NSSE
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, pronounced "Nessie") is a standardized national survey for first-year and senior students regarding their educational experiences. The premise of the survey is that educational quality is linked to the frequency with which students engage in activities shown to be effective in promoting student growth.
Highlights from the 2006 NSSE survey:
On the five NSSE "benchmark" scores, Augustana compared not only favorably to the national averages for all NSSE 2006 participants, but also showed significant differences:
Benchmark Mean Scores | First-Year | Senior | ||
Augustana | NSSE 2006 | Augustana | NSSE 2006 | |
Level of Academic Challenge | 59.5 | 51.7 | 63.9 | 55.8 |
Active and Collaborative Learning | 44.9 | 41.3 | 57.3 | 50.4 |
Student-Faculty Interaction | 34.2 | 32.1 | 55.0 | 41.3 |
Enriching Educational Experiences | 30.0 | 26.7 | 51.0 | 39.9 |
Supportive Campus Environment | 62.9 | 59.1 | 61.4 | 56.6 |
The NSSE report on the benchmarks also allowed us to compare ourselves with a small group of liberal arts colleges with whom we collaborate for educational quality improvement purposes, the Teagle group, as well as with a national group of liberal arts colleges, the Carnegie Peers group. The results for both Augustana and our peers point to the added value of an education at a smaller liberal arts college.
Our benchmark score on student-faculty interaction for seniors was particularly high, as we continue to develop a Senior Inquiry program that promotes student research in collaboration with faculty mentors.
Although our benchmark score on Enriching Educational Experiences was high because of all the co- and extra-curricular opportunities students engage in, our NSSE responses have reinforced our need to focus on enriching the campus diversity climate.
Click here to access a pdf of the National Survey of Student Engagement.
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