NSSE 2005: Student Perceptions of Enriching Educational Experiences

1. NSSE 2005: Student Perceptions of Enriching Educational Experiences Kathryn Doherty, Ed.D. January 18, 2006

2. Overview • What can NSSE tell us about students who responded? • What are NSSE Enriching Educational Experiences? • What can we learn from NSSE results?

3. What information does NSSE provide? • Identifies institutional strengths and areas for improvement • Allows benchmarking against peers and national results • Compares student experiences by demographic groups

4. NSSE Project Scope • Almost 1000 different colleges and universities • From 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada • Data from more than 880,000students • Institutions include historically black colleges & universities, Hispanic serving institutions, tribal colleges, and single gender colleges

5. Frostburg State Univ. Morgan State Univ. Salisbury University California State Univ. Fresno Florida A&M University James Madison Univ. Longwood University Montclair State Univ. Southern Illinois Univ. Edwardsville SUNY-Potsdam Texas A&M University University of Wisconsin Stout Some Peer Institutions

6. NSEE 2005 Related to Towson • 543 TU first-year students • 702 senior students • 808 of these students started here and 437 transferred in • 120 peer institutions

7. What Do We Know About Students Who Responded to NSSE • 27% male and 73% female • 8% belong to fraternity or sorority • 5% are student athletes • 89% are full time • 35% live on campus

8. More Information About Students • 66% say they are motivated to succeed • 16% identify race/ethnicity other than “white” • 96% participated in orientation • 54% have never used career advising

9. Enriching Educational Experiences

10. NSSE Benchmarks • Five clusters or benchmarks of effective educational practice • Generated through data collected from 225,000 randomly selected students from 518 institutions in NSSE 2005 • Based on research about student success, engagement, and retention

11. NSSE Benchmark Clusters • Active and Collaborative Learning • Enriching Educational Experiences • Level of Academic Challenge • Student Faculty Interaction • Supportive Campus Environment

12. EEE Definition • Complementary learning opportunities • Occur in and out of class • Augment academic programs • Include diversity experiences, use of technology, experiential learning opportunities, and co-curricular activities

13. EEE Items From NSSE • Using an electronic medium to discuss or complete assignments • Having serious conversations with students • Engaging in community or volunteer service • Completing foreign language coursework

14. More EEE Items From NSSE • Participating in practica, internships, field experiences, co-ops or clincals • Doing independent study or self-designed major • Studying abroad • Completing senior capstone • Participating in co-curricular activities

15. EEE Benchmark Score • Weighted average of student level benchmark scores • Calculated from all student responses on EEE items • Compares first and senior year response • Provides scores for comparison groups and “top performing” schools

16. Enriching Educational Experiences(Mean Student Response for All EEE Items)

17. Enriching Educational Experience Score:First Year/Senior

18. Enriching Educational Experience Score:Started Here/Transfer

19. Enriching Educational Experience Score:On-Campus/Off-Campus

20. Enriching Educational Experience Score: Co-Curricular Participation

21. Enriching Educational Experience Score:Would/Would Not Come Again

22. Enriching Educational Experience Score:Overall Educational Experience at Towson

23. Co-Curricular Participation

24. Hours Per 7 Day Week Participating in Co-Curricular Activities: All Respondents

25. Hours Per 7 Day Week Participating in Co-Curricular Activities: First Year/Seniors

26. Hours Per 7 Day Week Participating in Co-Curricular Activities: Started Here/Transfer

27. Hours Per 7-Day Week Spent in Co-Curricular Activities: Would/Would Not Attend Again

28. Students Who Participate in No Co-Curricular Activities: Hours Worked • 43% of students who work NO hours off-campus participate in NO co-curricular activities • 55% of students who work NO hours on-campus participate in NO co-curricular activities • 32% of students who responded work NO on-campus or off-campus hours and participate in NO co-curricular activities

29. Student Who Participate in NO Co-Curricular Activities: Race/Ethnicity

30. Other EEE Items

31. This Year, How Often Have You Done Each of the Following: “Often/Very Often”

32. Students Responding “Often” or “Very Often” – First Year/Senior

33. Students Responding “How Often” - Started Here/Transfer

34. Students Responding “Often” or “Very Often” - Would/Would Not Attend Again

35. This Year, Have You Done or Do You Plan to Do the Following: “Plan to Do/Done”

36. Students Responding “Plan to Do” or “Done” – First Year/Senior

37. Students Responding “Plan to Do” or “Done” – Started Here/Transfer

38. Students Responding “Plan to Do” or “Done” – Would/Would Not Attend Again

39. Conclusions

40. Things to Think About • Positive increase from First Year to Senior Year • Similar results for native and transfer students • Perception of EEE goes up as co-curricular participation goes up • Engaged students more likely to “definitely” come again • Engaged students more likely to rank overall educational experience as “Good” or “Excellent” • Co-curricular areas have clear and positive impact on student experience

41. More Information • Kathy Doherty AD 305 4-2557 kdoherty@towson.edu