visit the NSSE Institute Web site at http://nsse.iub.edu/institute/.
Inaugural Administration of the Beginning College Student Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE)!
BCSSE 2007 Registration Begins Soon!
The Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE, pronounced "bessie"), a project pilot-tested by the National Survey of Student Engagement for the past two years, will officially launch on February 15, 2007.
What is BCSSE?
BCSSE measures entering first-year students' pre-college academic and co-curricular experiences as well as their interest in and expectations for participating in various educationally purposeful activities during college. It is designed as a companion to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).
To better understand the influence of the institution on student performance, it is important to measure and control for the educational engagement patterns students establish prior to enrolling. It is also important to understand the value students place on various aspects of student engagement common to the first year of college.
How is the BCSSE Survey Administered?
BCSSE is available in either paper- or Web-based formats. Institutions may administer BCSSE as part of new student orientation programs in the summer or during the first two weeks of the fall term, depending upon academic calendar and assessment needs.
Why should my school participate in BCSSE?
BCSSE data can aid the design of pre-college orientation programs, student service initiatives, and other programmatic efforts aimed at improving student learning during the first year of college. BCSSE results can be used to shape initiatives that align the first-year experience of students with recognized effective educational practices.
Used in combination with NSSE or FSSE results, BCSSE data can help institutions assess the impact of student programs and services on the entire undergraduate experience and to learn more about their students.
BCSSE results may be used in many ways, including:
- Recruitment
- Retention
- Assessment and improvement
- Faculty and staff development
- Curricular reform
- Accreditation and self-studies
- Academic advising
- First-year program evaluation
Using NSSE Data for Accreditation Purposes
One of the most common institutional uses of NSSE data is for accreditation. In fact, NSSE schools report that accrediting agencies are the primary external group with which they share institutional results. There are two major reasons for this. Accreditation agencies give less weight to indicators that represent institutional resources such as library holdings or student input characteristics. Instead, more emphasis is placed on evidence of student learning. Regional associations and various specialized accrediting organizations encourage colleges and universities to more thoroughly measure student learning and to demonstrate that methods are in place to assess and enhance learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness on an ongoing basis. This is consistent with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings' recommendation that institutional accreditation processes emphasize and provide evidence of student learning. Student engagement results from NSSE are a direct indicator of what students put into their education and an indirect measure of student gains, because these data measure participation in various types of effective educational practices.
The second reason NSSE results are used in accreditation is because regional and discipline- or program-specific accreditation standards typically encourage institutions to focus on self-evaluation  and formative reviews to guide improvement efforts. Rather than fashion self-studies as a stand-alone document for one-time use, institutions are supported in featuring more elements of strategic planning and program evaluations to identify improvement areas. NSSE data are especially valuable for this purpose. The results are actionable; that is, they identify aspects of student and institutional performance that institutions can reform (i.e. curriculum, pedagogy, instructional emphases, and campus climate). In addition, because NSSE benchmarks allow for institutional comparisons, the results often point to areas where improvement may be desired. As such, NSSE results may help answer key questions related to institutional policies and programs associated with high levels of student engagement and learning.
NSSE as a Tool for Documenting Student Engagement in Learning
There are numerous examples of how student engagement information can respond to accreditation goals for documenting undergraduate learning. Used systematically over time, NSSE provides data that illustrate: (1) a college or university is using assessment to determine the extent to which it is meeting its educational objectives, (2) whether current institutional goals remain appropriate, and (3) which areas of teaching and learning are in need of improvement. Institutions can benchmark their performance against select peer comparison groups, Carnegie classification categories, and NSSE national norms. Information about student engagement and institutional effectiveness also offers evidence to meet accrediting standards for continuous improvement. NSSE results can further yield insights into widely-held assumptions about the nature of students and how they use the institution's resources for learning. Lastly, student engagement results are intuitively accessible and understandable to different stakeholders, on and off campus.
Mapping NSSE Results to Accreditation Standards
An effective accreditation plan is specific to each institution. Therefore, how student engagement information is used will vary, ranging from including the results in a self-study appendix, to systematic incorporation over a several-year period to demonstrate the impact of improvement initiatives on student engagement and the efficacy of modifications in policies and practices. Thus, no one approach or template can do justice to the wide variety of institutional missions, curricula, and campus environments that the plan is designed to address. However, two common early steps to developing an accreditation plan are to identify the assessment practices already in place as well as the available data, and to augment this evidence through the self-study process.
To assist institutions in preparing for accreditation, NSSE staff created a guideline for aligning survey items with regional accreditation standards. This mapping suggests ways to relate NSSE results with accreditation standards and stimulates institutions to consider various ways of integrating NSSE data into these processes. A copy of this mapping can be found at the following Web site: http://nsse.iub.edu/institute/?view=tools/accred. Our hope is that this alignment stimulates institutions to consider various ways to integrate NSSE data into accreditation processes, beyond simply mentioning NSSE as an element in its systematic assessment activities. This toolkit is not a "formula" for mapping NSSE results to accreditation standards, but is intended to stimulate thinking about how these data can be used productively to address specific standards. Also, NSSE findings and benchmark scores may be used to support and document institutional improvement efforts, but will be most meaningful when coupled with other measures of student learning outcomes from your campus. Check out the newly updated Accreditation Toolkit for the New England Association of Schools & Colleges!
NSSE Report
Connecting the Dots: A New NSSE Study of the Links Between Engagement and Success Measures for Historically Underserved Students
NSSE just released findings from a two-year Lumina-funded project, Connecting the Dots (CTD). The study analyzes the relationships between student engagement as measured by NSSE results and selected measures of success in college for students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds attending different types of four-year colleges and universities. NSSE schools will find it informative to review findings such as (1) historically underserved students benefit more than White students in terms of grades and persistence from engaging in educationally effective practices, and (2) the NSSE survey works equally well for students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds attending different types of institutions, though campus-specific contextual factors must always be taken into account when interpreting student engagement and other findings.
NSSE institutions are encouraged to review the summary and implications section of the report to consider ways to address shortcomings in students’ academic preparation and increase the chances that students will succeed by adapting demonstrably effective policies and practices. Institutions might also conduct similar analyses using their NSSE data to explore the relationship between engagement and success measures such as retention and grades. Finally, the combined methodologies of cognitive interviewing and focus group testing employed in this study offer a model for NSSE institutions who might want to further contextualize their NSSE results.
The complete report is available on the NSSE Web site: http://nsse.iub.edu/pdf/Connecting_the_Dots_Report.pdf
NSSE Roadshow
January 2007 |
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| Jan. 5 | Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Executive Committee Program | |
| Jan. 19 - 27 | Assoc. of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) | |
| Jan. 29 - 31 | Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Annual Conference | |
February 2007 |
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| Feb. 16 - 20 | Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience | |
| Feb. 11 | American Council of Education Council of Fellows | |
| Feb. 20 | Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Higher Education Conference on Enrollment Management | |
March - April 2007 |
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| Mar. 1 - 3 | AAC&U General Education and Assessment | |
| Mar. 8 | Utah System of Higher Education Retention and Persistence to Graduation Symposium | |
| Mar. 18 - 19 | University of Maine Board of Trustees | |
| Mar. 31 - Apr. 4 | 2007 ACPA/NASPA Joint Meeting | |
| Apr. 9 - 13 | American Educational Research Association (AERA) | |
NSSE and Student Affairs
Looking to Increase Response Rates? Use Student Life Officers as Allies!
Student life officers provide a wide range of services on college and university campuses. They interact frequently with students. With this in mind, we recommend collaborating with them to promote the NSSE 2007 administration on your campus. Here is our top five list of student life offices and populations you may want to target to promote the survey.
- Senior Student Affairs Officer: This person typically is the highest-ranking administrator in student life. The NSSE survey can help her meet goals of student affairs assessment and create exceptional programs to meet student needs. Starting here can result in the creation of strategy to benefit numerous departments who have frequent interaction with students. This person will typically help you contact all the people listed here.
- Residence Life and Housing Professionals: If you have a residential campus, a majority of first-year students probably live in your facilities. Residence life offices typically have paid staff as area coordinators, residence directors (typically live in a hall) and paraprofessional resident advisors. Get to know the Director of the Residence Life programs and discuss ways to disseminate information about the survey through newsletters and other media.
- Student Activities Staff: Some campuses have a few student organizations and others have hundreds. On most campuses, someone coordinates these organizations. This person may have recurring interactions with students, particularly the officers of student organizations. They may interact with a wide range of honors, religious, social, and cultural organizations. Student Activities may have communication vehicles and marketing techniques that will promote the survey without incurring additional costs.
- Greek Life Professionals: If your campus has a fraternity and sorority community, chances are there is a person who provides some administrative oversight to these organizations. They frequently use e-mail, blogging, and web pages to communicate information on campus events. These organizations can be some of the most engaged students, both in and out of the classroom.
- Athletic Departments and LifeSkills Programs Administrators: Student athletes typically have frequent interaction with coaches, advisors, and mentors. Using contacts at the athletics department or athletics support services to promote the survey can go a long way in investing these students.
Other valuable ways to reach students:
- Offices serving underrepresented students
- New Student Programs
- Career Center
- Student Government
- Alumni Association
No matter how you choose to reach students, keep your contacts general (i.e. announcements instead of individual contacts) and you will have no problem honoring the integrity of the human subjects expectations.
NSSE in the News
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Inside HigherEd
According to Associate Director of NSSE, "Assessment is most valuable as a way of helping institutions improve themselves" | January 2007 |
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Indiana Daily Student
LSSSE "Study says field experience is key" | January 2007 |
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Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Director of NSSE says learning communities in colleges help students work in diverse groups, communicate, and apply those skills in the real world. | January 2007 |
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Inside Higher Ed
Taking Assessment Seriously?- Use NSSE | January 2007 |
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Inside Indiana Business
LSSSE results reveal that positive professor-student interaction is beneficial in law schools | January 2007 |
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Indiana University Bloomington
Director of LSSSE, George Kuh, says "Law schools can do more to help students succeed" | January 2007 |
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Herald Times
"Frequent contact with faculty, high expectations & group projects, & real-world lessons add up to a better law-school education" | January 2007 |
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The Atlanta Journal Constitution
The mission of women's colleges is supported by NSSE research | December 2006 |
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North Country Times
Cal State San Marcos shares some of its NSSE results | December 2006 |
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Fulton Sun
Westminster College says NSSE "has become one the standards to judge what schools are really doing for the growth of young people" | December 2006 |
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Quad-City Times
Augie and SAU will try to find out the "why" behind their NSSE results | December 2006 |
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Inside Higher Ed
"Thinking About Students as Workers" | December 2006 |
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The Daily Evergreen
WSU credits their improved NSSE results to their Freshman Focus Program | December 2006 |
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Northern Life
Students protest against tuition fees based, in part, on NSSE findings. | December 2006 |
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Coker College
Coker College uses NSSE results to launch "a curriculum-wide initiative that emphasizes writing skills" | December 2006 |
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Advance-Titan: University of Wisconsin OshKosh
UWO uses NSSE to assess the effectiveness of improvement efforts | December 2006 |
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University Business
"Going the Distance on Engagement: NSSE report shows higher engagement levels for distance ed students" | December 2006 | |