National Survey Evaluates Student Engagement

University of Cincinnati students are about to get a national voice in evaluating the quality of their education, and it will take only about 10 minutes to get involved. UC is one of hundreds of universities nationwide that will be taking part in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, nicknamed "Nessie"). Students from both the East Campus and the West Campus will be selected to participate in the survey.

Brenda LeMaster, Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, says the 2,000 randomly selected undergraduates will be getting a letter from UC President Joseph A. Steger inviting them to participate. The letter will direct them to a secured web site where they will log in to complete the survey. This letter will arrive during the spring quarter.

"The credibility of the survey results is tied directly to a good response rate," LeMaster says. "If you are one of the students selected to participate in the study, your response is important."

The survey examines how students are engaged in their classrooms as well as on campus and in the community. The information can be used as a gauge by universities to improve and enhance student learning, to compare student performance with similar institutions, and to document the effectiveness of the institution.

Past research cited by NSSE found that "the degree to which students are engaged in their studies has a direct impact on the quality of student learning."

"This is an important message," LeMaster says.

The 40-question online survey explores five key areas:

Level of Academic Challenge - Class preparation, reading and writing and institutional environment

Active and Collaborative Learning - How often does the student ask questions in class? How often does the student work with fellow classmates outside of class on assignments?

Student and Faculty Interaction - Discussing grades, assignments or career plans with professors. Getting involved on activities outside the coursework, such as student activities, or campus committees.

Enriching Educational Experiences - UC's Just Community would be a prime example of discussing different religious beliefs or values with fellow students, or talking with students of different cultures, races and ethnicities.

Supportive Campus Environment -An environment that not only promotes academic success and social opportunities with fellow students, but also helps students cope with non-academic issues such as work or family.

LeMaster says results of the survey have the potential to improve college learning nationally as well as at UC, and the responses from the 2,000 selected UC students - 1,000 freshmen and 1,000 seniors - will remain confidential.

"Responses will not be tracked to individuals," says LeMaster. "The survey is administered by an independent, third-party survey organization. Survey administrators will tell us who hasn't responded and we can communicate with those students, but we will not have access to individual responses."

The data collection is generated through Indiana University, with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Pew Forum for Undergraduate Learning, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The College Student Report 2002 will be the third annual Nessie report and the first time that UC has participated.

In addition, the university is joining a consortium of 20 urban institutions, so the UC survey will pose questions relevant for urban institutions. Universities participating in the urban consortium include Cleveland State and the University of Toledo in Ohio, as well as DePaul, Northeastern Illinois, Southern Illinois, the University of Massachusetts-Boston, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Results of the survey are due sometime in the fall and will be made public to students and the UC community. "This is a way for UC to get a very good idea of how our students are spending their time, the kinds of learning our students are engaged in, and how they feel about their experience at UC," says LeMaster. "We can use this information to improve what we do at the University of Cincinnati."

LeMaster is hoping faculty and students will spread the word about the upcoming survey as well as about the importance of taking part for students who are notified. Fliers announcing The College Student Report will be posted around campus.

"This is considered one of the most exciting international benchmark exercises in higher education," says LeMaster.

More information on the upcoming survey can be found on the Nessie web site, including results from the national student survey conducted last year.