Northwestern College NSSE Spring 2007

1. 2007/2008 Assessment Committee November 1, 2007 Northwestern CollegeNSSE Spring 2007

2. Presentation Overview • An Introduction: NSSE & Student Engagement • 2007 NSSE & Selected NWC Results • Using NSSE Data • Questions & Discussion • Contact Information

3. An Introduction:NSSE and the Concept of Student Engagement

4. Time on task(Tyler, 1930s) Quality of effort(Pace, 1960-70s) Student involvement(Astin, 1984) Social, academic integration(Tinto, 1987, 1993) Good practices in undergraduate education(Chickering & Gamson, 1987) College impact(Pascarella, 1985) Student engagement(Kuh, 1991, 2005) Foundations of Student Engagement

5. What Really Matters in College: Student Engagement Because individual effort and involvement are the critical determinants of impact, institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to encourage student engagement. Pascarella & Terenzini, How College Affects Students, 2005, p. 602

6. The Student Engagement Trinity 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

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

8. 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

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

10. NSSE Project Scope • Approximately 1,200 different colleges and universities • 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada • Data from more than 1,552,000students • Institutions include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges, and single-gender colleges

11. Survey Administration • Administered to random samples of first-year & senior students • Paper & Web-based survey • Flexible to accommodate consortium questions • Multiple follow-ups to increase response rates

12. How Valid is Self-Reported Data? Research Confirms Self-Reported Data Validity When Following Conditions Exist… • Requested information is known to respondents • Questions are clear and unambiguous • Respondents take questions seriously and thoughtfully • Answering does not threaten, embarrass, or violate privacy or compel a socially desirable response The NSSE survey instrument was designed to meet these conditions For more details, see: NSSE Psychometric Portfolio at http://nsse.iub.edu/html/NSSE_Psychometric_Portfolio.cfm

13. NSSE 2007 & Selected Northwestern College Results

14. NSSE 2007 Institution Response Rates • NWC’sresponse rate = 50% Average Institutional Response Rates • 36%for all NSSE 2007 institutions • 33%for Paper mode institutions • 37%for Web-only institutions • 35%for Web+ institutions

15. NSSE 2007Northwestern CollegeResults • Thinking about your overall experience at this institution, how would you rate the quality of relationships with faculty and administrative personnel and offices?

16. NSSE 2007 NorthwesternFindings What percentage of our students (in comparison to selected peers) participate in community service or volunteer work?

18. NSSE 2007 [Institution] Findings What percentage of[Institution]students spent more than 5 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities?

19. Using Your NSSE Data

20. Using NSSE Data • NSSE results are being used across all sectors and types of institutions. • Discovering and sharing ways student engagement results are being used is one of NSSE’s most important activities. • The following slides illustrate how NSSE data can inform educational policy and practice and provide examples of how specific institutions have used their NSSE results in productive ways. Areas of Effective Educational Practice Areas for Institutional Improvement

21. Internal Campus Uses • Gauge status of campus priorities • Examine changes in student engagement between first and senior years • Assess campus progressover time • Encourage dialogue aboutgood practice • Link with other data to test hypotheses, evaluateprograms • Improve curricula, instruction, services LearningCommunities 1ST Year and Senior Experience EnrollmentManagement InstitutionalResearch AcademicAffairs Institutional Improvement LearningAssessment StudentAffairs FacultyDevelopment PeerComparison AcademicAdvising

22. External Campus Uses • Assess status vis-à-vis peers, competitors • Identify, develop, market distinctive competencies • Encourage collaboration in consortia (e.g., statewide NSSE conference) • Provide evidence of accountability for good processes (while awaiting improvement in outcomes) GoverningBoards FundRaising Parents ProspectiveStudents Media PublicAccountability AccreditingBodies Alumni StatePolicyMakers Focus on Right Things PerformanceIndicators

23. Questions & Discussion

24. Contact Information Northwestern College Contact with NSSE: Adrienne Forgette aforgett@nwciowa.edu NSSE Web site www.nsse.iub.edu National Survey of Student EngagementCenter for Postsecondary ResearchIndiana University BloomingtonPhone: 812.856.5824E-mail: nsse@indiana.edu .